With average prices for draft ewes and gimmers well down on the year, trade for Blackface rams was never going to hit the high spots of previous years, but it held up a lot better than expected at United Auctions’ main sale of 1076 tups at Stirling.
Add to that the decline in prime lamb values which are now below 2016 prices, and the horrendous wet weather which is further depressing the market and breeders were hesitant about the sale before it even started. However, with two £7000 shearling sales, and prices holding up to the very end of the sale, most vendors were relatively happy by the end of the day.
“We had a good lively sale from the very start right to the end, with good, big strong sheep selling readily,” said UA auctioneer and chief executive, George Purves, pointing out that more shearling rams were sold compared to last year.
“People were careful on the selection of the sheep they bought, but commercial producers were still going to £500-£1200 for stock rams, which is only marginally less than last year. On reflection, a lot of people brought fewer sheep than they entered which has also been a good thing,” he added.
Shearling rams enjoyed the best of the day’s trading, dropping just £63 on 2016 values which saw a top price of £16,000. Ram lambs however were more disappointing dropping a massive £201 and for fewer sold, but then last year’s sale witnessed two sales at £13,000 and another at £9000.
Dearest this year were two shearling rams at £7000, with the first being Billy Renwick, and son Andrew’s pen leader from Blackhouse, Yarrow. This was a son of The Hulk – a £24,000 Allanfauld shearling bought at Lanark in 2015 in partnership with Billy’s brother, Tommy Renwick from Williamhope – out of a ewe by a home-bred son of a £34,000 Midlock shearling. He sold to Tom and Mairi Paterson and son Robert, buying for their Dunruchan flock at Muthill, Crieff, who earlier in the day enjoyed a cracking sale for their Perth-type shearling rams from Craigneich. With several other four-figure sales, Blackhouse produced one of the lead flock averages selling 12 shearlings at £1683.
Notably, the same Allanfauld sire was behind the second highest priced shearling ram at £6000 from Tommy Renwick’s 1450-ewe flock from Williamhope, Clovenfords.
Bred from a ewe by a £13,000 Blackhouse, he was knocked down to Peter Junon, Ballaggan, Dores, Inverness.
Matching the £7000 top sale was the number one from William Graham and son Billy, Craigdarroch, Sanquhar, which sold in a two-way split to Malcolm Coubrough, Hartside, Lamington, and Jimmy Wallace, Fingland, Dalry. The third crop of shearling sons by a £3600 Burnhead, Kilsyth, tup bought at Dalmally, he is out of a ewe by a £17,000 Midlock. Craigdarroch also enjoyed a good trade for the remainder of their rams, selling 12 at £1475.
Keeping it in the family, Una Graham (Hodge) who farms at Kirkland, Sanquhar, received £3200 for her best, a son of a £10,000 Allanfauld, bought by Glenrinnes Farms, Dufftown, Banffshire, managed by Charlie McIntyre.
It was nevertheless, the team from Elmscleugh, at Innerwick, Dunbar – William and sons Quintin and William – who enjoyed the best trade of the day, producing the lead flock averages in both shearling and ram lamb sections at £1965 for 10 and £2300 for six, respectively.
Their top shearling seller at £3800, by a home-bred son of a £24,000 Dalchirla bought at Dalmally, out of a ewe by a £16,000 Crossflatt, goes out to work at Kingledores, Broughton, Biggar, purchased by John and Richard Wood.
Two others from the same pen made £3500 and £3200, with the former being a son of a £11,000 Elmscleugh sold last year, out of a ewe by £24,000 Dalchirla, bought by J Pate and Sons, Toxside, Gorebridge.
The latter, by an £8000 Elmscleugh, went home with John Scott, Garchew, Bargrennan, Newton Stewart.
Elmscleugh, which is home to 2200 ewes, also sold the equal top priced lamb at £5500, to Archie and John MacGregor, Allanfauld, Kilsyth.
This cracker, by the £10,000 Auldhouseburn lamb bought last year, is out of a ewe by a £10,000 Elmscleugh.
The Dunlop’s third lamb, by the £2100 Loughash lamb bought at the second sale at Lanark, last year, then made £3500 selling to Northern Ireland breeder, Jimmy Mills, Kilwaughter, Larne, Co Antrim. His dam is by a £5000 Hartside, Lamington.
Matching the £5500 lamb sale was the pen leader from Paul Coulson’s High Staward flock from Hexham, which is by a £50,000 Crossflatt and out of a ewe by a £7000 Crossflatt. The buyer was Tom Bagan, Waterland, Stewarton.
Minutes later, Hugh Blackwood and son Alan, Auldhouseburn, Muirkirk, sold their best at £4000 to Sam Wallace of the Shilnavogie flock from Broughshane, Co Antrim. The breeding behind this transaction includes the £85,000 Elmscleugh lamb bought last year, onto a ewe by a £25,000 Auldhouseburn.
Neighbouring breeder, John Murray, Crossflatt, sold his pen leader at £3600. By the £52,000 Crossflatt lamb sold last year, out of a ewe by a £26,000 Crossflatt, he sold to Richard Nixon who manages NSP Parry’s Marbrack flock at Carsphairn, and Iain and David Macarthur, Arnicle, Campbeltown.
Arnicle genetics were behind the top priced lamb from Donald McVicar’s Lephinchapel flock from Strachurr, which made £3200 selling to Alistair and David MacArthur, Nunnerie, Elvanfoot. He is by the £10,000 Arnicle lamb bought last year at Dalmally, and out of a ewe by a £6500 Nunnerie.
