Stags of South Molton report another brilliant entry of prime lambs this week and overall a slightly dearer trade.

Definitely stronger for the 41-45kg lambs with many of these pens over the 185ppk mark as long as they weren’t over fat.

A large proportion of thick and 48kg plus lambs forward today made them harder and harder to sell as the sale progressed.

Vendors are reminded that as the wet weather continues buyers are beginning to require lambs being bellied as we begin to notice larger numbers of dirty lambs coming through.

Best pens to 201ppk to smart 40.5kg Charollais crosses from Mr G Webster of Umberleigh with 200ppk to 45kg Texel crosses kindly donated as gift lambs for the 2019 South Molton Fatstock Show from Messrs DW & J Jones of Heasley Mill.

196ppk twice; the first to 40.5kg Charollais crosses from Messrs GF & PJ Warne of Umberleigh and the second to 46kg Texel crosses again kindly donated as a gift lamb from Mr W Smale of North Molton.

195ppk to 42kg Charollais crosses from Mr SA Willis of Prixford with 191ppk to 41kg Texel crosses from Messrs KW & MEE Blackmore of Brayford. 187ppk to 41.6kg Texel crosses from Mr G Dart & Sons of Molland with 186ppk three times; the first to Mr Webster’s second 42.5kg pen; the second to 41.3kg Texel crosses from Mr AW Fisher & Son of Oakford and the third to Messrs Blackmore’s second 41kg pen.

185ppk twice; the first to 42.8kg Charollais crosses from Mr KW Baker of Poughill and the second to Mr Dart & Sons’ second 41.3kg Texels.

Top of the day at £100 for 56kg Suffolk crosses kindly donated as a gift lamb by Mr RW Tapp & Son of South Molton.

£94 three times; the first to 61kg Texel crosses from Messrs S & J Bale of Challacombe; the second to 64kg Charollais crosses from Mr GD Fuller & Son of Chulmleigh and the third to 63.3kg Charollais crosses from Messrs DJ & RA Woollacott of Yarnscombe.

£93 to 61kg Suffolk crosses from Messrs AD & SM Bray of Knowstone whose 58kg Texel cross pen followed at £91.

£90 twice; the first to 45kg Texel cross gift lamb kindly donated by Messrs DW & J Jones of Heasley Mill and the second to 46kg Texel cross gift lamb kindly donated by Mr W Smale of North Molton.

£89 to Messrs Woollacott’s second 55.5kg Charollais cross pen with £88 twice; the first to 54.3kg Charollais crosses from Mr RJ Evely of Peters Marland and the second to 54.8kg Suffolk crosses from Messrs Lucas & Ridge of Chulmleigh.

£87 to Messrs Woollacott’s third 54.9kg pen closely followed at £86.80 twice; the first to 47.5kg Charollais crosses from Mr KW Baker of Poughill and the second to 49.5kg Texel crosses from Messrs DW & J Jones of Heasley Mill.

£86.50 also received twice; the first to Messrs Jones’ second 49.5kg Suffolk cross pen and the second to Messrs Bray’s second 50.7kg Suffolk cross pen.

An increased entry of just shy of 200 store lambs met a brisk trade throughout to average £60.45 overall for an entry which included many exlana and hard done type lambs.

Top of the day at £76.50 to a Suffolk cross from Messrs C & DR Nicholas of Barnstaple who sold others to £68.50.

Strong exlana ram lambs from Miss G Baker of South Molton rose to £74 with Texel crosses from Mr R Vigars of Minehead at £70.50. Regular vendor Mr RJ Radford of Mariansleigh sold Suffolk crosses to £69 and other pens to £67.50.

16 pens over the £60 mark with both grazing and prime buyers in attendance to ensure lambs of all types were contested for.

Read more: South Molton market report, Thursday November 21

A smaller entry of cull sheep this week compared with last but a fairly radical jump in trade with many ewes up £10 per head on recent weeks.

Best ewes were all over £80 without any trouble and Mule ewes that have been struggling to reach £60 in recent weeks were all up near £70.

Overall it was a better show of ewes but many more could have been sold.

Topping to day at £120 for three grand Texels from Messrs MC & KD Yeo of Yarnscombe with a smart Charollais from Mrs FE Tucker of Twitchen at £100. £93.50 to Texel crosses from Messrs Cook Partners of Georgeham with £93.50 to Suffolk Mules from Mr J Cowle of Winkleigh.

£92.50 to Messrs Yeo’s second Texel pen with £91 twice; the first to a Suffolk from Mrs Tucker again and the second to Suffolk Mules from Mr MD Parkin of Berrynarbour.

Suffolk crosses from Mr WI Thorne & Son of Ashreigney at £90.50 with two Suffolk Mule pens at £90 from Mr G Mills & Partners Ltd of Witheridge and Mr Cowle’s second pen.

£87 to further blackfaces from Messrs HJ & RH Mildon of Brayford with two similar bred pens from Messrs Blackdown Farming of Honiton at £86.50.

Two further Suffolk cross pens from Messrs H & M Thorne & Sons and Messrs G & P Kivell of Ashreigney at £86.

£85 again hit twice for Suffolk Mules from Mr AW Fisher & Son of Oakford and Mr S Guest of South Molton.

Best rams to £76 for a Texel from Messrs RT & HD Kingdon of Barnstaple.