Penrith

AT Penrith, last week, Penrith and District Farmers’ Mart held their weekly sale of 3509 prime sheep, comprising 1214 cast ewes and rams and 2295 prime hoggs, where prices peaked at 263p per kg twice, firstly, for a pen of six Beltex hoggs weighing 40kg, from R and JM Ridley, Ranbeck and later for a pen of six 40kg Texels from TW Metcalfe, Home Farm.

Top price per head was £110 paid for a single Beltex hogg, weighing 65kg from MH Elliott, Espland House.

A sharper trade in the cast ewe ring, saw Mules take the the best lift, averaging £68, from a lead price of £78 for a pen of 16.

Topping the sale at £140 was a Texel cross Beltex ewe from A and A Little, Hollands.

On Monday, the firm's fortnightly sale of prime cattle saw a top price of 220.5p or £1402.12 paid for 22-month-old Limousin bulls from D Raine, Old Parks.

Forfar

Cattle from Nethermyres produced three of the four top prices at Lawrie and Symington's sale of 31 prime cattle at Forfar.

Their bullocks sold to £1518.75 for a 675kg entry, while 521kg and 618kg Limousin heifers from Nethermyres sold to 251p per kg and £1464.66 respectively.

Top price per kg amongst the bullocks was 236p paid for a 621kg British Blue from Gask.

Overall, heifers averaged 226p per kg while bullocks levelled at 227p.

Prime hoggs (925) sold to 229.8p per kg for Beltex from Balbrydie and £100 per head for Texels from Mains of Dalrulzion. The overall average was 188.2p with an SQQ of 188.2p.

Dumfries

With 50% of hoggs weighing in excess of 45kg at C and D Auction Marts' sale and good quality export weights scarce, a mixed trade prevailed at Dumfries, where the SQQ average was 201.6p per kg.

Top price per kg was 231p from Shambellie Grange, or £95 paid for heavyweight Texels from Netherplace.

The entry of 543 cast sheep sold to £99.50 for a Texel ram from Nether Dargavel while ewes sold to £93.50 for Suffolks from Bridgestone.

Prime cattle saw a small show of clean cattle with heifers selling to 229p for a Limousin from Yett.

OTM entries saw 46 dairy cows average 92.1p with 21 beef types at 110.0p. Top price was £977.50 paid for a British Blue from Cormaddie and 120p per kg for a Simmental from Cormaddie and Rockhallhead. Dairy cows peaked at £959.50 from Conheath and 120p from Trailflat.

Stirling (Cale)

SOME 157 prime cattle were sold at Caledonian Marts' prime sale at Stirling, last week, comprising 86 clean bullocks, heifers and young bulls and 71 OTM.

Cattle from W Dandie and Sons, Learielaw, Broxburn, topped the pence per kg section, selling a Limousin heifer at 258p and a British Blue and a Limousin bullock at 240p.

Top price per head amongst the heifers was £1554 paid for a Limousin from J and J Wyllie, Knockhouse, while a similarly bred bullock from WM Pettigrew, Faskine, Airdrie, made £1570.

Young bulls were topped at 188p and £1501 by an 18-month-old Limousin from W Dick and Sons, Mains of Throsk.

Fleshed OTMs averaged 132p selling to 192p for a Limousin from Knockhouse and £1360 for a Limousin from WI and AW Callion, Bolfornought, with an overall beef average of 121p.

Dairy OTMs levelled at 90p selling to 128p on multiple occasions from WM Andrews and Sons, Crossflat, Kilbarchan and £930 from the same home, while male OTMs hit a top of 158p and £1720 for a Limousin from I and W Wilson, Wood of Auldbar, Aberlemno.

Stirling (UA)

United Auctions' prime sale at Stirling, last week saw 4110 prime old season lambs, sell to average 190.97p per kg, having sold to £117 for Texels from Luckenburn and 259p for Beltex from West Park.

The entry of 1434 ewes and rams peaked at £130 for Beltex ewes from Woodhead of Aberdalgie, with rams selling to £118 for a Texel from West Park.

Thainstone

At Thainstone, Aberdeen and Northern Marts’ sale of 42 prime cattle, saw 20 prime heifers average 211.8p, up 1.4p on the week, having sold to 231p for a 575kg Limousin from Mid Harlaw, Inverurie, and £1408.25 for a 655kg Charolais from Monlettie, Methlick.

The sole bullock, a 670kg Limousin from Whiteside, Tullynessle, made 213p per kg or £1427.10, while two young bulls sold to 169p and £1453.40, paid for an 860kg Beef Shorthorn from Kirkton, Mintlaw.

