Farming

By Alec Ross

Lambs at Newton Stewart yesterday averaged 374p/kg or £174/head and sold to £191/head for Texels from Balligmorrie or to Beltexes from Kildarroch, while Zwartble hoggs from Challochman sold to £145/head with Texels peaking at 266p/kg for Laggansarroch.

Meanwhile, pure Texels from Mull of Galloway led the cast sheep at £249 against an average of £131/head – a pleasing return for the time of year. Cast tups were also in demand, peaking at £154 for Texels from Kirkdale Farms and for Beltexes from Airyhassen.

Suffolk lambs at Dumfries yesterday sold to £208/head for Newmains or to £208/head for Beltexes from Drumcork, while hoggs sold to £182/head for the same vendor or to 317p/kg for Springfield Hill. And cast ewes sold to £248 for a Texel for North Cowshaw, with tups peaking at £170 for a Blue Leicester from Barr.

Prime bullocks at Dingwall on Tuesday averaged 293p/kg and sold to 306p/kg for a Limousin cross from Poyntzfield or to £1,884 gross for the same breed from North Kessock. New season lambs sold to 388p/kg for Texel crosses from Lochdu or to £183/head for the same types from Smallburn Farms, with old season lambs peaking at 250p/kg for Cheviots from Opinan or at £132 for a Cheviot from Ose.

Shearlings with lambs at foot at Longtown on Tuesday peaked at £161 for Texel x Beltexes with Texels at foot, while ewes sold to £136 for Quarry House for Texels with twins. And hoggs peaked at £148 for Suffolk crosses with Texel crosses at foot from Midgeholm, with a small entry of feeding sheep selling to £132/head for a pen of Ryeland ewes from Cumstone.

Cast sheep met with a pleasing trade at Carlisle on Monday, peaking at £300 for a Texel from Longrigg, with mules selling to £188 for Stanley Gregg and tups selling to £158 for Swaledales from Evistones.

A huge show of lambs sold to £300/head for Bassenthwaite Hall Ltd, while well-fleshed hoggs met the strongest demand, peaking at £235/head for Thethwaite or at 476p/kg for Bridge Farm. Cast cows peaked at £2,149 for Aberdeen Anguses from Humblehaugh, with heifers selling to £1,448 for a Limousin cross from Horn & Partners.

Cast dairy cows were sharper on the week and sold to £1,727 or 182p/kg for a Holstein cross from Broathill, while a Fleckvieh from Hazelhead sold to £1,586 to Scotbeef. And a Friesian topped the heifer section at £1,532 for Aulby.

Plainer and best shaped prime bulls both met with demand, with trade peaking at £2,655 for a Simmental from Oakrigg while Limousin crosses peaked at £2,324 for West Farm. But dairy bred bulls also sold exceptionally well, peaking at £1,938 for a Fleckvieh from South Lambhill, who also sold Holstein Friesians to Jewitts Meats for an average of £1,693/head.