WOOLER
At their weekly Primestock sale on Friday, January 3, John Swan Ltd had forward and sold 991 hoggs and 169 ewes.
With the festive season coming to a close all classes were keenly sort after, selling vendors receiving greater returns and lifting averages substantially.
Leading prices per head:- Suff.x:- £105 Edlingham Newtown, £86.50 Craigshouse, £84 Ladykirk, £83.50, £83 West Longridge. Tex.x:- £96, £92 Ewart, £90, £89 Ladykirk, £89 Edlingham Newtown, £88 Lickar Moor, £86.50 Ewart, £85.50 Kettleburn and Black Heddon, £85 Newstead, Ewart, Kettleburn, Lickar Moor, Black Heddon and West Longridge. Bel:- £86.50 Ewart, £85 Ladykirk (2). Chev:- £84, £81.50 Humbleheugh. Char:- £82.50 Wandon. Mule:- £80 Ewart.
Leading prices per kilo:- Bel:- 223.7p, 207.9p Ladykirk. Tex.x:- 213.8p Black Heddon, 211.3p Cockhall and Lickar Moor, 209.2p Greystonnes, Warenford, 203.7p Lorbottle, 202.4p Lickar Moor and Ladykirk. Chev:- 202.6p Humbleheugh. BFL:- 202.6p Broadlaw. Suff.x:- 196.3p Kettleburn. Mule:- 196.3p Broadlaw.
A strong show of ewes, with an increase in returns,
Leading prices:- Tex.x:- £97 Middle Ord, £89 Ford Dairy, £83 Berryhill. Suff.x:- £89 Berryhill, £86 Middle Ord. Chev:- £73 Humbleheugh. Mule:- £66 Middle Ord, £58 Berryhill, £57 Brandon White House. BF:- £41 (2) Linhope Farming (Hartside).
Rams:- Tex.x:- £127 Edlingham Newtown, £127 Ewart, £113 Ford Dairy. Suff.x:- £93 Edlingham Newtown. BF:- £81 Edlingham Newtown.
ST BOSWELLS
At their weekly Primestock sale on Monday John Swan Ltd sold 71 clean cattle, 75 OTM cattle, 3,479 prime and cast sheep, 2,671 old season SQQ lambs and 808 ewes.
Bullocks (31) averaged 231.7p per kg and sold to 260p (-3.5p on week), heifers (38) averaged 229.3p per kg and sold to 257p (-10.3p on week), two young bulls averaged 202.4p per kg and sold to 205p (n/c on week) and 75 beef type OTM cattle averaged 126.7p per kg and sold to 185p (+2.1p on the week).
Old season SQQ lambs averaged 193.3p per kg (+1.1p on week) and sold to £104. Ewes averaged £56.49, and sold to £115 and £123 for tups. Heavy ewes £72.68. Light ewes £42.70.
Principal prices per kg: Bee Edge 2.60(2) M/s Cropper and W Taylor (Lockerbie), 2.57 W Taylor(Lockerbie), 2.46 M/s Cropper, 2.50 Hugh Black and Sons Ltd; Shidlaw 2.49 M/s J Gilmour and Co Ltd; Upper Nisbet 2.47 Denholm Meats, 2.45, 2.44 M/s TA Shaw; Lurdenlaw 2.46 M/s JP Mason and Son, 2.42 W Taylor (Lockerbie), 2.41 M/s JA Waters and Sons; Longnewton 2.41 M/s WTS Forsyth and Sons.
Principal prices per head: Lurdenlaw £1773.10, £1635.90, £1605.45; Bee Edge £1586, £1560.
Cows per head: Kersknowe £1507.75, £1477.95, £1234.80; Mosstower £1302.60; Corsbie £1115.40; Phantassie £1278.90, £1112, £1098.10; Thrunton £1251.60, £1223.60; Wester Middleton £1207.50, £1128; Muircleugh £1160, £1129.70.
