Penrith

SOME 1502 prime sheep, comprising 760 lambs and 742 cast ewes and rams, met a pleasing trade at Penrith and District Farmers' Mart's sale last week, where the SQQ average rose 13p to level at 199p per kg.

Topping the trade at 253p (£96) was a single Texel lamb from WH Brass, Low Row, or £114 for a heavy single Texel lamb from G Pyman, Park View.

Park View also topped the cast ewe trade selling Texels at £132, £127 and £125, respectively.

Forfar

LAWRIE and Symington's prime sale had just 33 cattle, seven OTM’s and 466 sheep at their sale where clean bullocks and heifers averaged 234p and 231p per kg, respectively.

The 13 bullocks sold to 262p for a 621kg British Blue from the Gask and to £1779.59 for a 709kg Limousin that was champion at Angus Show from the same home.

Leading the 20 heifers sold at 264p was a 551kg Limousin from Nethermyres, or £1499.52 paid for a 704kg Charolais cross.

Prime lambs (346) peaked at 219.4p for Texels from Parkhead and £95 per head for the same breed from Wood of Auldbar to average 183.8p per kg (+1.8p).

Cockermouth

A GOOD entry of 1522 prime sheep to include 1240 spring lambs and 282 cast ewes and rams was forward for Mitchells weekly prime sale that also had forward 73 cattle.

Prime Sheep

With a good show of lambs, the SQQ average was 202.10p (+19.6p). Top price of 240.50p was paid for Beltex lambs from WS Jackson, Nook Farm, with a Texel lamb from A Ashburner, Summerhill, leading the gross trade at £123.

Texels from Oughterside Mill topped the cull ewes at £107.

Prime cattle peaked at 201.50p for a Limousin heifer from Messrs Bowe, Hunday Farm, while a Simmental bull from TA Byers, Ellenbank, led the gross trade at £1275.92.

Dumfries

PRIME cattle were cheaper on the week at C and D Auction Marts' sale at Dumfries, were the five forward sold to 201p for a heifer from Riggheads.

The increased entry of cull cows due to the continued spell of dry weather saw 109 peak at 151p and £1014 for an Angus cow from Whitelaw Farms

By the end of the day, 52 dairy types levelled at 87p with 57 beef cows at 105p.

Some 334 prime lambs sold to 196p per kg from Shieldhill and £101.50 for Suffolks from Netherhall, with the 378 cast ewes sharper on the week, peaking at £145.50 for Texels from Hillside.

Thainstone

LIMOUSINS led the way at Aberdeen and Northern Marts' sale of 41 prime cattle attracting the lead prices in the majority of sections.

Prime bullocks (11) sold to 226p per kg for a 510kg Limousin cross from Stoneyhill, Keith-hall and £1428.00 for a 680kg entry of the same type from Whiteside, Tullynessle.

Heifers (17) hit a top of 237p for a 530kg Limousin cross from Greenstyle, Kildrummy, while a 735kg Aberdeen Angus from Cadbollmount, Fearn, topped the gross section at £1455.30.

The entry of five young bulls was led by a 605kg Limousin cross from Mid Haddo, Fyvie and £1610.70 paid for a 910kg Blonde from Freefield, Old Rayne.

An increased entry of 200 beef cows resulted in averages slipping 9.6p on the week to level at 133.4p having peaked at 184.8p for a 690kg Simmental from Auchtertyre, Pluscarden and £1435 for an 890kg Salers from Whitebog, Fortrose.

In addition, some 386 prime sheep to include 368 new season lambs were cashed which averaged 187.1p having sold to 200p for 42kg Texels from Aulton, Insch and for 44kg Texels from Sherwood, Meikle Wartle. Top price per head was £102.50 paid for 54kg Texels from Brekkavidur, Sandness.

New season SQQ up to 45.5kg (288) averaged 187.8p per kg.

Stirling (Cale)

A PLAINER show of cattle to that of the previous week, sold easier on the last sale at Caledonian Marts' sale of 206 prime cattle.

The entry of 96 bullocks, heifers and young bulls; 85 cast cows and bulls and 25 calves and stirks, sold to 260p per kg for a Limousin from W Dandie and Sons, Learielaw, Broxburn, and to £1616 for a Charolais from DS and RC Taylor, Easter Ochtermuthill, Muthill.

Bullocks peaked at 245p for a Limousin from TH Gray, Balquharrage, Lennoxtown and to £1732 for a Limousin from J Brown, Greencraig, Falkirk.

Beef cows averaged 133p having sold to 196.5p and £1580 for a Limousin from D and L Graham, Mains of Burnbank, Blairdrummond, while dairy cows levelled at 99p selling to 140p and £880 from H Harper, Kaimhill, Bridge of Weir.

