Farming returns

UNITED AUCTIONS

Thursday, February 14

UA sold 5943 prime sheep comprising of 3891 prime lambs selling to an average of 185.54p pkg and 2023 ewes and rams.

Lambs (3891) per head – Luckenburn (BTex) £110.00; Westwood & East Bracklin (Tex) £100.00; Stanley (Suff ) £95.00; Airthley Kerse (TexX) £90.50; Pitcairn (BTexX) £101.00; Stanley (Chev) £92.00; Little Pinkerton (Mule) £89.00; Doldy (BF) £86.50.

Lambs (3891) per kg – Coilavoulin (BTex) 256p; Groan (Tex) 236p; Braes of Grantully (Suff ) 198p; Invermilton (TexX) 231p; Longfauld (BTexX) 237p; Pitcairn (Chev) 206p; Drumtee (Mule) 190p; Dunruchan and Guildy (BF) 192p.

Ewes (2023) per head – Townhead of Arngibbon (Tex) £139.00; Stanley (Suff ) £114.00; Noble House (Cross) £79.00; Ormiston Mains (Chev) £93.00; Netherton (Cha) £93.00; Wormiston (Mule) £72.00; Sauchrie Mains (BF) £56.00

Rams per head – Ayton (Tex) £100.00; Dykes (BFL) £80.00; Dippen (Chev) £70.00; Eskdale & Liddesdale (BTex) £87.00.

CALEDONIAN MARTS

Monday, February 18

Caley Marts had forward 473 store cattle and 34 breeding cattle, with a large variety of cattle forward to suit a large ringside of buyers. Next sale of store cattle will be Monday, March 4.

Bullocks averaged 205p pkg selling to 245p for a pen of Charolais from Gilmour Farms, New Peninver, Campbeltown and to £1120 for a Limousin from A Morton, Lochend, Denny. Heifers averaged 197p selling to 222p for a Limousin from D and L Graham, Mains of Burnbank, Blairdrummond and to £1120 from the same home. Black and Whites sold to 150p from R Rodger, Knockraich and to £730 from the same home.

Other leading prices: Bullocks per head - £1110 Spittal and Hill O Harthill; £1090 Ardgate and Spittal; £1070 Mossneuk; £1060 Mains of Burnbank and Spittal. Heifers per head - £1110 Hill O Harthill and Spittal; £1100 Mains of Burnbank; £1080 Woodhall (Innerwick); £1070 Hill O Harthill (twice).

Bullocks per kg - 244p New Peninver; 242p Muirpark and New Peninver; 238p Glenside; 235p Muirpark. Heifers per kg - 217p and 216p Mains of Burnbank; 216p Offers; 215p New Peninver and Camregan.

Breeding cattle sold to £1320 for a cow and calf from McMurrich Partnership, Ballater Drive, Causewayhead.

Other leading prices - Cows and Calves: £1220 Lochend; £1200 Caldwells.

Also forward were 763 store hoggets, feeding and breeding ewes. All clases of hoggets slightly dearer with breeding sheep a similar trade. Top price of the day went to D McVicar, Lephinchapel for a pen of Beltex at £90.

In the breeding section, grit ewes sold to £102 for Texels scanned triplets from WS McCord, Treetops, Methven.

Other leading prices - Texel £79 Harelaw; Texel X £77.50 Balafark; Beltex £77 Lephinchapel; Cont £75 Newton of Inshewan (Forfar); Cont X £75 Ninewells; Cheviot £70 Ninewells; BF £60 Aberuchill Estates; Mule £68 Balafark.

In-lamb breeding ewes - Texel £100 Treetops; Suffolk X £92 Burnhouse; Suffolk £90 Treetops; Mule £92 Treetops.

Feeding ewes - Texel £70 Burnhouse; Mule £50 Burnhouse; Cross £40 Auchenlochan; BF £30 Auchenlochan.

Tuesday, February 19

Caley Marts sold 1366 prime hoggets, ewes and tups in conjunction with the annual show and sale of Beltex prime hoggets which was kindly sponsored by Beltex Scotland Society, and Natural Stockcare.

The judge was Mr Neil Campbell, Quality Butcher, Callander and the following were his awards;

Champion and 1 (46kg-plus) - WM Bell and Son, Craigend at £130 for 50kg purchased by the judge and Buffalo Farm Ltd, Kirkcaldy. Reserve and 1 (42-46kg) – C Malone, Pitcairn at £100 for 43kg purchased by T Johnston, Butcher, Falkirk.

Prizes: Beltex Hoggets - Up to 42kg: 1 Craigend £100; 2 Borlick £100; 3 Newbigging £87. 42-46kg: 1 Pitcairn £100; 2 Meikle Seggie £97; 3 Borlick £100. 46kg-plus: 1 Craigend £130; 2 Craigend £96; 3 Craigend £96.

Outwith the prize list, the overall average followed the national trend, being easier on the week with the SQQ average being 186.5p pkg (-4.5p on the week) with the overall average for 909 sold being 182.5p pkg (-2.7p).

Leading prices: Lambs per head - Texel £100 Craigend; Texel X £98 (twice) Craigend; Beltex £98 West Lundie; Beltex X £96 Meikle Seggie; Cheviot £88.50 Borlick; Suffolk £86 Couch; Mule £75.50 Kippo; BF £79 Lephinchapel.

Lambs per kg - Texel 260p and 254p Craigend; Beltex 247p and 242p Newbigging; Texel X 241p Craigend; Beltex X 241p and 240p Newbigging; Suffolk 188p Couch; Cheviot 185p Borlick; BF 181p Remony.

Also forward were 466 cast ewes and tups. Quality ewes were a scarce commodity with a large number of lean Blackface ewes forward which resulted in averages being back on the week, however cast tups would be slightly dearer.

Heavy ewes averaged £68.76 selling to £98 for a pen of Texels from DL Young, Finmont, Kinglassie. Light ewes averaged £41.50 selling to £56 for a pen of Cheviots from R Dewey, Lathockar Mains, St Andrews. Cast tups sold to £96 for a Texel from R Sibbald, Thorn, Dollar.

Other leading ewe prices: Texel - £92 and £88 Markethill (Lochwinnoch); £82 and £81 Finmont. Continental - £77 and £71 Lathockar Mains. BFL £74 Knock O Ronald. Mule - £68 Newton of Inshewan (Forfar); £63 Woodend (Armadale). Cheviot - £53 Lathockar Mains. BF - £52 Woodend; £48 Dollarbank and Hangingmyre.

Cast Tups: Texel - £90 Thorn. Berrichon - £77 Craigluscar.