Mart prices, November 20

Prime cattle prices. Heifers per head: Charolais to £1,304.35, £1,272.70 and £1,266.98 Flotterton. Per kilo to 224.5p, 222.5p and 221.5p Flotterton.

There was also a poor show of over-30-month cattle forward and predominantly older, plainer sorts forward which were harder to cash. Better feeding sorts and fleshed over-30-month similar trade to previous weeks. Limousin stock bull sold to £1,343.23 from Westerkirk.

Cows per head: Limousin to £980.42 and £898.15 Blackhalls, £866.08 Tarset Hall, £836.36 Rare Dean and £826.73 Dunns Houses. Angus to £863.17 Evistones. Per kilo: Limousin to 164.5p, 131.5p and 130.5p Blackhalls, £122.5p Tarset Hall, 118.5p Rookhope, 114.5p Stewartshields and 109.5p Ingoe Low Hall. Luing x to 113.5p andb 109.5p Blueburn. South Devon to 111.5p The Deans.

The prime sheep sale had a similar number and mixed show of lambs forward. All classes sharper on the week with good handy-weights in particular in driving demand. Topping the sale were Texel x lambs at 57kg from Messrs Reed and Hill, of Lingey Field, at £97. Top price per kilo also Texel x from Messrs Kenyon, of Kirkheaton South, at 190.5p.

Prime lamb prices. Texel x per head to £97, £80, £78 and £75 Lingey Field, £80 Quarry House and South Kirkheaton, £77.50 and £73.20 Highwood, £75.50(2), £75 and £74(2) High Baulk, £75 and £73.80 Aydonshields, £75 Comb Hills, £74.50 Lunns House, £73.80 Grange Farm and £73.50 Low Ardley. Per kilo to 190.5p and 173.3p South Kirkheaton, 186.1p Quarry House, 184.6p Lingey Field, 181.3p Ellfoot, 179.5p Burn House, Moss Barns and Comb Hills, 176.3p Stotsfold, 175.6p High Baulk, 175p, 171.8p and 171.4p St Oswald’s, 174.4p Moralees, 173.3p Lunns House, 173.2p Grange Farm, 172.6p Aydonshields, 172p Stotsfold and 171.8p Lodge Farm. Suffolk x per head to £75 Middle Dukesfield, £73.80 and £72 Morrowfield, £73.50 and £71.80 South Clarewood, £73 and £72.20 Grange Farm, £72 and £70 Lunns House, £71.80 Blackburn, £71.20 and £70.60 Colepike, £70.50 Rare Dean and Steel Hall (3) and £70 Horton Low House (2) and Wallhouses. Per kilo to 178.6p Middle Dukesfield, 167.5p Steel Hall, 162.4p Lunns House, 162.2p and 159p Great Bavington, 160p Fairley, 159.6p Blackburn, 158.6p Horton Low House and Black Hedley and 158.1p Fairley and Whitechapel. Dutch Texel x per head to £74.50, £72 and £70 Willimoteswick. Per kilo to 175.6p and 173.3p Willimoteswick. Beltex x per head to £73 Ellfoot and £71.20 Morrowfield. Per kilo to 169.8p Ellfoot. Mule per head to £71.50, £70.50 and £70 Quarry House, £70 Whitechapel, £69.80 Great Chesters, £69 and £62.50 Redesmouth, £68.50 and £66.50 Whiskershiel, £67.80 and £64 Longlea, £66 Middle Dukesfield, £65 and £64.50 Holystone, £64 Camphill and £62 Rosehill and Ealingham. Per kilo to 156.8p and 148.8p Redesmouth, 156.1p and 154.1p Longlea, 155.7p Whiskershiel, 153.5p Middle Dukesfield, 151.2p Rosehill, 148.8p Camphill, 145.4p Great Chesters, 143.9p and 143.3p, Holystone,142.9p Whitechapel and 140.2p Quarry House. Charollais x per head to £69.50 Rosehill and West Kirkheaton and £67 Middle Dukesfield. Per kilo to 165.5p Rosehill and 155.8p Middle Dukesfield. Blackface per head to £69 Great Chesters, £64 Redesmouth and £52 Ealingham. Per kilo to 156.8p Great Chesters and 148.8p Redesmouth. Bleu D’Maine per head to £58.50 and £56 Low Staples. Per kilo to 158.1p and 155.6p Low Staples.

