Prime lamb number well up across the country ahead of Easter

Craig Wilson sold 715 hoggs to average 350p or £143, selling to £177 for Suffolks from J Russel and Son, with Blackfaces peaking at 385p and £120 from Messrs Hurcomb, Barnvannoch. Cast sheep reached £168 for a Texel from Craig Kiltie, Boyach Crescent.

DUMFRIES

Hoggs averaged 398.7p at C&D Auctions’ sale, selling to 436p and £179 for Texels from Messrs Hiddleston, Wellhill. Cast sheep reached £255 for a Texel from Radley Pedigree Livestock and £238 for rams of the same breed from the same home.

PENRITH

Penrith and District Farmers’ Mart LLP sale of 3658 hoggs averaged £177 or 382p, having sold to 513p for seven 42kg entries from EJ Ivinson and Son or £227 for 47kg hoggs from A and A Jefferson, Aspatria Hall. Cast rams peaked at £266 for six Texels from W Morison, South Bogbain, with ewes to £365, again for Texels, from Donaghanie Road.

Cast cows peaked at 419.5p or £3913.94 for a pure-bred, nine-year-old British Blue cow weighing 933kg from JE Bellas and Son, Croft Ends. Black and whites reached £2573.03 or 304.5p for a 36-month-old Holstein from H and EM Hunter and Son, Berrier. An 11-year-old British Blue, weighing 1218kg from BS and J Strong and Son, Hewer Hill, topped the bulls at £3988.25 or 327.5p.

LONGTOWN

At C&D Auction Marts’ sale an entry of 10,154 sheep saw hoggs average 383.26p. Beltex hoggs topped the trade at £232 for J Wales, Thackwood and 524p for R and J Lines, Killocraw.

Cast ewes peaked at £400 for Texels from W Tindale, Paradise, Durham, with rams to £245 for a Bluefaced Leicester from A Carruthers and Son, Peela Hill, Bewcastle.

Cast cows reached 251p for a British Blue from J and LA Baxter, Monk, Hexham.

STIRLING (CALLY)

Heifers averaged 400.91p and sold to 468p and to £2972 for a black Limousin from Ross Brothers, Wardhead, at Caledonian Marts’ sale. Bullocks averaged 388.06p having sold to 422p from AA and J Brand, Nethermyres and J and J Wyllie, Knockhouse and to £2963 for a Simmental from JS Robertson, Lathrisk. Young bulls reached 350p or £2982 from JR MacGregor, Dyke.

OTM cattle averaged 273.56p selling to 395p for a Limousin from Ross Brothers, Wardhead and to £2460 from Ardionra, Isle of Iona. Cast bulls sold to £2500 for a Simmental from AM Duncan, Easter Dullatur. Dairy cows peaked at 355p and £2020 from Balgreggan Farms, Stranraer.

On Tuesday, Hhoggs averaged 394p or £178, selling to 583p and £245 for a Beltex from DS and RC Taylor, Easter Ochtermuthill, Muthill. Ewes sold to £251 for a Texel from Mesrs Henderson, Whitehouse, Stirling, while tups peaked at £261 for a Blue Du Maine from G McFarlane, Muirmealing, Saline.

THAINSTONE

Aberdeen and Northern Marts sold bullocks to 397p for a 745kg Limousin cross from Kincairn House, Kirkton of Rayne and £3072 for an 800kg Limousin cross from Woodhead of Cairnbanno, New Deer. Heifers sold to 404p for a 675kg Charolais cross from Kincairn House and £2859.15 for a 735kg Limousin from Shannas, Clola. Young bulls reached 369p for a 725kg Limousin from Drumforber, Laurencekirk and £3429.90 for an 1100kg Simmental from Birchfield, Midtown of Glass.

Finished beef cows averaged £2464.11 and sold to £3090 for a 992kg Simmental cross from Auchnarrow, Glenlivet, with feeding beef cows cashing in at £1979.80 having sold to £2470 for a 708kg Limousin from East Sinnahard, Glenkindie.

Bulls (8) averaged £3232.50 and sold to £3840 for a 1330kg Charolais from West Davoch, Tarland.

Old season lambs (4677) averaged 376p and sold to 465.2p for 32kg Beltex from The Parks, Kinaldie, and £200 for 61kg Texels from South Craighead, Skelmuir, and also for 76kg Texels from Craskins, Tarland. Feeding ewes and rams (950) averaged £155.01 and sold to £310 for Texels from Mains of Orchardtown, Udny.

DARLINGTON

Darlington Farmers Auction Mart sold a 931kg Limousin bull from SH Watson and Son, Low Fields, to 447p and £4161. Clean heifers averaged 417p and £2491 and sold to 494p for a 544kg Limousin from Robin and Imogen Hirst of Neasham Grange, and to £3044 for a 708kg Limousin from WJ Scott, Low Leam. Steers were topped at 443p, for a British Blue from the Askwiths of Crook and a British Blonde from Low Leam. West Woodburn topped the steers at £3363 with a 784kg British Blonde.

