PRIME Lambs - 1358: Hard work, 166.2p SQQ but a big difference between the well meated quality and those not fully finished.

Euro at 90p is good for export and trade is 25p/kg more than last year. October is the lowest trade of the year because Orkney, Shetland, Hebrides and large areas of upland Scotland sell sheep at this time and saturate the market which lowers the trade, but 25p/kg better than last year. Good meated farm assured lambs still very respectable trade.

Breeding ewes - 1421: The large seasonal entry included a good selection of both lowland and hill type ewes with yearlings and older ewes getting sold to a better enquiry. Top price was £128 for a pen of Welsh Mule yearlings with other nicer sorts from £112 to £120. The consignment of Scotch Mules were all in good order - they sold from £122 to £126, with the draft of 146 North Country Mules varying from £120 to £88. Strength always sold to better demand with Suffolk cross yearlings from £100 to £123. Smaller harder bred black faced yearlings from £80 to £96. Texel cross yearlings sold to £118 with others from £88 to £112. Welsh yearlings ranged from £72 to £97. Older ewes sold to £109 for Texel 2's, part of a dispersal of 194 Suffolk cross Texel home bred. Other older ewes to £102 for 3 year old Suffolk cross, most of the 2, 3 and 4 year olds from £80 to £94. The pen of Poll Dorset at £98. Welsh Mule 2, 3 and 4 year olds from £88 to £98. Welsh 2's and 3's from £72 to £80. Full mouth Welsh ewes from £52 to £68. Badger yearlings £70 to £73. Dorset Down 4's and 5's at £88. An excellent clearance effected.

Store lambs - 4501: A grand entry of lambs was met with an increased company of buyers, lambs sold to all parts of Wales and throughout the Midlands to Cheshire. A large show of farming lambs today with several medium sorts on offer. Strength and condition short on the ground. Strongest stores to £78, other stronger lambs £66 to £72. Good farming lambs very similar on the week and from £62 to £65.80 throughout the sale. Several men keen for level bunches with the odd lean or poor sort spoiling the bunch, both Suffolks and continentals in keen demand. Medium keeping lambs from £58 to £61.50 and look well sold, more Mule wethers on show today - these generally £54 to £62.20 for the strongest, several £56 to £60. Well bred long keeping lambs from £52 to £57.50 with lambs with plenty of potential mid £50's. Smaller, harder bred sorts from £45 to £50, very small and backward lambs from £36 to £42.

Several ram lambs today with plenty of customers looking for ram lambs. Strong sorts £62 to £68, good farming sorts £55 to £60. Hill bred again forward in number - these are good providing the lambs have potential to come weight. Stronger sorts from £47 to £52. Others £40 to £46.50. Small and plain sorts £34 to £40.

A super selection of ewe lambs with something to suit everybody. Pure Texels caught the eye topping at £150. Other strong Texels to £110 and £100. A pen of North Country Mules with strength caught the eye topping at £115. Several North Country ewe lambs today from noted vendors - these trading from £85 to £90 for stronger sorts with a pen of smaller runners at £77. Welsh Mules generally smaller running lambs, however a pen of stronger coloured Mules to £87. A pen of white faced Mules to £90, with several white faced and coloured Mules from £70 to £76. Very small sorts from £57 to £65. A good selection of Suffolk cross Mules included a good run of Suffolk cross North Country types - these topped at £90, others to £86 and £82. Suffolk cross Welsh Mule to £87 twice, other smaller sorts from £74 to £80.

Smaller harder bred sorts only feeding money and would be better sold as a bunch of mixed lambs from £57 to £65. Texel cross Mules to £88, other stronger sorts around £80, smaller types then £65 to £75, and like the Suffolks smaller, poorer headed sorts best sold as a mixed bunch of stores. An excellent clearance with just a few ewe lambs unable to find new homes. Overall average £60.87.

Cull ewes - 2172: A stronger entry of ewes sold to a pretty tidy trade and the general consensus is that they got dearer as the sale went on. Plenty of men looking for those good underneath ewes which were well sold especially those Speckle and Mule ewes. Continental ewes up to £110.50/head but there was a shortage of those best Texels forward. Rams an excellent trade topping at £122.50/head with several others close behind at £120.50 and £113/head. Top 20 prices all in excess of £89/head. As the sheep out of the north steady up the trade should firm again.

Average £/head - £53.64.

Continental £110.50.

Suffolks £94.

North Country Mules £79.50.

Welsh Mules £72.

Speckles £61.50.

Welsh £69.

Cull Rams £122.50.

Cull Wethers £75.

Rearing/weaned calves - 63: A good selection of both rearing (45) and weaned (18) calves, under 42 day old calves sold to better interest topping at £380 for a British Blue cross bull from Mrs J Jones and Sons. Other Blue bulls from £255 to £375. More Hereford cross calves this week with bulls from £125 to £220 and heifers from £165 to £200. Limousin cross bulls £200 to £230 with heifers at £195. Stronger weaned stock this sale - suckler bred 7/13 months at £600 and £640. Blonde cross bulls 5/6 months £500 to £535. Hereford cross bulls 3/4 months £305 to £420. Angus cross heifers 6/7 months at £420. Limousin cross bulls 10 months at £440. Total clearance effected.

Breeding rams - 366: An excellent day for vendors at Hereford, with an enthusiastic crowd and expectation exceeded on many occasions. Quality show of Blue Faced Leicester rams to begin the day with plenty of yearlings over 500Gns to top at 780Gns. The sale continued well through the other breeds and at the end of business over 90% of rams had changed hands.

The show was ably judged by Mr Williams, Llethercynon, Brecon and Mr Millichap, Brecon.

Suffolk yearlings 500.

Suffolk 2 years 500.

Texel yearlings 600.

Charollais yearlings 620.

Charollais 4 years 300.

Blue Faced Leicester lambs 400.

Blue Faced Leicester yearlings 780.

Blue Faced Leicester 2 years 580.

Blue Faced Leicester 4 years 600.

Show and sale of Blue Faced Leicester Rams;

Yearling ram 1) M/s G H Powell and Son, Shetton Farm 780Gns 2) M/s Jones, Neuadd Blaenduhonw 500Gns 3) Mr K Jones, Cornel 620Gns.

Ram Lamb 1) M/s W H Gwillim and Son, Llanwonog 340Gns 2) Mr A J Christopher, Rockyfold Farm 350Gns 3) Miss M Edwards, Tydraw Farm 380Gns.