Values soar among prime sales

Newton Stewart

An overall average of 278.6p per kg was achieved at Craig Wilson's weekly sale of 1162 prime and cast sheep.

A top price of £140 was achieved on four occasions, firstly for Texels from A and F Baillie, Low Glasnick, then for Texels and Suffolks from JG McMillan and Co, and finally for a pen of Blackfaces from Baltier Farming Co Ltd.

A pen of 57 Lleyn topped the pence per kg section at 301.3p from J Howatson, Risk.

Cast sheep hit £123 for Texel and Lleyn crosses from S Galloway, Barvernochan, with tups peaking at £120 for Blackfaces from R and CM Donnan, Knockiebae.

Penrith

Records were smashed at Penrith and District Farmers' Mart's weekly sale when an SQQ average of 316p per kg was achieved.

The sale topped at 412p per kg and £172 a head for 44kg Texel hoggs from Messrs Lightfoot, Gillside.

This was very closely followed at 410p for Beltex hoggs from MH Elliott, Espland House.

Cast ewes peaked at £198 for Texel ewes from JR Gibbs, Toftcombs.

Limousin heifers from Messrs Raine, Old Parks, topped the cattle at £1585.47 or 233.5p per kg.

Wooler

All classes sold well at Harrison and Hetherington's weekly sale of 765 prime sheep comprising of 536 hoggs and 221 cast ewes and eight lambs, which cashed in at 284p per kg and an SQQ of 297p.

Beltex hoggs from New Heaton led the trade at £162 and 375p.

A mixed show of cast sheep peaked at £165 for Texel ewes from C McAlpine, Auchencrow Mains, whilst tups reached £145 from JF Gray, Embleton Steads.

Forfar

Limousins from Nethermyres led the pence per kg sections at Lawrie and Symington's weekly sale of 20 prime cattle, selling to 258p for a 600kg bullock, and to 262p for a 526kg heifer.

Also hitting the 262p price tag was an Aberdeen-Angus heifer from Shandford.

A 656kg Limousin heifer from the Gask, achieved £1535.04, to level at 242p whilst bullocks averaged 239p.

Among the 429 prime hoggs, trade peaked at 340p per kg for a 44kg Blue Du Maine from Balbrydie, and to £155 for a pair of 57 kg Texels from Mains of Dalrulzion.

Cockermouth

A dairy bred British Blue heifer from G and I Carruthers and Son, Lowca Cottage, came out on top at 210p per kg at Mitchells Livestock Centre's weekly sale of 62 cattle comprising of 33 cull cattle and 29 prime bulls and clean cattle, 1520 prime sheep including 1308 hoggs and 212 cast ewes and rams.

Bulls topped at 222p or £1691.64 for a Limousin from GA Stamper, Rowbrow Park.

Prime sheep sold to the dearest trade of the season, achieving a top price of £180 for a Texel hogg from TA Jefferson, Aspatria Hall, and to 345.9p per kg for Beltex from I Powley, Green Marsh.

Huntly

United Auctions sold 2637 prime sheep, where old season lambs achieved an SQQ of 286.83p per kg and topped at 308p for a 46kg Texel from Managers House, Ballindalloch, and to £176 for a 72kg Texel from Newmill of Rathen, Fraserburgh.

More of the same breed led the way in the ewes at £217 from Hilton of Culsh, New Deer.

Stirling (Cale)

Caledonian Marts sold 125 cattle comprising of 61 bullocks, heifers and young bulls, which saw heifers level at 246p per kg and bullocks cashed in at 226p.

A British Blue heifer from M Orr and Sons, Penston, Macmerry, topped the trade stakes at 360p and £2196.

Bullocks sold to 252p for a Limousin from W Dandie and Sons, Learielaw, Broxburn, and to £1810 for a 790kg British Blue from A Kennedy, Seggarsdean, Haddington.

All classes were sharper on the week among the 1378 prime hoggs, ewes and tups, where an overall average of 285p per kg and an SQQ of 289p was achieved.

