South Molton Market Report
Thursday 27 th July 2023
Prime Lambs
A shorter show of prime lambs forward this week as to be expected on the sliding trade. This week saw a drop in trade, in line with other centres across the country. The lighter lambs being hit the hardest trading mostly between 245-260ppk while the heavier, well fed lambs still met a healthy demand. Vendors urged to resist the temptation of mixing leaner andthicker lambs together as expected the well fed, thicker lambs met a noticeably livelier trade. Topping the day at 271 ppk to 53.6kg Charollais crosses from Messrs DJ & RA Woollacott of Yarnscombe with 266ppk to 43.3kg Texel crosses from Mr AW Fisher & Son of Oakford.

265ppk was struck three times; the first to 40.2kg Texel crosses from Mr SJ Bale of
Challacombe; the second to 44kg Texel crosses again from the Fisher family and the third to 41kg Charollais crosses from Mr DJ Baker of Yarnscombe. 45.3kg Texel crosses from Mr J Thorne of Barnstaple realised 264ppk with 263ppk hit twice; the first to 43.7kg Charollais crosses again from Mr DJ Baker and the second to 57kg Texel crosses from Mr J Bryant of Lynton. Another two pens met at 262ppk; the first being 45.5kg Suffolk crosses from Messrs Parsonage Farms of Chulmleigh and the second to 41.3kg Texel crosses again from Mr SJ Bale. 58.1kg Charollais crosses from Messrs DJ & RA Woollacott again rang the bell at 261ppk with another five pens hitting 260ppk mark.
Best today to £151.50 to 58.1kg Charollais crosses from Messrs DJ & RA Woollacott of Yarnscombe with £150.50 to 59kg Suffolk crosses from Mr WJ Woollacott & Sons of Bishops Nympton. 57kg Texel crosses from young Mr J Bryant of Lynton hit £150 with the next best realising £145.50 to 53.6kg Charollais crosses again from Messrs DJ & RA Woollacott whose similar 56.1kg pen hit £142.50. 58kg Suffolk crosses from Messrs DL & JM Bray & Son of Knowstone at £140 with £137.50 to 53.8kg Charollais crosses again from Messrs DJ & RA Woollacott. 54.6kg Charollais crosses from Mr JK May of Eastleigh rang the bell at £130.80 closely followed at £130 three times; the first to 50kg Suffolk crosses from Messrs Parsonage Farms of Chulmleigh; the second to 53.7kg Charollais crosses from Mr WJ Woollacott & Sons again and the third to 53.4kg Charollais crosses from Mr W Milton of Chapelton.

Cull Ewes and Rams
Another surprisingly quiet show of cull sheep again this week considering the time of year but another firm trade to follow the previous fortnight. Best meat and heavier ewes dearer on the week while the smaller, leaner sorts looked a shade easier with some value on offer.
Best Suffolk Mules £120 plus and best Mules £110 plus. Topping the day at £153 to a super Charollais ram from our own Mr E Heard of Cadeleigh with other rams to £129 for a Suffolk from Messrs SJ & RM Wright of Chittlehamholt. Also topping the ewes at £140 twice was a cracking Texel ewe again from Mr E Heard of Cadeleigh with other similar ewes from Messrs KJ & VM Ley of Brayford at the same money.

£138.50 was also hit twice; to two pens of Texel crosses both from Mr CTJ Tythcott & Son of Yarnscombe closely followed at £138 to other Texels from Mr NA Cooke of Torrington. A pair of whitefaces from Mr J Bryant of Lynton hit £137 with a super pen of eight Texels from Messrs TJ & L Gould of West Anstey realising £134.50. Charollais’ from Messrs Bonners Farm of Burrington met £129 with £127 to a run of twelve Texels from Messrs MG & SR Kingdon of Swimbridge. Suffolk Mules from
Messrs Eastman & Bolt of High Bickington realised £126 with other whitefaces from Messrs Irwin & Sons of Mariansleigh at £125, the same money as Suffolk Mules from Miss JM Robins of East Anstey. Another pen of twelve Texels reached £122 again for the Kingdon family.