St Boswells auction sells more than 800 prime hoggets to peak price of 338p/kg

HARRISON & Hetherington Ltd sold 67 clean cattle, 47 cast cows, 14 prime lambs, 883 prime hoggets and 376 cast sheep at St Boswells yesterday.

Nineteen prime bullocks sold to 270p/kg and averaged 256p (+9p), while 47 prime heifers peaked at 282p to average 255p (+4p).

In the cast ring cows peaked at £1,753 and 215p to average 169p (-1p).

Fourteen new season lambs sold to £160 and 339p for Charollais lambs to average £135 or 313p.

Prime hoggets peaked at £170 and 338p/kg for Texels to average £134 and 292p (-12p).

Heavy cast sheep sold to a top of £165 for Charolais ewes and averaged £119 (-£9), while light ewes peaked at £120 for North Country Cheviot ewes to average £92 (-£1).

The firm also sold 16 prime heifers at Carlisle yesterday which peaked at 300p/kg and levelled at 233p (+12p), while 25 beef-bred bullocks sold to 259p and levelled at 229p (-2p).

Four prime, dairy-bred bullocks peaked at 185p and averaged 179p overall.

Thirty-nine young beef-bred bulls peaked at 249p and averaged 202p (-8p), while 32 dairy-bred young bulls sold to 216p and levelled at 180p (+10p).

In the rough ring 102 cast beef cows peaked at 225p to average 158p (-6p), while 219 cast dairy cows sold to 184p to average 124p (-4p). Six cast bulls peaked at 175p to average 148p (+13p).

There were also 145 new season prime lambs that peaked at £232 and 539p/kg to average 338p (-34p), while 1,191 prime hoggs sold to £186 and 400p/kg to average 294p (-2p).

In the cast sheep section 134 heavy ewes peaked at £160 for a Texel to average £100 (-£14), while 21 light ewes sold to £97 for a Jacob and levelled at £61 (-£6).

Messrs Craig Wilson sold 26 Spring lambs, 944 prime hoggets and 336 cast sheep at Ayr yesterday.

Spring lambs are still selling to extreme rates with top prices of £179 or 398p/kg and an overall average of £165 or 366p.

However, it was an up and down trade for prime hoggets.

Heavy, well fleshed types were sharper on the week, however lean types would be less money.

Top prices were £163 and 367p for a pen of Beltex to average 288p overall.

Cast sheep continued to be a good trade when they sold up to £188 for a Beltex with a pen of Texels peaking at £176. Mule ewes sold to £118.

Caledonian Marts sold 127 ewes with lambs at foot at Stirling yesterday.

All classes would be £15 to £20 up on the year.

Top price at the sale was for a Beltex ewe with twin Lambs which sold for £294 or £98 per life.