Prime sales - Week ending August 2

Dumfries
PRIME cattle selling through C and D Auction Marts peaked at 232p per kg for a Limousin heifer from D and R Cornthwaite, Balgrayhill. 
Cast cows met plenty of competition as beef types averaged 140p and sold to 176p for a Limousin from Kirkbride and £1263 for a Shorthorn from Druidhall, while dairy cows levelled at 106.7p and reached 162p and £988 for a Holstein off Auchencrieff. 
The lamb trade was better than anticipated as 642 peaked at 200p and £92 for Charollais from Wyliehole, while 307 cast sheep reached £140 for Texel ewes from Shieldhill. 

Penrith
PRIME lamb averages slipped on the week but was still well in line with the national trend at Penrith Farmers’ Mart’s sale last week, where 1342 head levelled at 185p per kg. 
Lambs from WH Brass, Low Row, topped the sale at 250p for a 44kg pair of Texels and again at £116 for a 51kg Beltex cross Texel. 
The 1411 cast sheep met a strong trade, peaking at £124 for a quad of Texel ewes from AD and FE Elliot, Glen Hush, with rams to £105 for Texels from Holme Farm. 

Huntly
THE lamb trade was considerably easier on the week although heavy sorts commanded a premium at United Auctions’ sale of 602 new season lambs. 
They reached 202p per kg for 41kg continentals from Gaich, Grantown on Spey, and £95.50 for 58kg Charollais from Sauchentree, New Aberdour. 
Texels from Dunscroft topped the 507 cast ewes at £118. 

Thainstone
NEW season lambs (589) cashed in to average 188.6p per kg, a drop of 12.5p per kg on the week at Aberdeen and Northern Marts’ sale, while the 386 SQQ lambs averaged 192.6p, down 10.2p. 
They sold to a top of 219p for a pen of 42kg continentals from Braeside Croft, Upper Oldwhat, as well as £94.50 twice – for a pen of 53kg Texels from West Knock, Mintlaw, and again for a pen of Beltex weighing 49kg per head from Deepheater House, Ellon. 
Averages were up in the prime cattle section as 24 bullocks levelled at 221.1p (+8.1p on the week) with 22 heifers at 226.1p (+4.8p). 
They peaked at 248p for a 560kg Limousin bullock from Waterside of Forbes, Alford, with bullocks also hitting £1624 for a 625kg Limousin from Nether Mains, Torphins. 
Heifers sold to 246p for a 630kg Limousin from Hillocks, Whiterashes, and £1596.05 for a 685kg Aberdeen-Angus from Rattar Mains, Thurso.
A large entry of 217 cast cattle saw cows sell to 212.3p for a Simmental from Mossbank, Burray, as well as £1430 for a British Blue from Tullo of Garvock, Laurencekirk.
The 191 beef cows averaged 148.1p, while 16 dairy cows levelled at 107p and sold to 122.4p and £1065 for a Friesian from Tarbothill, Bridge of Don. 
Stirling (Cal)
A MIXED show of prime cattle sold dearer throughout while quality, handy weights were short of requirements at Caledonian Marts’ recent sale of 101 prime cattle. 
They reached 250p per kg for a Limousin bullock from J and J Wyllie, Knockhouse, and £1722 for another from C Smith, South Flanders. 
Two heifers sold for 248p – Limousins from JH and NT Turnbull, Meadowend, and W Pettigrew, Faskine – while a Charolais from H Greer, Gelvan View, sold for £1616. 
Young bulls sold to 220p for a Limousin from T and T Robertson, Creochmill, and £1760 from M Lyle, Mid Cambushinnie. 
Overall, bullocks levelled at 226p with heifers at 225p. Young bull averages included beef types at 2-3p and dairy sorts at 164p.   
A poor show of cast cows upheld recent rates when a Limousin from T and R Crawford, Sheilds, led at 160p while dairy cows reached 125p from Cauldshiel Cattle Company. Beef cows averaged 124p with dairy cows at 105p. 
On Tuesday, all classes of lambs, especially those at 42kg and above, were sharper on the week at the sale of 1373 which levelled at 195.6p (+18.3p on the week and +9.7p on the year). 
They sold to 232p for a pair of Beltex weighing 47kg from Doune Farms, West Lundie, and £111 for a 50kg Beltex cross from G Whyte, Pett, Muthill. 
Cast sheep (584) reached £134 for a Texel from R McNee, Woodend, and saw 139 heavy ewes average £81.24 with 254 export ewes at £49.98.

Longtown
LAMBS were keenly sought after and short of buyer requirements through C and D Auction Marts where, despite the slow trade in the early part of the week, lesser numbers around the country resulted in a 15p rise as 2153 levelled at 197.2p per kg, with SQQs at 197.4p per kg. 
The sale was topped at 243p for Beltex from Messrs Halliday, Crawthat, and £113 for Texels from AR Bell, Kirkton. 
A large show of 4733 cast sheep sold to £168 for a Texel tup from Messrs Ward, Whitstonehill, with ewes not far behind on £166 for heavy Texels from Kirkton, and hill sorts to £56 for Blackfaces from IHG Warden, Skelfhill. 

