Farming

By Alec Ross

A strong entry of lambs at Newton Stewart yesterday averaged £164/head or 365p/kg, and sold to £186/head for a pen of eight from Claycrop or to 405p/kg for Texels from Drumneil.

Ewes sold well, peaking at £130 for a Texel cross from Kirkland, and tups sold to £148 for a Lleyn from Risk. Hoggets were harder to place but peaked at £148/head for a 19-strong pen of Texels from Larg.

Calves at Carlisle yesterday sold to £620 for a Charolais from Connell Farms, who also topped the Angus section at £555, and heifers peaked at £560 for Anguses – also from Connell Farms.

An incredible trade for weaned calves peaked at £1,700 for Limousin bulls from Sarkshields, while heifers sold to £1,330/head for British Blues from Bridgestone, and bullocks peaked at £1,170/head for the same breed from Quarry House. Store cattle achieved a strong average of £1,401/head and sold to £1,840 for a Limousin cross bullock from Bolton Wood Lane, while dairy bred Blues sold to £1,820 for Howrigg. Heifers peaked at £1,820 for an Angus from Whiteside, with younger types selling to £1,700 for a fifteen month Limousin from Standingstonerigg.

Lambs at Dumfries yesterday eased slightly, with light types selling to £142/head for Texels from Beltonhill and heavier lambs peaking at £186/head for the same breed from Bush. Well-fleshed hoggs continued to meet with demand, selling to £150/head for Texels from Garloff, and cast ewes sold to £198/head for Newmains. Tups sold to £220/head for Charolais from Foregirth.

Store cattle at Longtown on Tuesday sold to £1,390 a strong Friesian bullock from Hethermill, while yearlings sold to £1,210/head for a pen of three bullocks from Moss Side. Ewes with lambs at foot sold to £168 for a three-shear Texel cross carrying a Beltex, while shearlings sold to £150 for Beltex cross gimmers with singles. And hoggs sold to £155 for Beltexes from Hillside.

Tuesday also saw the June sale of pedigree Beef Shorthorns, and females sold to £2,800 for an in-calf heifer from Steve Swales Dairy Ltd to Messrs Armour, Bowston Hall. Overall, cows and heifers with calves or in-calf averaged £1,163, while unserved heifers averaged £1,224, and bulls sold to 2800gns for a roan from Rowanburnfoot.

Belted Galloway heifers sold to 1300gns for Castlehill, and the annual consignment of Shorthorn cross Galloway heifers with Angus cross calves from Borthwickshiels averaged £2,135 and sold to £2,400. Belted Galloway cows with calves at foot sold to £1,080, and West Hall topped the Stabiliser section at £1,020.