Increased demand for fast growing lambs with weight ensured a flying trade throughout for commercial Suffolk shearlings which saw improved averages on the year without any bumper big prices.
From a sale top of £5200 paid on two occasions – for entries from the Ingram family, Logie Durno and Jonny Elliot, Roxburgh Mains – such was the demand that auctioneers flew through the various lots.
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“That’s the best trade I’ve seen for Suffolk shearlings here,” said Scott Donaldson, managing director for Harrison and Hetherington, who also sold the rams in Ring 8.
“Producers were looking to buy Suffolk tups that would breed fast growing lambs and lambs that would continue to put weight on when weight pays,” Mr Donaldson said adding that the commercial man was having to pay £1400-£1500 for a good tup which is £200-£300 up on the year.
First to hit the £5200 was the pen leader from the Ingram family – William and Carole, sons Gregor and Bruce and daughter Amy – Logie Durno, Inverurie, which sold to Caroline Brown and Sheila Mason, Keasden Head, Clapham, Lancs.
The family who brought 113 shearling rams to the sale to include Suffolk, Beltex, cross-breds and Texel rams, averaged a colossal £1988 with a 100% clearance. Notably, they also secured three ring championships and a reserve.
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It was however their third prize winner in Ring 8 that topped their Suffolk entry when selling at £5200. He is a son of Langside Roger, the pre-sale champion here in 2022 purchased for £5000 from Alex and Russell Gray. The dam is a home-bred ewe.
Other sons of Langside Roger made £5000 and £3800. The former was knocked down to Jim Pate, Toxside, Gorebridge, while the £3800 shearling pen leader and pre-sale champion was purchased by RG and RA Jones, Robleston Hall, Camrose, Haverfordwest.
Jonny Elliot’s 120-strong ewe flock from Roxburgh Mains, Mains, Kelso, was another in the money selling sons of the 9500gns Ballymena purchase, Bessiebell Evel Kneivel bought in 2022, for £5200, £4800 and £3500.
Dearest was the champion in Ring 14, purchased by Stewart Shaw, Smailholm Mains, Kelso. He is out of a home-bred ewe.
Mr Elliot who was selling Suffolks and Texel shearling rams averaged £1604 for 84, with his Suffolks sold in Ring 8 brought out by shepherd Adam Andrew, producing the lead ring average of £2433.33 for nine. His pen leader sold in a two-way split to Andrew and Alan Warnock, Dreva, Broughton, Biggar, and Derek Hall, Lilyburn, Penicuik.
Selling at £3500 was a Roxburgh Mains shearling purchased by W Fleming, Hallhill, Fife.
Alasdair Warden, Skelfhill, Hawick, and shepherd Robbie Oliver, produced the lead flock average in Ring 14 when selling 11 at £2009. Top price here was £3800 paid for the third prize winner at the pre-sale ring show purchased by Messrs Balcolm , Horse Bones, Kent. He is by a home-bred son of an £1800 Allanshaws retained for breeding.
Another by the same sire from the 30-strong unregistered flock made £3500, selling to Messrs Hogg, Longyester, Gifford.
Father and son duo, Andrew and Adam Pate, Heriot, also took £3800 for their pen leader which sold to Michael Elliot, Woodside, Yetholm, Kelso. The breeding behind this big shearling includes a 2600gns Sitlow lamb bought at Lanark in 2022, onto a home-bred ewe.
Skelfhill genetics were behind Derek and Ann Redpath’s pen of nine from The Yett, Heriot which averaged £1855.56, with a top of £3400. All were sons of a £2200 Skelfhill bought here in 2022, with the dearest, out of a ewe by a Collessie ram, purchased by Neil and Grant Sandilands at Wester Ulston, Jedburgh.
Suffolks topped the ram lamb trade at Kelso too, attracting the top four highest prices at £3000 twice, £2600 and £2500.
First to make £3000 was a lamb from Steve and Louise Buckley’s Sitlow flock from Derbyshire, which sold to Messrs Walton, Floddenlaw. He is sired by the 15,000gns Sportsmans Black Label, bought at Lanark which also bred last year’s £4200 lamb here. The dam is a home-bred ewe by Strathbogie Peaky Blinder.
On the debit side, Sitlow bought the No 2 from Melvin Stuart and family’s Birness flock from Milton of Birness, Ellon, at £2600. A son of Pyeston Highlander, his dam is sired by Thurston Urastar.
Fraserburgh-based breeder, Jimmy Douglas’ Cairness flock also hit £3000 for a March-born entry by Cairness Five Star, out of a Cairness A Star dam. The buyer was Alastair Barclay of the Northern Ireland-based Blackbrae flock.
Mr Barclay also bought the lead priced lamb from Mark Evans’ Jubilee flock from Tower Gate, Keighley, at £2500. This was a late January-born lamb bred from a gimmer by Cranorskie Capone, and sired by Redbrae More than Ready
Averages: 250 shearling rams, £1330.48 (+£28.02 for 26 more sold); 187 ram lambs, £732.62 (-£75.85 for 17 more); 440 unregistered shearlings, £1149.66 (+£243.38 for four less).
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