Despite the late spring and horrendous lambings experienced throughout much of Scotland, breeding sheep outfits have hit record levels in certain areas, while others are selling at more mixed rates depending on the condition of the sheep and grass availability.

At Aberdeen and Northern Marts' sale of 2300 such sheep at Thainstone sale last week, centre records were smashed when Mule ewe hoggs with single Texel cross lambs from Braigiewell, Echt, made £125 per life, with Mule gimmers with twin lambs from the same home making £98 per head.

"I've never seen hoggs with lambs at this price before," said Colin Slessor, sheep auctioneer, pointing out that increased optimism in the sheep sector on the back of the much improved fat trade resulted in a flying trade.

"On average we had ewes with twin lambs were £15 per life up on the last sale three weeks ago, or, £10 per life up on the year. We even had a pen of 11 broken mouthed Mule ewes with 34 three to four-week-old lambs sell at £58, and broken mouthed continental ewes with triplet lambs at £74 per life."

The first such sale at Caledonian Marts' Stirling centre at the beginning of May was also "a flyer," according to auctioneer Alistair Logan, with Texel ewes with twin lambs selling to £204 and £182 per outfit, while Texels with singles were up to £168.

It was nevertheless a different situation at the company's ewe and lamb sale on Monday.

"Good young Texels with strong cross lambs at foot were easy enough to sell at around £60-£70 per life, but overall, they were a lot harder to sell.

"A lot of the ewes forward were definitely leaner than last year and they had smaller lambs that were not as strong as they had been in previous years. Buyers were also cautious and wary given the fact the grass is still to come in many areas and that many have already lost a large number of ewes and lambs as a result of the hard winter and late spring."

Mr Logan pointed out that while good Texel gimmers with twin lambs sold up to £70 per life at Monday's sale, the more middle of the road sheep such as Cheviot and continental crosses sold to £47-£49, which is similar to last year's values.

David Fearon, sheep auctioneer at Harrison and Hetherington's Borderway Mart, Carlisle, was another to note the large number of poorly shown sheep following the late spring.

"We've seen a lot of badly wintered ewes and hoggs with lambs recently that are too lean to turn around and sell later in the year as breeding stock," he said pointing out that the company's most recent sale on Monday, saw Beltex gimmers with lambs peak at £158 per life for a pen of five gimmers with seven lambs, while similarly bred hoggs with lambs sold to £124 per life.

However, with run of the mill Greyface ewes, gimmers and hoggs with lambs selling nearer £60, £75 and £90 per life respectively, he said average values were down some £6-£8 per life on the first such sale six to eight weeks previously.

"The top quality Beltex and Texel cross sheep with good strong lambs were still good to sell as they always are at any time of year, but most average outfits were some £10-£15 down per life on the year. Farmers in Cumbria and Northumberland have endured a really hard, expensive winter and there are some horrendous reports of losses about, so I do think more people will be looking to keep the best of their lambed ewes and ewe hoggs rather than sell them," concluded Mr Fearon.