Stags of South Molton report a bigger entry of prime lambs than last week and a big jump in trade.

Numbers have tightened nationally down to the glorious hay making weather and producers now holding lambs to get them heavier.

Best trade for the heavy lambs with nearly all 48kg plus lambs over the £100 mark.

A couple of new buyers also helped the trade which remained strong from start to finish.

We had nearly all the lambs penned by 9:45am showing that farmers were keen to get home and bale the grass that was down!

The SQQ was 232ppk this week, over 25ppk dearer on the week and a huge 38ppk dearer on the year, with the best lambs today all 235-243ppk.

The lighter, plainer lambs again dearer than last week but probably the hardest to sell.

It has been a big surprise to everyone with the liveweight trade getting dearer all week and it is very difficult to predict next week’s trade with the deadweight price remaining the same all week.

Top of the day in the lambs pens at £120 to a 58kg Suffolk cross from Messrs Parsonage Farms of Chulmleigh with £118 to 51kg Suffolk crosses from Mr GC Thomas of Burrington.

£117.50 to a 52kg Suffolk cross from Messrs FG & LA Nott of Meshaw with £117 twice; both to grand 60kg Charollais crosses from Mr G Mills & Partners Ltd of Witheridge and Messrs JB & MA Turner of Harracott.

£116.50 three times; the first to 51kg Charollais crosses from Messrs Twitchen Farm Partners of Burrington; the second to 49.7kg Charollais crosses from Messrs DJ & RA Woollacott of Yarnscombe and the third to 51kg Texel crosses from Mr NJ Sharland of Braunton.

£115.80 to 53.6kg Charollais crosses from Mr AE Chudley & Son of Romansleigh closely followed at £115.50 to 50.6kg Texel crosses from Mr M Dallyn of South Molton.

£114 to 48.6kg Dorset crosses from Messrs GR & MA Cox of Witheridge with £113.80 to 47.3kg Suffolk crosses from Mrs L Yusof-Othman of Chawleigh.

£113 to 47kg Suffolk crosses from Mr R Irwin of Kings Nympton closely followed at £112.50 to 47.1kg Suffolk crosses from Messrs AW & DW Bray of Twitchen.

Best pens to 243ppk to shapely 46.1kg Texel crosses from Mr NJ Sharland of Braunton with 242ppk three times; the first to 44kg Charollais crosses from Mr R Irwin of Kings Nympton; the second to 43.8kg Charollais crosses from Mr DP Kiff of Muddiford and the third to 40.2kg Charollais crosses from Messrs GF & PJ Warne of Umberleigh.

241ppk twice; the first to 46kg Charollais crosses from Mr JK May of Bideford and the second to 47.3kg Suffolk crosses from Mrs L Yusop-Othman of Chawleigh.

240ppk three times; the first to 40.7kg Charollais crosses again from Messrs Warne; the second to 45kg Texel crosses from Mr Sharland again and the third to Mr Irwin’s second Suffolk cross pen.

239ppk five times; the first and second pens to 42-43kg Texel crosses from Mr SG Lethbridge of Crediton; the third to 42kg Charollais crosses from Mr Irwin again; the fourth to 47.1kg Suffolk crosses from Messrs AW & DW Bray of Twitchen and the fifth to 46.4kg Charollais crosses from Messrs DJ & RA Woollacott of Yarnscombe.

Another eight pens at 238ppk; the first to 43.7kg Texel crosses from Mr M Dallyn of South Molton; the second to 45kg Texel crosses from Messrs RJ & MS Radford of Mariansleigh; the third to 43.2kg Charollais crosses from Mr W Milton of Chapelton; the fourth to 43.2kg Texel crosses from Mr SD Charles of Rackenford; the fifth to 40.2kg Charollais crosses from Mr SC Webber of Umberleigh; the sixth to 43.7kg Charollais crosses from Mr G Mills & Partners Ltd of Witheridge; the seventh to 43.3kg Charollais crosses from Mr R Richards of Heasley Mill and the eighth to 46.3kg Charollais crosses from Messrs Woollacott again.

A larger show of ewes this week and again like last week a very variable entry.

A lot of thick and small ewes forward and overall trade probably just £1-2 per head up on last week.

Again plenty of buyers around the ring including more looking for grazing ewes.

The leaner grazing sorts as a result looking the dearest sold on the day.

Best continental ewes and rams all around the £100 mark and very wanted.

Best Suffolk Mules all over the £90 mark and best Mules over the £70 mark.

Best rams to £120 to a super Charollais from Mr RL Ash of North Tawton with a Texel from Mr CJ Campbell of Woolacombe at £110.50, closely followed at £110 to another Texel from Mrs G Potter of Oakford.

Best ewes to £100 for a super pen of shapely Texels from Messrs HJ & MR Moore of Knowstone with Charollais’ from Messrs D & J Baker of Yarnscombe at £98, the same money as further Texels from Messrs Moore.

£97 to Suffolk Mules from Mr & Mrs CTJ Ford of Chulmleigh with £94.50 twice; both to Suffolk Mules from Mr RL Ash of North Tawton and a super pen of 22 from Messrs Eastman & Bolt of High Bickington, who sold another pen at £91.50.

£89 to further blackfaces from Mr RJ Evely of Peters Marland with £87.50 three times; all to Suffolk crosses from Mr Ash again, Mr SC Webber of Umberleigh and Mr WJ Woollacott & Sons of Bishops Nympton.

£86 to Suffolk Mules from Mr MF Bellew of Bideford with £85.50 twice; the first to Texel crosses from Mr Ash again and the second to Suffolks from Mr DJ Woollacott of South Molton.

£85 to a Zwartble from Mr J Kimber of Merton.