A sharp uplift in prime hogget values, which has seen the national SQQ average rise by 14p/kg in the space of seven days, has seen processors prepared to pay well for the best Texel crosses, with hoggets by Texel sires earning premium prices at many markets in the last week.
The breed’s excellent killing out percentage, coupled with greater proportions of prime cuts is making them the first choice of processors and butchers looking to maximise the value of the lambs their sourcing, says Texel Sheep Society chief executive John Yates.
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Texel cross hoggets have been earning premium prices well above the market averages and this is despite a rising number of hoggets coming forward as finishing conditions improve. “In the last week numbers forward have been increasing significantly, with numbers up by more than 10% nationally every day this week.”
At Newark on Wednesday (12 March) Texel sired hoggets took the top 10 prices on a p/kg basis, with the best on offer, 42.5kg entries from W G Moore selling at 231p/kg, some 30p/kg ahead of the overall market average.
Aberdeen and Northern Marts sale at Thainstone on Thursday (13 March) saw the trade led by 44kg Texel crosses from A and H Smith, with these trading at 35p/kg above the day’s sale average.
Meanwhile at Ashford, Kent, on Tuesday (11 March) Texel cross hoggets from T Crick topped the market at 257.8p/kg, more than 40p/kg above the overall market average, with Texel crosses also the second highest priced hoggets on the day at 251p/kg for R J Adams.
And at Carlisle on Monday the market was led at 291.8p/kg by Texel crosses from A J and F M Harrison, with a run of 30 from the same vendor averaging 270.28p/kg.
Mr Yates says the ability of Texel crosses to finish quickly and lay down flesh at a variety of weights without running to fat has been invaluable to finishers over the wet winter.
“In a winter when the wet weather has made some hoggets difficult to finish Texel hoggets have been performing consistently well. Crucially with prices now rising significantly those producers with Texel hoggets still to market will be able to finish them quickly to take advantage of the improving market conditions.
“At any time of year Texel crosses offer increased margins for many farmers and because of their evenness of fleshing and high meat:bone ratio and low fat cover they are also the firm favourite of processors too.
“Lambs from high growth Texel sires are ideal for early lambing flocks, while later lambing flocks benefit from the breed’s ability to finish on a variety of forage crops and withstand a store period if desired. It is this adaptability and universal appeal which has made Texels the most popular UK sire with 29% of all rams used in the UK being Texels,” he added.