CALEDONIAN MARTS

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10

Caley Marts had forward 328 store cattle and 814 store and breeding sheep at their fortnightly sale.

Bullocks averaged 206p pkg selling to 255p pkg for a pen of Limousins from Heads Farming Partnership and to £1330 for a pen of Limousins from WK Mitchell, Meikle Finnery, Gartocharn.

Heifers averaged 202p pkg selling to 219p pkg for a pen of Limousins from GS Stewart, Wester Whin, Slamannan and to £1030 for a Simmentals from A and J Orr, Hill O’ Harthill, Harthill.

Black and Whites sold to 161p pkg from W Baxter, Gryfeside, Kilmacolm and to £870 from the same home.

Other leading prices: Bullocks per head - £1200 Angle Park; £1180 Meikle Finnery; £1130 Angle Park; £1100 Hill O’ Harthill; £1080 Angle Park, Drum and Hill O’ Harthill.

Bullocks per kg - 244p (twice) Wester Whin; 235p Easterton; 229p Braeside; 227p Easterton; 225p Briarlands.

Heifers per head - £970 Hill O’ Harthill; £940 Easterton; £910 Hillhead; £900 Bogside; £890 Briarlands. Heifers per kg - 217p Heads Farming; 211p Offers’ 210p Easterton; 208p Turdees and Offers.

Also forward were 814 store hoggets, feeding ewes and tups. Store hoggets sold to a top of £101 for Texels from D MacGregor Ltd, Burnhead. Feeding ewes sold to £68 for Texel X from R Dewey, Lathockar Mains.

Hoggets leading prices: Texel £99 Burnhead; Texel X £97 Blairlinnans; Continental £90 Balcachie; Continental X £87 Craigend; Suffolk £86 Ballabeg; Suffolk X £78 Hopestead; Cheviot £76 Culcreuch; BF £77 Burnhead; Mule £68 Burnhead.

Ewes leading prices: Texel X £57 Lathockar; Cheviot X £48 Lathockar.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11

Caley Marts sold 2298 prime hoggets, ewes and tups in conjunction with the annual Show and Sale of Blackface Prime Hoggets.

Thanks must go to the Blackface Sheep Breeders Association (District 8) and Harbro for sponsoring the show.

A good show of Blackface Hoggets forward for quality, and more could have been sold to sellers’ advantage.

The judge was Bill MacKinnon of Scotbeef and the following were his awards:

Champion and 1 at 40.1-44kg - C Little, East Bracklinn - 42.1kg at £103 or 245p pkg; Reserve Champion and 1 at 44.1kg+ - Remony Estate Partnership – 48.9kg at £110 or 225p pkg.

Blackface Hoggets up to 40kg: 1 C Malone, Pitcairn 37kg - £88.50; 2 HP Frame, Turdees 37.8kg - £88.50; 3 Glenturret Estates 37.7kg - £86.50. Blackface Hoggets 40.1kg-44kg - 1 C Little, East Bracklinn 42.1kg - £103; 2 Remony Estate Partnership 42.3kg £101; 3 Glenturret Estates 41.1kg - £97. Blackface Hoggets 44.1kg+ -1 Remony Estate Partnership 48.9kg - £110; 2 R and R Braes, Burnshot 45.8kg - £107; 3 R and R Braes, Burnshot 46.3kg - £108.

The overall average for show hoggets was 233.9p pkg (+56.5p on the year). A good show of sheep forward for numbers with 1790 hoggets levelling out at 231.8p pkg (+1.21p on the week or +46.7p on the year).

Heavy hoggets (45.6kg+) again in demand and averaged £113.22 (+£1.60 on the week).

Top price of the day went to WM Bell and Son, Craigend for a 61kg Beltex at £137. Mr Bell also topped the price per kg at 300ppkg for six cracking 43kg Beltex at £129, and averaged £124 for 134 sold.

Leading prices: prime hoggets per head - Beltex X £133 and £130 Craigend; Beltex £132 and £129 (twice) West Lundie; Texel £125 Whitecross; Texel X £122 Kincraigie; Continental X £121 Meadowfield; Continental £120 Leysbent and Letter; Suffolk X £121 Bankhead; Suffolk £116 Ditch; Mule £96 Bankhead;