The lamb trade nationally has seen a drop for all weights.

Our lambs were showing the wet weather we have had over the past few days and several hardly on the lean side.

The strongest trade on the day was met by the good meat 44kgs to 47kgs. Top on the day was met by a smart pen of Texel x at 38kgs from Mr M Cox of Bullhead, Iddesleigh which made 329ppk £125.

320ppk was realised by 3 vendors, Graham Heard of Hartland 46.4kgs to £148.50 , P Chrisholm of Holsworthy 45kgs to £144 and Ryan Bridgeman of Clawton 36.2kgs to £116. Top per head was £153 from 2 vendors followed by £151 from Louise Winsor of Black Torrington for 49.8kgs.

Smaller entry again met a very fast trade and more could have been sold. Top being £165 from 2 vendors, J&M Huxtable of Huntshaw for Charolais x and SJ Murrin & Son of Monkokehampton for Suffolk x ewes.

The Murrin famiy also made £161 for Texel x ewes and a Dutch spotted ewe from Mark Priest of Newton St Petrock made £158.

A lighter entry with nearly all small framed lambs on offer, top being £115 from 2 vendors.

A handful of weaned calves which reached £740 for a young Limousin steer in from RAS Johns of Shebbear.

Another decent December entry saw a top of £800 for the first calf in the ring for a stunning British Blue bull in from MB Davey of Hartland.

A fantastic run in from Beckwell Farms, Coryton achieved £730, £690 and £660.

Other good Blue bulls to £700 for JAH Wood & Sons of Wadebridge, more at £655 from AW Pomeroy & Sons, Bradworthy, £642 for WGA Hunkin & Son of Frithelstock, £642 also for MJ & PH Hopper of Whitstone, £640 for James Warren of Penzance and £630 for the best of a strong run in from EG & NB Quinn of Cameford.

Up next was a very strong Herford which reached £770 for JAH Wood & Sons. More at £540 (x2) for Henscott Barton Ltd, £535 for Moreton Pound Farm Ltd and £500 for James Warren again.

Best of the Limousins sold away to £715 for a shapely type in from PH Collins Partnership who sold more at £680 followed by £630 for TN & M Morrow up from Laddock, others at £600 & £590 for J, C & A Bray of Kentisbury.

Best of the Charolais reached £630 from a strong sort in from TN & M Morrow, more at £530 for Ruth Bucknell down from Tiverton, £525 from Robert Harris of Winkleigh, £510 (13 days old) from Martin Dairy Ltd and £470 from Brian Scambler of Bude.

Angus bulls reached £640 (x3) from James Warren, more at £610 from Moreton Pound Farm Ltd, £535 from AW Pomeroy, £530 for TN & M Morrow and £490 from Martin Dairy Ltd. A well grown Welsh Black bull reached £590 for Henscott Barton Ltd followed by Longhorns to £310 from JL Bartlett of Barnstaple.

Heifers sold to a high of £720 for a pair of Blue from James Warren, others at £620 for MB Davey, £575 for MJ & PH Hopper, £550 for JAH Wood & Sons, £530 and £512 for Beckwell Farms and £500 for both AW Pomeroy and EG & MB Quinn.

A pair of eye catching Hereford heifers to £470 for Moreton Pound Ltd, others £335 for TN & M Morrow. Best Limousin heifers to £500 for PH Collins Partnership, £495 for Henscott Barton Ltd and £400 for TN & M Morrow.

Angus heifers to £380 for James Warren, £370 & £350 for TN & M Morrow and £340 for MC & LM Pincombe down from Umberleigh. Young Charolais heifers were short on the ground but sold to £470 for Martin Dairy Ltd, others at £468 from LJ Goaman & Sons and £390 & £380 for Ruth Bucknell.

16 Friesians forward which averaged £168 to a top of £380 for Henscott Barton Ltd, £280 for TN & M Morrow, £235 for Beckwell Farms and £215 for SR Gilbert & Sons of Sheepwash.

A good entry considering the large sale last week, another big crowd of buyers around the ring and something for everyone on offer.

The stronger wintering steers topped at £1890 for a 21mth Welsh Black from Messrs CG & BA Dart & Son of Holsworthy and heifers to £1960 for 4 20mth Hereford heifers to £1960 from Mr GJ Hookway of Torrington.

Other strong heifers at £1940 for a 21mth INRA from Messrs CG & BA Dart & Son and 3 good solid British Blue heifers from Messrs R Gorst & Son of North Petherwin to £1900. Younger 14-16mth continentals sold very well and more needed, most at £1300 - £1700.

A good run of British Blues from Messrs BH & AE Worth of Ilfracombe who saw steers to £1570 (1) others at £1560 whose heifers also sold well at £1460.

Other 11mth British Blues from CR & CF Timms of Okehampton to £1520(3) and heifers to £1350(4). Young 7mth Hereford steers from MR WJ Elliott of Bradford to £1090(2) and Hereford heifers to £1220 and 12mth Aberdeen Angus steers from Messrs NL & FM Cleave of Launcells to £1420(2).

A nice run of 9-10mth Hereford and Aberdeen Angus from Messrs Holland Farmers of Tavistock saw Herefords to £1150 & Aberdeen Angus to £1050.

Top was £820 for a young cross bred cow from Messrs WJ Lawe & Son of Holsworthy.

233ppk was the top for a 772kilo Charolais from Mr T Turl of Launceston realising £1798 and a pure Devon cow from Messrs Bodgate Farms to 211ppk £1417.

Todays dairy sale saw the Herd Dispersal of 224 Pedigree British Friesians on behalf of R & C Ward, Crackington Haven.

The Sale attracted much interest both around the ring and on Marteye with a solid trade seen for all types forward. Freshly calved cows saw the trade of the day topping at 2050gns (£2153) for a second calver “Crackington Kirsty 9” other second calvers rose to 2000gns (£2100) x2.

Firstly for “Crackington Monica 200” and secondly for “Crackinton Martini 146”. Heifers sale a top call of 1950gns (£2048) x2 with more making 1800gns (£1890) or over.

Cows and Heifers calved October/November saw an average of £1554. Older cows that calved in August/September saw a lesser trade than seen in recent months reflecting in the recent cull cow price reductions.