Around the markets
– United Auctions held its annual March sale of 209 all classes of cattle and 218 sheep at Dalmally Auction Mart on Tuesday March 13. With the combination of Oban and Dalmally sales held on the same day, a good turnout of buyers ensured all stock sold at satisfactory levels. Bullocks sold to 310.2 pence per kilo for Limousin crosses from Aird Farm and to average at 240.15 pence per kilo. Limousin heifers from Feorline sold to 278.8 pence per kilo and levelled out at 229.7 pence per kilo. Sheep sold to levels in keeping with current values. Principal lots and prices:
Top prices per head: Bullocks:
CHARx: £1020 – Ardmaleish: £900 and £870(4) – Barnakill. LIMx: £1020(2) – Lurignish: £970 – Stroneskar: £910 – Clachan Farm. SHx: £810 – Barnakill.
SIMx: £1100 – Pitcastle Estate: £940(2) and £920(4) – Achnacone Farm.
Heifers:
CHARx: £840 – Auchlyne Farm: £800(5) – Ardmaleish.
LIMx: £1000 and £960(2) – Lurignish : £840(3) – Achnacone Farm : £800(3) – Dall Farm. SIMx: £850 – Achnacone Farm. Cows and calves:
£1220 (2) – Scoor Farm : £1100 – High Balantyre.
Top prices per kilo: Bullocks:
CHARx: 252p(2) and 247p(2) – Barnakill.
LIMx: 310p(4) – Aird Farm: 281p – Tullochcan: 280p(3) – Aird Farm: 265p – Feorline : 261p –
Aird Farm: 257p(2) – Ellary Farm: 256p(2) – Boreland Farms. SALx: 270p – Brenchoille Farm. SHx: 258p – Ellary Farms. SIMx: 263p – Achnacone Farm : 258p(3) – Ellary Farms: 252p – Barnakill Farm.
Heifers:
CHARx: 246p(4) – Barnakill Farm.
LIMx: 279p – Feorline : 273p(4), 254p(5) – Aird Farm : 253p(2) and 249p(2) – Tullochcan : 246p – Achnacone Farm.
SIMx: 273p(2) – Aird Farm. Sheep:
Hoggs:
TEXx: £89 – Crunachy. CROSS: £67 – Garrogie Estate. BF: £74 – Crunachy : £67 and £63 – Garrogie Estates.
Ewes:
TEXx: £65 – Garvachy : £55 – Ichrachan.
BF £79 – Crunachy : £75 – Meallagie.
– United Auctions held its early spring sale at Oban Livestock Centre on Tuesday March 13 when 54 cattle sold well to a good ringside of buyers. Bullocks sold to 288pence per kilo for Limousin crosses from M/s MacNicol, Turnualt. 585 sheep were sold and all classes sold at levels in keeping with current values. Principal lots and prices: Bullocks:
AAx: £750 – Steall. CHARx: £840 - Bragleenmore: £820 – Ederline.
LIMx: £860, £850(8) and £820(3) – North Ardnaclach: £720 and £710 – Turnault.
SIMx: £750(4) – Scammadale Farm.
Heifers:
LIMx: £730(2) – North Ardnaclach.
SIMx: £680(3) – Ballard, Coll. OTM cattle £960, £880 and £820 – Torran.
Top prices per kilo: Bullocks:
AAx: 242p – Steall. CHARx: 263p – Ederline Estate : 256p(2) – Bragleenmore. LIMx: 288p and 277p – Turnault. SIMx: 259p (3) and 253p – Scammadale.
Heifers:
SIMx: 212p – Torran. Sheep:
Hoggs:
SUFFx: £75 – Achnacree Beag: £63 – Tiraghoil.
TEXx: £80 – Achaleven CHARx: £58 – Achaleven. CHEV £56 – Antuim : £51 – Ardnacross: £50 – Torloisk. CROSS £67 – Scammadale : £63 – Achnacree Beag: £60 – Achaleven. BF £48 – Musdale: £47 – Scammadale and Carnasserie: £45 – Tiraghoil: £43 – Corrylorn: £40 – Tiraghoil and Achaleven. Ewes:
SUFFx: £60 – Torbhlaren.
HB: £70 – Shenavallie. TEXx: £66 – Strongorm CHEV: £60 – Strongorm. MULE: £66 – Ashfield.
BF £57 – Musdale Farm: £54 – Ashfield.
Rams:
SUFF: £105 – Tiraghoil CHEV: £77 – 6 Leanish, Barra. BF £88 – Corrylorn.
– Caledonian Marts Ltd on Tuesday March 13 sold 1,572 prime hoggets, ewes and tups. All classes of hoggets short of buyers requirements and more could have been sold to sellers advantage. 784 hoggets (39kg-51kg) averaged 230.8ppkg, with the overall average for 1058 sold being 224.6ppkg (+6.7p on the week, or +60.4p on the year).
Top price of the day was shared by Doune Farms, West Lundie and J Graham, Raecruick at £122 for outstanding Beltex Hoggets. Top price per kg went to A and M Barr, Easter Buchlyvie at 267ppkg for a pen of 4 Beltex X Hoggets at 41.2kg.
Spring Lambs sold to £104 from A Baird, Greystone.
