Market round-up

By Alec Ross

531 lambs met with similar demand to last week at Newton Stewart yesterday and averaged 264p/kg or £113/head, selling to £143 for Texels from High Ersock or to 279p/kg for Barlaughlan.

Cast sheep also met a strong trade, selling to £207 for Texels from Mull of Galloway farm, who also topped the tup trade at £177 for Texels and £128 for mule ewes.

Prime cattle at Dumfries met a competitive trade yesterday, selling to 323p/kg for a Limousin heifer from Yett, while bullocks sold to 305p/kg for Fauldingclaugh.

Despite a predominance of leaner cattle, cast cow trade held up well with Limousins selling to £1,589 or 191p/kg for Ballaggan.

The prime sheep trade proved better than anticipated with lighter lambs averaging 269p/kg and selling to 295p/kg for Maryholm. Heavier lambs averaged 263p/kg and sold to 277p/kg for Newmains.

Cast ewes were a sharper trade on the week and sold to £180 for Newton Bungalow with tups selling to £175 for Roshglen.

Store cattle at Carlisle were sharper on the week, with Limousin cross bullocks selling to £1,870 for a bullock from Ratlinggate and to £1,810 for a heifer from Newtown. Bulls peaked at £1,560 for Limousins from Wardhall Guards and to £1,410 for British Blues from Horsleyhill.

Dairy cattle at Ayr on Tuesday sold to £1,600 for fresh calved Holstein Friesian heifers from Coilsholm, while calves sold to similar rates as last week and sold to £550 for an Angus cross from Whitehill.

Bulls sold to £490 for Anguses from the same home. Prime heifers peaked at 319p/kg for a North Boig Limousin while bullocks peaked at 317p/kg for the same vendor.

The rough ring saw slower trade with a particular shortage of well-fed cows, which sold to £1,600 and £1,320 for Auchenkist. Meanwhile, bulls sold to £1,840 for a Charolais from Coalhill and to £1,440 for Limousins from Little Creoch.

New season lambs at Dingwall on Tuesday averaged 259p/kg and sold to 277p/kg for a pen of 41kg Beltex crosses from Invercharron and to £130 for a Texel cross from Dunballoch.

Generally, trade followed national trends with leaner lambs facing some resistance but well-fleshed lambs were keenly sought.

And, despite large numbers being forwarded, the ewe trade remained firm and sold to £114 for Texels from Inverbay. Prime heifers remained mostly unchanged on the week and sold to £2,035 for Bridgend Farm, Dingwall.