Hexham and Northern Marts sales reports for the week beginning 15 February

A slightly poorer show of clean this week compared to last week with six clean heifers forward. Sale topped at 216.5ppk for a Charolais x heifer from M/s J&D Longlands, Tone Hall.

Limousin Heifers: £1239 Halton Red House, £1203.35 Tone Hall, £1185.12 Corneyside, £1185 Flotterton, £1085.84 Corneyside. 214.5p Tone Hall, 210.5p Corneyside, 206.5p Halton Red House, 197.5p Flotterton, 189.5p Corneyside. Charolais Heifers: £1244.88 & 216.5p Tone Hall.

OTM. Less cows forward this week which maintained last week’s rates with feeding sorts in demand again especially. Highest grossing beast this week came from M/s J Stephenson & Son, West Mill Hills for a Limousin stock bull selling for £1152.06. Highest grossing cow came from M/s HN&RN Tweddle, Grange Farm, Co Durham who sold a well fleshed Simmental x for £1151.25.

Limousin: £989.35 Errington Red House, £918.84 Tone Hall, £824.63 East White Hill, £790.59 Springwell, £762.30 Hedley Park, £724.20 Ouston, £722.52 Errington Red House. 123.5p Tone Hall, 123.5p High Town, 117.5p Errington Red House, 116.5p Grange Farm, 115.5p Hedley Park, 112.5p East White Hill, 111.5p Errington Red House, 109.5p Springwell, 106.5p Ouston, 104.5p Errington Red House. Limousin (Bull): £1152.06 & 105.5p West Mill Hills. Angus: £754.78 & 113.5p The Tofts. British Blue: £1148.56 & 146.5p High Town. Charolais: £923.65 & 101.5p Errington Red House. Simmental: £1151.25 Grange Farm, £792.05 Errington Red House. 153.5p Grange Farm, 108.5p Errington Red House. South Devon: £817.74, £793.95 & £773.15 The Deans. 118.5p & 117.5p The Deans. Hereford: £1032.50 & 147.5p East Cocklaw.

Prime sheep and hoggs.

A similar show of hoggs and back on the week in line with the national trend. Heavier hoggs harder to cash but smart sheep still good to sell and to 247.6p from Breckon Hill.

Texel x: £104 & £100 Breckon Hill, £97 East Matfen, £95 Breckon Hill, £93 Palm Strothers, £91.50 East Matfen & Kellah, £91 Palm Strothers, £90 Baal Hill, Breckon Hill (x2), East Matfen & Kellah, £89.50 Kellah, £89 Kellah (x2) & Palm Strothers, £88.50 Baal Hill, £88 St Oswalds, Baal Hill & Palm Strothers, £86.50 St Oswalds, £86 Baal Hill & Palm Strothers, £85 West Shields & Kellah, £84 West Shields & Low Staples, £83 Rare Dean, £82.50 Aydonshields, £82 West Shields & Wallish Walls, £81.50 West Shields & Low Staples, £80 High Warden, St Oswalds & Aydonshields, £79.50 Low Staples, £77 High Warden (x4) & Low Staples, £76.50 West Shields, Low Staples & Wallish Walls, £76 St Oswalds & West Shields, £75 St Oswalds. 247.6p & 238.1p Breckon Hill, 228.2p Kellah, 226.2p Breckon Hill, 223.2p East Matfen, 221.4p, 216.7p & 214.6p Palm Strothers, 214.3p Breckon Hill (x2) & East Matfen, 211.9p Kellah, 211.1p St Oswalds, 210p West Shields, 209.5p St Oswalds, 209p West Shields, 206p & 202.7p St Oswalds, 202.1p East Matfen, 200p Low Staples, 197.4p High Warden, 190.5p St Oswalds & Aydonshields, 189.3p Low Staples, 187.8p (x2) & 186.1p High Warden, 182.5p St Oswalds, 182.1p Low Staples, 181p West Shields, 180.6p Baal Hill, 180p Kellah, 179.6p Baal Hill, 178.8p West Shields, 178.3p Wallish Walls, 176.8p St Oswalds, 176.5p Baal Hill, 176.3p Old Bridge End, 175.5p Baal Hill, 175p Low Staples Suffolk x: £91 Morrowfield, £88 Morrowfield & Rare Dean, £83 Baal Hill, £81.50 & £80 Morrowfield, £75.50 Low Staples. 176.6p Baal Hill, 175.6p Low Staples, 173.9p, 173.4p & 166p Morrowfield. Beltex x: £94 & 184.3p Palm Strothers. Charollais x: £88, £84 & £80 St Oswalds. 205.1p, 204.9p & 179.6p St Oswalds. Leicester: £90 & £75 (x3) Kellah. 133.9p Kellah. Cheviot x: £88.50 & 155.3p Wallish Walls. Mule: £82.50 & £77.50 Kellah, £74 Baal Hill. 176.2p Baal Hill, 172.2p Kellah.

