Prime sales soar

Some 910 prime and cast sheep were sold at Craig Wilson Marts' weekly sale of primestock, where the sale averaged 209.7p and lambs topped at £114 for Suffolks from S and A McCaig, Mount Pleasant and to 231.3p for Beltex from Mr Q Milroy, Kirranrae.

Cast sheep reached £133 for a Texel cross from Mrs M Hannah, Little Pinminnoch.

Forfar

Lawrie and Symington sold seven bullocks to 248p per kg and £1480.56 for a 597kg Limousin from Nethermyres, to average 234p.

Limousins also topped the heifers (12), which reached 258p for a 528kg entry from the Gask and to £1468.94 for a 607kg similar animal again from the Gask, to level 241p.

Lambs (1089) reached 256p for 46kg Texels from Townhead and to £120 for a pair of 50kg Texels from the same home, to cash in at 205p, with an SQQ of 204p.

In the sale of cast ewes (187) averaged at £67 to top at £102 for Charolais from West Pitcorthie.

Dumfries

At C and D Auction Marts’ sale, cattle sold to 238p for a Limousin cross bullock from D Lockhart, Fauldingcleugh, while OTM’s hit £1155 for a Shorthorn from Auld Mills and to 167p for a Limousin from Midtown.

The 1536 lambs reached £115 for Texels from Meikle Dykes or 247p for more of the same from Heithat, to level at 213.8p.

The 579 cast ewes and rams hit £118 for Texels from Townfoot, while rams peaked to £118 for Texels from Townfoot and Beltex's from Drumcork.

Huntly

United Auctions’ sale of 2386 prime sheep, where new season lambs (1525) averaged 208.95p per kg and topped at 225p for 44kg Beltex from 52 Conval Street, Dufftown and to £129 for 67kg Texels from Carran, Thurso.

Ewes (861) sold to a top of £155 for Texels from Sibmister and Stainland.

Stirling (Cale)

Caledonian Marts sold 124 cattle comprising of 73 bullocks, heifers and young bulls and 51 OTM cattle, where heifers sold to 250p for a Limousin from DS and RC Taylor, Easter Ochtermuthill, Muthill and to £1675 for a Charolais from D Dickinson, Brockwoodlees, Canobie, to average 233p.

Bullocks peaked to 245p for a Limousin from M Orr and Sons, Penston, Macmerry or £1656 for a Limousin from HA Brown, Molemount, Galston, to level at 213p.

The sale of bulls reached 210p and £1428 for a Limousin from W Dick and Sons, Mains of Throsk, Throsk.

With 90% of feeding types, the OTM’s averaged 125p and topped at 152p and £1280 for a Charolais from DW Semple, Dippen, Carradale.

The firm sold 2725 sheep, on Tuesday, where 1772 prime lambs sold to average 207.7p and top at £120 twice for Beltex crosses from M Jack, Carriston, Markinch and Doune Farms, West Lundie.

Top price per kg went to JB Guthrie, Cuiltburn and M Jack, Carriston both for Beltex lambs at 273p.

A larger show of 953 cast ewes peaked at £130 for Texels from RS Kinloch, Wester Coldrain, Kinross, to average £107.46, while cast rams sold to £130 for a Berrichon Du Cher from ID Johnston, Kirkton, Falkirk.

Wooler

Harrison and Hetherington held their weekly sale of primestock selling 1143 lambs and 433 cast ewes and rams, where lambs topped at £126 for Texels from Little Bavington and 304p for Beltex from Annstead, to average 227p with an SQQ of 230p.

Cast ewes met a firm trade, selling to average £65 and top at £110 for Texels from Lochside.

Stirling (UA)

Just under 7000 head of prime sheep were sold through United Auctions, where lambs (4655) were topped at £121 for Beltex from Longfauld and Doune Farms and to 272p per kg for Beltex from Coilavoulin, to average 213.70p.

Ewes (2193) sold to a top price of £159 per head for Texels from Easter Garden, while the ram trade was led by Texels from Townhead at £150.

Thainstone

Aberdeen and Northern Marts’ sale of primestock at Thainstone, saw 13 prime bullocks level at 220.1p and top at 230p for a 590kg Limousin cross from Whiteside, Tullynessle and £1445.40 for a 660kg Limousin cross also from Whiteside.

Heifers (9) averaged at 222.4p and reached 239p or £1481.80 for a 620kg Limousin cross from Waterside, Forbes W and J Cameron.

The sale of young bulls (7) peaked to 225p per kg or £1440 for a 640kg Charolais cross from Mains of Leask, Slains, to cash in at 182.3p.

Beef cattle (101) averaged 140.7p and sold to 188.6p and £1490 for a 790kg British Blue cross from Bryameadow Farm, Twatt, also reaching £1490 was an 894kg Simmental cross from Tamala, Burnside.

Some 1987 new season lambs averaged 202.3p and sold to 225.5p and £124 for the same 55kg Texels from Clinterty, New Aberdour, while feeding ewes and rams (641) peaked to £139.50 for a Texel cross from Aikerness, Evie.

Longtown

At C and D Auction Marts’ sale the 3606 prime lambs were topped at 292p for a Beltex cross consigned by Messrs D Story, Greenburn, Canonbie and to £134 for Texel lambs from R Sandison, Smerral, Caithness, to average 220p.

