Alec Ross

Market round-up

38 bullocks at St Boswells yesterday met strong demand, averaging 305p/kg and selling to 334p/kg.

45 heifers averaged 311p/kg and sold to 332p/kg, while cast cows sold to a top price of 271p/kg or £2,089/head. Lambs fell by 15p on the week to average 335p/kg or £159/head and sold to £200/head for Texels.

1,068 hoggs were up slightly on the week and averaged 284p/kg, selling to a top price of 322p/kg for Texels. Cast sheep averaged £93/head and sold to £170 for a Texel ewe. Heavy ewes averaged £136, while light ewes sold to £125 for North Country Cheviots and averaged £89.

Prime cattle were keenly sought after in Carlisle yesterday will all types up on the week.

Heifers sold to a top price of 326p/kg and averaged 286p/kg, while beef and dairy bullocks averaged 284p/kg and 236p/kg respectively.

Beef bred young bulls sold to an impressive 295p/kg, while dairy bred bulls fell slightly on the week to average 221p/kg.

Both beef and dairy cast cows were less in demand, falling slightly on the week to average 217p/kg and 170p/kg respectively, but beef bulls jumped by 21p to average 200p/kg, selling to 242p/kg.

In the sheep section, SQQ prime lambs sold to a top of 560p/kg and averaged 370p/kg, with hoggs averaging 271p/kg and selling to £190/head. And while Lowland ewes were less in demand, falling by 8p on the week, hill ewes sold to £175 for Cheviots and finished the day 13p up to average £81/head.

Prime beef-bred heifers at Lanark rose slightly on the week to average 309p/kg and peak at 354p/kg for a Limousin.

Black and white bullocks were unchanged at an average of 296p/kg while cast beef and dairy cows were similar to last week at 201p/kg and 181p/kg respectively, while new season lambs rose 10p to average 339p/kg, selling to a peak of £175/head. Hoggets were similarly strong, rising 8p to average 280p/kg. Cast ewe prices were identical to last week, averaging 106/head and selling to £232 for a Texel.

243 spring lambs at Ayr met a strong trade and sold to £170 for a 45kg Beltex cross from Redding, who also topped the per kilo price at 385p/kg, while the sale averaged 332p/kg or 338p/kg SQQ.

Continuing a recent trend, well fleshed hoggets sold well but leaner types were harder to move. Trade peaked at £168/head for both Back o’ Hill and High Letterpin.

A high quality consignment of cast sheep sold to £205 for a Texel ewe from South Craigton, while Scotch Mules sold to £115/head for Caprickhill and Balcaimie. Cast tups sold to £175 for a Blueface Leicester from Altgolach.

Breeding cattle at Dumfries on Friday met a large attendance of buyers with the best animals easily sold, with Limousin heifers with calves at foot from Rigghead selling to £3,300/head and Simmentals from Ash Road and Anguses from Teasdale selling to £2,400 and £2,250 respectively.

Limousin heifers with bull calves from Rigghead sold to £3,300 while Simmentals from Hartbush and Kildarroch sold respectively to £3,000 & £2900. British Blues from Rigghead sold to £3,000, while Shorthorns from Tregallon sold to £2,900.

Bulling Limousin heifers from Barwinnock sold to £1,680 while Shorthorns from Ash Road peaked at £1,420.