Prime sales

Lawrie and Symington's sale of 3139 lambs, 1346 cast ewes and 186 store lambs, saw the prime section peak at £123 per head and 274.5p per kg for Texels from Messrs Struthers, Collielaw.

An overall sale average of 210.8p per kg was achieved.

Cast ewes sold to £178 for Texels from Messrs McKerrow, Riverview and to £76 for Blackfaces from Queenshaugh Farms.

Last weekend's sale of 1974 lambs was a flyer, averaging 217.5p with an SQQ of 220.1p per kg.

Top price was £118 paid for Texels from Messrs Taylor, Skirling Craigs, with Beltex from Messrs Baillie, Broomfield, leading the pence per kg at 261p.

Cast sheep (1156) hit a top of £188 for Texel ewes from Hartside Farms, with Blackface ewes selling to £79 from Messrs Smith, Wester Crosswoodlee.

Texels also produced the lead prices amongst the rams selling at £130 from Lesserlinn and Hillend.

Stirling (UA)

United Auctions' sale of 7990 prime sheep comprising 1627 ewes and rams, and 6363 prime lambs, achieved an average of 200.14p.

New season lambs peaked at £117.00 for Beltex from Coilavoulin, whilst ewes were topped at £158.00 for Texels from Cherryfield.

Texel tups from Weston sold to £115.00.

On Boxing Day, some 6493 lambs averaged 196.97p having sold to £100 for Beltex from Doune Farms and 231.0p for more of the same from West Lethans.

Ewes were topped at £148.00 for Texels from Quixwood, with the same breed leading the cast rams at £98 from West Kirkton.

Dingwall

Prime lamb averages rose a massive 13.8p per kg to 200.0p, at Dingwall and Highland Marts' sale of 179 head on Christmas Eve.

The sale was topped at 212.1p for 41.5kg Charollais fcrosses from Achavrole Mains, Halkirk and £102 for 48.5kg Beltex crosses from Inshes, Inverness.

The sale of 17 prime cattle saw 16 heifers average 196.0p, selling to 207.0p and £1335.90 for a 555kg Limousin cross and a 730kg Simmental cross both of which were from Bridgend Farm, Dingwall.

Ayr

The sale of 2314 prime lambs by Craig Wilson Marts, achieved an overall average of £90.80.

Topping the sale at 247.7p per kg was a Beltex cross from Ian Lammie, Longhouse, which scaled in at 44kg and sold for £109. Suffolk lambs peaked at £108 for heavy-weight’s from J Thomson, Blairbowie.

The firm also sold 2749 prime and cast sheep where ewes peaked at £177 for Texels from B Norman, Reddings. Blackface ewes sold to £74.50 from A Miller, Baidlandhill.

Cast tups made £125 from H Sloan, Mull of Galloway.

Carlisle

Harrison and Hetherington's pre Christmas primestock sale attracted an entry of 77 mostly dairy-bred cast cows and 2733 lambs, with the former selling to 142.5p per kg for a Fleckvieh from Limekilns Farm and £1004 for a Holstein Friesian from Berrier Head.

Cast bulls sold to £1191 or 119.5p per kg for a Limousin stock bull from Messrs Armstrong and Sons, Broomhills.

The small but select entry of young bulls was topped at 186.5p per kg and £1616 for a British Blue from Broomhills.

Prime lambs sold to £114.80 for Texel crosses Messrs Harrison, Sceugh Farm, Southwaite, or 287.6p per kg for Beltex crosses from A and A Little, Holland, Penton.

Dumfries

Just over 1000 prime sheep were forward for C and D Auction Marts' weekly sale in Dumfries, which saw an increased on the corresponding week.

The sale was topped at £149.50 by a Texel ram from Park, whilst lambs peaked at £105.50 for 45+kg Suffolk lambs from West Skelston.

At the firm's final sale of the year on Monday, trade peaked at 236p per kg and £107 for Texel lambs from Dollard, Closeburn.

A new centre record of £188 was also achieved amongst the cast sheep when a Texel ewe from Newmains was sold.

St Boswells

Beltex and Texel lambs topped Harrison and Hetherington's weekly primestock sale just before Christmas, selling at 256.8p per kg from Crookston and £135 from Huntington, respectively.