Hoggs averaged 390p and £180.54 having sold to 472.5p for a 40kg Beltex from PJ Tindale, Preston Tiler and to £240 for a Beltex at 58kg from WA Wardman Ltd, Thrushwood Farm. Ewes and rams averaged £186.57, peaking at £316 for a pair of Texels from M and A Gaskin, Holdsworth.

HAWES

Trade through Hawes Farmers Auctions’ peaked at 440p for 42kg Texel hoggs from JW and JH Burton and Son, Gayle, or £206 for Texels from RW and MA Suttill and Son, Carlton.

Rams led the cast sheep at £248 for a Blue Texel from TW Clark and Sons, Easingwold with ewes to £220 for Texels from G Harker and Son.

ST BOSWELLS

Harrison and Hetherington sold 43 cast cows, 1813 hoggs, 477 cast sheep and 29 bullocks, 52 heifers and a young bull.

Bullocks were topped at £3183.17 for a Limousin from Messrs Hamilton, Bee Edge and to 448p, for a Limousin from Messrs Dandie, Learielaw. Heifers reached £3030 for another of the same Messrs Fleming, Greenlees and 444p from Messrs Dandie. A Simmental bull from Messrs King, Wolfstar sold for £2579.36 and 376p.

Cast cows reached £2962.62 for a Charolais from Messrs Dun, Brothershiels, and to 363p for a Limousin from Messrs Hickson, Woodhouse.

Hoggs peaked at £251 for Texels from Messrs Robson, Buckholm Farmhouse, and to 463.40p for Beltex from Messrs Hunter, Broachrigg. Tups peaked at £290 for a Charollais from Animal Breeding Europe Ltd.

LANARK

Lawrie and Symington had forward 28 bullocks and heifers and 52 cast cows. Heifers peaked at 450p or £3027 for a Limousin from Brockwoodlees, with bullocks to £3088 for another of the same from The Hill, Strathaven or to 440p from Faskine. Dairy-bred entries sold to 308p or £2537 for Holsteins from Millhill. Young bulls reached 380p or £2424 from Laigh Cleughearn.

Beef cows hit £2690 from Parkhall or to 305p from Hillend. Dairy cows sold to £1940 from Cobblehaugh or 253p from Craigends.

The 4050 hoggs levelled at 410p and sold to 546p for Beltex from Messrs Fox, St Johns Kirk and £250 for a Texel and Suffolk from Messrs Campbell, Overburns.

Cast sheep averaged £148.50 and peaked at £400 for Texels ewes from Messrs Kennedy, Mitchellhill and to £310 for a Suffolk ram from Strawfrank.

CARLISLE

Harrison and Hetherington’s hogg trade averaged £4.12p and £187 selling to £240 and 478.9p for Beltex from Miller Farms, Aberdeen and Messrs Bell Winterhope, Lockerbie, respectively. Cast ewes were topped at £345 for Dutch Texels from Hardriding, while a Blueface Leicester ram from Macqueston made £260.

AYR

On Monday, Craig Wilson sold 213 cast sheep and 2138 hoggs, with the latter averaging 409p, with a top of £222 for a pair of Beltex from Messrs Stevenson, Balcaimie, or 505p for more of the same from the Young Family at Givan Mains. Cast ewes reached £280 for Texels from the Scott family at Shacklehill.

On Tuesday, heifers averaged 405.92p or £2365.61, with bullocks at 408p or £2815.20 and young bulls at 374p or £2120.00. Top price was 422p for a British Blue cross heifer from the Smith family at North Boig. Young bulls reached 380p or £2244.80 for a Limousin from Giffordland. Cast cows peaked at £2320 for a Limousin from Barlure.

HUNTLY

United Auctions sold 1980 old season lambs to average 370p with a top of 460p for 43kg Beltex from Mill of Fowlis, Alford or £225 for 58kg Texels from the same home.

Cast sheep averaged £175.50 and peaked at £350 for a pure Texel from Corsairtly, Keith.

CASTLE DOUGLAS

OTM cattle sold through Wallets Marts peaked at £2498.04 for an Angus bull from Scroggiehill Farming and 349p for a heifer from Messrs Graham, Irelandton.

Some 691 hoggs averaged 395.87p having sold to £208 for Texels from Messrs Brown, Little Culmain and 447.1p for Texels from Barlocco Farm Partnership. Cast sheep peaked at £238 for Texel rams from Messrs Grierson, Sandfield, with ewes to £222 for Texels from Messrs Hansel, Nether Barr.

KIRKBY STEPHEN

Harrison and Hetherington’s sale peaked at £243 for a pair of Beltex cross hoggs from Messrs Thompson, Stainby House, Grantham, or 593.6p for 20, 39kg Beltex cross hoggs from JoJo Andrews, Boscar Flats. Cast ewes reached £390 for a Texel cross from Messrs Sayer, Town End, with tups to £230 for a Texel from Messrs Slack, Stone Riggs.