By Alec Ross

Newton Stewart’s sale yesterday saw nearly 1,500 hoggs averaging 228.8p/kg and 237p/kg for SQQ. 612 Blackface and Mule hoggs averaged 224p/kg while export hoggs saw the biggest rise.

However, heavier animals still led the trade with Suffolks selling to £130/ head from RJ Manson & Partners, and to £129 / head for a pen from Clauchrie. A pen of Beltexes topped the sale at 272p/kg for JR McKay & Son, Broughton Mains. Mule hoggs topped at £114 / head from Messrs W & W Stewart, Knockoid and to 237p/kg from Joanne McColm, Barncorkrie. A & F Baillie, Low Glasnick topped the Blackfaces at £110.50 / head while J Mitchell & Son, Little Larg peaked at 239p/kg. Cast Sheep met a good demand and topped at £161 / head for Bluefaced Leicester tups from A & W Barrowman, Mid Knockglass.

A bigger show of good quality calves were presented at Dumfries Auction Mart’s fortnightly sale of rearing calves with trade averaging higher than national trends. The sale was topped at £515 for British Blue bull out of a Montbelliard dam from S & l Graham, Hillend. Plainer cattle also proved easier to sell before averaging out £311 for bulls and £305 for heifers.

Monday saw Harrison and Hetherington conduct its premier sale of in-lamb sheep at Borderway Market. Topping the sale was a pen of 12 Texel cross ewes from Winterhope which sold for £275. Texel shearlings topped at £200 from J Browell & Son, Quarry House who sold 80 to average out at £200. The top price for Mules went to RH & J Irving, Meinbank who sold 10 to £148/ head.

A good entry of 82 prime bulls sold dearer again on the week to a top of £2,766 for a British Blue from Stonebyres Mains sold to Bowland Foods. Limousins sold to £2,139 from Messrs Hunter, Upper Brydekirk, while Limousin crosses sold to 308p/kg from Beck House, Carlisle. Dairy bred bulls sold to £1,482 for a Montbeliard from South Lambhill with the same vendor selling the top Friesian to £1437. Another good entry of 63 Prime steers and heifers saw trade jump 10p/kg to a top of £2439 for a Limousin cross from Messrs Bowe, Bothel Parks.

Heifers sold to £2,027 for Blonde cross from Messrs Wilshaw, Oulton Hall, while Limousins sold to £1,961 and 350p/kg from Messrs Beattie with British Blue crosses selling to £1,886 for Prior Hall, Wigton.

Lawrie and Symington sold 627 Store Cattle at its first February sale.

Bullocks sold to a top of £1,710 for a 632kg Limousin cross from Birkhill, or to 357p/kg for a pen of Limousins from Mayfield, to average 286.5p.

Heifers peaked at £1,660 for a 616kg Charolais from Wester Hassockrigg, or to 305.6p/kg for a pen of seven Charolais from Birkenhead, to level at 272p. Dairy bullocks topped at £1260 for a 580kg Holstein from Dykehead or to 239p/kg for three 452kg British Friesians from North Bankend to average 218.5p/kg.

Lockerbie Auction Market held its fortnightly sale of store cattle will all types up once again on the fortnight. Charolais North and Relief Farm, and Simmentals from Muirhead all comfortably passed the 300p/kg mark, with Beef Shorthorn bullocks selling to £1,490 from Messrs McGregor. Aberdeen Angus bullocks sold to £1,440 from Messrs Lockhart, Greenbeck, and Simmental heifers sold to £1,250 from Messrs More, Maxwellbank.

C&D Auction Marts forwarded 2,400 in-lamb ewes at Longtown on Tuesday. Highlights included a run of Texel cross stock twin-carrying ewes from Winterhope, which topped at £305 for four. Other pens sold to £295 for ten, £245 for two pens of twelve, before settling at an average of £251 / head.

Completing the round-up, C&D Auction Marts held its weekly sale of primestock in Dumfries. OTMs were again in demand, well fleshed beef cows selling to 227p/kg for a Limousin from Kirkhill of Dalton. Prime cattle sold to 270p/kg for an Angus x heifer from Low Three Mark to W. Lindsay Butchers, Creetown.

All sheep classes were sharper on the week, with 69 heavy ewes averaging £106 and selling to £144. Light ewes averaged £67/ head and sold to £97/ head.