Prime sales in the August 4 issue

Huntly
ANYTHING that was fit and of quality sold at comparable rates while any leaner sorts proved hard to cash at United Auctions’ sale of 372 new season lambs, last week. 
They sold to 211p per kg and £115 per head for a 54.5kg pen of Suffolk crosses from Lynegar, Watten. 
The entry of 252 cast ewes, which was 42% Shetland ewes which hindered the average, sold to £118 for Texels from 52 Conval Street. 
Also on offer were 30 OTM cattle which averaged 130.72p having sold to 187.4p for an Aberdeen-Angus from East Murkle, Castletown, and £1170 for a Simmental cross from Broadland, Cairnie. 

Dumfries
TRADE was better than expected for a plain show of OTM cattle at C and D Auction Marts, while prime cattle reached 230p per kg for Limousin heifers from J Jardine, Yett Farm. 
The 25 beef cows averaged 102p and sold to 121p for a Simmental from Shangan as well as a Limousin from Herries, with a Luing from Auchentaggart hitting £874. It was, however, a Friesian from Drum which topped the gross trade at £950.40 and also realised 109p as the 21 dairy cows averaged 87.4p.
Of the 505 prime lambs, which were short of numbers and saw best sorts wanted, it was Texels from Kiraugh Park that topped at 204p and £100. 
Suffolks from Roshglen headed up the 590 cast ewes at £115.50. 

Thainstone
A LIMOUSIN heifer weighing 535kg from Whiteside, Tullynessle, headed up Aberdeen and Northern Marts’ sale of 44 prime cattle when it realised 236p per kg. 
The 21 heifers, which averaged 211.6p, also reached £1426.95 for a 755kg Limousin from New Mains, Glenkindie. 
Bullocks (eight) levelled at 210p having sold to 225p for a 625kg Limmy from Stoneyhill, Keithhall, while a 710kg British Blue from Mains of Drumbreck, Udny, topped the gross trade at £1533.60.
In the cast ring, the 140 beef-bred cows levelled at 134.1p (+0.7p on the week) and peaked at 184.4p for a Simmental from Withaquoy, Holm, as well as £1350 for another from Hilton of Culsh, New Deer. 
Averaging 174.4p, the 561 new season lambs hit a top of 198.8p for Texels weighing 43kg from Shougle, Birnie, as well as £98.50 twice – for 54kg continentals from Roundhillock, Inverurie, and again for 53kg Charollais from Hillcrest, Clola. The 346 SQQ lambs weighing up to 45.5kg averaged 173.3p. 

Stirling (Cal)
PRIME cattle met a similar trade on the week at Caledonian Marts’ sale of 95, where a Limousin heifer from JH and NT Turnbull, Meadowend, topped the entry at 248p per kg. 
Heifers also reached £1614 for a Limousin from Brockwoodlees but it was a bullock from South Flanders that topped the gross trade at £1626 as bullocks also hit 235p three times for Limousins from J and N Kerr, Bankhead, J Caldwell and Son, Moorfield, and J and J Wylie, Knockhouse. 
Also forward were 63 cast cows and bulls where cows were topped by Limousins at 192p from J Burnett, Upper Spittalton, and £1280 from Bankhead. Beef-bred cows averaged 125p while dairy cows levelled at 98p and sold to 116p from W Waugh, North Bankhead, as well as £880 from R Denholm and Son, Wester Lochdrum. 
On Tuesday, the company sold 883 prime lambs which were easier on the week to average 176.7p (-6.3p on the week). They sold to 210p for a pair of 39.5kg Beltex crosses from RA Campbell and Son, Meikle Seggie, as well as £98 for a 49kg Texel from J and D McNicol, Whitecross. 
Also forward were 482 cast sheep where heavy ewes averaged £64.49 and sold to £117 for a Texel from J Lawrie, Tillyrie, while export ewes averaged £31.49.

Stirling (UA)
PRIME lambs cashed in to average 176.5p per kg for the 3019 that changed hands at United Auctions’ Stirling centre, last week. 
Entries from West Park topped at £100 for continentals and £99 for Texels which also topped the price per kg at 223p, while Beltex from Pett made 209p. 
Texels from Woodhead headed up the 1383 cast ewes at £110. 

