Market prices

At Wooler Mart last Wednesday Harrison & Hetherington held their weekly Primestock sale of sheep selling 915 lambs and 240 ewes.

Lamb numbers similar, inspect types again keenly sort after, buyers requiring larger numbers.

Lambs per head: Texel Cross: £78 Greenhead, Reston and Lickar Moor, £77.50 Lorbottle, £77 Inland Pastures, £76 Yetlington Lane and Brandon White House, £75.50 Lorbottle, £75 Wandon, Treaty Park, Mindrum (3) and Inland Pastures (2). Cheviot: £77, £72 (2) Humbleheugh. Charolais Cross: £75 Wandon. Suffolk Cross: £75 South Falaknowe, £73.50 Craigshouse, £72.50 Brandon White House. Vendeen: £70.50 (2) Craishouse.

Lambs per kg: Texel Cross 182.9p, 178.6p, 173.8p Inland Pastures, 178.6p (2), 173.8p (2) Mindrum Farming Co, 176.7p Brandon White House, 176.2p Wandon and West Longridge, 175.6p West Longridge, 175p Lilburn Estates, 172.5p Shipley Smallburn and Lorbottle. Suffolk Cross: 174.4p Lilburn Estates, 170p Newstead. Vendeen: 167.9p (2) Craigshouse. Cheviot Cross: 166.3p Great Ryle.

Ewe numbers slightly less but again a flier to average £71.09.

Ewes: Texel Cross £91 Lickar Moor, £87.50, £80.50 Black Heddon, £85 Alnham, £81.50 Elwick. Suffolk Cross: £87 Milfield Demesne, £86.50 Great Ryle, £83.50 Wandon. Zwartble: £82.50 Barelees. Cheviot Mule: £74.50 North Lyham. Cheviot: £67.50 North Lyham. Mule: £66.50 Stamford, £65 Wandon and Greenhead, Reston, £64.50 The Hagg.

st boswells

This year’s ‘Christmas Cracker’ prime stock sale at St Boswells mart, kindly sponsored by The Royal Bank of Scoitland, saw 80 head of top quality cattle and 184 sheep auctioned.

There was a fantastic show of cattle forward on the day which demonstrated the high quality livestock which is in the Borders, Lothians and Northumberland.

Scott Donaldson, Sales Director at Harrison and Hetherington and Auctioneer said: “This year’s sale was tremendous; the quality of both cattle and sheep forward on the day really demonstrated the high class livestock that the Borders, Lothians and Northumberland have to offer.

“It was great to see some many people support the event with buyers travelling far and wide to attend.”

Judging the cattle classes were Mr Martin Baird of Martin Baird (Butchers)Ltd from Melrose, Mr Neil Ewing of J.F. Finlay and Co Ltd from Wishaw and Mr George Deans and Mr Andrew Deans from Shaw Fine Meats.

The overall cattle champion was a Limousin cross heifer from Messers Robert Neill and Partners, Upper Nisbet, Jedburgh, which was sold for £2,293 (£4.70p per kilo) to Mr George Deans and Mr Andrew Deans from Shaw Fine Meats.

Reserve went to a Limousin cross heifer from Messrs W.B. Hamilton, Bee Edge, Coldingham, which was sold for £1,611 (£3.40p per kilo) to Mr George Deans and Mr Andrew Deans of Shaw Fine Meat.
Robert Neill, commenting on the achievement said: “I am very pleased to have won the cattle championship this year. It’s great to get such excellent support from the local butchers and in turn the restaurants who buy from these butchers.”

In addition to the cattle classes there was an exceptional show of prime lambs which further enhances the reputation of Border and Northumberland Lamb.

The classes were judged by Mr Craig Tulloch from Paisley and Murray Hardy of Scotbeef Ltd from Bridge of Allan.

The overall sheep champion and reserve champion were both Texel crosses from A. and H.C. Smith, Crumhaughhill, both of which were sold to Mr Craig Tulloch of Paisley. The champion sold for £230 and the reserve sold for £180.

At St Boswells on Monday 85 clean cattle, one OTM cattle, 65 beef cows, 2,359 lambs and 785 ewes were sold.

Bullocks (29) averaged 210.5p per kg and sold to 231p (-0.5p on the week); heifers (56) averaged 217.1p per kg and sold to 247p (-6.1p on the week); one OTM sold to 171p ( n/c on the week); 65 beef type cows averaged 108.7p per kg and sold to 160p (+4.2p on the week).

The 2,359 lambs averaged 166.7p per kg (+6.6p on the week) £73.31 per head and sold to £96, top price 231.3p per kg for Beltex

The 785 ewes averaged £55.14, and sold to £100 for Texel.

Heavy ewes averaged £63.82, light ewes sold to £71 for Cheviot Mule and averaged £52.18.

longtown

An entry of 36 cast cows were forward at the Christmas Show and Sale.

A beef cow from Messrs Story, Newbiggin achieved first prize, with Peter Dayson second prize.

Messrs Coulthard, Justicetown, were first in the dairy cow class.

The beef cow, a seven year old black Limousin went to secure the Championship.

C&D Auction Marts Ltd had its largest show of the season of 5,314 prime lambs last Thursday.

Included was the annual Christmas Show and Sale of prime lambs kindly sponsored by Jobsons Animal Health.

A full ring of buyers all keen for sheep ensured the best trade seen for some time, with an overall sale average of 166p/kg with SQQ 172p/kg.

All classes were in demand especially export and lightweight lambs although heavy lambs still came to good money.

The 37 pens of 10 show lambs in eight different classes were ably judged by Mr Haig Murray of Dunbia, who made a swift and professional job, and eventually awarded the championship to the first prize Texel lambs from regular local consignor, J. Oliver and Son, Waltonwoodhead, which scaled 45kg and realised £110 (244p/kg) to West Scottish Lamb, Carlisle.

The reserve championship was awarded to the South Country Cheviot lambs from another regular attender, IHG Warden, Skelfhill, Hawick, scaling 44kg and realising £88 to the judge for Dunbia.