Latest mart prices from Caithness Livestock Centre and Thainstone
QUOYBRAE – Caithness Livestock Centre: Aberdeen and Northern Marts (August 31) sold 1873 prime and store sheep.
Prime lambs (534) averaged 195.1p per kg to 208.8p for 45.5kg Texels from Ackergill Mains and £105 gross for 52kg Texels from 5 West Murkle.
Ewe lambs (311) averaged £71.10 to £117 for Half-breds from Granton Mains, Bower.
Store lambs (856) averaged £68.44 to £96 for Texels from Curlew, Mybster.
Feeding ewes and rams (172) averaged £63.94 to £110 for Texels from Castle Heather, Smerlie.
Prime lambs were dearer. Strong stores were short of buyers’ requirements and more than maintained the strong trade of the previous sale.
Leading prices per head and kg
Prime lambs: Tex – Newland of Geise £99.50, 5 West Murkle 206.8p.
ChevX – North Calder Farm £98, Quarryside 193.3p.
Chev – Greenvale £97, Cruithin 196.7p.
Cont – North Calder Farm £96, Parkview, Auckengill 196.8p.
Suff – Clachan £96, Hilliclay Mains 204.7p.
CharX – Ackergill Mains £95, 179.2p.
SuffX – Ackergill Mains £89, 200p.
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Leading prices per head
Ewe lambs: Char – 31 Larel £98.
Chev – Achalone Croft £91.
SuffX – Granton Mains £87.
Tex – Balbeg £87, Tails of Watten £86, Brabsterdorran (Sutherland) £83.
Cont – Lower Houstry £73.
Blk – Plover Inn £60.
Store lambs: Suff – Brabsterdorran £93, Old Stirkoke £86.50.
Tex – North Calder Farm £85.50, Brabsterdorran £83, Whitefield Croft £80.
Chev – Old Stirkoke £85, Boultach (Black) £77, West Catchery £76;
Blk – Curlew £80.50.
HB – Hunster £75; Quoybrae Farmhouse £63.
Cont – Lower Houstry £75, Hillside £74.50.
SuffX – Plover Inn £65.
BF – Hillside, Auckengill £63.50, Ha Bowermadden £56.50;
Mule: Ha Bowermadden £62.50.
BDM – Ha Bowermadden £60.50.
Feeding ewes and rams: Tex – 32 Oldfield Terrace £102.
Suff – Thirdpart £100.
Chev – Myrelandhorn (Miller) £83, Whiteleen £82.50, Castle Heather and Brickigoe £80.
Mule – Thirdistoft £79.
Cont – Hill of Forss £77, Leodibest £66, Whiteleen £62.
HB – Myrelandhorn (Miller) £73.
Herdwick – Milton Farm £72.
CharX – Hill of Forss £66.
ChevX – Balmore (Bannerman) £58.
Thainstone: At Aberdeen and Northern Marts (August 27) a total 126 of cast cows and prime cattle and sheep were forward from Caithness, Ross-shire and Sutherland consignors with leading prices as follows:
Cast cows and prime cattle
Aberdeen and Northern Marts sold 135 cast cows and bulls at the weekly sale in Thainstone on Thursday. A better-quality show of meat cows were forward and met a fiercely competitive trade.
Topping the beef cows at £1530 was a Simmental Cross cow from Berryleys, Grange, and again for a Charolais cross cow from Mains of Elrick, Auchnagatt. Beef cows averaged 150.1p per kg with the whole sale averaging £1050.64.
A larger show of 18 cull bulls sold much dearer on the week, topping at £1,730 for an outstanding Charolais from Messrs Milne, North Bethelnie, and to 141.9p for a Limousin from Boulintogle, Scotscalder. Sale average was 122.4p per kg (+6.8p) or £1289.72
Beef cows (20) sold to 161p per Kg for an 812kg Simmental cross from James Allan, Durran Mains, Castletown, and £1330 gross for a 886kg Luing cross from A & W Campbell, 5 West Murkle.
Leading prices per head: Durran Mains (Sim) £1305; Lingland, Occumster (Cha) £1170; Lingland (Cha) £1150; Westerloch (Shox) £1130; Longoe Farm (AA) £1125; Barrogill Mains, Mey (Limx) £1110 (twice); 4 Sibster (BF) £1075; 4 Sibster (BF) £1065 (twice); Dunn Farm, Watten (Simx) £1045; Dunn Farm (Sim) £985; Dunn Farm (Cha), Pentland View, Barrock (Shox) £935; Westerloch (BBX) £885; 3 Forss (Sim) £745.
Leading prices per kg: Barrogill Mains (Limx) 160p; Lingland (Cha) 157.6p; Barrogill Mains (Limx) 154.5p; Lingland (Cha) 154.1p; 5 West Murkle (Lux) 150p; Dunn Farm (Cha) 146.1p; Dunn Farm (Smx) 145.5p; Dunn Farm (Simx) 136.1p; Pentland View (Sho) 134p; Westerloch (Shox) 130.1p; 4 Sibster (BF) 129.9p; 4 Sibster (BF) 129.8p.
Cast bulls (4) sold to 142p per kg or a 895kg Limousin bull from B Miskelly, Boulintogle, and £1550 for a 1,250kg Charolais from Firm of A A Younger, Hoy, Castletown.
Leading prices per head: Dunn Farm (Sm) £1330, 122.1p; Boulintogle (Lim) £1270; Longoe Farm (AA) £1230, 118.8p.
Sheep numbers increased once again at Thainstone on Thursday when 2472 prime and cull sheep were sold. A total of 1706 prime lambs experienced a big lift in price, achieving an overall average of £91.03 per head or 204p per kg (+16.7p on the week). This is £18.94 up on the same day last year with 1124 more sold this year; 766 cast ewes and rams continued to sell well, with prices easily maintaining recent high rates.
Prime lambs sold to £89.50 or 200p per kg for 44.5kg Suffolks from B & E MacDonald, Upper Giese, Janetstown.
Leading prices: Cont – Upper Geise £88, 200p.
Feeding ewes sold to £127.00 for Texels from D A Manson, 31 Larel, Halkirk.
Leading prices: Tex – 3 Skaill, Forss £113; Tex – 3 Skaill £109; Suf – 3 Skaill £109; Cont – Upper Geise £101.50; Chv – 3 Skaill £96.50; Cont – 2 Forss £94.50; Chv – 3 Skaill £84.50.