Longtown
A LARGE show of 2584 prime lambs at C and D Auction Marts saw best quality sorts regularly sell between 200p to 230p per kg, while commercial lambs of all weights were cheaper to reach 170p to 190, as the sale averaged 179.9p (SQQ 180.4p). 
Trade peaked at 234p for Texels from EJC Dean, Kirk House, Brampton, with Texels from Peela Hill and Kilnford Croft to £99. 
The entry of 4556 cast sheep saw customers keen for ewes, especially large heavy sorts which were £6 to £10 dearer on the week. They reached £153 for heavy Texels from AR Bell and Son, Kirkton, who also sold Texel rams for £126, while light ewes reached £71 for Cheviots from WN Douglas, Catslackburn. 
The 10 cast cows sold to 137p and £1020 for a British Blue from Waterhead of Dryfe, Lockerbie. 

Ayr
ALL types, especially leaner sorts, were harder to cash at Craig Wilson’s sale of 1376 prime lambs which averaged 176.3p per kg (-10p on the week). 
Texels were the breed of the day as a trio from J and MC Wilson, Barneil, topped the gross trade at £103 while a pair from David Howat, Enoch, made 196.7p. 
The entry of 889 ewes met a similar trade to the previous week to top at £130 for a pure Texel from Messrs Lammie, Longhouse, as the 605 heavy ewes averaged £83.40 with 284 light sorts at £38.70.
On Monday, the company sold 12 heifers to average 217p or £1154.45 and three bullocks which levelled at 222.1p or £1232.78. 
A Limousin heifer from High Glentriplock hit 241p and £1349 while bullocks reached 240p and £1392 for a Limmy from Borland.

St Boswells
PRIME cattle averages improved on the week at Harrison and Hetherington’s sale of 41, on Monday, where 26 averaged 217.18p per kg (+1p on the week) with 15 heifers at 238p (+8p). 
They sold to 247p for entries from Papple and Bee Edge, and £1521.54 from Upper Nisbet. 
Upper Nisbet topped the 50 cast cows at £1325 as the entry levelled at 133p (-4p). 
There was a mixed show of 1281 prime lambs which averaged 178.9p having sold to 206p.3p for Suffolks from Huntington and £106 for Texels from Highfield Farming. 
Ewes averaged £64 and sold to £109 for Texels from Wester Ulston as heavy sorts levelled at £87. Lighter types averaged £47 and sold to £85 for North Country Cheviots from Wedderlie. 

Carlisle
HARRISON and Hetherington sold 30 prime cattle, on Monday, which reached £1664.88 and 237.5p per kg for a British Blue cross bullock from Messrs Nicholson, Gill Farm.
Heifers sold to £1476.97 and 233.5p for Limousins from Messrs Sowerby, Terry Farm, while the entry of 83 young bulls peaked at £1911 for a Charolais from Messrs Johnson, West Wharmley, and 221.5p for a Limmy from Messrs Brough, Old Rectory. 
Prime lambs reached £95.80 for heavy Texels from Messrs Beaty, Stonewalls, as well as 219.7p for a pen of the same from Messrs Pearson, Wavercroft. 

Castle Douglas
LAMBS cashed in to average 181.74p per kg for the 681 sold through Wallets Marts, where more well-fleshed lambs were required. 
They reached £91 for Beltex from Gelston Castle Farms, Castle Douglas, as well as 204.1p for more Beltex, this time from Messrs Jardine, Upper Hardland. 
Cast sheep (448) sold to £93 for Bluefaced Leicester ewes from Ardwall. 

Dingwall
AVERAGES were back on the week at Dingwall and Highland Marts’ sale of 17 prime cattle, where the nine heifers levelled at 217.6p per kg (-1.7p on the week) with eight bullocks at 211.6p (-7.8p). 
Topping the entry at 226p was a 585kg Charolais cross heifer from Bridgend, Dingwall, with another weighing 625kg from the same home hitting £1393.75.
Bridgend topped the gross trade at £1410.75 with a 675kg Limousin bullock as bullocks also sold to 219p for a 595kg Limousin cross from Little Kildrummie, Nairn. 
The prime lamb average was back 23p to 162.7p for 498, with the 384 SQQ lambs at 163.3p (-23.4p). They reached 193.6p and £90 for a pen of Beltex crosses weighing 46.5kg from Leanach Farm, Inverness. 
Ewes and feeding sheep (105) averaged £43.22, and sold to £90 for a Texel ewe from Wester Moy, Urray.