Cows per kg: Kersknowe 1.85, 1.77, 1.47; Newstead 1.83, 1.71; Mosstower 1.67; Queenscairn 1.67; Wester Middleton 1.61, 1.57, 1.53; Thrunton 1.61, 1.49; Wolfstar 1.47, 1.45; Phantassie 1.47.
Cows: Corsbie £1299.30 (1.22).
Lambs per head: Tex.x;- £104 Elmscleugh, £94 Outer Huntly, BFL;- £95 Tinnis, Suff.x;- £89.50 Corsbie, £89 Newton, Ber;- £89, £88 Springwood (Powell), Suff;- £87 Belmont, Bel;- £86.50, £86, £83 Hartside, Chev;- £83 Saughtree, GF;- £81 Hundalee (Wade), £80 Hartside, CM;- £76.50 Ashcraig, BF;- £76 Elmscleugh, £75 Hartside, Peel and Outer Huntly.
Lambs per kg: Tex.x;- 215 Torsonce, 210.3 Dunslaw, 209 Huntington, Suff.x;- 205.1, 202.5 Dunslaw, 200 Stoneypath and Blackhill, Chev;- 202.6 Thornington, Bel;- 202.6 Lylestane, Suff;- 202.6 Belmont, CM;- 196.2 Ashcraig, GF;- 192.3 Ashcraig, 191 Dunslaw, BF;- 190.8 Skelfhill.
Cast ewes: Tex;- £115 Wedderlie, £111 Springwood, Suff;- £95 Springwood, £91 Spotsmains, Suff.x;- £85 Rumbletonrig, Bel;- £73 Justice Park, CM;- £70 Thirlestane, HB;- £67 Upper Bolton, £65 Blackhill, Chev;- £65 Ecclaw, Ham;- £65 Ecclaw, GF;- £63 Thirlestane, £61 Birkenside, Ber;- £63 Springwood, BL;- £60 Spotsmains, Lly;- £60 Whitriggs, BF;- £43 Mid Harrietsfield, Bowland and Upper Chatto.
Rams: Tex;- £123 Elmscleugh, £119 Thirlestane, £115 Craigsford Mains and Ruchlaw Mains, Char;- £107 Ruchlaw Mains, Suff;- £103 Buxley.
LONGTOWN
The Cumberland and Dumfriesshire Farmers Mart PLC had forward 12 prime cattle, three young bulls, three over 30 month cattle, 4,202 prime hoggs and 4,317 cast ewes and rams at their weekly sale at Longtown last Thursday.
Prime cattle again in short supply and many more could have been sold to advantage with plenty of keen bidders insuring averages were 20p up on the week. Top price to 231.5p on three occasions, first for a Limousin bullock from J.F. and I. Armstrong, Nether Onsett, then Limousin heifers from T. Armstrong and Son, Sceughdyke and W. and W. Faulder, Houghton House respectfully.
Bulls short of requirements and trade took a big jump. Top price of 198.5p for a Limousin x Friesian from Messrs T.B. Imrie, Harelawhole. Black and Whites over 16 months sold to 165.5p also from Messrs Imrie.
Cows scarce with no meat on offer selling to 91.5p from J.G. Vevers, Peterscrook.
A smaller show of 4,202 prime hoggs were forward to the usual full ring of buyers. A lot more heavy hoggs forward which sold to recent high rates, export hoggs slightly easier apart from the best kinds with small hoggs up to 35 kilos in strong demand, averaging £2. For all those that made the effort to get hoggs here they were rewarded with a sound trade throughout, the overall sale average of 188.6p per kilo (SQQ 194.2p per kilo). Top was £116 per head for Texels from Snowsgreen with a top per kilo of 259p for Texels from Low Lonning.
The 788 lightweight hoggs forward were a good show for quality and easily sold at high rates, more could be sold to vendors advantage. Top of £90 for Texels from Copperthorns, £80.50 Copperthorns.
A smaller show of 4,317 cast ewes and rams were forward to the usual ring of buyers who were all keen for sheep with ewes being £2 to £3 dearer on the week, plain ewes slightly easier. More large lean ewes could be sold to vendors advantage but most noticeable was the rise in the trade of Greyface ewes.