With buyers keen to fill sheds and fields, long-keep lambs were in ready demand, among them a large pen of 110 late May-born Blue Texel-Herdwick lambs from John Stephenson, Bordley, which sold for £90.50 per head at Skipton.
John runs a sizeable flock of two-crop and older Herdwick ewes which go to the Blue Texel ram, some of which John breeds himself, others are bought out of Skipton and Carlisle.
Ewes all lamb outside in late April at 1200-1800ft, clearly demonstrating their hardiness. Some 150 head of the progeny are kept for shearlings, with the best 50 retained in the flock, while the rest of them go to market and are sold through the store ring.