A top price of £160 was achieved on two occasions, firstly, for Beltex from Doune Farms, West Lundie, and for a Texel from D Higginson, Braeleny.

The pence per kg reached 338p for Texels from WM Bell and Sons, Craigend, Perth.

Stirling UA

Beltex hoggs were in demand at United Auctions weekly sale, topping at £184 and 414p per kg from Easter Ochtermuthill, and Harviesmailing respectively.

Some 6098 prime hoggs sold to average 283.51p.

Ewes reached £207 for Texels from Carse of Trowan, whilst Lleyns topped the tups at £160 for Hardridge.

Thainstone

Prime cattle numbers increased on the week with 55 being sold at Aberdeen and Northern Marts weekly sale where bullocks and heifers cashed in at 208p per kg (-10p) and 224.6p (+2.8p) respectively.

Bullocks sold to 235p for a 640kg Charolais cross from Hillside, Fetternear, and to £1566 for a 725kg Limousin cross from Faichfolds, King Edward.

Limousin crosses dominated the heifer trade at 245p on two occasions, firstly for a 545kg entry from Hillocks, Whiterashes, and for a 600kg heifer from Auchmaliddie Mains, Maud, which also topped the per head section at £1470.

Young bulls (8) averaged 187.6p and sold to 207p for a 710kg Aberdeen-Angus from Perkhill House, Lumphanan, and to £1736.30 for a 970kg Limousin from West Knock, Mintlaw.

The firm also sold 4779 prime sheep and feeding ewes and rams, where old season lambs cashed in at 281.3p per kg (-2.4p).

Beltex dominated the lambs at 350p per kg for 40kg from Ranch House, Inverurie, and to £156 for 52 kg Beltex from Ledmacoy, Strathdon.

Longtown

Aberdeen-Angus took the top call at C and D Auction Marts weekly sale, selling to £1153 from JG Murray and Son, Branxholm Brae, Hawick, and to 140p per kg from Sorbie.

Another bumper show of 5043 prime hoggs levelled at 291.5p per kg and an SQQ of 295.1p.

Beltex hoggs from DS and RC Taylor, Easter Ochtermuthill, Perth, realised 465p and £186.

Dumfries

The weekly sale of primestock at C and D Auction Marts, saw trade peak at 248p per kg for Limousin cross heifers from Burnside, and to £1560 for an Aberdeen-Angus from Dalmakethar.

Trade remained firm for the 658 prime and cast sheep which were also forward, achieving a top price of £145 for Texel hoggs from Victoria House.

Texels topped the ewes at £133, whilst Suffolk rams peaked at £149 from Tigh-Na-Bruich.

Lanark

On Monday, Lawrie and Symington had forward 221 cattle comprising of 59 bullocks and heifers, six young bulls, 76 cast cows and 80 calves.

Heifers led the way, selling to 256p per kg from Messrs Dickinson, Brockwoodlees, Canonbie, and to £1800 from Messrs Struthers, Greenbank, Carluke.

Messrs Dickinson, Brockwoodlees, again led the bullocks at 248p and £1681, also receiving 248p was from Messrs Moffat, Hillend, Biggar.

Calves met a firm trade, where trade peaked at £440 for a British Blue heifer from Swaites, with stirks reaching £520 for an Aberdeen-Angus from Silvermuir.

Also forward were 3624 hoggs, which achieved an overall average of 286p per kg and an SQQ of 288p.

Texels from Messrs Boyd, Overburns, topped at £167, whilst Beltex received 365p for Messrs Bell, Thethwaite, Wigton.

More Texels led the 1677 cast ewes at £206 from Messrs Gray, Langside, with Blackface to £94 from Messrs Blackwood, Auldhouseburn.

Ayr

Beltex proved their worth at Craig Wilson's sale of 1985 sheep, with prime hoggs averaging 285.7p per kg with an SQQ of 290.2p.

