Prime sales

Some 537 prime and cast sheep were sold at Craig Wilson Marts' weekly sale where 198 lambs sold to average 250p per kg and a top price of £118 was achieved twice, firstly for a Texel from D Hair, Drumbreddan, then for a pen from A and T Wilson, Baryerrock, who also topped per kg with Texels at 280.5p.

A very mixed offering of 194 hoggs cashed in at 174.1p with the top per head and per kg coming from Beltex from R Templeton and Co, Carslae making £106 or 235.6p.

Cast ewes were harder to cash, reaching £167 for Texels from M Grant, Crailloch Dairy House, Stranraer.

Forfar

Lawrie and Symington had forward 22 prime cattle, and 295 prime sheep and cast ewes and rams.

Bullocks (seven) sold to 250p per kg and £1445 for a 578kg Limousin from Nethermyres, to average 219p, the same also topped the heifers (15) at 259p and £1447.81 for a 559kg Limousin, to level at 229p.

New season lambs (135) sold to 302p and £136 for a 45kg Texel from North Mains of Baldovan.

The sale of ewes and rams (160) met a steady trade, with an average of £77 being achieved. Ewes topped at £106 for Texels from Newbarns, whilst tups made £100 for Texels from Balgay Farm House.

Dumfries

C and D Auction Marts held their weekly sale of primestock where prime cattle sold to 235p per kg for a Limousin cross heifer from J Jardine, Yett.

Also forward were 36 OTM's, topping at £1132.30 and 169p for a Limousin from Ballinnie.

The sale of 462 prime and cast sheep also took place, where 35 spring lambs met a spirited trade selling to £115.50 for Texels from North Cowshaw, and 283p for the same from Backburn.

Prime hoggs (233) were in high demand, making £113 for Texels from Westhill.

Cast ewes (194) topped at £124 for Texels from Meikleholm, whilst rams peaked at £98 for more of the same breed from Newmains.

Huntly

United Auctions' sold 1393 prime sheep with new season lambs (111) averaging 233p per kg and selling to 255p for 43kg Texels from Dunscroft, Huntly, and to £116 for 55.5kg Charolais from Gaval, Mintlaw.

Old season lambs (548) were a solid trade, levelling at 218.1p and making 256p for 40kg Beltex from Woodbank, Huntly, and to £119 for 49kg Beltex from Inshes, Inverness.

In the ewe ring (734), Suffolks from Bareflathills, topped the trade at £114.

Stirling (Cale)

Some 120 cattle comprising of 74 bullocks, heifers and young bulls, and 46 OTM cattle, were forward for Caledonian Marts' primestock sale.

Heifers sold to 258p per kg and £1568 for an Aberdeen-Angus from M Orr and Sons, Penston, Macmerry, while bullocks peaked at 242p for a Limousin from D Dickinson, Brockwoodlees, Canobie and to £1485 for a Limousin again from M Orr and Sons, Penston, Macmerry.

Also forward were 687 spring lambs, prime hoggs, ewes and tups, where spring lambs (103) reached 304p for a pair of 41.5kg Beltex lambs from HT Shanks, Easter Cash, Strathmiglo, and to £135 for 49kg Suffolk cross lambs from RA Campbell and Sons, Meikle Seggie, Milnathort, with an overall average of 262.5p being achieved.

Some 334 hoggs attained £116 and 219p for a 53kg Texel from R Sibbald, Thorn, Dollar, to cash in at 184.7p.

Cast ewes and rams (250) were cheaper on the week, with heavy ewes averaging £89.97 selling to £110 for Texels from A Beaton, Wester Crosshill, Slamannan.

Stirling (UA)

The sale of 3827 prime sheep was held by United Auctions, where new season lambs (572) topped at £131.50 for Beltex from Easter Ochtermuthill, and to 310p per kg for Texels from Myreside, to average 258.20p.

