St Boswells auction sees prime heifers peak at 279p/ kg as Ayr sells 1,626 hoggets

HARRISON & Hetherington Ltd sold 59 clean cattle, 32 cast cows, 16 prime lambs, 1,224 prime hoggets and 207 cast sheep at St Boswells yesterday.

Nineteen prime bullocks sold to 269p/kg and averaged 258p (+10p), while 39 prime heifers peaked at 279p to average 258p (+9p).

In the cast ring cows peaked at £1,623 and 243p to average 174p (+14p).

In the sheep ring new season prime lambs sold to £163 and 347p to average 330p, while prime hoggets peaked at £181 and 426p/kg for Beltex hoggs to average £142 (+£3) or 315p (+28p).

Heavy cast sheep sold to a top of £170 for Beltex ewes and averaged £127 (+£10), while light ewes peaked at £143 for North Country Cheviot ewes to average £92 (+£23).

The firm also sold 21 prime heifers at Carlisle yesterday which peaked at 261p/kg and levelled at 236p (+8p), while 25 beef-bred bullocks sold to 258p and levelled at 227p (-27p).

Thirty-one young beefbred bulls peaked at 266p and averaged 225p (+10p), while 30 dairybred young bulls sold to 217p and levelled at

182p (-3p).

In the rough ring 78 cast beef cows peaked at 220p to average 165p (+5p), while 178 cast dairy cows sold to

179p to average 129p (+6p).

There were also 33 new season prime lambs that peaked at £164 and 438p/kg to average 332p (+5p), while the 2045 prime hoggs sold to £189 and 417p/kg to average 304p (n/c).

In the cast sheep section 157 heavy ewes peaked at £200 for a Texel to average £114 (-£8), while 29 light ewes peaked at £120 for a Jacob and levelled at £83 (-£7).

Messrs Craig Wilson sold 1,626 prime hoggets and 279 cast sheep at Ayr yesterday.

Another large, end-of -season, show of 1,626 hoggets averaged 305p/ kg overall.

Top prices at the sale were £170 for a pen of Beltex hoggs and 358p/kg for a pair of Texels.

Blackface hoggets peaked at £150 for one pen and 340p for a pen of 28. The 740 Blackface hoggets averaged 306p or £122.

Cast sheep are still tight for numbers and the trade remains excellent. Top price ewe was £182 for a Beltex, while Mule ewes peaked at £140.

Lawrie and

Symington sold 61 prime and 68 cast cattle at Lanark yesterday.

Limousin heifers sold to 270p/kg and £1702, while Limousin bullocks sold to 254p and £1824.

Cast beef cows sold to £1,470 and averaged 149p, while dairy types sold £1375 and averaged 127p.

Another large show of 3,006 prime hoggs saw trade remain very dear. The sale peaked at £185 for a single Texel and to 365p/kg for a pen of Texels. The overall average was 306p/kg.