Leading prices per head:
Tex £121 Raecruick
Beltex £121 West Lundie Beltex X £120 Easter Ochtermuthill
Tex X £120 Easter Buchlyvie Suff £116 Nether Strathkinnes Char £110 Coulshill
Mules £99 Easter Buchlyvie
BF £98 St Mungo’s
Leading prices per kg:Beltex 265p Raecruick
Beltex X 263p and 261p Braco Castle
Tex X 263p Meikle Seggie
Tex 259p Dowally Cont 257p and 256p Meikle Seggie
Chev 248p Coulshill
Suff 241p Nether Strathkinnes Suff X 240p Summerhouse
BF 233p Braco Castle
BF X 230p Remony
Mule 223p Woodend
Also forward were 516 cast ewes and tups.
81 heavy ewes averaged £83 selling to £125 for a Texel from R Wardrope and Son, Easter Coates. 415 export ewes averaged £54.58. Other leading prices:Texel £111 Easter Coates £110 Kilbryde Farms £109 Easter Dullatur £107 Kilbryde Farms £100 Glenhead, Bailanstruth and Dowally
BF £70 Coulshill (On Two Occasions), Bailanstruth and Dollarbank £66 Coulshill £65 Dyke and Auchtenny
Suffolk £100 Easter Coates and Glenhead
Chev £100 Mains of Struie Zwar £86 Greystone
Mule £88 West Balgothrie £80 Westerside, Callendoune, Dowally, Mill of Ardoch and Newlands Cross £80 Newlands £79 Coulshill £72 Hardiston £66 Dowally
20 tups sold to £116 for a Texel from A MacGregor, Allanfauld.
–Dingwall and Highland Marts Ltd on Wednesday March 14 sold 1,047 store cattle, seven adult head of breeding cattle and 83 OTM cattle. Bullocks (627) averaged 238.4p and sold to 288.1p per kg for a 354kg Charolais cross from Greenvale, Thurso and £1,280 gross for a 555kg Limousin cross from Kinchyle, Scaniport.
Heifers (406) averaged 236.3p and sold to 322.0p per kg for a pen of 472kg Saler crosses from Bunchrew Farm, Inverness, and £1,700 gross for a pair of 530kg Simmental crosses also from Bunchrew Farm. Young bulls (13) averaged 204.0p and sold to 255.0p per kg and £1160 gross for a 455kg Simmental from Wellhouse, Beauly. Breeding cattle (7) sold to £1500 gross for a Saler cross heifer with a heifer calf at foot from Balavil Estate, Kingussie. Bulling heifers (1) sold to £710 from Balavil Estate.
OTM prime and feeding cows (79) averaged 152.3p per kg and sold to 194.0p per kg for a 500kg Limousin cross from Dunain Mains, Inverness and £1,530 gross for a 965kg Charolais cross from Conon brae farms, Conon bridge. OTM bulls (4) sold to 125.7p per kg and £1370 gross for a 1,090kg Charolais from Lyne of Urchany, Nairn.
Other leading prices per head and per kg:
Bullocks up to 250kg – Drummuie, Golspie, £600; 65 Clashaddy, Skerray; 260.3p; 251 – 300kg – Flowerburn Mains, Fortrose, £800, 290.0p; 301 – 350kg – Wester Tomloan, Ardclach, £990, 282.9p; 351 – 400kg – Wester Tomloan, £1040, Greenvale, Dunnet, 287.8p 401 – 450kg – Alterwall, Lyth £1180, Coldhome, Fortrose, 272.1p; 451 – 500kg – Kinchyle Farm £1200, The Cloy, Fortrose, 259.7p; 501 – 550kg - Udale, Poyntzfield, £1260, The Cloy, 238.5p; 551 – 600kg – Druid Temple, Inverness, £1230, Kinchyle, 230.6p; 601 – 650kg – Redfield, North Kessock, £1260, 208.3p.
Heifers up to 250kg – Grainish, Aviemore, £630, 261.4p; 251 – 300kg – Kennachy, Forss, £770, Auchmore Farm, Muir of Ord, 267.9p;
301 – 350kg – Kennachy, £885, Dalmagarry Farm, Moy, 263.6p; 351 – 400kg – Lower Whitebog, Fortrose, £995, Wester Tomloan, 257.1p; 401-450kg – Raitcastle Farm, Nairn, £1075, Kinchyle Farm, 252.4p; 451-500kg – Bunchrew Farm, Bunchrew, £1520, 304.9p; 501-550kg – Bunchrew Farm, £1650, 320.8p; 551- 600kg – Bunchrew Farm, £1550, 276.8p; 601-650kg – Bunchrew Farm, £1650, 268.3p.
OTM prime and feeding cows (79) averaged 152.3p per kg and sold to 194.0p per kg for a 500kg Limousin cross from Dunain Mains, Inverness and £1,530 gross for a 965kg Charolais cross from Conon brae farms, Conon bridge. OTM bulls (4) sold to 125.7p per kg and £1370 gross for a 1,090kg Charolais from Lyne of Urchany, Nairn.
Other leading prices per head: OTM cows: Kinnahaird farm, Contin, (LIM), £1490; Conon brae, (SMX), £1470; Balavil Estate, Kingussie, (SAX), £1350; 199 Lednabirichen, Dornoch, (BBX), £1210.
Other leading prices per kg OTM cows: Conon brae, (SMX), 186.6p; Balavil Estate, (SAX), 169.8p; Kinnahaird farm, (LIM), 169.3p.