Cast ewes and rams. Texel: £70 West Grange. Texel x: £86 West Grange. Suffolk x: £70 West Grange. Mule: £65 Morrowfield, £59 West Grange.

On Friday, Hexham and Northern Mart held their weekly sale of store cattle and offered a sound catalogued entry of 470 head which included over 140 native breed cattle being predominantly Angus, Shorthorn and Hereford pure and cross bred types.

The sale began with older classes of cattle and these continued to sell well peaking at £1390 for a very shapely red home-bred Limousin cross steer at 20 months of age from Willie Patterson, Halton Red House, Corbridge. This one was followed very closely by a tremendous black Limousin cross heifer at 18 months from Messrs Allgood, Nunwick, Simonburn which sold for £1370 having been expertly turned out by their farm mananger David Thirlwell and staff.

The dearest native breed beast on the day was a sharp Angus bullock from well-known local producer, regular consignor and longstanding exponent of the black breed Dennis Burn, Aydonshields, Hexhamshire and the bullock at 19 months changed hands at £1355.

The Charolais breed came next with a hefty white bullock from John Carpenter, Rare Dene, Cornsay which, at 21 months of age scaled to £1350.

With day’s lengthening and perhaps an unseasonable trace of spring in the air buyers came forward again in greater numbers with levels maintained at last week’s good rates for all classes.

Yearling types were again sought after and the best of these sorts continue to exceed vendors expectations. Charolais bullocks sold to £1280 from Messrs FT Walton, Flotterton, British Blue crosses sold to £1235 from Messrs Lee, Harwoodshield, whilst Limousin crosses sold to £1130 from Messrs Burn, Grange Houses and Angus yearlings sold to £1100 from Callum Storrow & Charlotte Walton; C&C Farming, Flotterton.

A noteable highlight of the sale was a smashing run of 10-11 month old Limousin cross steers and heifers which had been bred and housed for the first half of the winter high up in The Rede Valley from James Pritchard, Evistones, Otterburn. The calves had been well tended and were shown in good order with buyer interest from around the ring which saw steers peak at £1115 to average £1025 for 18 sold with 13 heifer sisters topping out at £980 and averaging £840 throughout.

With buyers now emerging that are keen for younger cattle that will be destined for grazing when spring finally arrives vendors with such animals to sell are urged to contact our auctioneers who will be pleased to discuss the current market or visit your farm to appraise cattle prior to sale.

Cattle 23 – 30 months. Charolais x steers: £1055 Springwell, £1040 Hepscott Manor. Charolais x heifers: £1025 (x2) Newlands Haugh. Limousin x steers: £1280 Blackburn, £1265 Fairley, £1245 Blackburn, £1240 White House Matfen, £1190 West Deanraw, £1180 White House Matfen, £1175 Hepscott Manor, £1145 Berry Edge. Limousin x heifers: £1090 Luns House, £1070 East Uppertown, £1050 Fairley & Nunwick, £1030 West Deanraw (x2), £1020 West Grange. British Blue x steers: £1100 Fairley. British Blue x heifers: £1130 Silloans. Simmental x steers: £1115 Springwell. Angus x heifers: £1285 Fairley, £1150 East Butsfield. Beef Shorthorn steers: £1075 Duddo Hill.