Cast ewe and ram prices per head: Texel x to £92 and £82 Salmonswell, £90 and £83 Rosehill, £72 West Kirkheaton, £65 Comb Hills, £55 Middle Heads and £54 Moralees. Suffolk x to £78 and £65 East Broomshiels and £67 and £59 West Kirkheaton. Charollais x to £76 Rosehill. Leicester to £67 Broomhope. Mule to £64 Morrowfield, £63 and £55 West Shields, £61 East Broomshiels, £57 Fairley, £55 Lodge Farm, £54 Rosehill and Fairley and £50 Salmonswell. Blackface to £49(2) Broomhope. Swaledale to £38 Brownchesters.

AT its sale on Friday, Hexham and Northern Marts offered a small selection of breeding cattle and these sold relatively well when compared with the previous sale.

A quality consignment was brought forward by Messrs Foley Bros, of Mirlaw House, and peaked at £2,550 for a super Limousin heifer sold free of the bull, with a great Limousin heifer calf at foot, to John Sinton, of White House, Birtley.

Crow Hall Farms sold 20 in-calf heifers and these peaked at £1,800 for two pairs, both selling to Frank and Reg Simpson, of Square House, and a single at the same price to Messrs Walton, of Penpeugh.

Breeding cattle prices per head. Heifers with calves at foot: Limousin to £2,550, £2,500, £2,450, £2,400(2), £2,300(2), £2,250 and £2,150 Mirlaw House and £2,220, £2,100 and £1,800 West Wharmley. British Blue to £2,400 and £2,000 Mirlaw House. Cows with calves at foot: British Blue to £1,580 Linbrig. Limousin to £1,550 Linbrig. Simmental to £1,150 Pinfold House. Angus to £1,000 and £940 Grasslees. Luing to £900 and £880 Grasslees.

In-calf heifers: Limousin to £1,800(2) and £1,600(7) Crowhall and £1,050 West Townhead.

British Blue to £1,800 and £1,600 Crowhall. Angus to £1,000 Parkside and West Townhead (2). Charolais x to £1,000 Parkside.

ON Friday, Hexham and Northern Marts held its weekly sale of store cattle and suckled calves and had forward an entry of 445 head. A mixed show of cattle forward to another good company of purchasers. The best of the store cattle saw a similar trade, but plainer sorts were harder to sell on the week.

Top price of the older steers were Blonde x steers from Phillip and Pauline Walker and Sons, of Houselope Grange, selling at £1,280 and £1,270. Limousin steers also sold at £1,270 from John Walton, of Keepwick.

Angus steers topped the tree at £1,265 from Alison Metcalfe, of Fairley. Strong heifers peaked at £1,270 from Mrs V.S. Allgood, of Nunwick.

In the younger classes trade was slightly easier on the week. The highest of this age was another tremendous run of pure Charolais and Charolais x steers at 10/12months from J.G. Milburn and Sons, of Loadman, which realised £1,365, £1,360, £1,300 and £1,150, with nine averaging £1,265, all being purchased by John Otterburn.

A great run of Charolais heifers from James Herdman sold to a top of £1,190 with 15 averaging £1,054.

Limousin steers sold to a top of £1,160 from Messrs J.T. Nixon and Sons, of Stotsfold, and heifers to £1,215 from the same farm. British Blue topped at £1,045 for steers from Richard Walton, of Linacres.

Cattle prices, 23-30 months. Blonde x steers to £1,280 Houselope Grange. Limousin x steers to £1,240 Low Barns, £1,240(2) and £1,235 £1,110 Nunwick, £1,200 Rare Dean and £1,040 Fairley. British Blue x: Steers to £1,200 Nunwick. Heifers to £1,110 Nunwick.