Prime hoggs (2562) cashed in at 192.74p, reaching a top price of £120 for Texels from Easterton and to 254p for Beltex from East Ochtermuthill and Luckenburn.

Trade was similar on the week for ewes (693), where the sale was topped by Texels from Achnaba, at £170 and tups peaked at £116 for Bluefaced Leicesters from Crosswoodhill.

Thainstone

Aberdeen and Northern Marts held the sale of 87 prime cattle, where prime bullocks (10) averaged 195.6p per kg (-2.4p) and sold to 211p for a 525kg Limousin from Braco Park, Rosehearty, and £1358.50 for a 650kg Limousin.

Heifers (42) levelled at 206.2p (+6.2p) and peaked at 237p for a 570kg Limousin from Overton of Ardo, Methlick, and to £1382.05 for a 655kg Charolais from Bridgend, Hatton.

The sale of young bulls (16) reached 179p for a 660kg Simmental from Mid Haddo, Fyvie, and to £1472.25 for a 975kg Limousin from Coralhill, Lonmay, to cash in at 154.9p.

Also forward were 2604 prime sheep and feeding ewes and rams.

Spring lambs (352) averaged 239.9p (+12.5p) and sold to 282.9p for 41kg Suffolk crosses from West Knock, Mintlaw, and £118 for 52kg Texels from West Knock, and then for 48kg Continental’s from Wester Biffie, Maud.

Old season lambs (1,317) met a steady trade and made 225p for 36kg Continentals from Ballinluig, Grantown on Spey, and £106 for 49kg Texels from Gellybrae, New Deer, to level at 188.6p.

Longtown

C and Auction Marts had forward 6079 sheep comprising of 3155 prime hoggs, 373 prime lambs and 2551 cast ewes and rams at their weekly sale, where a smaller entry of prime hoggs forward sold to 255p for Beltex hoggs from JM Wharton and Son, Snade, Dunscore, and to £128 for Texel hoggs from A and D Bell, Mossband Hall, Longtown.

A larger show of 373 spring lambs were forward and sold to 291p for Texel lambs from N Brown, Kepple Vale, Irthington, and to £120 for Suffolks from H Martindale, The Land, Ecclefechan, to level at 244.7p with an SQQ of 249.7p.

A similar show of 2551 ewes topped at £150 for Texels from Beckfoot, with hill ewes selling at £82 for Cheviots from P Mackenzie, South Laggan, Inverness.

St Boswells

Some 63 clean cattle, 64 cast cows, 537 lambs, 165 hoggs and 217 ewes were froward for Harrison and Hetherington's weekly primestock sale, where bullocks (22) and heifers (40) averaged 211.5p per kg and 212p respectively.

Clean cattle topped at £1472.56 and 236p for a Limousin from Bee Edge, while cast cattle peaked at £1419.60 for a Limousin from Kersknowe and to 185p for a similar animal from Penston, to average 141p.

In the prime sheep sale, spring lambs peaked at £122 for Texels from Sunnycroft, and to 285.7p for Texels from Birkenside.

Hoggs met a fast trade, reaching a top price of £112 for Suffolks from Whitsome West Newton, and to 222.5p for North Country Cheviots from Faughhill.

Lanark

Lawrie and Symington sold 123 cattle comprising 45 bullocks and heifers, four young bulls and 74 cast cows.

In the heifers, a Limousin sold to 256p per kg from D Dickinson, Brockwoodlees, Canonbie.

Limousins also topped the bullocks, selling to 220p from Messrs Cook, Kinneil Mill, Linlithgow and to £1391 from South Arnloss.

Some 1795 hoggs were also forward, where the sale topped at £129 for Texels from Clark, Wellhead, and to 305p for Beltex from Frame, High Dyke, to level at 217p with an SQQ of 229.4p.

A smaller show of 379 cast ewes and rams saw trade similar on week, with a top price of £179 being achieved for a Texel from Gibson, Cowgrove, and to £71 for Blackface from Laird, Sunnyside, whilst tups reached £130 for a Texel from Hillend.