Cattle 17 – 22 months. Charolais x steers: £1350 Rare Dean, £1315 Tenter House, £1270 & £1265 Grange Farm, £1260 Tenter House, £1215 & £1190 Grange Farm, £1170 Springwell, £1165 Hepscott Manor, £1160 Springwell & Grange Farm, £1120 White House Matfen, £1100 Hepscott Manor. Charolais x heifers: £1240 Hepscott Manor (x2), £1190 Springwell, £1140 Rare Dean, £1130 Grange Farm & Hepscott Manor, £1085 Hepscott Manor, £1070 Rare Dean, £1060 Grange Farm, £1040 Rare Dean, £1025 Newlands Haugh, £1000 High Trewhitt, £970 Springwell. Limousin x steers: £1390 Halton Red House, £1315 Blackburn, £1235 White House Matfen, £1225 Berry Edge & West Deanraw, £1205 White House Matfen, £1200 Silloans (x2), £1190 Duddo Hill, £1175 Berry Edge, £1165 West Grange & Flotterton, £1160 Blackhalls, £1150 West Grange & New Acres, £1120 West Deanraw, £1100 Airy Holm, £1070 Duddo Hill (x2) & Blackburn, £1050 White House Matfen & Camphill, £1035 Hope Foot, £1030 Duddo Hill. Limousin x heifers: £1370 Nunwick, £1255 Pitland Hills, £1250 Nunwick, £1240 Berry Edge, £1220 Nunwick, £1200 Halton Red House, £1155 High Trewhitt, £1100 West Grange & Silloans, £1080 Nunwick, £1075 Luns House (x2) & Nunwick, £1060 Chesters, £1050 Camphill, £1045 Grange House, £990 Berwick Hill, Chesters & New Acres. British Blue x steers: £1270 Harwood Shield, £1130 Camphill, £1055 Hepscott Manor, £985 Peddar Hill. British Blue x heifers: £1035 Camphill. Simmental x steers: £1065, £1050 & £1000 Peddar Hill. Simmental x heifers: £1020 High Trewhitt. Angus x steers: £1365 & £1300 Aydonshields, £1260 Blackhalls, £1235 Kiln Hill, £1230 & £1225 Peddar Hill, £1200 & £1190 (x2) Airy Holm, £1155, £1150 & £1140 Peddar Hill, £1130 Kiln Hill, £1125 Grange Farm, £1120 Springwell, £1110 Flotterton, £1100 Grange House, £1095 & £1070 Airy Holm, £1050 Springwell, £1020 Hedley West, £1010 Rugley Walls. Angus x heifers: £1260 Kiln Hill, £1130 Aydonshields, £1090 Airy Holm, £1080 Flotterton Cottage, £1070 Kiln Hill & Airy Holm, £1055 & £1030 Airy Holm, £1020 Byreside, £1010 Peddar Hill, £990 Kiln Hill. Beef Shorthorn steers: £1145 Duddo Hill, £1030 Peddar Hill, £1005 Hope Foot. Hereford x steers: £1040 Newlands Haugh, £980 Duddo Hill. Hereford x heifers: £915 Newlands Haugh.

Cattle 11 – 16 months. Charolais x steers: £1280 Flotterton, £1180 Tenter House, £1000 & £965 Little Harle. Charolais x heifers: £1090 Grange Farm. Limousin x steers: £1130 Grange House, £1115, £1085, £1070 & £1065 (x2) & £1050 Evistones, £1030 Round Meadows, £1020 Lands Farm, £1000 Grange House, £995 Blackhalls, £990 Round Meadows & Lands Farm, £985 Flotterton Cottage, £970 Lands Farm. Limousin x heifers: £1065 Harwood Shield, £1030 Tarset Hall, £1010 Lands Farm, £980 Evistones, £950 Flotterton Cottage & Tarset Hall. British Blue x steers: £1235 Harwood Shield, £1000 Dykehead, £965 The Fawns. Angus x steers: £1100 Flotterton Cottage, £1090 Little Harle, £1070 Partridge Nest, £1040 Old Town & East Butsfield, £1030 East Butsfield, £1020 & £1000 Partridge Nest, £995 Tursdale House, £970 Whittonshields, £960 East Butsfield. Beef Shorthorn steers: £1090 Old Town.

Cattle 10 months and under. Limousin x steers: £950 Lands Farm & Baal Hill, £945 West Biggens, £940 Round Meadows, £935 Baal Hill. Angus x steers: £1020 & £965 Allendale Farm, £955 Old Town.

Store sheep and cast ewes.

Hexham Mart held its weekly catalogued sale of 819 cast sheep. A lot more scanned ewes forward this week resulting in more, leaner sorts. Trade would be sharper than last week especially Mule ewes and Horned ewes which in general would be £5 sharper than the previous week.

Tups again were keenly bid for with a high of £116 for two Texels from M/s JT Nixon & Son, Stotsfold.

Horned ewes saw a nice rise also with Blackface ewes selling to £69 for a good pen of 33 from M/s JE Woodman & Son, Great Chesters.

