Texel shearlings led a firm breeding trade at CCM Skipton’s final Tuesday sheep sale of the season, with 52 rams included in a total entry of 244 breeding sheep and rams.
The Texel section produced the strongest figures of the sale. Shearlings averaged £1,269, while the top price was 1,950gns. The leading ram was consigned by Mark and Helen Keighley from the Manderlea flock at Leathley, who also sold other Texel shearlings at 1,850gns and 1,400gns.
Strong demand across the ram sections
Adam Stockdale, Eshton, sold a Texel shearling at 1,450gns and a Blue Texel shearling ram at 850gns. A further Texel shearling from Andy Lambert, Hellifield, made 1,300gns, while the same vendor’s Beltex-cross 2-shear reached 1,400gns.
John Beckwith and family, Gargrave, topped the Beltex shearling section at 900gns. Ken Dickinson, Foulridge, sold a Blue Faced Leicester shearling for 800gns, matching the price achieved by another ram of the same breeding from the Mason family of Oddacres, Embsay. The Mason family also sold Blue Faced Leicester lambs to 450gns.
| Section | Top price | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Texel shearlings | 1,950gns | £1,269 |
| Blue Faced Leicester shearlings | 800gns | £583 |
| Beltex shearling rams | 900gns | £336 |
| Suffolk shearling rams | 650gns | Not stated |
Hill and crossbred sheep also trade
Blue Faced Leicester aged tups sold to 700gns from JW Stockdale & Sons, Burnsall. Suffolk shearling rams peaked at 650gns for the Lawn family of Skipton.
Among the breeding females, North of England Mule shearlings reached £280 from SIM-x, Silsden. Texel-cross shearlings from Martin Stocks, Hebden Bridge, sold at £290 and £270.
The cull and older ewe trade included Texel 2-shear ewes at £305 from T Craddock & Son, Bolton-by-Bowland. Broken-mouthed Swaledale ewes reached £98 from Hayton & Stocks, Bolton Abbey, with plainer examples generally making £70 to £80. Broken-mouthed Mule ewes sold to £165 from the Burnsall Stockdales.
Change to the sale programme
CCM’s breeding sheep sales will now move to a fortnightly Wednesday schedule, running on the same day as the mart’s store sheep sale. The Tuesday event marked the end of the seasonal Tuesday series, with the results showing demand across terminal-sire rams, Blue Faced Leicester breeding and hill-farm ewe lines.
- 244 breeding sheep and rams were forward at CCM Skipton.
- 52 rams were included in the entry.
- Texel shearlings averaged £1,269 and topped at 1,950gns.
