PRIMESTOCK REPORTS

The Cumberland & Dumfriesshire Farmers Mart P.L.C. had forward 42 prime cattle, 6 young bulls, 22 over thirty month cattle, 4,144 prime lambs and 5,275 cast ewes & rams at their weekly sale at Longtown on Thursday 8th August 2013.

Prime Cattle
Some quality sorts on offer again which saw trade 3-5p dearer on the week. The sale topped at 254.5p and 248.5p for Limousin bullocks shown by A & WJ Taylor & Son, Dashwellgreen. Others to 245.5p (twice) firstly from N. Forster, The Haining House then from JC & D Nicholson & Son, The Gill. Limousin heifers sold to 233.5p from KW Coulthard & Partners, Low Hallburn.

PRINCIPAL PRICES (PER KILO)

Bullocks

Limousin 254.5p, 248.5p Dashwellgreen, 245.5p Haining House & The Gill 241.5p, 238.5p, 234.5p Dashwellgreen, 234.5p, 230.5 Houghton House

British Blue 241.5p The Gill

Heifers

Charolais 235.5p Sceughdyke, 217.5p, 212.5p Upper Mains

Limousin 233.5p Low Hallburn, 224.5p Low Hallburn, 223.5p, 218.5p, 217.5p Hallburn, 214.5p Low Hallburn

PRINCIPAL PRICES (PER HEAD)

Bullocks

Limousin £1,718 The Gill, £1515, £1500 Dashwellgreen, £1500 Houghton House

British Blue £1618 The Gill

Heifers

Charolais £1376 Upper Mains, £1318, 1298, 1269 Sceughdyke, £1253, £1196 Upper Mains

Limousin £1206 Hallburn, £1189 Low Hallburn

Less bulls forward but trade continued to be good, more required to satisfy demand, Limousin bulls topping at 233.5p &229.5p from GJA Rome & Co, Niven Hill

PRINCIPAL PRICES (PER KILO)

Limousin 233.5p, 229.5p Niven Hill,

Simmental 214.5p, 203.5p Kirtleton House

PRINCIPAL PRICES (PER HEAD)

Limousin £1295, £1273 Niven Hill

Simmental £1,372, £1221 Kirtleton House

A mixed show of cast cows met a steady trade. Top price to 143.5p for a Limousin from N Calvert & Son, Greensburn.

PRINCIPAL PRICES (PER KILO)

Limousin 143.5p Greensburn, 136.5p, 133.5p Morley Hill, 131.5p Stormont, 121.5p Lea Hill

British Blue 133,5p Summerhill, 121.5p Lea Hill

Black & White 121.5p Whins, 117.5p Peterscrook

Galloway 141.5p Hartsgarth

Luing 139.5p Geltsdale

PRINCIPAL PRICES (PER HEAD)

Limousin £997 Greensburn, £921, £873 Morley Hill, £841 Stormont

Black & White £911 Whins

Luing £906 Geltsdale

photo courtesy Robert Smith Photography & Video

Again a larger show of 4,144 prime lambs were forward to the usual ring of buyers, keen for sheep, especially well fleshed lambs. Many lambs 35-38kg are coming forward too lean and the lighter lambs today were not in as high a demand due to the Muslim feast on Friday. The sale average was in line with the rest of the country averaging 185p, with best quality lambs regularly between 200 and 230p. Top price was £112 for Texels from Dormansteads.

PRINCIPAL PRICES PER HEAD

Suffolk £93.80 North House, £91.80 Spoutbank, £89.50 Beechgrove

Texel £112 Dormansteads, £105.80 Burnside, £103.50 Dormansteads, £99.80 Hightown

Greyface £80.80 Spoutbank, £79.80 Nunscleugh, £72.50 Patties Hill

Charollais £89.80 Leaonavilla, £86.80 Streethead, £85.80 Rimington Way

Bleu d’ Maine £79 Middle Farm

Leicester £85 Nunscleugh, £75 Bailey Mill

Cheviot Mule £74.80 Balgray Hill

Oxford £73.80 Guards Farm

Cheviot £69.80 Balgray Hill

Halfbred £75.80 High Moat, £75.20, £71.50 Earlside

Blackface £65, £57 Prospect House

Ryeland £69.50. £63.80 Hightown

Berrichon £83.80 Sceughdyke

PRINCIPAL PRICES PER KILO

Texel 257p Netherton, 249p Pump Cottage, 237p Cracrop

Bleu d’ Maine 203p Middle Farm

Suffolk 202p Castlemilk, 196p Barnglies, 195p Netherton

Greyface 186p Nunscleugh, 184p Spoutbank, 175p Coldshield

Charollais 193p Streethead, 192p Trawill, 190p Staffler

Hill Cheviot 181p Sundhope, 179p Catslackburn & Balgray Hill, 176p Whitslade

Cheviot Mule 182p Balgray Hill

Blackface 169p The Yett, 161p Whitslade

Swaledale 152p Knarr, 140p High Edgesgreen

Leicester 160p Bailey Mill, 157p Nunscleugh

Oxfords 180p Guards

Ryeland 178p, 172p, 167p Hightown

Berrichon 200p Sceughdyke

Zwartble 170p Newholme

Lleyn 184p South Bowerhouses

Halfbred 193p, 179p Earlside,

The lightweight lambs were not as keenly sought after today for the above reason, but good quality well fleshed lambs 30-35kgs still realising 190 to 200p.

Top price was for £90 for Texels from Netherton, £79 Quarryfield, £70 How Farm; Suffolks £69 Wydon, £65.80 Rinnion Hills, £60.20 Sundhope; Cheviot £60 Lochmailing & Philiphaugh, £52.80 Whitslade; Charollais £58 Castlemilk, £54 Tyrone House; Greyface £58.80 Whiteside, £56.80 Softley, £54.80 Midtodhills & Patties Hill; Blackface £57 The Yett, £54 Blackburn & The Yett; Swaledale £41.80 Softley, £41 Knarr; LLeyn £40 South Bowerhouses; Zwartble £57.80 Newholme; Ryeland £53.50 Hightown.

