A SMALLER total of 629 hoggs at Newton Stewart yesterday met strong demand, averaging 292p/kg (301p/kg SQQ) or £128/head to a top of 344p for Dutch Texels from H & W McKie, High Threave.

125 Blackface hoggs averaged 286p/kg or £122/head with the top three pens from Garvilland selling at 315p, 309p and 308p/kg respectively with a top price per head of £140 for a pen from Dunjop.

Cast sheep topped at £265/head for Texel tups and £258/head for Texel ewes from Bankhead. WHM Sloan, Mull of Galloway, led the Mule ewes with a pen making £130/head whilst R Hannah, High Balyett topped the Blackfaces at £118/head.

A much-improved show of 650 store cattle at Carlisle yesterday saw averages rise on the week and sell to £2,220 for a Limousin cross heifer from Shield Green.

Steers peaked at £2,050 for Limousins from Woodfield or Blackrigg. Calves peaked at £490 for a Limousin bull calf from Holmrook, while native bred calves peaked at £465 twice from Messrs Martin, Tempest Towers. Heifers sold to £465 for a British Blue from Messrs Caddy, Egremont.

Cattle were in big demand at Longtown on Tuesday, with a Limousin bullock from Hethermill, Kirklinton selling for £1,840 and others to £1,800.

Heifers sold to a top of £1,480 for a pair of Black Limousins from Nether Albie, Waterbeck. Sheep prices scaled new heights with Texels from Foregirth selling to £131/head, Beltexes from Keskadale Hill to £117/head, and Suffolks from Whitchester to £108/head. A shortage of feeding ewes kept demand high with Texels from Stockasteads selling to £159/head.

774 old season lambs at Dingwall on Tuesday averaged 268p/kg, up 10p on the week, and sold to 308p/kg and £152/head gross. 532 SQQ Lambs averaged 269p/kg, up 9p on the week, while 100 feeding sheep sold to £150/head gross.

Store cattle, and particularly grazing types, met with strong demand at Lockerbie on Tuesday with Simmental bullocks selling to 375p/kg and Limousin bullocks to 364p/kg from Messrs Robson, Laverockhall.

Limousin Heifers sold to an impressive 371p/kg from The Reddings and to £1720 for a bullock from Belzies.

88 calves and stirks met with demand at Ayr on Monday with a Belgian Blue cross heifer from Drongan House selling to £560 and bull calves from Kaimhill selling to £535/head. Aberdeen Angus stirks from Acholter led the field at £1100/head. Bullocks peaked at 320p/kg or £2000/head for a home bred Limousin cross from Blairbowie.