Newton Stewart

Breeding sheep were harder to cash on the year at Craig Wilson's sale of 1254 head which included Blackface ewe lambs store sheep.

Blackies sold to £37 for a pen of hill lambs from I McFadzean, Glenvernoch, to average £35.50.

Scotch Mule ewe lambs peaked at £79 from J McKenna and Sons, Gass, Kirkcowan, to level at £70.33 and Cheviot ewe lambs hit a top of £60 from Boreland, Kirkcowan, to balance out oat £54.64.

Store lambs met a strong demand peaking at £75 for Texels from High Auchneil.

Other store lambs saw Mule average £53.64; Beltex at £55; Cheviots at £48.99 and Blackfaces at £42.99.

LEADING prices

Ewe lambs – Bf – £37 Glenvernoch. S Mule – £79, £72 Gass, Kirkcowan; £77 Bents, Barrhill; £68 Culreoch. Chev – £60 Boreland, Kirkcowan.

Store lambs – Tex – £75 High Auchneil; £58 Barquhill; £58, £56.50 Holm, Kirkcowan; £55 Glendoune. Suff – £66.50, £61 Gass, Kirkcowan; £62 Bardrochwood. Belt – £55 Boreland, Kirkcowan. Chev – £56.50, £51 Bardrochwood; £53 Boreland, Kirkcowan; £51.50 Murrayton. Cross – £61, £56 Gass, Kirkcowan. Bf – £52.50, £39 Wood of Dervaird; £46.50, £36 Bagbie

Ayr

Scotch Mule gimmers met the best of the day's trading at Craig Wilson's breeding sheep sale, comprising 600 Blackface ewe lambs, 701 Mule gimmers, 1020 Mule ewe lambs, 109 Cheviot gimmers and 90 Lleyn gimmers, attracting the lead average of £122.66, up £12.41 on the year.

Top price here was £142 per head paid for a pen from WD Hyslop and Sons, Gowlands, Barrhill.

Scotch Mule ewe lambs sold to £98 from Garpel Farms to average £79 (-£1.65 on the year for 114 more sold) and the 600 Blackface ewe lambs levelled at £71.58 (-£5.33 for 224 more sold), from a lead price of £130 paid for a pen from J and W Kay, Sclenteuch, Straiton.

Pedigree breeding sheep hit a top of £290 for a Suffolk ewe lamb from R Goldie, Harpercroft, whose pen of four averaged £226.50.

The 1930 store lambs forward the same day peaked at £72.50 for two pens from JD McMillan and Son, Eskechraggan, Bute, to average £59.69.

LEADING prices

Ewe lambs – Bf – £130 Sclenteuch; £98, £94 Gass; £90 x2 Craig and Aitkenhead (Heads); £86 (x2) Knockdon and Largs; £85 Craig; £82 Low Drumclog. Scotch Mule – £98, £92 (x2), £88 (x2), £82 (x2) Garpel Farms; £94 Craig; £90 (x2) Shawhead and Pennyvenie; £88 (x2) Knockewart; £82 (x2) High Woodston. Chev Mule – £108 Blairston Mains.

Gimmers – S Mule – £142, £135 Gowlands; £132 (x2) Beoch, Maybole; Barneil, Kirkmichael; £132 (x4) Rankinston; £130 (x4) Barneil, Kirkmichael; Pennymore, Beoch, Maybole, and Rankinston; £128 Rankinston; £126 Cassington, Garrochtrie and Altgolach, Arran; £125 Laigh Langcraig. Chev – £130 Pinmore Mains; £106, £102 Seaview, Arran. Lln – £112, £100 (x2) Drumachloy.

Store lambs – Suff – £72.50 Eskechraggan; £67.50 Knowe House. Tex – £72.50 Eskechraggan; £66 (x2) Bridge, Arran and Weels; £64.50 Knockdaw; £64 Neither Heilar; £63.50 Dinwoodie Estate; £62 Nether Heilar; £61.50 Dinwoodie Estate; £60.50 Woodgreen; £60 Kilpatrick, Arran and Routanburn. Belt –£64 Gowlands; £60.50 Woodgreen; £60 Yonderton. Mule – £60, £59 Gowlands.

Castle Douglas

An increased entry of breeding sheep at Wallets Marts' annual sale of Blackface ewe lambs, resulted in overall averages falling almost £25 per head on the year.

Overall, some 2281 lambs averaged £62.92, compared to £87.76 for 1940 sold last year.

