Prime heifers peak at 304p/kg at St Boswells

HARRISON & Hetherington Ltd sold 86 clean cattle, 45 cast cows, 77 prime lambs, 1,167 prime hoggets and 249 cast sheep at St Boswells yesterday.

Fifteen prime bullocks sold to 298p/kg to average 268p (n/c), while 67 prime heifers peaked at 304p to average 267p (+1p). Four young bulls averaged 212p/kg.

In the cast ring cows peaked at £2,207 and 245p to average 207p (+11p), while four bulls sold to £1,720 and 150p to average 135p.

In the sheep ring prime lambs peaked at £156 for Suffolks and 330p for Texels to average £143 or 306p (+39p), while prime hoggets sold to £171 for Texels and 323p for Beltex to average £132 or 270p (+15p).

Heavy cast sheep sold to £189 for a Texel ewe and averaged £138, while light ewes peaked at £131 for North Country Cheviots to average £93 (+£2).

Lawrie and Symington sold 35 prime cattle and 58 cast cows at Lanark yesterday. Sixteen prime, beef-bred heifers sold to 306p/kg for a Limousin to average 271p (-9p), while 12 beef-bred bullocks peaked at 280p for a Limousin to average 258p (+8p). Eleven prime dairy-bred cattle sold to 242p for a Belgium Blue to average 228p (-7p).

Forty cast beef cows averaged 186p (-4p), while 25 cast dairy cows averaged 170p (+1p). Three cast bulls averaged 165p (+2p), while four young bulls averaged 232p (n/c). There were also 43 new season prime lambs and 3,311 prime hoggets through Lanark yesterday. Prime lambs sold to average 308p (n/c), while hoggets averaged 268p (+13p).

The 1,566 cast ewes sold to average £110 which was a fall of £4.50 on the week. Top price was £258 for a Texel. The 329 Blackface ewes at the sale sold to a top price of £110.

Messrs Craig Wilson sold 103 Spring lambs, 1488 prime hoggets and 479 cast sheep at Ayr yesterday.

Spring lambs sold to £150 for a pen of Suffolks and for a pen of Texels, while top per kilo was for a pen of Beltex at 342p. The whole sale averaged 297p or £133 for a heavy show averaging 45kg.

A large offering of hoggets were much dearer for all classes on the week with the whole sale averaging 262p for a mixed offering.