On Tuesday, all classes of prime lambs sold sharper on the week with the 760 head averaging 183.11p (+5.57p). SQQ average was 185.3p (+6.0p).

Top price was £103 for a pair of 49kg Beltex from Doune Farms, with a single 44kg Beltex lamb from HT Shanks, Easter Cash, selling for 216p.

Also forward were 428 cast ewes and tups which saw heavy ewes average £72.22 having sold to £106 for a Texel from N Heggie, Carden, Fossoway, while tups sold to £70 for a Bleu Du Maine from G Ritchie and Son, Montalt, Forgandenny.

Longtown

A LARGER entry of 1632 prime lambs found all buyers keener for supplies, to produce an overall average up 10p per kg at 193.6p (SQQ 194.1p) at C and D Auction Marts' sale

Top price per kg was 227p paid for Texel lambs from TR and EA Milburn, Wallend, Greenhead, with many other pens closely behind. Lead price per head was £111 paid for heavy Texels from G Wilkinson, Arkleby House, Aspatria.

A similar show of 4055 ewes and rams also sold well with the exception of lean hill ewes which were cheaper. Top price was £150 for heavy Texel ewes from WS Robson and Co, Yatesfield, Otterburn. Hill ewes peaked at £72 for Blackface ewes from R English and Son, Brownleazes, Hexham, and rams sold to £128 for Texels from JE Brockbank and Son, Westward Park, Wigton.

Just 12 prime cattle were forward which saw prices peak at 138p and £972 per head for a Limousin cow from PJ and L Dixon, Upperburnmouth, Newcastleton.

Stirling (UA)

MORE than 4000 head of prime sheep comprising 2548 prime lambs, which sold to average 182.60p and 1460 ewes and rams, were forward for United Auctions sale last week.

The sale incorporated the West and Central Suffolk club show of lambs judged by A Argo, who found his champion pen in an entry from CW Smith, South Flanders, which later sold for £110.00 to top the sale. The reserve pen from PJ Johnston, Glenrig, realised £85.00.

Top price per kg was 224.0p for Beltex from Wester Kepdowrie.

Ewes (1460) sold to £136 for Texels from Halbeath.

Darlington

CATTLE prices eased on the week while new season lambs improved at Darlington Auction Mart's weekly sale which saw 108 bulls, 20 steers, 51 heifers, 1506 lambs and 772 cast sheep forward.

Young bulls peaked at £1800 for a home-bred Limousin from American Squeze Crush, Oaktree and 217p per kg for a similarly bred entry from P and E Ellis, Lisern that realised £1445. Friesian bulls from H and L Dale and Sons, topped the dairy section at £1195 and £1098.

Clean cattle also proved more difficult to cash selling to 255p for a British Blue heifer from W Swinbank and Sons, Greystones, and £1424 for a Blonde steer from JM Hall, Burdon Grange which was purchased by Hartshead Meats, Milestone Farm.

Lambs returned an overall average of 193p and a lead price of 221p for a single Texel from D and G Spry, Westfold Garth, or £104 for another Texel from P Tindale, Paradise Farm.

Cast sheep also met a sharper trade on the week, selling to £118 for a pen of Texels from FS Hutchinson, White House Farm.

Carlisle

A SMALLER entry of 29 prime steers and heifers met a good trade for all types and Harrison and Hetherington's prime sale on Monday where a top price of £1746 was achieved for a Charolais steer from Main Street and 223.5p per kg from Messrs Smithson, Bloan Farm, Kirkby Stephen.

Heifers sold to £1550.25 and 239.5p for a Limousin cross from Messrs Dent, Elm Farm, Appleby.

Prime bulls (87) sold to £1425 for a Limousin from Messrs Horn, Lower Griseburn and 225.5p for an entry from Messrs Hunter, Upper Brydekirk.

Some 272 cast cows and stock bulls were also forward which peaked at 173.5p per kg or £1453 for a British Blue cow from Messrs Blake, Halfway Well. Dairy types sold to £990 for an Ayrshire from Messrs Mattinson and Sons, Rosewain, Wigton and 112.5p from Messrs Armstrong, Littleton.

Prime lambs improved on the week to average 191.3p per kg or £81.62 per head with the 2250 selling to £104.80 for heavy Texels from Messrs Reed, Croft House, Great Orton and 252.1p per kg for a single lamb of the same breed from the same home.

Ayr

ON Monday, Craig Wilson sold 2032 prime and cast sheep, where lambs averaged 186.3p (+8.9p on the week). Lambs peaked at £100 for a Texel from JM Thomson and Son, Blairbowie, or 215.9p per kg for a pair of Texel from G and M Wardrop and Son, South Craigton.