Carlisle

Harrison and Hetherington held their weekly sale of primestock where a large show of 345 cast cows bulls and prime cattle were forward.

An entry of 94 prime bulls topped at £1817 for a British Blue from Messrs Jewitt, Gracies Farm, Barnard Castle, and to 219.5p per kg twice, firstly by Messrs Little, Greenhill, Wigton with a Limousin cross and secondly by Messrs Jewitt, Gracies Farm.

A smaller entry of 43 prime steers and heifers were forward where top in the steers came in the form of a Limousin cross from Messrs Studholme, Nealhouse Farm, Carlisle, achieving £1613 and to 213.5p for a British Blue from Messrs Smithson, Bloan, Kirkby Stephen.

Heifers peaked at £1550 and 234.5p for a Limousin cross from Messrs Pearson, High Plasket Lands Farm, Maryport.

The weekly sale of prime sheep had an entry of 824 prime lambs, 162 prime hoggs ad 204 cast ewes and rams forward.

Another good turnout of spring lambs saw best sorts in short supply with a top of £135 for a 47kg Beltex lamb from Seymour Farms, Leegate, Wigton and to 316.7ppk for a 36kg Beltex lamb shown by Messrs Proctor, Swarland Old Hall, Swarland.

Hoggs met a great late season demand and sold to £124 and 250.5p for a pen of three 49kg Beltex from Messrs Rodgers, Comlongan Mains, Dumfries.

Ayr

More than 240 spring lambs were forward at Craig Wilson Marts' weekly primestock sale, with spring lambs selling to average at 256p per kg and peak at £126 for a pair of Texels from J Murdoch, Fleminghill, and to 310p for Texels from J Nisbet, Sorn Mains.

Hoggs (428) met a competitive trade, selling to £94 for Texels from J Cousar, Howcommon, and to 209.3p per kg for Suffolks from A and A Drummond, Nether Heilar.

Also froward were 132 prime and cast cattle, where heifers (14) and bullocks (3) averaged 221.5p and 226.1p respectively.

Top price of the day was 243p for a Limousin heifer from Deaconhill, and to £1386.35 for another Limousin heifer off the same home, while bullocks topped at 230p or £1426 for a Limousin from Dormieston or Messrs Frasers Butchers, Stranraer.

Dingwall

Nine prime cattle were forward at Dingwall and Highland Marts' weekly sale, where prime bullocks (3) averaged 210.0p per kg and sold to 214.0p for a 570kg Limousin cross from Bridgend Farm, Dingwall, and to £1302.00 for a 620kg Saler cross also from Bridgend Farm.

Bridgend Farm dominated the prime heifers (six) to top at 210.0p for three beasts, firstly for a 585kg Charolais cross then a 515kg Limousin cross and also a 590kg Limousin cross and at £1239.00 was a 590kg Limousin, to level at 207.8p

Also forward were 148 prime sheep, where new season lambs (8) sold to 237.3p and £121 for a pen of 51kg Suffolk’s from Viewhill, Gollanfield, while old season lambs (82) averaged 185.2p (-1.7p) and made 211.2p for a pen of 44.5kg Cheviots from Balnabeen, Conon Bridge and £105 for a pen of 54kg Texel crosses from the same home, to level at 190.9p (-19.6p).

Feeding sheep (58) met a fast trade, reaching £102 for a pen of Texel cross ewes from Inveruglas, Kingussie.

Castle Douglas

Wallets Marts had forward 545 prime and cast sheep, where 125 Spring lambs sold to average 227.41p per kg, topping at £109 for Texels from Lagganorie Farm Trust, Gatehouse of Fleet and to 252.5p for Texels from Messrs Wilson, West Barmoffity.

Hoggs sold to a top of £85 for Texels from Low Creoch and to 193.9p for Cheviots from Irelandton.

Cast sheep met a steady trade, reaching a top price of £100 for Texels from Low Creoch.