Cattle 17-22 months. Charolais steers to £1,360 Loadman. Blonde x steers to £1,270, £1,235 and £1,200 Houselope Grange and £1,115 Woodwell House. Limousin x: Steers to £1,270, £1,230, £1,205, £1,180, £1,170 and £1,120 Keepwick, £1,260 and £1,210 Milbourne High House, £1,240 and £1,200 Nunwick, £1,220, £1,160 and £1,110 Low Barns, £1,180 Blackburn, £1,170 Barrasford Green, £1,140 Grange House, £1,120 and £1,115 Steel Hall and £1,105 Comb Hills. Heifers to £1,100 Milbourne High House, £1,085, £1,045, £1,035, £990 and £975 Lunns House, £1,075 and £950 Bothal Park, £1,050 Nunwick, £1,040, £1,005, £990 and £970 Lee Hall, £1,025 Sweethope, £995 Grange House and £960 Woodhall. Charolais x: Steers to £1,240 and £1,140 Blackburn, £1,100 Rare Dean, £1,095 High Trewhitt and £1,030 Intake. Heifers to £1,100, £1,090, £1,070, £1,065, £960(2) and £940 Edlingham Newtown, £1,070 and £1,060 Rare Dean and £1,070, £1,030, £1,015 and £1,000 White House Birtley. British Blue x: Steers to £1,215 Nunwick, £1,160 and £1,060 Keepwick and £895 North Cocklake. Heifers to £1,270, £1,200, £1,195 and £1,090 Nunwick. Simmental x steers to £1,180 Keepwick, £1,095 High Trewhitt, £1,065, £1,040 and £1,020 Holystone, £1,055, £1,045 £1,030 and £875 Collierley and £950 Anick Bank Foot. Angus x: Steers to £1,265 Fairley, £1,210, £1,180, £1,160, £1,095, £1,090(2), £1,080, £1,070, £1,065 and £1,000 Holystone, £1,095 and £1,050 High Barns, £1,085 Newton Farm, £1,020 Barrasford Green and £1,000 and £900 Stell Green. Heifers to £1,060 High Barns and £960 Newton Farm. Saler x steers to £895 Anick Bank Foot.

Cattle 11-16 months. Charolais steers to £1,365, £1,300 and £1,150 Loadman. Limousin x: Steers to £1,160, £1,010 and £995 Stotsfold, £1,100, £995 and £970 Bog Hall, £1,080 and £980 Woodwell House, £1,055 and £980 Sweethope, £1,055 Woodhall, £1,035 Stell Green, £1,030 Pitland Hills, £1,025, £1,010 and £1,000 Angerton Broom House and £980 Agars Hill. Heifers to £1,215 and £1,175 Stotsfold, £1,150 Bog Hall, £1,140 and £965 Grange House, £1,100 Woodhall, £980 Bog Hall, £900 Bog Hall, £880 Dyke Nook, £870 Longshaws and £850 Linbrig. British Blue x: Steers to £1,045 Linacres. Heifers to £940 Linacres. Blonde x: Steers to £1,025 Woodwell House. Heifers to £905 Linacres. Charolais x: Steers to £960 Cooper House, £950 Linacres and £840 Harewalls. Heifers to £1,190, £1,125, £1,105, £1,100 and £1,000 Edlingham Newtown and £815 Harewalls. Hereford x steers to £960 Bog Hall. Angus x steers to £940 Newton Farm.

Cattle 10 months and under. Limousin x: Steers to £1,105 Agars Hill and £1,090 and £910 Bog Hall. Heifers to £960 Bog Hall, £850 Woodhall and £845 Dyke Nook. Charolais x: Steers to £895 Harewalls. Heifers to £865 Cooper House.

Hexham and Northern Marts held its weekly sale of 6,376 store lambs and cast ewes. A smart show of feeding ewes again with trade to match. Mules and horned ewes maintaining last week’s high rates with heavy Texels and Suffolks also a similar trade on the week. Many more could have been sold to vendor’s advantage.

