585kg Limousin is Ayr champion

MESSRS Craig Wilson sold 40 prime cattle at yesterday’s Fat Stock Christmas Show at Ayr.

Champion rosette went to a home-bred Limousin heifer shown by Alan and Shona Stevenson, Carbello Farm. The winning heifer tipped the scales at 585kg and went on to sell at 405p/kg or £2,369.

Reserve Champion was Champion Steer which also won 1st Prize in the Young Farmers section.

This Limousin Steer, shown by Louise and

Alice Allan, Arnsow Farm, scaled 680kilos, selling at 290p or £1,972.

First prize unhaltered heifer was a Limousin cross at 655kg and sold at 262p or £1,716. First prize unhaleterd steer was a Limousin Cross, 565kg, which sold at 238p/kg.

There were also 180 cattle sold in rough ring.

The Champion cow was a home-bred Shorthorn shown by Messrs J Mcintosh, Genoch Mains, which weighed 910kg and sold at £1,380.

Reserve beef cow was a Simmental cross from Messrs J Young, Girvan Mains which scaled 900kg and sold at £1,200.

First prize dairy cow from A Wilson, Carskerdo weighed 995kg sold at £1,240.

Nine cast bulls sold to £1,200 for a Limousin.

There were also 70 breeding cattle at the sale.

Ten bulls sold to a top of 2,100gns and averaged £1,632. Thirty-three cows and heifers with calves peaked at £1,750 to average £1,265, while 13 in-calf cows averaged £785. Eleven bulling heifers averaged £756 and three pedigree Shorthorn heifers averaged £1,700.

Caledonian Marts Ltd sold 2,401 prime lambs, ewes and tups at Stirling.

The 1,794 prime lambs averaged195p/kg (+11.4p on the week and +15p on the year). Top price was £111 for a 53kg Beltex, while top price per kg was for a 41kg Beltex lamb which sold at 234p. Of 188 lots of lambs, 81 lots sold over 200p. The 607, cast sheep, peaked at

£137 for a single Beltex ewe with the heavy ewes averaging £92.49, while the light ewes sold to £82 for Cheviots and averaged £58.10.

Messrs Craig Wilson sold 1,707 prime and cast sheep at Newton Stewart.

All classes of lambs were dearer on the week with 1,429 selling to average 193p/kg or £86.27. Top price of £100 per head was achieved for heavyweight Texels and top price per kilo was 220p for a pen of lightweight Beltex.

All classes of cast ewes also rose on the week. Texel crosses sold to £117, while Mules peaked at £73.50 for a pen of 19 and Blackfaces topped at £66.50 for a pen of 23.