Also held today was the Annual Young Handlers Show kindly sponsored by Farmers Guardian and ably judged by a long time customer Mr. Tucker Armstrong, Sceughdyke.

Champion Katie Routledge, Netherton Farm

46 lambs were presented to the judge in 3 classes with the eventual championship being awarded to Katie Routledge of Netherton Farm with a 35kg Beltex lamb which realised £90 to Michael Lomax. The reserve championship was awarded to Douglas Elliot with a Beltex lamb scaling 42kg and realising £94 also to Mr. Lomax.

Age up to 7 years 1^st Katie Routledge 25kg £90 to M Lomax, 2^nd Douglas Elliot 42kg £94 to M Lomax 3^rd John Routledge 39kg £85 to M Lomax. 4th Charlie Vevers, 5th Alex Byers, 6th Amy Graham, 7th Isaac Bouch, 8th Bethany Rutherford, 9th Iona Rutherford, 10th Jack Robinson.

Best handling of lamb 1^st Isaac Bouch, 2^nd Andrew Kyle, 3^rd Kris Byers

Age 8 to 11 years 1^st Sean Dunbar 46kg £85 to M Lomax, 2^nd Alexandra Bouch 35 kg £87 to M Lomax, 3^rd Rachel Graham 42kg £93 to M Lomax. 4th Charlie Robinson, 5th Adam Fisher, 6th Matthew Graham, 7th Kirsty Thorburn, 8th William Kyle, 9th Ellen Neill, 10th Callum Hall.

Best handling of lamb 1^st Rachel Graham, 2^nd Callum Hall, 3^rd Kirsty Thorburn

Age 12 to 16 years 1^st Joseph Bouch 41kg £96 to M Lomax, 2^nd Kayleigh Jardine 43kg £80 to M Lomax, 3^rd John Wigham 47kg £93 to A. Dawson. 4th Louise Brough, 5th Fraser Murray, 6th Lisa Dunbar, 7th Andrew Neill, 8th Richard Ogle.

Best handling of lamb 1^st Kayleigh Jardine, 2^nd John Wigham, 3^rd Joseph Bouch

Also today was the show and sale on behalf of Longtown Young Farmers Club. Again judged by Mr. Tucker Armstrong who awarded the champion lambs to Richard Priestly of Cracrop Farm with a Texel lamb scaling 38kg and realising £90 to Mr. Jason Tucker.

Champion & Reserve Young Farmers Lambs

The reserve champion was Rachel Edminson with a Texel lamb which scaled 45kg realising £96 to Mr Lomax.

A smaller show of 5,275 cast ewes and rams were forward to a smaller ring of buyers this week, with many of the main Muslim firms not represented owing to the end of Ramadam. All classes of ewes would be £8 - £10 back on the week. Best ewes still short of requirements, but copious amounts of plain ewes forward as is the fashion throughout the country, proving very difficult to cash.

Cast rams to £122.50 for Texels from Burnside, £110.50 Hallbank; Suffolk £106.50 West Farm, £89.50 The Challenge; Cheviot £68.50 Raeburnfoot, £67.50 Cowcorse; Rouge £118.50 Church Farm, £96.50 Jones House; Blackface £59.50 Morley Hill; North Country Cheviot £72.50 Gospel Hall, £68.50 Pinewood; Swaledale £56.50 Morley Hill; Dorset £69.50 Jones House; Kerry Hill £72.50 Church Road.

Heavy Charollais ewes to £116.50 Severs; £90.50 Jones House; Suffolks £87.50 Wick, £86.50 Ballyhead, £82.50 New Farm; Texel £108.50 Pinewood, £107.50 Roadside, £106.50 Severs & Edendales; Bleu de Maine £68.50 Ormiston Lodge; Halfbreds £82 Pool Farm, £79.50 Wick, £78.50 Pool Farm; Greyface £78.50 Pool Farm,, £70.50 More Place, £70 Pool Farm; Cheviot Mule £64.50 Beckhall; North Country Cheviot £81 Pool Farm, £76.50 Philiphaugh & Gospel Hall; Beltex £81.50 Hobbiesburn, £75.50 Roadside; Leicester £82.50 Sanders Close, £81.50 Kilnstown, £79.50 Kirksteads; Zwartble £63.50 Hobbies Burn.

Light ewes to £56.50 for Cheviots from Raeburnfoot and Blackfaces from Townhead, other Cheviots £50.50 Cowcorse, £49.50 Thornbrough; Other Blackfaces £55.50 Kirksteads, £54.50 Wanwood Hill; Swaledale £52.50 Softley & Waterloo, £49.50 Derwent House & Midtodhills; Jacob £54.50 West Farm; Lleyn £49.50 High Acres, £47.50 Lustruther.

Averages
Steers
Light to 234.5p (234.5p)
Medium to 254.5p (232.3p)
Heavy to 245.5p (225.7p)

Heifers
Light to 233.5p (225.2p)
Medium to 235.5p (212.7p)
Heavy to 209.5p (206.5p)

Young bulls 233.5p (212.0p)

Lambs
Light to 213.0p (169.7p)
Standard to 257.0p (183.8p)
Medium to 234.0p (189.9p)
Heavy to 216.0p (188.2p)
O/weight 186.0p (159.4p)

Ewes
Light to £56.50 (£28.77)
Heavy to £116.50 (£63.02)

Cast Rams £122.50 (£73.97)

photos courtesy Robert Smith Photography & Video

corresponding week 2012 sale report