A larger entry of ewes (4683) sold to £168 for a pen of Texels from Harehead Farms, Cranshaws, Duns, whilst rams peaked at £145 for Dutch Texels from EJC Dean, Kirk House, Brampton.

St Boswell

At Harrison and Hetherington’s sale at St Boswells on Monday, bullocks (17) and heifers (55) averaged 239p and 249p respectively.

Clean cattle sold to £1297.20 from New Heaton and 249p per kg from Mosstower, whilst cast entries peaked at £1387.68 from Wester Middleton and to 203p per kg from Burnhouse Mains.

Prime lambs (2054) having sold to £128 for a Texel from Crookston and 275.3p for Beltex from the same home, to level at 220.2p.

The 540 cast ewes cashed in at £71.44 having peaked to £115 for Suffolks from Symington Mains.

Lanark

Some 51 bullocks and heifers and 91 cast cows and bulls were forward for Lawrie and Symington’s sale, on Monday.

Limousins dominated the heifer sale, with a top per kilo price of 258p from Messrs Dickinson, Brockwoodlees Farm, Canonbie or to £1616 for another of the same from Messrs Wainwright, Todhall Farm, Cupar.

Bullocks sold to 240p for a Limousin from Messrs Grey, Balquharrage Farm, Lennoxtown or to £1545 for a similar entry from Messrs Allison, Over Quarter Farm, Carluke.

Lambs (3784) were topped at £137 for Texels from Laird, Cambwell and to 290p for Beltex from Baillie, Broomfield, to average 216p with an SQQ of 216.5p.

The 2552 ewes were topped at £170 for Texels from Struthers, Greenbank and to £70 from Blackface from Galloway, Lochlyoch.

Carlisle

Limousins dominated Harrison and Hetherington's weekly primestock sale of 39 steers and heifers, where bullocks were topped at £1830 for an entry from Hundith House and to 234.5p for another of the same from Bothel Parks.

In the heifers, a top price of £1699 was paid for a Limousin from Loughrigg, while top per kilo was topped at 244.5p for a British Blue from Greenhill.

The firm also sold 2289 prime lambs and 283 cast sheep, where lambs topped at £139 for a Dutch Texel cross from Messrs Musgrave, Sowerby Wood, and to 305p for a Dutch Spotted lamb from Messrs Storey, Woodhead, Haltwhistle, to average 225p.

Topping the cast sheep sale at £126.50 was a Texel ram from Messrs Smith, Roachburn, while ewes peaked at £119.50 for two Texels from Messrs Hall, New Houses.

Ayr

Limousins topped Craig Wilson's weekly primestock sale, where 18 heifers levelled at 235.3p to top at 254p or £1447.80 for an entry off Messrs Smith, North Boig.

In the bullocks, four sold to average 200p and peak at 240p and £1464 for a Limousin off North Boig.

In the rough ring, seven bulls topped at £1400 for a Charolais off Craig (Straiton) or 129.3p for a Limousin off Perryston.

Beef cattle (79) peaked at £1440 and 171.4p for a British Blue cross cow off Holehouse (Ochiltree), while 86 dairy cattle reached £1060 or 127p for a Friesian off Perryston.

Some 15 clean cattle topped at £1170 for a Limousin heifer off Garrochtrie or 212.8p for a Saler heifer off Risk.

The firm sold 3750 sheep, on Monday, where 3171 prime lambs sold to average 212.9p and top at £115 for a pen of Texels from Messrs John R Lambie, Knockdaw Farm (Lendalfoot) and to 256.1p for a Beltex off Jim Kennedy, Lyonston Farm (Maybole).

The 579 cast sheep met a flying trade to top at £170 for a pair of Texel ewes from J and E Paterson, Oxenshaw, while cast tups sold to £94 for a Texel from Messrs R and A Clark, Woodside.

Dingwall

Dingwall and Highland Marts sold three prime bullocks to averaged 237.2p and top at 246.0p for a 590kg Saler and £1462.50 for a 650kg Limousin cross both from Teawig, Beauly.

Prime heifers (10) levelled at 235.3p and sold to 248.0p for a 585kg Limousin cross from Bridgend Farm, Dingwall and 248.0p and £1500.40 for a 605kg Limousin cross from the same home.

New season lambs (687) reached 217.8p per kg for a pen of 45kg Charollais crosses from Torgorm, Conon Bridge or £102 for a pen of 49kg Beltex crosses from Torgorm and a pen of 49.5kg Beltex crosses also from Torgorm, to balance out at 198.6p.

In the sale of feeding sheep (518) a top price of £118 was paid for a Charollais ewe from Woodside, Muir of Tarradale, while Lewis Livestock Producers prime and feeding sheep (125) sold to £82 for a Roussin ram from 20 Coll, Back and for a Blackface ram from the same home.

Castle Douglas

On Tuesday, Wallets Marts had forward 2025 prime lambs which sold to average 213.18p with an SQQ of 215.10p.

The lamb trade topped at £120 and 3.00p for Beltex's from Messrs Nicholson, Bombie, Kirkcudbright, with heavyweights from the same home selling to £110.

Another large show of cast sheep sold to £157 for a Texel ewe for South Quintinespie, with Blackface to £68.50 from Garrochtrie.