PENRITH - Wednesday 3rd February. Penrith & District Farmers’ Mart LLP held their fortnightly sale of 117 rearing calves. Calves again sold well to a full ringside of buyers with Black & Whites holding up well. Topping at £510 was a Belgium Blue bull from Kirtleton selling to Mr J Little.

Leading Prices - Bulls Calves (12 Weeks and Under): Limousin £400 Kirtleton Hill; British Blue £455 Yanwath Hall; Aberdeen Angus £205 Clifton Hall; Saler £158, £140 Greengill Head; Black & White £108 Brackenburgh Home Farms, £108 (2) Town End Farm (Mounsey), £96, £92 Low Moor Dyke;

Montbeliarde £108, £98 (2) Town End Farm (Mounsey). Weaned Bulls (Over 12 Weeks): Limousin £510, £470 Kirtleton Hill; British Blue £540, £505, £480 (2), £460 (3), £450 Kirleton Hill. Heifer Calves (12 Weeks and Under): British Blue £365 Yanwath Hall; £355 Town Head Farm (Williams); Limousin £300 Swathburn; Charolais £245 Fluscopike Farms; Aberdeen Angus £138 Town Head Farm (Williams). Weaned Heifers (Over 12 Weeks): British Blue £420 (2) Yanwath Hall.

Weekly sale of 3270 prime sheep, comprising of 2615 prime hoggs & 655 cast ewes & rams. Another Bumper Sale was held with a cracking average of 189p/kg being achieved. Mule and Swaledales sold exceptionally well topping at 188p/kg for Mules and 180p/kg for Swaledales also selling to £93.50 was a pen of 24 Mule Hoggs weighing 53k/kg from M/s Bowman, Crindledyke. Texel and Beltex Lambs sold again very well with high premiums being achieved.

Leading Prices - Prime Hoggs p/kg: Beltex 256p Espland House, 247p Fawcett Park, 245p (2) Grange Hall; Texel 251p Low Garth 245p 238p 237p (2) 233p Ranbeck; Suffolk 214p Brownrigg Hall, 195p Crindledyke, 191p South Field; Continental 210p Brownrigg Hall, 206p Shap Abbey, 201p Leigh Croft; Cheviot 209p Murrah Hall, 196p Nook Farm, 193p High Knipe, 191p Dalehead; Herdwick 197p Low Garth, 190p Low Side; Charolais 196p Whitehead Hill Farm, 191p Fowrass Farm; Mule 188p Crindledyke, 188p Low Mill, 180p Fog Close, 180p (3) Ravenwood Cottage, 180p (2) Street House, 180p Waterside House; Scotch 184p Waterside House; Swaledale 180p Shap Abbey, 177p Dalehead Farming, 174p (2) Low Mill, 174 (2) Crosby Hall; Kerry180p Grassknop.

Prime Hoggs £/head: Texel £105 £102 £100 £99.50 Kirkbarrow Hall (Dickinson), £104 Hardendale, £103.50, £101 Clifton Moor Farm, £99 Ranbeck; Beltex £105 £100 (2) £99.50 £99 Espland House, £99.50 £99 Gillside, £99 Petteril Green, £99 Fawcett Park; Suffolk £100 Bank House (Greenop), £99.50 £93.50 Crindledyke, £99 South Field, £94.50 Waterside House, £93 Park Head (Hird), £92 Brownrigg Hall; Cont 92.50 Shap Abbey, £91 Fowrass Farm; Mule £93.50 Crindledyke, £91.50 Old Mill Flatt, £90 Street House (Maughan), £90 £86.50 Fog Close, £89.50 Waterside House, £89.50 Gillside, £87.50 Hill Top; Cheviot £94 Greenbank Farm, £90.50 Waterside House, £90 Crosby Hall; Charolais £86.50 WhiteheadHill Farm, Cheviot Mule £88 Crindledyke; Kerry £79 Grassknop; Leicester £80 Woodhall; Swaledale £79 Shap Abbey, £78.50 £76.50 Low Mill, £76.50 Crosby Hall, £76 Dalehead; Herdwick £76.50 Hill Top, £75 (2) Gillside, £73 Low Garth.

Cast Ewes and Rams took another massive lift being a good £10 dearer on the week. Many more numbers still required to fulfil demand. Cast Ewes: Beltex £119 Clifton Moor Farm, £114 £101 £92 £84 £79 Shap Abbey; Texel £109 £99 £96 Clifton Moor Farm, £99 Low House, £97 Gillside, £95 £93 Lane End, £93 High and Low Buildings, £92 Skelling, £90 Bustabeck; Suffolk £99 £97 £95 Lane End, £93.50 Thorneycroft, £91 Lowther Street, £90 Town Head, £88 Stoneybeck, £88 Whitehead Hill; Continental £93.50 Thorneycroft, £93 Clifton Moor Farm, £89 Lowther Street, £88 Low Buildings; Bluefaced Leicester £92 Hole House (Ivinson), £79 Nook Farm, £77 Hill Crest; Cheviot £79 Honeypot, £76 Shap Abbey, £71 Skelling; Masham £78 High Harberwain; Mule £77 Whitehead Hill, £76.50 Bells View, £74 Hill Crest, £73 High and Low Buildings, £70 Underhelm, £70 Milburn Grange, £70 Stoneybeck Farm, £70 Clifton Hall Farm; Zwartble £75 Leigh Croft; Wensleydale £70 High Harberwain; Scotch £70, £69 Barkbeth; Dalesbred £65 High Harberwain; Swaledale £59 Underhelm; £57 Hole House (Ivinson), £45 Home Farm (Buckle), £53 Woodhall, £52.50 Ravenwood Cottage; Badger £40 High Harberwain.