There were nine 30 to 48-month-old bullocks which sold to 143p and £800.80 for a 560kg Simmental from Westness Farm, Rousay, while 10 heifers averaged 168.8p, having sold to 233p for a 575kg British Blue from Netherton, Holm, and £1368.90 for an 810kg Simmental from Ardhuncart, Kildrummy.

The entry of 215 cows and bulls sold dearer on the week for strong well finished cows, with 206 beef cows averaging 121.1p, up 3.6p. Top price here was 192.3p per kg paid for a 650kg British Blue from Netherton, Holm and £1390 for a 980kg Charolais from Biggings, Toab.

The nine bulls were also up by 6.3p on the week to average 118.2p. They sold to 127.8p for a 1025kg Limousin from Southfield of Cairnbanno, New Deer, and £1470 for a 1205kg Lincoln Red from Tillydesk, Ellon.

Old season lambs (2031) averaged 184.8p, down 5.2p having sold to 246.9p and £121 for 49kg Beltex from Bush of Muldearie, Mulben. The 969 old season SQQ lambs averaged 196.5p per kg, down 3.3p.

Feeding ewes improved on the week with the entry 821 head selling to £147 for Texels from Southfield, New Deer.

Longtown

At Longtown, C and D Auction Marts had forward 24 cast cows, 4896 prime hoggs and 3784 cast ewes and rams at their weekly sale.

A larger entry of cast cows with a large proportion of hill cows met a shaper trade, peaking at 114p for a Beef Shorthorn from JDM Thomson, Pilmuir, Hawick. Top price per head was £930 from Pilmuir.

A quality show of 4896 prime hoggs sold sharper on the week to average 196.6p, with an SQQ of 203.7p. Best quality Beltex and Texel hoggs would average in excess 250p, with a top price of 314p paid for Beltex hoggs from R and S Nixon and Co, Oakwood, Selkirk.

Top per head was £122 for Beltex hoggs from DS and RC Taylor, Easter Ochtermuthill.

A stronger trade for ewes saw 336 head sell for more than £100, with heavies peaking at £164 for Texels from Viewley. Hill ewes sold to £77 for Blackfaces from Wanwood Partners, Wanwood Hill, Alston and rams sold to £110 for Texels from SD and A Allen, Ellerslea, Dalston.

Lanark

ON Monday, Lawrie and Symington sold 131 prime cattle, where heifers sold to 262p per kg for a Limousin from David Dickinson, Brockwoodlees, and £1524 from Auchenstarry.

Bullocks peaked at 232p and £1396 for a Limousin from Messrs Lindsay, Bushelhead Farm, Carluke.

Prime sheep (1688) were topped at £102 per head for Beltex from T Clark and Sons, Wellhead, and to 255p per kg for Beltex from Messrs McLaren, Cairnie. The overall average was 190p per kg, with an SQQ average of 194.5p.

The 1450 cast ewes and rams sold dearer on the week and to a top of £158 for Texels from J and H Clark, North Garngour, with Blackface ewes selling to £68 from Holm.

Ayr

Craig Wilson's prime sale of 1970 sheep on Monday compromised 1490 prime hoggs and 480 cast ewes and rams, where a larger show of heavy weight lambs resulted in an overall average of 186.1p with an SQQ of 194.1p. Overall, lambs weighed in at 44.9kg, up 2.4kg on the week.

A larger show of 376 Blackface hoggs averaged 186p having sold to £89.50 for a pen of 22 from A Paton and Co, Craig, Straiton, or to 196.3p for a pen of 38 from W Kerr, Middleton, Newton Mearns.

Top price was £96 paid for Beltex from J and R Semple, Netherton, Dalrymple, or to 212.2p per kg for Texels from JW Kay and Son, Gass, Straiton.

Cast sheep (480) were slightly sharper peaking at £120.50 for Texel ewes from H Guthrie, Mossside while Blackfaces were topped at £56 for a pen of 27 from W Kerr, Middleton.

On Tuesday, the firm sold 10 prime heifers to average 216.8p or £1258.28.

Top price was 239p paid for a British Blue from Borland and £1392.30 for a Limousin from the same home.

OTM cattle forward saw nine bulls average 110p per kg; 60 beef cows at 118.43p and 100 dairy bred cows at 89.6p.

Bulls sold to 137.6p or £1300 for a Limousin from High Kilphin.

St Boswells

BEEF cattle slipped on the week at Harrison and Hetherington's sale at St Boswells on Monday where 18 bullocks averaged 211p per kg (-3.0p) and 36 heifers cashed in at 208p (-9.0p).