A top price of £155 was achieved on two occasions, firstly for Beltex from James Shennan and Sons, Knockgerran, and again for more of the same from M Stevenson, Balcaimie. Topping the pence per kg section at 339.5p was more Beltex from M Stevenson, Balcaimie.

Numbers remained tight among the cast ewes, hitting £187 for Texel ewes from Messrs Andrew, Rowanston.

Clean cattle witnessed heifers and steers cash in at 240.1p per kg and 225.4p respectively.

Limousin crosses topped the heifers at 261p from Messrs Andrew, Rowanston, and to £1451 from J Young, Lanemark.

Steers peaked at 249p for another of the same from J Thomson, Blairbowie, and to £1540 for an Aberdeen-Angus from Messrs Smith, Mossblown.

St Boswells

Averages improved on the week at Harrison and Hetheringtons's weekly sale, where bullocks and heifers cashed in at 231p per kg (+1p on the week) and 244p (+6p) respectively.

Bullocks sold to 256p per kg from Lurdenlaw, whilst heifers achieved 266p on two occasions both coming from Bee Edge.

Some 1514 hoggs balanced out at 287p per kg (-12p on the week) with an SQQ of 293p.

Beltex hoggs from Crookston led the way at £174 and 366.7p.

Cast sheep again met a flying trade, with Bluefaced Leicester ewes selling for £139 from Jack Kay and Sons, Hartside.

Carlisle

A Limousin cross steer from Messrs Nicholson, The Lake, Carlisle, topped Harrison and Hetherington's weekly sale of 469 cast cows, bulls and prime cattle, at £1798.

More of the same breed from Messrs Bowe, Bothel Parks, received 241.5p per kg on two occasions.

Heifers realised £1530.36 for a Limousin from Messrs Graham, Rose Castle, Carlisle, and to 249.5p from Messrs Philipson, Glebe, Penrith.

A much plainer show of hoggs achieved an overall average of 290p per kg, with a top price of £170 paid for Texel hoggs from John Fell Snr, Stanger Hill, Wigton.

Top pence per kg hit 384p for Beltex from AG Dempster, Castlehill, Tundergarth.

Trade continued to fly among the cast sheep with numbers being in short supply, selling to £132 for Texels from Messrs Grieve, Whiteside.

Dingwall

A small show of cattle were on offer at Dingwall and Highland Marts, where trade peaked at 248p per kg for a 540kg Limousin cross heifer from Bridgend, Dingwall, and to £1419 for a 645kg Charolais cross from Easter Sheep Park, allowing heifers to balance out at 225.5p.

A 610kg Limousin cross bullock from Bridgend, led the bullocks at 220p per kg and £1342.

Some 1496 prime sheep witnessed old season lambs average 285.8p (-4.4p) and sold to 312.9p per kg for 35kg Beltex crosses from Sangomore, Durness, and to £142 for 56kg Texel crosses from Balnabeen, Conon Bridge.

Feeding sheep (149) reached £136 on two occasions for a Texel cross ewe and a Suffolk cross ewe both from Cantraywood House, Croy.

Castle Douglas

On Tuesday, Wallets Marts had 1106 prime and cast sheep forward, where 785 prime hoggs sold to average 275.0p per kg and a SQQ of 274.7p.

Cheviots from Messrs Graham, Irelandton, led the hoggs at 306.8p and to £163.50 for Texels from Messrs Wilson, West Barmoffity.

A smaller show of 221 cast ewes witnessed a top price of £159.50 for Texels from Gelston Castle Farms.

Wigton

A 50kg Beltex hogg from Messrs Lawson and Sons, Hundith House, Threapland, took the top call of £186 at Hope's Auctioneers weekly sale.

The sale achieved an average of 336.45p per kg (-4p), with an SQQ of 344p (-10p).

Top price per kg at 464.5p was paid for 38kg Beltex from JP Mason and Sons, East Farm, Langton.

A Dutch Texel topped the ewes at £129 for David Batty, Cobble Croft.