Overall, 2014 lambs averaged 205.4p per kg (+12.8p).

Ewes levelled at £76.97 with heavies at £98 and lights at £89. Top price was £119 for Texels from Wormerlaw, with Blackfaces selling to £82 from Hartside.

Upper Nisbet topped the sale of 15 clean cattle at £1483.52 and 250p per kg, while the cast trade for 62 cows which averaged 123p was topped at 169p from Brockholes and £1369.50 from Longyester.

The event also included a Christmas poultry sale which was topped at £90, £80 and £75 (x2) by turkeys from Stoneypath.

Thainstone

Some 1734 prime lambs were sold through Aberdeen and Northern Marts just before Christmas, to average 195.7p per kg (+8.9p).

Top price was 257.1p per kg paid for 35kg Beltex from Balnaboth, Glenkindie and £110 for 51kg Texels from Newtonhill, Class, the SQQ for 886 was 200.9p.

Texels from Oldtown, Peterculter, topped the 793 feeding ewes and rams at £162.

Also sold were 35 prime cattle which saw 16 heifers average 196.4p (-12p) and four bullocks at 191.3p.

Lead price was 219p per kg paid for a 520kg Charolais heifer from Waterside Forbes, Alford, and £1323.70 for a 610kg Charolais from Cairnoullie.

Charolais also topped the steers at 217p for a 565kg entry from Cairncoullie and £1272 for an 800kg stot from Braeside.

Cast beef cows (153) levelled at 122.9p having sold to 174.1p for a 580kg Aberdeen Angus from Skaill, Sandwick and £1290 for an 865kg Limousin from Shannas, Clola.

The firm's final prime sale of the year on Monday saw 1906 lambs, feeding ewes and rams cashed with the 1701 prime lambs cashing in at 196p (+10p) and an SQQ for 822 head of 202.3p (+6.4p).

Top price was 229.2p per kg and £110 paid for 48kg Texels from The Green, Raemoir.

Feeding ewes and rams (205) sold to £133.50 for Beltex from Belnaboth, Glenkindie.

Stirling (Cale)

Prime lamb averages rose 9p per kg on the week to level at 205p per kg – the dearest trade of the season at Caledonian Marts' sale last Friday.

Top price was £107.50 for a pen of 22 53kg Suffolk cross Cheviots from J Gilvear and Son, Ditch Farm.

Ronnie Downie, Newton Farm, Crathie, led the pence per kg at 244p with a 41kg Beltex.

A smaller show of ewes met a slightly dearer trade on the week peaking at £162 for Texels from N Andrew, Letter, Loch of Lowes. Heavy ewes averaged £99.29 and light ewes at £70.77, having sold to £76 for Blackfaces from R McNee, Woodend, Armadale.

Rams peaked at £122 for Bluefaced Leicesters from A Higginson, Braeleny, Callander.

Forfar

Texels and Beltex topped the trade at Lawrie and Symington's sale of 574 prime lambs selling at 225p per kg from Mains of Dalrulzion and £110 from Easter Balgillo, respectively.

The overall average was 202p with an SQQ of 208p.

Ewes peaked at £120 for Texels form Westhall.

Longtown

Averages improved on the week at C and D Auction Marts' sale last weekend which saw the 4532 prime lambs average 209p with an SQQ of 212p per kg.

Beltex from Perthshire homes led the trade at 300p per kg from Cuiltburn with others from Easter Ochtermuthill at 297p.

Heavyweights led the per head section at £132 for texels from Cubbyhill.

More than 550 cast ewes out of the 2482 forward sold at £100 or more with the trade being led by Texels from Tercrosset at £180. Hill ewes sold to £87 for Cheviots from Sorbie.

Rams peaked at £142 for Charollais from The Wreay.

Huntly

Just shy of 2300 prime sheep were sold through United Auctions' on Monday where 1625 lambs averaged 197.81p having sold to 237p per kg for 38kg Beltex from Lythebrae, Aberchirder and £113 for 52kg Beltex from Craigiebank, Forgie.

Ewes (670) sold to a top of £180 for Texels from Burn O Cake, Crudie