Darlington
HEAVY bulls in particular met a sharper trade when Darlington Farmers’ Auction Mart sold 135 to a top of 236p per kg for a British Blue from JA Matten and Sons, Avenue Grange, while a Charolais from JA and M Boyes, Strathmore House, reached £1718. 
A plainer show of clean cattle sold dearer on the week and to 260p for a Limousin heifer from WF Hustwit, Morden Southside, while a Limousin bullock from JM Hall, Burdon Grange, topped the gross trade at £1707. 
Lambs were easier on the week and were led by Texels from R Hall and Son, Kilton Hall, at 223p. They also reached £97 twice, for pens from Teward Bros, New View, and F and JS Gargett. 
The 990 cast sheep sold to £129 for a Texel tup from DK Barker, Little Ketton.

Stirling (UA)
UNITED Auctions sold 3938 prime sheep last week, including 2790 prime lambs which cashed in to average 188.9p per kg. 
They peaked at 233p for Texels from Outerston and £98.50 for Suffolks from Wester Middleton. 
Cast ewes and rams (1178) sold to £132 for Texel ewes from Gathercauld. 

St Boswells
A HEIFER from Penston led Harrison and Hetherington’s sale of 44 prime cattle on Monday when it was knocked down for 254p per kg. 
Bullocks reached 240p from Nisbet, with Mosstower topping the gross trade at £1488. In all, 16 bullocks averaged 213.5p (no change on the week) and the 28 heifers levelled at 232.7p (-1p).
Cast cows (26) cashed in at 150p (+4p) and sold to 212p from Huntington and £1909 from East Horton. 
Lamb returns increased on the week as 1630 averaged 201.7p, a 15p increase, or £85 per head. They peaked at 239.5p for Texels from Redden and £110 for more from Huntington. 
The 718 ewes averaged £62, with heavies at £84 and lights at £51. They reached £107 for Texels from Elmscleugh with lights to £81 for North Country Cheviots off Earston Road, Stow.  

Ayr
A SMALLER show of lambs resulted in a sharper trade for all classes at Craig Wilson’s sale of 1555, which levelled at 194.9p (+11.8p on the week).
They sold to a top of 215.6p for a pen of 45kg Beltex from J Shennan and Sons, Knockgerran, as well as £100 for Beltex from both Sorn Mains and Carsloe. 
All classes of 1032 cast ewes and tups met a similar trade on the week, as heavies sold to £143 for Texels from AD Baird, Langholm, and averaged £82.14. 
Lighter sorts averaged £41.50 and reached £59.50 twice – for pens of Blackfaces from M Hunter, Pennymore, and L Borthwick and Sons, Muirside. 
The following day saw four bullocks average 206p with nine heifers at 227.44p. They reached 233p for a Limousin heifer from Auchentibbert, which also realised £1235, while bullocks peaked at 214p and £1345 for an Aberdeen-Angus from Cochno. 
All classes of cast cattle continued to sell well as 126 beef cows averaged 134.63p and peaked at 180.7p for a British Blue from Netherwood and £1480 for a Limousin from Little airies. 
Averaging 112.74p, the 135 dairy cows reached 170.4p for a Montbeliarde from Knockrevoch and £1100 for a black and white from Glenapp. 

Carlisle
A SMALL entry of prime cattle peaked at £1581 and 218.7p per kg for Limousin bullocks from Messrs Cleasby, Eamont Terrace, and Messrs McClellan, Stainburn House, respectively, at Harrison and Hetherington’s sale on Monday. 
Heifers sold to £1253 and 223.5p for a Limousin from Messrs Mitchell, Mirkbooths, while young bulls (91) hit £1619 for a Simmental from Messrs Houldey, Kirtleton House, and 231.5p for a Limousin from Messrs Priestley, Cracop. 
Dairy bulls sold to £1195 from Randalinton and 184.4p from Kirkbride House. 
Among the cast cattle (293), cows reached 217.5p for a Limousin from Messrs Bowe, Midtown, and £1542 for a British Blue from Messrs Wilkinson, Carlatton Mill. 
Lambs met a slightly cheaper trade as 1800 averaged 199p and sold to 271.3p for Beltex from A and D Procter, Swarland Old Hall, as well as £109.80 for Dutch Texels from JW Storey and Son, Woodhead. 
Texels from A Pearson, Parkgate, topped the cast ewes at £135.50. 

Castle Douglas
WALLETS Marts sold 1112 lambs sharper on the week to average 197.04p per kg on Tuesday, with SQQ lambs at 198.15p. 
Texels from Messrs Campbell, Tappit Lane, topped at £102 while Beltex from Messrs Forsyth, Corra, sold for 243.9p. 
A large show of 700 cast sheep hit £96 for Texels from both Farhills and Dergoals.

Dingwall
DINGWALL and Highland Marts sold 22 prime cattle on Tuesday where 21 heifers levelled at 227.7p per kg (-2.2p on the week) and sold to 236p for a 535kg Limousin cross from Newton of Darnaway, Forres, as well as £1380 for a 600kg Charolais cross from Mountrich, Dingwall. 
The sole bullock, a 630kg Simmental cross from Bridgend, Dingwall, topped the gross trade at £1423.80.
Lamb averages were up as 371 cashed in to level at 186.2p (+4.4p) with the 345 SQQ lambs at 187.2p (+5p). 
A pair of 43kg Texel crosses from Lochdhu, Nairn, topped the trade at 208.1p and £89.50.
A Suffolk ewe from Aiten Farms, Ardersier, led the 109 feeding sheep at £106.