By Neale McQuistin

Lawrie & Symington Ltd sold 3139 Lambs, 1346 Cast Ewes and 186 store lambs at Lanark on Saturday.

The Saturday sale proved to be popular as a very large show of lambs saw trade very dear in all areas - especially export and best quality types. The sale was topped at £123 and 274.5p/kg for Texels and the overall average was 210.8p.

In the cast sheep section cast ewes also met strong demand. The sale was topped at £178 for a Texel, while Blackfaces made up to £76.

The firm also held their Christmas Sale of Oven Ready & Long Legged Turkeys. The 233 entries sold to a top of £95. Other Oven Ready birds sold to £90 while the Long Legged varieties sold to £40.

Harrison & Hetherington Ltd sold 15 clean cattle, 62 cast cows, 2014 prime lambs and 554 cast sheep at St Boswells yesterday.

Twelve prime heifers sold to a top of 250p/kg to average 219p (-3p), while 2 prime bullocks peaked at 211p and averaged 210p (+1p). One young bull sold to 160p.

In the Rough Ring cast cows sold to £1369 and 169p to average 123p (-8p).

Prime lambs sold to £135 and 256p for Beltex lambs to average 205p (+13p).

In the cast sheep ring the overall average was £77 (+£2. Heavy ewes sold to £119 for Texels and averaged £98, while light ewes peaked at £89 for Cheviots and averaged £65.

The firm also sold 4 prime, beef-bred young bulls in Carlisle yesterday to a top of 187p/kg and an average of 159p (-12p).

In the Rough Ring 68 cast dairy cows sold to 143p and averaged 96p (+3p), while 8 cast beef cows sold to 140p and averaged 104p (-24p).

There were also 2161 prime lambs that sold to £120 and 287p/kg to average 194p (+5p).

In the cast sheep ring a smaller show of 67 heavy ewes sold to £110 for a Texel and averaged £76.85 (-£8), while 18 light ewes peaked at £53.50 for Blackfaces and levelled at £30.23 (-£24).

Messrs Craig Wilson Ltd sold 2314 prime lambs at Ayr yesterday with all classes meeting with a flying trade. The overall average was 208.8p or £90.80 per head.

Top price per head and per kilo was a Beltex cross scaling 44kg which sold at £109 or 247.7p/kg, while Suffolk Lambs sold to £108 for heavyweights. More than 40 pens of lambs made over £100 Per Head.

Cast sheep were very tight for numbers and sold dearer on the week with all classes being up. Ewes peaked at £177 for Texels with Beltex to £137.50. Mule ewes sold to a top of £93 and Blackface ewes to £74.50.