Top price was £112 per head paid for a pen from John Murdoch, Knockdon, Straiton, followed by £98 from Milnmark and Gass and £94 from Craig, Straiton.

LEADING prices

Ewe lambs – Bf – £112, £90, £78 Knockdon; £98, £82, £74, £72 Milnmark; £98 Gass; £94, £76, £70 Craig, Straiton; £90, £76 Fingland; £88, £78, £72 Larg; £88 Knockreoch; £82, £80 Drannandow; £80, £76 Largs, Straiton; £80, £78, £72 Craigdarroch; £76 Little Larg; £76 Balmurrie; £74, £70 Barlure; £74 Laghead; £70 Cuil; £70 High Croach; £70 Glen.

LEADINGFLOCK averages

Flock (No) Average (£)

Gass, Straiton (40) 98

Fingland (59) 84.07

Larg, Knockainse (55) 81.64

Knockdon (99) 80.06

Craig (124) 79.92

Milnmark (113) 78.71

Craig, Largs (46) 78.00

Craigdarroch (98)77.43

Larg (57) 68.32

Knockreoch (87) 64.07

Shawsknowe (25) 64.00

Drannandow (200) 62.70

Barlure (62) 61.55

Stirling Cale

Scotch Mule gimmers proved more popular than their younger sisters with the former showing improved averages of £4.45 per head on the year at £118.25, against the ewe lambs at £84.74 (-£6.01) at a show and sale at Caledonian Marts' Stirling centre.

Judge Lewis Smith, Towiemore, Keith, found his champion ewe lambs in a pen of from D and L Graham, Mains of Burnbank, Blairdrummond, which he later bought for £130 per head.

The reserve pen, from D Gray, Drumnessie, Kilsyth, from the entry of 3072 ewe lambs was purchased by J Gordon, Wellheads, Huntly, for £126.

The entry of 1019 Mule gimmers peaked at £140 for a pen from Burnhead.

LEADING awards

Scotch Mule ewe lambs – 1 and champion, Mains of Burnbank, £130; 2 and reserve, Drumnessie, £126; 3, C Malone, Pitcairn, £118; 4, H Gray, Glenhead, £124; 5, K Marshall, Shawend, £96.

LEADING averages

Flock (No) Average (£)

Glenhead (27) 124

Lochend (14) 108

Drumnessie (114) 107.54

Burnbank (349) 91.45

Pitcairn (139) 95.51

LEADING prices

Ewe lambs – S Mule – £120, £106, Shankhead; £116, £108, Drumnessie; £110, £100, Mains of Burnbank; £102, Knowhead; £100, Pitcairn; £90, Spittlehill. Tex – £105, Arnicle.

Gimmers – S Mule – £140 Burnhead; £138, Gartenbantrick; £135 Wardhead; £132, Arnicle. Tex – £120, Grange of Kinneff.

Broughton

A Texel shearling ram from AJ Buchanan, Raven View, Holmrook, topped Harrison and Hetherington's sale of breeding sheep and store lambs selling for £500 to RJ and J Holden, Millom.

Gimmers peaked at £120 for a pen of Mules from KW and A Todd, East Mount, with store lambs selling to £74 for Beltex crosses from LM and C Whittaker, Moorlands Cottage, Kirkby In Furness.

LEADING prices

Breeding rams – Tex – £500, £320, £250, Raven View. Hill Chev – £400 Nibthwaite Grange. Blue Tex – £350 Horrace Farm. BFL – £350, £300 Low Kinmont.

Ewes – Tex – £82, £70, £68 Folds Farm; £66, £64 Crosbythwaite. Hill Chev – £71 Crosbythwaite.

Gimmers – GF – £120, £116, £115 East Mount; £118, £110 (x2), £109 Moorlands Cottage. Tex – £85, £75 Crosbythwaite.

Ewe lambs – Hill Chev – £68 Low Scales. Herd – £53, £50 Middlefell Farm.

Store lambs – Belt – £74, £62.50 Moorlands Cottage. Suff – £60, £56, £52.50 Heather Croft; £59 Moorlands Cottage; £58 Low Scales; £50 Stone Arthur. Tex – £59, £52.50 Moorlands Cottage; £55.50 Wallenrigg Farm; £49 Stone Arthur; £48, £47 Wha House; £48 Low Scales; £48, £47 Old Hall; £48 Middlefell Farm. Char – £57.50, £53 Wallend Farm; £50 Stone Arthur. Hill Chev – £55.50 Moorlands Cottage. GF – £52.50 Old Hall. Herd – £38 Middlefell Farm. Dales – £37, £33 Wha House.