Texel: £116 & £100 Stotsfold, £89 The Shield, £68 Burnbank, £67 Wolf Hills. Texel x: £104 Hallington High Farm, £99 Hallington High Farm, Great Chesters & Milbourne High House, £96 The Fawns & Hetherington, £92 Great Chesters, £90 Hallington High Farm, £89 New Dotland, £88 Hallington High Farm, £87 Stotsfold, £86 Bellingham Demesne, £85 Thornbrough, £84 The Fawns & Milbourne High House, £83 The Fawns, £81 Hedley Park, £79 Thornbrough & Lee Hall, £78 Low Ardley, £76 Wallhouses & Gunnerton Demesne, £71 Lee Hall & Ewesley, £70 East Uppertown & High Baulk, £69 Millfield Demesne, Gunnerton Demesne & Edges Green, £68 Wolf Hills, £67 Elrington Hall, £64 Thornbrough, Hedley Park & Lilswood Cottage, £60 Thornley Pit House, £59 Millfield Demesne & Duddo Hill, £58 High Baulk Dutch Texel x: £67 & £60 High Fell. Suffolk x: £103 Wallhouses, £84 Gunnerton Demesne, £80 Sillywrea, £75 Gunnerton Demesne, £72 & £61 Thornley Pit House. Beltex x: £60 & £51 Stobby Lea, £50 Hetherington. Leicester: £81 Camphill, £67 Kellah, £63 Wolf Hills, £59 Camphill. Zwartbles: £78, £70 & £63 Three Farms. Cheviot: £60 & £55 Barrasford Green. Cheviot Mule: £74, £73 & £64 Barrasford Green. Mule: £71 Gunnerton Demesne, £68 Stotsfold, £67 Great Chesters & Luns House, £66 Hallington High Farm, £65 Hallington High Farm (x2) & Luns House, £64 Greenlaw, East Uppertown, Hedley Park & Elrington Hall, £63 New Dotland, £61 Hetherington & Houxty Bank Head, £59 Thornley Pit House, £58 Luns House & Ewesley, £57 Stotsfold, Camphill, Lilswood Cottage & Bellingham Demesne, £56 Nilston Rigg, Normans Riding, High Fell, Low Ardley & Wadley Farm, £55 Wolf Hills, £54 Greenlaw. Blackface: £69 Great Chesters, £62 Pitland Hills, £61 Great Chesters, £56 New Dotland, £50 Carry House, £48 Bellingham Demesne. Swaledale: £40 Stotsfold, £37 & £33 Lilswood Cottage.

Hexham and Northern Marts held its weekly catalogued sale of 1724 store hoggs. This week saw an increase of plainer hoggs forward with many vendor’s last batches of hoggs present. This resulted in an easier trade compared to last week. Also a few finishers slightly cautious with the possible future fat trade making longer keep hoggs slightly easier.

This week’s sale highlights are dominated by tup hoggs from M/s T Common & Son, Low Ardley, Hexham who sold lots to £168, £152, £145, £138 and £125.

Mr AW Dixon, West Heddon sold Texel x hoggs to £90 as did M/s JN & PL Herron, Bensons Fell.

Texel: £168, £152, £145, £138, £125, £94 & £84 Low Ardley. Texel x: £90 West Heddon & Bensons Fell, £88 West Heddon, £86 Wolf Hills, £85 Hallington High Farm, £84 Bensons Fell, £83 New Dotland, £82 Bavington Hill Head, Willimoteswick & Amerside Law, £81 New Dotland & Thockrington, £80 Wolf Hills, £79 Longlea Netherwitton, Bensons Fell, Elrington Hall & Greenlaw, £78 Stobby Lea, New Dotland & Thockrington, £77.50 Bingfield Combe, £77 Thockrington & Hallington High Farm, £76 Longlea Netherwitton, Wolf Hills & Salmonswell, £75 Newshield, Thockrington & Elrington Hall. Dutch Texel x: £84, £79 & £78.50 Willimoteswick. Suffolk x: £84 New Dotland, £82 Capheaton New Houses, £81 Black Hedley, £80.50 Capheaton New Houses, £78 New Dotland & Thockrington, £77 Amerside Law, £75.50 Houxty Bank Head, £75 Capheaton New Houses, £74 Thockrington, £73.50 Amerside Law, £72.50 Black Hedley, £72 Capheaton New Houses, Wadley Farm & Cooperative Terrace, £71.50 Piatroon, £70 Hullerbank, £69 Wallhouses, £68 Black Hedley, Thockrington & Duddo Hill, £67 Thornley Pit House, £65 The Bridges. Beltex x: £80 & £78 The Fawns, £73 Bavington Hill Head. Leicester: £89 Carry House. Zwartbles: £70 Three Farms. Cheviot: £62 Sillywrea. Mule: £74.50 Duddo Hill, £73 Holling Hill, £72 Newshield, £66.50 Duddo Hill, £65.50 Moorlaws, £65 Amerside Law, £64 Black House, £62 & £61 Moorlaws, £60 Thornley Pit House, £59 Newshield, £57 Winnows Hill, £55 Low Carriteth, £50 Duddo Hill, £48 Thornley Pit House. Blackface: £60 Holling Hill, £58 Low Carriteth, £50 Holling Hill & Amerside Law. Swaledale: £62 Stobby Lea, £59.50 Winnows Hill, £56 Amerside Law. Welsh Mule: £72 Bavington Hill Head. Crossbred: £76 & £72 Bavington Hill Head, £70.50 Lodge House, £66 Cheviot View, £64 Lodge House, £59 Newshield Farm & Crescent Farm.