Cast Rams: Texel £103 Clifton Moor Farm, £98 Milburn Grange; Scotch: £85 Barkbeth; £69 (2) Wilkinsyke; Suffolk £80 Thrang Cragg; Bluefaced Leicester £75 Woodhall; Swaledale £63 Woodhall, £56 Ravenwood; Herdwick £65 Wilkinsyke.

Fortnightly sale of store sheep of all classes on Wednesday. All classes followed the demand of the prime sheep this being very strong and many more could have been sold to advantage.

Leading Prices: Texel £72 Cross Field, £69 £67 Lime Tree, £67 Castle Bank; Continental: £64 360 Town Head, £55 £54 Thrang Cragg, £45 Lime Tree; Suffolk £60 Thrang Cragg; Mule £56.50 Thrang Cragg.

Monday, 1st February - a fine entry of 380 store cattle saw dairy bred stores selling at dearer rates than the previous sale. Strong cattle were also good to sell. A top bullock price of £1365 was twice reached during the sale. S Allan & Sons, Greenhow and J D Bowman, Croft House both sold Limousin’s at the price. Store Heifers peaked at £1315 for a pen of Limousin’s from RJ & L Raine, Ravenwood.

Leading Prices - Bullocks: Black & White £1205 £1045 £965 (2) £925 Midtown (Strong), £1085 £965 Greenhow, £1065 (2) Bank Farm (Mason), £955 Scar Side Farm; Blonde d’Aquitaine £1045 Bowness Farm; Aberdeen Angus £1185 Midtown (Strong), £1105 Fair Bank Farm; Charolais £1245 The Chestnuts, £1245 £1155 £1145 £1135 (2) £1125 (2) £1115 The Wath, £1235 Ploveriggs; Simmental £1185 Bells View; British Blue £1305 £1205 Midtown, £1255 £1235 £1165 £1155 £1115 £1085 £1025 Bank Farm (Mason), £1245 Catherine Holme, £1225 Bells View, £1175 (2) £1125 (2) £1095 Brampton Hall, £1165 £1115 £1075 Annfield, £1035 Waters Farm; Montbeliarde £1225 Bells View; Shorthorn £995 £965 Deepdale Hall; Limousin £1365 (2) £1315 £1295 (2) Greenhow, £1365 (2) £1235 Croft House, £1255 £1235 Bank Farm (Mason), £1235 Midtown (Strong), £1205 £1115 Annfield, £1195 £1155 Catherine Holme, £1175 £1145 The Wath, £1175 Home Farm (Metcalfe), £1165 The Chestnuts, £1135 Waters Farm, £1105 Nook Farm.

Heifers: British Blue £1295 £1215 £1055 (4) Haltcliffe Bridge, £1205 £1095 Bank Farm (Mason), £1085 Home Farm (Metcalfe); Shorthorn£815 High Harberwain; Limousin £1315 Ravenwood, £1215 (2) £1055(2) Croft Head, £1185 £1055 Annfield Farm, £1135 (2) Well House (Strong), £1085 £1055 £1035 Nook Farm, £1075 Thackwood, £1075 £1035 (2) Thorneycroft, £1035 Home Farm (Metcalfe), £1035 Waters Farm.

Bulls: Limousin £1305 Musgrave House, £1125 Well House, £945(2) £905(2) Hacra, £935 Home Farm (Metcalfe)

A small entry of quality heavy bulls saw David Raine, Old Parks topping the market at 196.50p/kg and 195.5p/kg twice respectively with Limousin bulls.

Leading Prices - Prime Bulls p/kg: Limousin 196.50 195.50 (2) 194.50 Old Parks; Charolais194.50 Fog Close; Black & White 143.50 Castlesteads.

Prime Bulls £/head: Limousin £1387.29 £1366.55 £1284.44 Old Parks; Black & White £894.01 Castlesteads; Charolais £1365.39 Fog Close; British Blue £1360.61 Fog Close.

On Monday Penrith & District Farmers’ Mart LLP held their fortnightly sale of 51 OTM Cattle. A similar entry this week. Good meat and younger cows sold well, plainer grades were steady once again. A & N Bennett, Hollins Farm sold the top priced cow, a Blonde at 167.5p/kg to Owain Llyr of Ruthin. Black and White cows sold to 119.50p/kg from Newton Rigg College.

Cast Cows p/kg: British Blue 117.50 Glasslyn House; Black & White 119.50 Askham Bryan College, 113.50 Longlands, 110.50 Carleton Hall Farm, 104.50 Wolfa, 103.50 (2) Yanwath Woodhouse, 102.50 Mooriggs, 102.50 Town End Farm (Mounsey & Son), 101.50 Blands Farm; Limousin 157.50 Undercragg, 147.50 Home Farm (Metcalfe), 137.50 Well House (Strong), 131.50 Outhwaite; Blonde d’Aquitaine 167.50 Hollins Farm; Belgian Blue 117.50 Glasslyn House.

Cast Cows £/head: Limousin £1192.28 Undercragg, £991.51 Outhwaite, £952.85 Home Farm (Metcalfe), £860.48 Old Parks; Black & White £902 Town End Farm (Mounsey), £858.85 £806.27 Yanwath Woodhouse, £805.91 Blands Farm, £801.85 Askham Bryan College, £759.53 Mooriggs; Blonde d’Aquitaine £1331.63 Hollins Farm, £900.05 Hole House; Belgian Blue £883.65 Hole House.