The entry of 434 cast sheep saw heavy ewes easy cashed, selling to £144.50 for a pure Texel ewe from JA Gibson and Co, Cowgrove, while Blackies sold to £68 from Craig and Co, Rankinston. Overall, 120 light ewes averaged £40.50 while 314 heavies cashed in at £89.60.

Messrs Craig Wilson Ltd sold 33 Dairy Cattle, Comprising of 17 In Milk and 16 In Calf. Topping the In Milk cows was W & A Watson, Muir Farm, Mauchline for a very Milky Cow that fetched for £1600, the sale Averaged £1011. We also had a consignment of 16 In Calf Ayrshire Heifers off Messrs A &G MacDougall, Burnbank (Kilmacolm), they peaked at £1080 and Averaged £906.

On Tuesday, the firm sold 13 prime cattle where nine heifers averaged 231p and four steers cashed in at 216.8p. Limousin crosses from Messrs Andrew, Rowanston, topped the trade at 242p amongst the heifers and 232p in the steer section.

The entry of seven young bulls averaged 109.6p having sold to 170.6p for a Limousin from A Dalgleish, Drummullan and £1170 for an Aberdeen Angus from Messrs Mitchell, Barnahill.

Cast dairy cows averaged 89.2p, with the 109 head peaking at £1000 for a black and white from Messrs Kennedy, Perryston. Beef cows peaked at £1290 for a Charolais from F Wilson, Guiltreehill with the 86 balancing out at 110.4p.

St Boswells

MOST sections improved on the week at Harrison and Hetherington's prime sale on Monday, with the 25 bullocks averaging 216p per kg (+5.0p); 38 heifers at 230p (+4.0p) and 1153 lambs at 192p (+8.3p).

A bullock from Pathhead topped the trade per kg at 251p, with heifers selling to 250p from Bee Edge. Per head, top price was £1538.46 from Snawdon.

Cast cows peaked at 137p (-3.0p) having sold to 191p from Thrunton and £1570.92 from Kedzlie.

Texels topped the prime lamb trade at 211.3p per kg from Lochside and £114 per head from North Synton.

A mixed show of ewes averaged £53 with heavies at £89 and light ewes at £77. Top price was £123 for Suffolks from Buckholm.

Lanark

A LIMOUSIN heifer scaling 498kg from D Dickinson, Brockwoodlees, Canonbie, topped Lawrie and Symington's prime cattle sale on Monday, selling for 261p per kg, with the entry averaging 248.7p.

The same breed also topped the cast cow trade at £1345 or 178p from Messrs Hamilton, Mid Shawtonhill, while dairy cows sold to £805 or 103p for a Friesian from Ormiston Mains.

Prime lambs (1865) averaged 185p (+7p) having sold to 225p for 43kg Texels from R and M Struthers, Collielaw and £103 for 53kg Texel from A Barr, Hallhill. SQQ up to 45.5kg (1577) 187p per kg.

Texels also led the cast sheep with the 1226 selling to £134 for ewes from Hillridge and a ram at £124 from Auldhouseburn.

Castle Douglas

WALLETS Marts sold 1217 prime and cast sheep at their weekly sale on Tuesday where export lambs were sharper on the week and the 848 new season entries averaged 183.75p per kg.

Beltex topped the trade at £94 for heavy lambs from Messrs Adams, Torhousekie, Wigtown, and 206p from Messrs Bunting, Bridgestone, Glenlochar.

Cast sheep sold well with heavy ewes selling to £117 for Texels from Carsewalloch.

Dingwall

PRIME cattle values slipped slightly on the week at Dingwall and Highland Marts' sale on Tuesday where the four bullocks cashed in at 219.4p (-0.2p) and 13 heifers levelled at 219.3p (-1.1p).

Charolais topped the trade at 223.0p per kg for a 605kg entry from Bridgend Farm and £1376.00 gross for a 640kg from the same home.

Bridgend also led the 13 heifers at 229.0p twice for a 530kg Limousin cross and a 545kg Charolais cross and sold the top priced lot per head at £1326.85 for a 595kg Limousin cross.

New season lambs (281) averaged 185.7p (-4.3p) having sold to 212.5p per kg for 40kg Texel crosses from Kinnahaird Farm, Contin and £90.00 for a 60kg Texel cross from Woodside Croft, Ardersier.

SQQ 36.5kg-45.5kg (235) averaged 186.7p (-3.6p).

Ewes and feeding sheep (77) cashed in at £53.19 with a top price of £101.00 paid for a Texel ewe from Teanluick, Beauly.