Back amongst the shearlings and Alan Smith, Crosswoodburn, West Calder, had a cracking day, selling 10 shearlings at £1405 from a lead price of £3500. This was a son of an £1800 Blackhouse that bred last year’s £6000 shearling at Lanark, and is still going strong as a five-shear. Bred from a ewe by a home-bred son of an Allanfauld tup, he heads north purchased by A MacDonald, Dalbuiack, Carrbridge, Inverness-shire.
The Wights from Midlock, Crawford, were again in the money selling 14 shearlings to average £1046.
Their best at £3200 was a son of Gold Blend, a home-bred son of a £40,000 Dalchirla, retained for breeding, out of a ewe by a home-bred son of a £14,000 Dalchirla. Ewen and Willie Bennie, Merkins, Gartocharn, were the last men in on this big tup.
Flock averages:
Flock (No) Top (£) Averages (£)
2017 2016
Shearling rams
Hartside, Whelphill (12) 1500 725.00 1229
Burnhead, Kilsyth (4) 1000 687.50 360
South Cobbinshaw (4) 2000 650.00 433
Dyke (23) 1400 520.87 743
Arnicle (6) 600 353.33 410
Crosswoodburn (10) 3500 1405.00 1040
Craigdarroch,
Glenwhern (6) 2200 696.67 474
Longcroft (5) 2000 736.00 1075
Williamhope (10) 6000 1008.00 750
Shawsknowe (5) 2400 790.00 4266
Millhouse (8) 1700 706.25 434
Midlock (14) 3200 1046.43 1337
Midlock Glespin (8) 1100 562.50 583
Haystoun (6) 1000 526.67 –
Pole (4) 1800 460.00 1617
Crosswood Hill (6) 1200 783.33 520
Fechan (8) 900 450.00 –
Dalwyne (6) 400 246.67 469
Dryhope (6) 1800 858.33 1108
Glenrath (13) 1800 926.92 967
Blackcraig (4) 1000 662.50 542
Mitchellslacks (6) 1000 400.00 429
Elmscleugh (10) 3800 1965.00 1540
Parkhall (10) 800 510.00 1075
Connachan (6) 650 466.67 613
Balrazzie (5) 500 390.00 350
Madrissa (4) 1100 500.00 1400
Mid Crosswood (4) 650 462.50 370
Gass (6) 2000 1041.67 736
Hartside
Lammermuir (9) 1700 722.22 921
Remony (7) 650 421.43 645
Aitkengall (5) 380 875 –
Merkins (8) 1600 843.75 2333
Kirkstead (7) 3000 1900.00 1700
Cromlix (14) 1500 675.00 825
Merkins
Westside (7) 800 571.43 763
Letar (13) 1100 665.38 695
Ashcraig (6) 1300 833.33 740
Glenfernate (6) 1600 958.33 720
Easter Happrew (6) 2000 825.00 763
Blackhouse (12) 7000 1683.33 747
Troloss (9) 650 402.22 429
East Bracklinn (12) 1500 870.83 717
Larg (7) 1000 471.43 683
Knock O Ronald (3) 650 390.00 405
Burncastle (8) 900 593.75 –
Corsebank (5) 900 500.00 388
Outerwards (5) 800 490.00 600
Outer Huntly (5) 1200 620.00 558
Nunnerie (13) 1300 773.07 554
Allanfauld (10) 900 600.00 760
Balliemeanoch (6) 700 566.67 488
Craigdarroch (12) 7000 1475.00 1408
Bothwell (7) 1300 600.00 642
West Bracklinn (3) 400 383.33 400
Kirkland (9) 3200 1038.89 655
Livet (12) 3000 820.83 2121
Glen Cally (4) 500 437.50 479
Dunruchan (7) 550 378.57 350
Lynemore (6) 800 466.67 405
Tollishill (3) 1000 850.00 410
Tinnis (7) 1000 542.86 650
Gosland (4) 800 487.50 410
High Croach (4) 2400 1087.50 720
Second ring
Mitchellhill (6) 1000 571.67 –
Glenmanna (5) 200 162.00 238
Easter Cringate (4) 280 190.00 –
Silloans (4) 1000 512.50 –
Drimsynie (3) 400 183.33 200
Glendamph (6) 800 591.67 –
Craig (3) 500 433.33 –
Drumardoch (3) 700 436.67 410
The Yett (4) 2200 955.00 –
Chirmorrie (6) 1100 466.67 275
Hillhead of Morinsh (7) 800 464.28 –
Mount Benger (4) 850 425.00 –
Glenisla (5) 250 100.00 –
Gosland Cleugh (5) 420 262.00 –
Dollarbank (4) 100 90.00 –
Dunruchan (3) 480 326.67 –
Crookston (3) 250 163.33 –
Hyndhope (3) 60 53.33 –
Ram lambs
Midlock (5) 2000 830.00 588
High Staward (5) 5500 1480.00 838
Craigend (4) 400 300.00 625
Sidlaw (3) 650 426.67 638
Dalblair (3) 2200 950.00 1313
Auldhouseburn (4) 4000 1900.00 6600
Mitchellhill (3) 200 200.00 600
Orchilmore (3) 1700 750.00 –
Crammie (5) 650 300.00 117
Lephinchapel (3) 3200 1366.67 –
Elmscleugh (6) 5500 2300.00 1200
Greenside (4) 500 400.00 1463
Crossflatt (8) 3600 1137.50 2869
Jaw (4) 500 280.00 –
averages:
595 shearling rams, £685 (-£63 for 17 more sold); 126 ram lambs, £668 (-£201 for 24 fewer).
Auctioneers: United Auctions
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