Kirkby Stephen Prime Sheep Sale (2025)

Harrison & Hetherington Ltd, Kirkby Stephen Mart held their weekly sale of Prime Sheep on Tuesday Evening when 2431 sheep were on offer consisting of 43 spring lambs, 2000 prime hoggs and 388 cast sheep.

Topping the sale at £213 was a 75kg Rouge hogg from Messrs #Smithson, Skelcies Hall, Kirkby Stephen.

Jojo Andrews, Boscar Flats, York sold a pen of five 48kg hoggs to make £200, with another pen of six 53kg making £200, a pen of five 49kg at £196, five 50kg at £196 and a pen of five 48kg Texel cross hoggs at £192, with Suffolk cross hoggs selling to £186 from this home.

Messrs Bell, Hallbankgate Farm, Brampton sold 76kg Texel cross hoggs to £200, with this home also topping at 450p/kg for 40kg at £180, with this home also selling a pen of seven 47kg hoggs to make £180.

Messrs Dawson, Mount Pleasant Farm, York sold a pen of six 55kg Texel cross hoggs to make £193, with this home also selling a pen of eight 65kg Hill Cheviot hoggs to make £178, a pen of eleven 64kg Suffolks at £176, a pen of 66kg Mules to make £166, with another pen of fifteen 64kg Mules to make £160, and a pen of 63kg Blackfaced hoggs at £162.

This home also sold a pen of fourteen 45kg Texel cross hoggs to male £172.

Messrs Hunter, Upper Brydekirk, Annan sold a pen of twelve 38kg hoggs to make 3167 (439.5p/kg).

Messrs Skelton, Newhall Farm, Maryport sold a pen of twelve 47kg Texel cross hoggs to make £170.50, with a pen of fifteen 53kg Hill Cheviot hoggs making £164, a pen of twelve 55kg Mules at £152, and a pen of thirty-four 52kg Blackfaced hoggs to make £150.

Messrs Kiernan, Vale Farm, Preston sold a pen of twenty-six 40kg Hill Cheviot hoggs to make £141 (352.5p/kg) with another pen of eighteen 40kg Hill cheviots making £139.50 (348.8p/kg) also from this home.

Once again Kirkby Stephen prime sheep ring bucked the national downturn in trade with many pens of hoggs, of all weights and particularly the heavy hoggs said to be a good £10-£15 dearer than trades the previous day and so far this week.

An SQQ average of 330p/kg and an overall 300p/kg and £151.78 was achieved with this including nearly a third of the sale being horned and Mule hoggs.

Leading Consignment Averages (Prime Hoggs)

Spring Lambs

Spring lambs topped at £202 and 439.1p/kg for a 46kg Texel cross from Susan Sowerby, Terrys Farm, Ormside which was bought by Dowdings Butchers, Appleby.

Messrs Birkbeck, Castle Hill, Soulby sold 50kg Texel lambs to £194 also selling to Dowdings Butchers, with this home also selling a pair of 45kg Texel cross lambs to make £192 (427p/kg).

Messrs Slee, Street House, Kirkby Thore sold a pen of nine 39kg Texel cross lambs to make £160.

Messrs Deighton, Orchard Farm, Bleatarn sold 41kg Charollais cross lambs to make £170 (414.6p/kg)

Cast Sheep

Cast sheep were also once again a flying trade here at Kirkby Stephen!

Topping at £275 was a pair of Suffolks from Messrs Brannen, Scar Top, Penrith.

Texel cross ewes sold to £258 from Messrs Slee, Street House, Kirkby Thore, with this home also selling Texel cross ewes to £245.

Messrs Pedley, Prospect Farm Cottage also sold Texel cross ewes to £245.

Dutch Spotted ewes sold to £220 from Messrs Farell, Low Moor, Kirkby Thore.

Hill Cheviot ewes sold to £182 from Messrs Clark, Bowlees Fsarm, Middleton in Teesdale.

Mule ewes sold to £180 from Messrs Raine, Stanhope Gate Farm, Barnard Castle.

Rough Fell ewes sold to £142 for a pen of seven from Messrs Taylor, Waterhouses, Asby.