Farming
By Neale McQuistin
Harrison & Hetherington Ltd sold 81 clean cattle, 50 cast cows, 927 prime hoggets and 368 cast sheep at St Boswells yesterday.
Twenty prime bullocks sold to 282p/kg to average 245p (-17p), while 60 prime heifers peaked at 300p to average 261p (+8p). One prime young bull sold for 219p/kg.
In the cast ring cows peaked at £1,763 and 219p to average 188p (+2p), while seven bulls peaked at £1,857 and 217p to average 172p.
In the sheep ring prime hoggets sold to £149 for Texels and 368p/kg for Beltex to average £114 or 247p (+2p).
Heavy cast sheep sold to £230 for a Texel ewe to average £146 (+£2), while light ewes peaked at £139 for North Country Cheviots to average £96 (+£7).
The firm also sold 47 prime heifers at Carlisle yesterday that peaked at 299p/kg to average 258p (-6p), while 20 beef-bred, bullocks sold to 285p and levelled at 259p (+9p). Three, dairy-bred, prime bullocks sold to 204p to average 198p.
Thirty beef-bred, young bulls peaked at 296p and averaged 234p (-3p), while 16 dairy-bred, young bulls sold to 234p and levelled at 189p (-2p).
In the rough ring 42 cast beef cows peaked at 250p to average 191p (+4p), while 175 cast dairy cows sold to 210p to average 155p (+9p). Three cast bulls sold to 214p to average 180p (+3p).
There were also 1,905 prime hoggets that sold to £154 or 347p/kg to average 251p (+6p). Lowland cast sheep (47) sold to £185 for a Texel to average £128 (+£8), while Hill ewes peaked at £113 for Hill Cheviots to average £93 (+£5).
Messrs Craig Wilson Ltd sold 2578 prime hoggets and 311 cast sheep at Ayr yesterday.
It was another large entry of hoggets with all types easier to sell on the week with the whole sale averaging 253p.
Top price of the day was £142 for a pair of outstanding Beltex from Messrs C A Smith, North Boig and top price per kilo of 338p was for the same two hoggets.
Blackfaces peaked at £130 on two occasions, firstly for a pen from Messrs R & M Dunlop & Son, Pinvalley and then for a pen from Messrs Andrew Paton & Co, Craig. Top price per kilo was 275p for a pen of 41 from Messrs R & M Dunlop & Son, Pinvalley. The 810 Blackface hoggets averaged 251p or £101.
Cast sheep numbers remain tight and all classes were dearer again this week.
Ewes sold to a top of £262 and £245 for Texels, while Texel cross ewes sold to £190. Scotch Mule ewes peaked at £148 and Blackface ewes sold to £131. Cast rams peaked at £220 for a Texel.
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