Prime sales

More than 4000 prime sheep were forward for United Auctions' sale, comprising of 3416 prime hoggs and 618 ewes and rams.

Beltex from Coilavoulin triumphed among the hoggs topping both sections at £116 and 269p per kg, with the sale averaging 200.98p.

Ewes peaked at £148 for Texels from Easter Garden, whilst tups sold to £117 for crosses from Redheugh.

Stirling (Cale)

The first prime sale of the year at Caledonian Marts' met a steady trade for the 54 bulls and OTM forward.

All bulls were over 16 months selling to 202p and £1353 for a Limousin from A Orr, Lomond Muir, Wester Balgeddie, Kinross.

Beef OTM cattle levelled at 131p per kg selling to 166p for a Hereford from Goldenlea Farmers, Gryffewraes, and to £1240 for a Charolais from McMurrich Partnership, Ballater Drive.

Dairy cattle averaged 111p having peaked at 167p and £950 for a Friesian from R and W Waugh, Summerhouse.

On Tuesday, the firm sold 1461 prime hoggs, ewes and tups, where hoggs levelled at 201.5p (-3.2p on the week or +11p on the year). Top price was £110 paid for a three-quarter 53kg Beltex from Doune Farms, West Lundie, whilst top price per kg was 230p for a 42.6kg Beltex cross from RA Campbell and Son, Meikle Seggie.

Texels from C Smith, South Flanders, Kippen, topped the ewes at £136, whilst cast rams sold to £105 for more of the same from W and RS Adam, Harelaw, Barrhead.

St Boswells

A steady trade was achieved at Harrison and Hetherington's primestock sale of cattle and sheep, where bullocks and heifers levelled at 209p and 217p respectively.

Heifers sold to 248p from Mosstower, whilst bullocks peaked at 237p from Penston. Top price per head was £1388.80 again from Mosstower.

Some 1207 hoggs averaged 207p (+0.3p on the week) having sold to £116 for Suffolks from Headshaw and 268.4p for Beltex from Crookston.

Ewes were topped at £131 for Texels from Huntington.

Ayr

Just short of 2000 sheep were forward for Craig Wilson's sale comprising of 1469 prime hoggs and 508 cast ewes and tups, which averaged 207.4p with a SQQ of 211.6p.

Top price per head was £113 on two occasions, firstly for Texels from A Templeton, Low Drumclog, and for more of the same from L and B Kirk, Waterside, whilst top price per kg was 240.5p for a Beltex from Helen McLeish, Back O’Hill.

Lanark

Heifers led the way at Lawrie and Symington's sale of 149 cattle comprising of 40 prime bullocks and heifers, six young bulls, 83 cast cows and bulls and 20 calves.

Lead price per kg was 248p from D Dickinson, Brockwoodlees, Canonbie, whilst the bullock trade peaked at 238p from MI Wainwright, Todhall, Cupar.

Also forward were 2386 hoggs and 1232 cast ewes which met another fast selling trade selling to £128 and 297p for Texels from Struthers, Collielaw. The sale achieved an overall average of 209.4p and an SQQ of 211p.

Cast ewes sold to £193 for Texels from Thinacre.

Carlisle

Messrs Bowe, Bothel, Wigton, topped Harrison and Hetherington's sale of 51 prime steers and heifers with a Limousin cross steer at £1669.34.

Top pence per kg among the steers was 218.5p attained on three occasions, firstly by Messrs Bell, Hoddamtown, Lockerbie, secondly by Messrs Story, Newbiggin, Carlisle, and finally by Messrs Bowe, Bothel Parks.

Heifers sold to £1495.22 from Messrs Graham, Cumdivock, Carlisle, or 227.5p per kg again achieved three times, twice from Messrs Story, Newbiggin and once by Messrs Miller, High Aketon, Wigton.

The opening sale of prime and cast sheep saw an entry of 2380 head, which levelled at 210p and an SQQ of 217.2p.

Topping the sale at £122.80 was a pair of Beltex cross hoggs from JP Graham and Son, the Wreay, Wigton, or 303.9p for a 38.5kg Texel from Parkhouse Farming, Aikton, Wigton.

Quoybrae

Old season prime lambs averaged 189p at Aberdeen and Northern Marts' monthly sale at Quoybrae on Monday, where the 184 head sold to 200p per kg for 38.2kg Suffolks from Westerloch, Wick and £98.50 for 51.5kg Texels from Cruithni, Tofts.

The 231 store hoggs averaged £65.50, paking at £80 for Half-breds from Hunster and feeding ewes and rams (89) peaked at £108 for North Country Cheviots from Overton, Mid-Clyth, to average £68.12.

Dingwall

Some 13 prime cattle were sold at Dingwall and Highland Marts' sale which averaged 192.4p (-2.2p).

Top price per kg was 201.0p for a 560kg Limousin cross from Bridgend, Dingwall, and for a 565kg Limousin cross from Mountrich, Dingwall and £1292.00 for a 680kg Charolais cross from Mountrich.

Old season lambs (878) averaged 206.1p (+10.7p) having sold to 219.8p per kg for a pen of 43kg Beltex crosses from Groam, Kirkhill, and £104 for 49kg entries of the same breed from Torgorm, Conon Bridge.

Feeding sheep (27) peaked at £116 for Zwartbles cross ewes from Lower Arboll, Tain.

Longtown

Trade was strong for fewer numbers at C and D Auction Marts' sale of 4810 sheep comprising 3270 prime hoggs and 1540 cast ewes and rams at their weekly sale.

Prime hoggs levelled at 209.1p with an SQQ of 212.6p.

Export weights sold to a top price of 315p and £129 both for Beltex hoggs from TA Jefferson, Aspatria Hall, Aspatria.

Light hoggs were very easy to sell and short of requirements selling to 233p for 30kg Texels from F Hickson and Son, Homilton, Capheaton.

Penrith

Leading the way at Penrith and District Farmers' store sale was a Limousin cross heifer from D Raine, Old Parks, selling at 213p.

Prime bulls from the same home sold at £1523.07 and 209.5p.

Dairy bred bulls met a sharper trade with a 601kg Fleckvieh selling to 164.5p and £988 for J Stalker, Ratten Castle.

The firm also held their weekly sale of 3289 prime sheep, comprising of 2010 prime hoggs and 1279 cast ewes and rams.

A smaller show of prime hoggs saw an SQQ average of 215p achieved, being topped at 305p twice, firstly for a single 39kg Beltex hogg, realising £119 from RW and P Jackson, Moss Dyke, and secondly for a pair of 41kg Beltex which achieved £125 for WH Brass, Low Row.

A rise of £10 a head was witnessed in the ewe ring, with no fewer than 402 selling for in excess of £100 a head, having sold to £164 for six Texel ewes from Homes Farm.