Farming news

Caledonian Marts

Thursday, April 26 Caley Marts sold 197 cattle comprising 89 prime bullocks, heifers and young bulls, 73 cast cows and bulls and 35 calves and stirks.

Once again short of numbers for buyers requirements which resulted in all classes dearer on the week.

Prime bullocks averaged 221p; prime heifers 227p; young bulls 206p; beef cows154p; dairy cows 114p.

Prime bullocks sold to 242p (four time) all for Limousin’s from Pirnhall, Stirling; Meadowend, Clackmannan; East Camps, Dunfermline; Brockwoodlees, Canonbie to W W Wales Ltd, Kilmarnock; T Johnston Butchers, Falkirk; and G Kirk and Son Butchers, Denny, selling to £1683 for a Charolais from Gillandersland, Linlithgow.

Prime heifers sold to 262p for a Limousin from Brockwoodlees to W W Wales Ltd, and to £1634 for a Charolais from Gillandersland, Linlithgow to Hugh A Black and Sons.

Young bulls sold to 225p for a Limousin from Flemington, Cambuslang to J F Finlay and Co, Wishaw and to £1660 for a British Blue from Upper Auchenlay, Dunblane to Charles Kirkpatrick.

Leading prices: Bullocks p pkg - 240p (twice) East Camps and Meadowend; 238p Balquharrage,WestWoodlane, Spittal, East Camps and Brockwoodlees; 235p Easterton (Owen) and East Camps; 232p (three times) West Woodlane, Dullomuir, Spittal and Balquharrage; 228p Droverhall, Rathillet, Spittal and East Camps.

Heifers p pkg - 252p and 245p Brockwoodlees and Faskine; 242p Upper Spittalton; 238p Mains of Cultmalundie and Rathillet; 235p Meadowend and Mains of Cultmalundie; 232p Cuttlehill and Mains of Cultmalundie; 228p Pirnhall and Over Inzievar; 225p (twice) Rathillet, Spittal and Faskine.

Also forward were 73 cast cows and bulls. Cows again would be dearer on the week. All classes of beef and dairy cows are needed for the demand of our large ringside of buyers. Please contact Oliver Shearman on 07730 046262 for more information.

Beef cows averaged 154p or £1050 per head selling to £1460 for a Charolais from A MacGregor, Allanfauld and to 181.5p (twice) for a BDA from J and M Campbell, Forthview, and a Simmental from W Paterson, Craighead.

Dairy cows were dearer on the week averaging 114p selling to 134p from R Millar, High Cattadale, Campbeltown and to £1040 from Lisa McKenzie and Partners, Ardgate.

Cast males sold to £1500 for an AA Bull from D A Ralston, Castlehill and to 137.5p for the same bull.

Other leading prices: beef cows per head - £1440 Forthview; £1430 Balkaithly; £1390 Highflat; £1350 Balkaithly (twice); £1330 Redhall; £1320 Wester Carmuirs. Beef cows per kg 177p Redhall; 170p West Park; 167p Balkaithly (twice); 165p Wester Carmuirs.

Dairy cows per head - £890 East Gartmillan and High Cattadale (Campbeltown); £880 Blairmains; £870 Ardgate and High Cattadale (Campbeltown); £860 East Gartmillan; £850 West Backs (Campbeltown). Dairy cows per kg - 133.5p High Cattadale (Campbeltown); 132p Blairmains; 131p Ardgate; 128.5p East Gartmillan; 126.5p Knockraich.

Also forward were 35 calves and dtirks at the fortnightly sale. Top price of the day went to R Graham and Son, Airthrey Kerse for a three month old Limousin Heifer Calf making £310.

Other leading prices: bull calves - Lim £285 Barbeth; Fries £260 and £240 Cuttlehill; BB £205, £190 and £185 Boquhan.

Bullock Calves - AA £190 Drumelzier and Candy (Glenfarg); BB £150 Boquhan; Luing £90 Sgriob-Ruadh.

Monday, April 30 Caley Marts had forward 712 store cattle and young bulls and 329 store sheep at their fortnightly sale.

Store bullocks averaged 229p selling to 330p from GS Stewart,WesterWhin, Slamannan and to £1270 from J and J Brown, Loanrigg, Slamannan.

Heifers averaged 211p selling to 247p from C and; A Bothwell, Cleugh, Forth and to £1190 from D Ralston, Castlehill,Torrance.

Black and White Bullocks averaged 153p selling to £750 D T Marshall, West Kirkland, Newton Stewart.

Other leading prices: Bullocks per head - £1240 Loanrigg and Castlehill; £1200 Loanrigg; £1190 Shutterflat; £1180 Broom; £1170 Bowridge and Loanrigg; £1150 Loanrigg. Bullocks per kg - 298p Wester Whin; 294p Easter Gartfarran; 291p Woodend (McNee); 284p Craiglaw; 279p Skeoch; 276p Gallamuir; 274p Forrestmill.

Heifers per head - £1160 Bowridge; £1120 Maidenwells; £1110 Bowridge; £1100 Maidenwells; £1090 Martnaham Mains and Bowridge; £1080 Martnaham Mains; £1060 Blairmains and Wester Braco. Heifers per kg 244p Mid Forrest; 241p Woodend (McNee); 238p Devonside Farms; 237p Martnaham Mains; 235p Easter Gartfarran.

