Farming news

Caledonian Marts

Thursday, November 15 Caley Marts sold 230 cattle comprising 102 prime bullocks, heifers and young bulls and 128 OTM cattle.

Heifers sold to 262p for a Limousin from W Dandie and Sons, Learielaw, Broxburn to HA Black and Sons, Butchers, Stirling and to £1577 for the same beast.

Bullocks sold to 245p for a British Blue, again from Learielaw, purchased by T Johnston, Butchers, Falkirk and to £1647 for a Limousin from C Smith, South Flanders, Kippen.

Leading prices: heifers per kg - 258p Learielaw (twice); 248p and 245p Easter Ochtermuthill; 242p Faskine; 240p Blackhill, Faskine and Easter Ochtermuthill; 238p Harviesmailing.

Bullocks per kg - 238p Learielaw and Easter Ochtermuthill; 235p Classlochie; 232p Todhall; 230p Faskine; 228p Spittal, Knockhouse and Easterton.

Also forward was the largest show of OTM cattle this year with 128 forward. Well fleshed beef cows averaged 112p, but with a lot of feeding cows forward, this resulted in the overall average being 101p selling to 160p from I Stevenson, Bowridge, Denny and to £1200 from GL Clark, Broombrae, Auchtermuchty.

Dairy cows averaged 83p selling to 104p from R Denholm, Wester Lochdrum, Falkirk and to £760 from the same home.

Cast males sold to 117p from W and M Wylie, Broompark, Torphichen amd to £890 from the same home.

Other leading prices: Beef Cows per kg - 155p West Mains; 151p Kilbride (Islay); 149p and 146p Learielaw; 142p Bowridge; 141p Broombrae and Learielaw (twice); 140p West Mains. Dairy Cows per kg - 101p and 97p Dalfoil; 95p Balegreggan; 94p Wester Lochdrum.

Beef Cows per head - £1150 Broombrae; £1100 Bowridge and West Mains; £1090 Learielaw; £1060 Loanleven. Dairy Cows per head - £730 and £720 Dalfoil; £710 Meldrum; £680 Balegreggan (Campbeltown).

Monday, November 19 Caley Marts had forward 665 store lambs and feeding ewes.

Despite being a smaller show, all classes of sheep sold away to favourable rates.

Store lambs sold to a top price of £67 for a cracking pen of Texels from J and M Graham, Craigluscar, Dunfermline.

Leading prices: Suffolk £64 Candy (Glenfarg); Texel £63 Salineshaw Estate; Texel X £62 Candy; Suffolk X £62 Easter Jawcraig; Cont £57 Craigluscar; BF £57 Glenturret Estates; Cross £56 Auchenlochan.

Feeding sheep: BF (Tups) £45 Glenturret Estates; BF (Ewes) £27 Glenturret Estates.

Tuesday, November 20 Caley Marts sold 2031 prime lambs, ewes and tups.

A large show of heavy well fleshed lambs forward, which resulted in more than 50 per cent of the sale weighing 46kg-plus.

Lambs between 39-44kg very keenly bid for and many more could have been sold to sellers’advantage, averaging out at 175p (+7p on the week). Overall sale average for 1544 sold was 162.4p (+1.8p).

Top price of the day went to A McLaren and Co, Nether Strathkinnes, St Andrews at £97 for a 57kg Texel.

Top price per kg went to F Cook and Sons, The Moor, Isle of Arran for a cracking 43.5kg Texel at 205p pkg.

Prices per head: Beltex X £96 West Lundie; Beltex £96 Cuiltburn; Cont £95 Meikle Seggie; Cont X £95 and £94 Doune Farms; Texel £90 Victoria; Texel X £88 Dechmont; Suffolk £82 Nether Strathkinnes; Mule £71 Kilspindie; BF £71 West Lundie.

Prices per kg: Beltex 203p and 200p Meikle Seggie; Beltex X 202p Dowally; Cont 200p Braco Castle; Cont X 200p Cultburn (Stepps); Texel 198p Greencraig; Texel X 197p Braco Castle; Suffolk 164p Kilspindie; Mule 161p West Lundie; BF 161p West Lundie.

