Farming

Round-up

By Alec Ross

Spring lambs of all types at Ayr yesterday dropped on the week to an average of 380p/kg or £167/head, and sold to £222 for a Texel cross from Broomknowes or to 418p/kg for Texels from West Brockloch.

All types of cast sheep were eagerly bid for and sold to £205 and £150 for Texel ewes and tups respectively, with hill ewes peaking at £120 for a Cheviot from Aitkenhead and Blackies selling to £114 for Knockshinnoch. And hoggs sold to £150 for Texels from Laigh Corton.

Bullocks at St Boswells yesterday averaged 293p/kg, up 7p/kg on the week, and sold to 316p/kg, while heifers averaged 292p/kg, up 4p/kg on the week, and sold to 330p/kg.

Cast cows also rose by 4p/kg on the week to average 206p/kg and sold to 247p/kg or £1,890/head, while lambs dropped by 25p/kg on the week to average 394p/kg or £168/head and sold to £224 for Texels or to 453p/kg for Beltexes. Hoggs saw the biggest drop on the week, falling by 50p/kg to an average of 250p/kg or £122/head and sold to £180/head or 365p/kg for Texels. And cast sheep averaged £130 and sold to £188 for Suffolk ewes.

Prime beef-bred heifers at Lanark yesterday were largely unchanged on the week at 296pkg and sold to 342p/kg for a Limousin, while bullocks rose slightly to an average of 271p/kg and sold to 312p/kg, again for a Limousin, and black and white heifers averaged 242p/kg and sold to 255p/kg for a Limousin cross.

Cast beef and dairy cows averaged 198p/kg and 151p/kg respectively, while new season lambs rose 25p/kg on the week to average 370p/kg and sold to £240/head or 458p/kg. Hoggets sold to £218/head or 355p/kg, with cast ewes dropping £6/head on the week to an average of £114/head and peaked at £230 for a Texel, while Blackie ewes sold to £124.

Prime heifers at Carlisle yesterday met with excellent demand, rising by 16p/head on the week to average 287p/kg and sold to 312p/kg, with beef-bred bullocks rising slightly to an average of 278p/kg and peaking at 306p/kg. Young bulls of all types rose slightly to an average of 242p/kg, while prime lambs held up well at an average of 408p/kg and sold to 525p/kg or £225/head. And Lowland ewes sold to £320 for Texels, with hill ewes peaking at £154 for Cheviots.

Cast cows at Longtown on Thursday peaked at £2,116 for a Beef Shorthorn from W&T Bradley-Farmer, with Anguses peaking at £1,395 for Pilmuir. A mixed show of lambs sold to £215/head for Texels from Highfield Farming Ltd or to 472p/kg for Beltexes from Woodhead. Hoggs peaked at 420p/kg for Beltexes from Hillside or at £244/head for Texels from Old Hall, while cast ewes sold to £270/head for Texels from Catslackburn with tups peaking at £260 for the same breed from Beoch.