Bullocks at St Boswells yesterday averaged 279p/kg and sold to 310p/kg, while heifers averaged 290p/kg and sold to 330p/kg, and cast cows averaged 212p/kg and sold to 237p/kg or £2,028/head.
Lambs dropped by 8p on the week to an average of 312p/kg or £138/head and sold to £191/head or 395p/kg for Texels, with hoggs averaging 226p/kg and selling to £180/head, again for Texels. Cast sheep averaged £127/head and sold to £211 for Texels, with heavy ewes averaging £160/head and lighter sorts selling to £141/head for Blackies and averaging £102/head.
A relative shortage of lambs at Ayr yesterday led to a firmer trade with an average of 303p/kg or £137/head, and a peak of £174/head for Suffolks from Fisherton and Texels from West Enoch, or 329p/kg for Texels from Lawhill.
There was a larger number of cast sheep for sale, but despite this all classes proved good to sell. Texel tups from Sawerston sold to £270, while ewes of the same breed from Fisherton peaked at £220, a figure matched by Glensherraig, and Mossend led the hoggs at £107/head.
Prime beef-bred heifers at Lanark yesterday rose marginally on the week to average 304p/kg and sold to 338p/kg for a Limousin cross, while bullocks rose similarly to average 292p/kg and sold to 320p/kg for a Limousin. Cast beef cows averaged 202p/kg, a 5p rise on the week, while cast dairy cows also rose slightly to an average of 167p/kg, and young bulls averaged 269p/kg.
New season lambs held up well at an average of 303p/kg and sold to £182/head, and hoggets rose by 11p on the week to average 303p/kg and sold to 381p/kg or £182/head. Cast ewes dropped sharply to an average of £111/head and sold to £280 for a Texel.
A high quality show of store cattle at Newton Stewart on Friday meant that recent returns were easily matched. Leading the sale at £1,650 was an Aberdeen Angus cross heifer from Kildarroch, with Limousin cross bullocks from Holm selling to 320p/kg. Bullocks sold to £1,460/head for Charolais from Laigh Sinniness, while dairy bred bullocks peaked at £1,080/head for Holstein Friesians from South Cairnweil and Laigh Sinniness.
Spring lambs at Longtown on Friday averaged 306p/kg and sold to £176/head for Suffolks from Wood Farm or to 359p/kg for Beltexes from Hardriding. Ewes sold to vendor advantage with 370 females selling to over £200/head and to a peak of £300/head for Texel ewes from Crumhaughhill, whose consignment averaged a staggering £249/head.
Hill ewes sold to £140/head for Cheviots from Back Newton, with tups peaking at £235 for Texels from Viewley.
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