Limousins from Upper Nisbet topped the trade at 248p per kg and £1512.80 per head.

The cast trade was similar on the week, with 94 cashing in at 117p per kg from a lead price of £1451.40 from Mosstower and 177p per kg from Mosstower and Honeyburn.

Top price amongst the cattle was £1548.66 paid for a cast bull from Laidlawstiel.

Prime hogg averages were also down with 1455 levelling at 193p (-3.0p) with an SQQ of 201p. Top price was 278p per kg and £114 per head paid for Beltex from Crookston.

Ewes averaged £56 having sold to £120 for Suffolks from Headshaw. Heavy ewes averaged £71, with lights at £47, having sold to £81 for Cheviot ewes from Halltree.

Carlisle

ON MONDAY, Harrison and Hetherington weekly prime sale saw a smaller show of 450 cast cows, bulls and prime cattle forward, along with 1623 prime and cast sheep.

Cast cows and bulls (295) averaged 114.7p, up 6.9p on the week, having sold to 214.5p per kg and £1731 for a 807kg British Blue from Whitwell Farm. Beef bred cows averaged 135.6p overall, 4.4p up on the week.

A mixed show of black and white cows, was topped by Messrs Skelton, Gill, with a 774kg Holstein at 120.5p or £1173.

Young bulls (103) peaked at £1785 for a Limousin from Messrs Roots, Kilnford Croft, Dumfries, and 234.5p per kg for British Blue from Messrs Hall, Ainstable Hall, while the 51 prime steers and heifers, were led by Limousin cross steer from Messrs Bowe, Bothel Parks, Wigton achieving 220.5p per kg and £1706.67.

Heifers were led by a £1583 sale for a Limousin from Messrs Wilson, Bowscale Farm, Maryport and 245.5p from Messrs Dent, Elm House.

Prime hoggs peaked at 306.3p for Texel cross hoggs from JM and SM Priestley, Cracrop, Brampton and £117.80 for Beltex from BR and HM Horsley, Woodhouse, an for Dutch Texels from R and BS Laird and Son, Unity.

Ewes were £5-£6 dearer on the week, peaking at £138.50 for a Texel from D Rust, Low Row.

Castle Douglas

On Tuesday, Wallets Marts' sale of 1639 prime and cast sheep saw 1411 prime hoggs average 187.69p with an SQQ 195.61p.

Best quality export lambs maintained last week’s rates. Top prices of 272.3p per kg and £110 per head were achieved for Beltex from Craigview.

The 228 cast sheep were a similar trade with a plainer show forward. They sold to £104 for Texels from Cogarth, while Blackfaces peaked at £57 from Hannaston.

Dingwall

SOME 16 prime cattle, were sold through Dingwall and Highland Marts' prime sale on Tuesday, where six bullocks averaged 207.7p (-0.4p) and 10 heifers levelled at 213.2p (+4.4p).

Bullocks peaked at 210.0p per kg twice for a 570kg Limousin cross form Easter Hardmuir, Nairn and for a 625kg Simmental cross from Easter Sheeppark, Balblair and £1339.80 for a 660kg Salers cross from Easter Hardmuir.

Limousins led the heifers at 222.0p per kg for a 535kg entry from Suilven, Evanton and £1365.25 for a 635kg heifer from Easter Strath of Auchterflow, Killen.

Prime hogg averages slipped a penny on the week with 798 averaging 195.8p. They sold to 233.3p per kg for 39kg Beltex crosses from Leanach Farm, Inverness and £100 for 46.5kg Beltex crosses from Torgorm, Conon Bridge.

SQQ 36.5kg to 45.5kg (636) averaged 200.4p (-0.9p).

Feeding sheep (100) sold to £97 for a Texel ewe from Glebe Farm, Allarburn.

Wigton

A FLYING trade for prime hoggs at Hope's prime sale at Wigton, on Tuesday, saw the 1204 head average 245.96p per kg.

Top price was £137 per head paid for a pair of Dutch Texels from Laurels Farm.

Beltex from Paul Simpson, High Scale Farm, produced the lead price per kg at 345.80p with the 179 Beltex hoggs from Mr Simpson cashing in at 296.45p or £119 per head.

The 33 prime cattle peaked at 230.50p for a 581kg Limousin heifer from DA Harrison, Hill House, while bullocks sold to 211.5p from Messrs Miller, High Aketon.

Lead price per head was £1456 paid for a Limousin from Messrs Gray, East Mill.