Store and Breeding Sheep Sale report – Friday 15th August 2025

Sales Report – Friday 15th August

Store Sheep  – 5,894 Sold

Auctioneers: John Rossiter 07557 392903 & James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678

A grand entry for the second store sheep sale of the season, which was unusually large for the time of year as the August sales historically tend to be smaller. In recent years, with weather conditions changing, early sales have grown to bigger numbers. Unfortunately, the rise in numbers on offer has coincided not only with the week that the finished market has dropped almost 30p but also with the drought still showing no signs of disappearing. Parts of the West Country have not seen a drop of rain in the three weeks since our last sale and some of those buyers simply cannot take any more lambs at the moment which impacted on the buying support on the day. This is an issue nationally for the store lamb sales and many auctioneers, and farmers, have been seen performing rain dances in the days preceding sales to boost buying support!
With all this considered there was a good result with the trade only dropping by £5 head. The main difference that was seen was with the bigger lambs at the top prices, which were not so freely available as we saw earlier on. The entry did not contain as many of the top end, short term lambs and was mostly made up of, what I would refer to as, the middle range lambs. In times when grazing is very short, they are certainly harder to sell. Those bigger lambs that were present topped at £137 from E W Homewood, with West Court Farm close second at £136.50 and P & R Locke at £130. Runs of lambs always sell very well through the ring with a quality entry from Mr Kevin Reed of over 200 lambs averaging £112 head.
Where are we now at with the lamb trade going forward into the main season? This is the recurring question asked of me quite often in the past few days. I think that as soon as we see a flush of grass nationally, which undoubtedly will come at some point, the chances are that these stores will firm up in price as more buyers switch on to buy lambs. But I would raise the point that the trade is currently at a very strong level regardless of the recent easing, and it is not a reason not to enter for forthcoming sales. Many could wait for this flush of grass to the detriment of their own stock being sold at this current peak.
Our first show for the 2025 breeding sales saw a small selection of tegs from just a few vendors with plenty of demand around the ring. Top call of the day went to Patrick Smith with Suffolk x Mules to £242 whilst a smart run of well put together farming tegs from W & P New topped at £220 with nothing sold under £200. Texel Mules from W G Vant & Sons to £200. Please do not hesitate to get in contact if you have any breeding sheep to sell in the coming weeks so we can place them in the correct sales.

Principal prices include:

Texel cross – £137.00 – E W Homewood
Texel cross – £130.00 – P & R Locke
Texel cross – £128.00 – High Ridge Farm
Suffolk cross – £136.50 – West Court Farm
Suffolk cross – £117.00 – West Court Farm
Suffolk cross – £116.00 – D Howard Farms Ltd
Charollais cross – £129.00 – H C Goldup & Son
Charollais cross – £126.00 – K Reed
Charollais cross – £118.50 – K Reed
Crossbred – £111.00 – K T D Axell
Crossbred – £109.00 – A M & S J Lerwill
Crossbred – £108.50 – Messrs J & M Craig
Romney – £96.00 – J Saunders & Son

Breeding ewes

Suffolk cross – £242.00 – P Smith
Suffolk cross – £220.00 – W & P New T/A Moorhouse Farm
Suffolk cross – £212.00 – P Smith
Texel cross – £200.00 – W G Vant & Sons
Crossbred – £142.00 – Jones & Garrett
Crossbred – £122.00 – Jones & Garrett