Also forward were 497 cast ewes, feeding ewes and tups. With a large show of feeding BFs forward resulted in the average being back.

Ewes sold to £80 for a Texel from R Orr, Heights, Buchlyvie.

Other leading prices: Texel - £76 Cassindonald; £73 Bankhead; £70 Braco Castle and Nether Cambushinnie. Suffolk - £80 Kinnaird. BF - £38 Hilton of Aldie; £35 Braco Castle and Tamsacre; £34 Bankhead and West Kelt. Cross - £74 Nether Cambushinnie; £64 Loig. Mule - £58 Kinnaird; £54 Nether Cambushinnie; £52 Bankhead.

United Auctions

Thursday, November 15 UA sold 4579 prime sheep comprising of 3556 prime lambs selling to an average of 164.60ppk & 1023 ewes and rams.

Lambs per head (3556) – Moor (Tex) £92.00; Tomaig (BTex) £90.00; Little Raith (Suff ) £77.00; Lynn(Cross) £77.00; Mains of Struie (Ber) £77.00; West Lethans (Lley) £76.50; Glenrig (Mule) £75.00; Gilston (Chev/ Mule)£72.50; Dullomuir (Chev) £72.00; Remony (BF) £68.50.

Lambs per kg (3556) – West Lethan (Tex) 202p; Wardhead (BTex) 200p; Auchenflower (Cross) 182p; Mains of Struie (Suf ) 181p; Drumloist (BF) 169p; Auchenflower (Mule) 163p.

Ewes (1023) - Nether Pratis (Tex) £126.00; Nether Pratis (BTex) £117.00; Little Balquhomrie (Suf ) £87.00; Bellevue (Cross) £74.00; Monzie (Chev) £70.00; Dodly (BF) £49.00.

Tups- Nether Pratis (Tex) £122.00; Balnabroich (BFL) £78.00; Balnabroich (BF) £56.00.

Wednesday, November 21 UA sold 338 store cattle and young bulls also 254 cast cows.

Bullocks (118) averaged 204.19p to 247.90p per kg for a 242kg LimX from Back O’Muir, and to £1265 for a 605kg AAX from Coulshill.

Dairy bullocks (17) averaged 138.30p to 146.40p per kg for a 362kg BFX from Wardpark, and to £600 for a 443kg BFX from South Brackenridge.

Heifers (195) averaged 194.07p to 229.70p per kg for a 296kg LimX from Gateside, and to £1180 for a 646kg SimX from Forneth.

Young bulls (8) averaged 191.82p to 205.70p per kg for a SimX from Berryhill, and to £890 for a BSX from Woodyett.

Beef cows (251) averaged 103.28p to 173.10p per kg for a LimX from Whitrighill, and to £1410 for a CHX from Balthayock.

Dairy cows (3) averaged 72.20p to 85.50p per kg for a BFX from Craigend and to £615 for a BFX from Craigend.

Bullocks: Up to 250kgs - Gateside £600, 247.9p; 301-350kgs - Dundurn £770, Gateside 227.4p; 351-400kgs - Mid Shawton £950, 242.3p; 401-450kgs -Wardpark £950, Mid Shawton 218.4p; 451-500kgs Dalbrack £970, Mid Shawton 200.0p; 501-551kgs - Gateside £1130, 211.5p; 552-601kgs - Barbarafield £1180, Blair Castle Estate 212.9p; 602-651kgs Coulshill £1265, 208.4p; 652-701kgs - Langfauld Steading £1020, 155.5p.

Heifers: Up to 250kgs - Gateside £515, 215.5p; 251-300kgs - Gateside £680, 229.7p; 301-350kg - Gateside £710, 218.5p; 351-400kgs - Blair Castle Estate £780, Gateside208.0p; 401-450kgs - Gateside £900, 217.4p; 451-500kgs - Forneth £970, Auchghobal 200.8p; 501-551kgs Forneth £1040, 195.7p; 552-601kgs Forneth £1120, 198.0p; 602-651kgs - Forneth £1180, 192.7p.