By Neale McQuistin

Harrison & Hetherington Ltd sold 35 clean cattle, 41 cast cows, 1165 prime lambs and 591 cast ewes at St Boswells yesterday.

Twenty-eight prime heifers sold to a top of 237p/kg to average 222p (+5p), while 7 prime bullocks peaked at 224p and averaged 209p (+5p).

In the Rough Ring cast cows sold to £1379 and 181p to average 131p (-2p).

Prime lambs sold to £114 and 244p for Texel lambs to average 193p (+3p).

In the cast sheep ring the overall average was £75 for all 591 ewes. Heavy ewes sold to £137 for Texels and averaged £90, while light ewes peaked at £86 for Cheviots and averaged £60.

The firm also held their weekly sale of store sheep at Carlise yesterday. Top price of the day was a pair of Beltex lambs fetching £87 followed by other pens to £85.80 and £83. Mules topped at £64 on two occasions.

There was also a sale of crop at Carlisle yesterday. Wheat Straw – Mini hestons sold to £74, £72 (x2) or £62 per tonne, and round bales to £17 per bale. Barley Straw ¬– Mini hestons sold to £70 per tonne, and round bales to £21, £17 and £15 per bale. Oat Straw – Mini hestons sold to £65 per tonne. Hay – Round bales sold to £17, £16 and £11 per bale.

There was also an entry of 405 cast cows, bulls and prime cattle forward. Prime heifers sold to 228p/kg and £1545, while prime bullocks peaked at 228p and £1540. Cast Cows & OTM Cattle peaked at 182p and £1297 for a Simmental.

Messrs Craig Wilson Ltd sold 2121 sheep comprising of 1500 prime lambs and 621 cast sheep at Ayr yesterday. Top price lamb per head was £101 on two separate occasions. On both occasions it was for a pen of three Texels. Top price per kilo was 234p for another pen of Texels. Blackface lambs sold to 197p for a pen of 32 lambs from Arran. The whole sale averaged 197p.

Cast sheep continued to sell for very good prices this week again. Topping yesterday’s trade at £174 was a Texel ewe with Beltex ewes peaking at £145. Mule ewes sold to £78.50, while Blackface ewes peaked at £70 for a pen of 35.

Caledonian Marts Ltd had forward 28 store cattle and 162 store lambs and feeding ewes at their final store sale of 2019 at Stirling yesterday. Bullocks sold to £890 for a Simmental and bulls sold to 204p/kg for a Simmental. Store lambs peaked at £72 for a pen of Texels, while Suffolks made up to £62 on two occasions and Mules sold to £60. Blackface lambs from Mull sold to £46.