Feeding ewe prices. Texel x (aver. £76.58) to £107 Holling Hill, £105 Elf Hills, £100, £95 and £90 Cornhills, £100 and £93 West Wharmley, £96, £87 and £86 Halton Red House, £95 Rose Cottage, £94 and £90 Lynup Hill, £94 South Carter Moor and East Broomshiels, £88 Fell Lane and Grange Farm and £87 Winnows Hill and South Carter Moor. Leicester to £100, £98, £90 and £84 Hackford and £86 Holling Hill. Texel to £95 Three Farms, £94 Middle Horsleyhope, £84 Three Farms. Suffolk x (aver. £76.05) to £88 Holling Hill, £84 West Wharmley, £83 Cartington, £81 East Knitsley and £80 Whitechapel and Catreen. Mule (aver. £59.45) to £69 and £67 West Wharmley, £68 Halton Red House, £66 and £63 Hallington High Farm, £66 Bellingham Demesne and Whitechapel, £65 Ellfoot, £64 Rugley Walls and Chesters, £63 Rowley Gillots, £62 Ewesley, £61 Beacon Rigg, Chesterwood and East Knitsley and £60 Fallowfield (2), Grange Farm and Great Bavington. Zwartble to £62 Three Farms. Beltex x to £60 Middle Horsleyhope. Blackface (aver. £47.43) to £57 Cottonshope, £56 Cleughfoot, £55(2) and £52 Redesmouth, £55 and £52 South Chareheads, £54 and £53 Shitlington Hall, £52 Monkridge Hill and Stell Green, £51 Three Farms and Longwitton and £50 Little Harle, Elf Hills and Bellingham Demesne. Swaledale (aver. £41.89) to £49 Piatroon, £47 Fern Dene, £46 Broadgates and £42 Ewesley and Fallowfield.

Another strong entry of store lambs forward to an increased ring of purchasers from all over the British Isles, ensuring recent high rates with longer-keep lambs being £3-£5 dearer on the week and more required to fulfil this demand.

Topping the sale at £77 was a pen of 45 Texel x tup lambs consigned by Meesrs B.D. Milburn, of Butterknowes.

Store lamb prices. Texel x (aver. £58.60) to £77(3) Butterknowes, £70.50 Newham Hagg, £70 and £64 Stobby Lea, £70 West Heddon, £69, £66.50, £65 and £64.50 Willimoteswick, £69 Humber Hill, £66 Thornbrough, £65.50 Whitelees, £65 Woodcroft, £64.50 Gunnerton South (2), Crescent Farm, Fern Dene and Rose Cottage, £64 Cornhills and £63.50 Woodlands Place and Newham Hagg. Beltex x (aver. £65.69) to £69.50 Bavington Hill Head, £68 Cornhills and £66 Middle Horsleyhope. Suffolk x (aver. £58.42) to £67.50 and £64 Brixter Hill, £63.50 and £61 Middle Horsleyhope, £62 Merryshields, £61.50 Black Hedley and Gunnerton South, £61 The Bridges and Grindon Hill and £60.50 Blueburn. Dutch Texel x (aver. £59.92) to £65.50, £62.50 and £61 Agars Hill and £62 and £61.50 Chirdon. Mule (aver. £53.34) to £65.50, £55.50 and £54 Haggate, £57 North Cocklake and Hackford, £56.50 Camphill, £55.50 Burn House, Frolar Meadows, £55 Three Farms and Sinderhope Lodge, £54.50 Stell Green and Hackford and £54 Ealingham. Meatlink to £60 and £59 East Parks. Zwartbles (aver. £55.75) to £59 and £58 Three Farms. Cheviot x (aver. £49.69) to £58.50 East Rackwood, £57.50 and £55 Flotterton, £56.50, £55 and £52.50 Linbrig and £54 Cottonshope. Blackface (aver. £43.91) to £54 Holling Hill, £53 Edlingham Demesne, £50.50 Blueburn, £48.50(2) Cottonshope, £48 Cleughfoot, £47.50 and £47 The Hott, £45.50 The Brigg and £44(2) South Chareheads. Kerry Hill to £46 Three Farms. Swaledale (aver. £33.75) to £39.50 and £34 Sunderland Cleugh and £35 Whitelees.

LAST Wednesday, Scots Gap Auction Mart sold 596 prime lambs and cast ewes at its weekly sale and saw trade for all classes of lambs lift greatly on the week.