Bulls per head - £820 Brewsterwell; £790 Gartness; £780 Brewsterwell; £760 Forrestmill. Bulls perkg - 208p Hoodsyard & Forrestmill; 204p Gartness.

There were also 393 store hoggets and ewes with lambs at foot forward.

Top price of the day went to A D Kinninmonth, Kinnighallen for a pen of Texel Ewes with Twin Lambs at £204. Store Hoggets sold to £86 for Texels from Airthrey Kerse.

Leading prices: Ewes and Lambs at Foot: Texels with Twin Lambs - £182 Kinnighallen; Cont with Twin Lambs - £170 Bankhead; BF with Twin Lambs - £110 Walton; Texels with Single Lambs - £168 Kinnighallen; Cheviot with Single Lambs - £124 Walton; Cheviot X with Single Lambs £114 Findatie; Cross with Single Lambs - £116 Lochend.

Tuesday, May 1 Caley Marts sold 2283 spring lambs, prime hoggets, ewes and tups.

Thirteen spring lambs sold to £160 DS and RC Taylor, Easter Ochtermuthill and to a top of 309p pkg from J Wilson, Balhelvie. Overall average for 13 spring lambs sold was 287.3ppkg (+7.4p on the week).

A good show of hoggets forward for numbers (1857) with well fleshed hoggets between 42-48kg selling between 260p-280p. Overall average for 1857 sold was 243.9ppkg (-3.4ppkg on the week), selling to a top of 316ppkg from JB Guthrie, Cuiltburn for a pen of 43kg Beltexs. Top price per head came from DS and RC Taylor, Easter Ochtermuthill for a cracking 55kg Beltex at £150.

Spring lambs prices per head - Beltex £158 and £156 Easter Ochtermuthill; Texel £136 Balhelvie; Berrichon £127 Kirkton. Spring lambs prices per kg - Beltex 306p Easter Ochtermuthill; Texel 298p Balhelvie; Berrichon 289p Kirkton.

Leading hogget prices per head - Beltex £147 and £146 Easter Ochtermuthill; Beltex X £140 & £139 Cuiltburn; Texel £130 Blackwater; Texel X £130 Nether Strathkinnes; Suff £135 Isle Cottage; Suff X £133 Blackwater; Chev £127.50 South Park; Chev X £125 West Thomaston; BF £126 Dalchirla; BF £119 Burnshot.

Leading hogget prices per kg - Beltex 315p and 313p Easter Ochtermuthill; Beltex X 311p and 308p Cuiltburn; Texel 287p South Park; Texel X 284p West Thomaston; Chev 288p South Park; Chev X 276p Burnshot; Suff 270p and 262p West Thomaston; Suff 258p Blackwater; BF 253p Burnshot; BF 252p Braco Castle.

Also forward were 393 cast ewes and tups. Heavy ewes averaged £102.59 selling to £127.50 for a pen of Texels from W M Bell and Son, Craigend, Perth. Export ewes averaged £54.67.

Other leading prices: Texel - £124, £123 and £111 Ayton; £110 Bankhead Farming; £109 Craigend; £102 Walton. BF £75 Graystale; £63 Claylands; £60 Home Farm, Easter Downhill, Dollarbank and Graystale. Suff - £124 Walton; £115 Ayton; £102 Walton. Chev - £107 and £90 Walton. Half Bred - £118 and £117 Broom. Mule - £86 Bankhead and Busses; £84 Bankhead Farming; £83 Golland; £81 Bankhead Farming. Berrichon Du Cher - £105 Kirkton.

United Auctions

Thursday, April 26 UA sold 3653 prime sheep comprising of 48 new season lambs selling to an average of 300.27p & 3055 old season lambs with an average of 240.28p & 550 ewes and rams.

New Season Lambs (48) – Catcune (Suff ) £158; Catcune (Tex) £147; Spittal (X) £137; West Lepcropt (Hamp) £136.

New Season Lambs (48) – Smailholm Mains (Suff ) 330p; Catcune (Tex) 320p; Spittal (X) 291p; West Lecropt (Hamp) 276p.

Old Season Lambs (3055) – West Thomaston (Tex) £138; Harviesmailing (BTex) £137; Broomknowes (Suff ) £130; Ardoch (Cont) £130; West Thomaston (Chev) £128.50; Abercairny (X) £122.50; Doldy (BF) £122; Altgolach (Mule) £114.50; Denside (Zwart) £100.

Old Season Lambs (3055) – Harviesmailing (BTex) 316p; Harviesmailing (Tex) 301p; West Thomaston (Chev) 301p; Raecruick (Suff ) 277p; West Thomaston (X) 276p; Mid Seat (Cont) 274p; Kilmundie (BF) 253p; Raecruick (Mule) 248p; Denside (Zwart) 200p.

Ewes (550) – Broomknowes & Hoprig (Tex) £146; Hoprig (Suff ) £138; Garvald Mains (Mule) £104; Dippen (Chev/ Mule) £98; Hoprig (Chev) £97; Spittal (Dor) £92; Cretlevane (BFL) £84; Altgolach (BF).

Rams – Claysyke (Tex) £91; Chalmerstone (Suff ) £90; Balthayock (LLeyn) £82; Drimsynie Est (BFL).