PRIME lambs held up well at primestock sales yesterday.
Average prices did slip a few pence per kilo but when compared with the same week last year there was a healthy increase in the value of lambs in the live market. Prime cattle also made modest gains at some marts which may be a result of the feel-good factor as restrictions begin to lift.
Harrison & Hetherington sold 87 clean cattle, 36 cast cows, 1,58 prime lambs and 377 cast sheep at St Boswells yesterday.
Thirty-three prime bullocks sold to a top of 237p/kg to average 222p (+2p), while 50 prime heifers peaked at 244p to average 224p (+12p).
In the rough ring cast cows sold to £1,606 and 189p to average 152p (+8p).
New season prime lambs held up well this week to average 224p/kg (-3p). Top prices were £128 and 251p.
In the cast ring the average for all cast sheep was £79 which was down a little on last week. Heavy ewes sold to £123 for Texels and averaged £87, while light ewes peaked at £93 for Cheviots and averaged £63.
The firm also sold 12 prime heifers in Carlisle yesterday which were up to 238p/kg and levelled at 206p (-6p), while 19 prime, beef bred bullocks sold to 226p and levelled at 203p (-2p). One prime, dairy bred bullock sold for 184p (+18p).
Forty-two beef-bred young bulls sold to 215p and averaged 184p (+1p), while 41 dairy-bred bulls peaked at 175p and levelled at 146p (-4p).
In the rough ring 172 cast dairy cows sold to 179p to average 114p (-1p), while 78 cast beef cows peaked at 218p to average 152p (+6p). Seven cast bulls made up to 173p and averaged 124p (n/c).
There were also 2,137 prime lambs that sold to £131 and 310p/kg to average 235p (+1p).
In the cast sheep ring 199 heavy ewes sold to £129 for a Texel and averaged £88 (+£4), while 105 light ewes peaked at £98 for a Greyfaced and levelled at £76 (+£15).
Messrs Craig Wilson sold 1677 prime lambs and 358 cast sheep at Ayr yesterday.
Top prices were £118 for a single Texel and 248p/kg for a Beltex. A feature of the sale was a pen of 15 Mule lambs that sold for £91. The whole sale held up well to average 221 pence per kilo (-3p).
In the cast sheep sale quality sheep were scarce but trade was every bit as dear as last week. Heavy ewes peaked at £134 for a Texel and for a Charolais ewe from the same home. Suffolk and Beltex ewes peaked at £115, while Mule ewes sold to £89 with Blackfaces selling to £63.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here