Heavy lambs saw the greatest rise and these peaked at £80, followed closely at £79, both for super heavy types from Chris and Janet Watmore, of Holystone Estate.

Both lots of Texel cross lambs were well bred and well fleshed and bought by Ben Gray and Jeff Dunn respectively. These were followed by two similar pens, also Texel crosses, first from Jonta Walton, of Grangemoor, then from Percy, May and Neil Robson, of Dene House, Kirkwelpington, both of which realised £76 to the same two buyers.

A good show of lightweight types also sold well and three pens, all Texel crosses at 40kg sold at 167.5ppkg - the first two from Martin Snaith, of Great Tosson and the third from Daniel Thompson, of The Fawns.

The sale returned an average of £68.88 for 45.9kg with an SQQ figure of 158.4ppkg and buyers at the ringside with orders for all classes were left wanting more numbers.

Leading prices. Prime lambs. Texel x per head to £80 and £79 Holystone, £76, £74 and £73 Grangemoor, £76 Kirkwelpington Dene House, £75 and £73.50 Chesters, £74.50 and £73 Tuthill and £74 Gallowhill. Per kilo to 167.5p and 165.1p The Fawns, 167.5p(2) and 165.0p Great Tosson, 167.4p, 162.8p, 162.5p and 161.9p East House Farm, 166.7p West Grange, 163.6p Grangemoor and 163.4p Flotterton. Suffolk x per head to £74.50 and £73 Gallowhill, £74.50 Holystone, £71 West Grange and Kirkwelpington Dene House, £69, £68.50 and £67(2) Great Bavington, £69 Chesters and £66 Gunnerton. Per kilo to 155.8p(2) Great Bavington, 152.3p East House Farm and 151.2(2) and 150.0p(2) Gunnerton. Mule per head to £68 Rugley Walls.

Cast ewes and rams: Suffolk to £70 The Glebe. Mule to £58 Ravenside and £50 Gallowhill and East Beechfield. Blackface to £32 Laings Hill.

LAST Thursday, for its weekly Longtown primestock sale, C. and D. Auction Marts Limited had forward five prime cattle, two young bulls and 32 over-30-month cattle, along with 4,083 prime lambs and 4,002 cast ewes and rams.

An excellent entry of 32 barren cows and bulls were offered to a full company of nine buyers at ringside.

Well-fleshed animals easily maintained the high rates seen at this centre, regularly 100-130p. Lightweight cows showing the weather, and dairy out-of-parlour types, though all keenly bid for, have to be quoted less money on the week.

A marvellous load of Continental x cows from Tom Cowans topped the sale at 131p for a Limousin x with Blonde x from the same at 129p.

Native type sucklers sold to 106p from Tom Wilson for Luings, with Shorthorn x to 104p from Ian Aitchison. Angus sold to 96p from Jim Smith.

The dairy cows forward were all working cows with flesh difficult to find.

Top price was 87p paid for a dairy Shorthorn from Hugh Connell, with Black and White to 80p from David Irving. Top grossing cow was £792.55 from The Ash, with others to £779.45 from the same. Geltsdale sold Luings to £722.70, with Shorthorns to £722.80 The Side. Minsca sold Dairy Shorthorn to £610.60.

A small entry of stock bulls sold to 93p (£711.45) for cross-bred Simmental, from Shaw of Dryfe.

A smaller show of 4,083 prime lambs were forward to a full ring of buyers who were a lot more active than in previous weeks.

A good show for quality saw trade firmer in all classes, especially heavy lambs. Lightweight lambs well short of requirements, with best export lambs easily sold and top quality realising one of the best trades this season, selling to a top of 233p per kilo for Beltex from Rumsdale House, Caithness, with many others over £2.

Top per head of £85.50 for Texels from Aldermanseat. Overall average of 157.2p (SQQ 161.2p).

A smaller show of 4,002 cast ewes and rams were forward to the usual full ring of buyers, with all classes dearer on the week by £3-£4 and well short of requirements. Ewes: Light, £74.00 (£44.74); heavy, £142.00 (£71.59). Cast rams: £142.00 (£72.67).