Hexham and Northern Marts sales reports for the week beginning 1 March

Smaller entry of Prime Cattle this week but all were keenly bid for and sale was topped by a well fleshed and finished Limousin x heifer from M/s MD&J Stobbs, High Dalton selling for 223.5ppk to Bellingham Craft Butchers.

Limousin Heifers: £1318.65 High Dalton, £1227.63 & £1173.83 Nunwick. 223.5p High Dalton, 213.5p & 211.5p Nunwick. Charolais heifers: £1282.14 & 209.5p Flotterton.

OTM. An increased entry of cast cows this week with more quality on show. Again this week all classes of cows firmer with a slight lift for all sorts observed.

Highest grossing and highest ppk cow came from M.s WR Sparke & Son, Little Swinburne with a Limousin x cow making 167.5ppk or £1197.63.

Limousin: £1197.63 Little Swinburne, £1161.45, £1109.95 & £1010.85 Great Chesters, £981.23 Carry House, £963.90 Great Chesters, £959.34 Houselope Grange, £947.21 Little Swinburne, £906.50 Houselope Grange, £871.50 Great Chesters, £858.75 Colepike, £853.83 Little Swinburne, £824.60 Crowhall, £790.05 Little Swinburne, £780.50 High Dalton. 167.5p Little Swinburne, 146.5p & 140.5p Great Chesters, 139.5p Little Swinburne, 135.5p Houselope Grange, 133.5p Great Chesters & Carry House, 127.5p & 124.5p Great Chesters, 122.5p Houselope Grange & Little Swinburne, 116.5p Crowhall, 114.5p Little Swinburne & Colepike, 111.5p High Dalton. Angus: £1003.80 Flotterton, £893.97 Great Chesters, £843.15 Little Swinburne. 119.5p Flotterton, 115.5p Great Chesters, 109.5p Flotterton & Little Swinburne. British Blue: £1085.36 Carry House, £936.23 Little Swinburne, £887.40 The Fawns, £872.95 Aydonshields. 133.5p Carry House, 130.5p The Fawns, 125.5p Little Swinburne, 113.5p North Cocklake, 110.5p Aydonshields. Blonde: £1047.76. Colepike, £1040.64 Low Leam. 135.5p Low Leam, 134.5p Colepike. Beef Shorthorn: £1099.34 & 131.5p Great Chesters.

Prime sheep and hoggs.

A very similar show of hoggs forward. Best handy weight sorts still good to sell although the sale average was back 5p in line with the national trend.

Texel x: £94 West Shields, £92.50 Middle Heads, £90 Bensons Fell & East Matfen (x2), £88 West Shields, £87 Bensons Fell & Springwell, £86 Milbourne High House & West Shields (x2), £85 Springwell Cottage & Molesden, £84 Low West House (x3), Springwell Cottage, Milbourne High House & West Shields, £83.50 Middle Heads, £83 Bensons Fell, £82.50 Baal Hill, £82 Molesden (x2), New Dotland & Morrowfield, £81 Springwell Cottage, £80.50 Springwell, New Dotland & West Shields, £80 Baal Hill, Milbourne High House & Middle Heads. 237.8p West Shields, 236.8p East Matfen, 221.1p & 215.4p Low West House, 214.3p East Matfen, 212.5p Springwell Cottage, 209.8p West Shields, 208.8p New Dotland, 207.1p Springwell, 205p Molesden, 204.9p West Shields, 204.8p Milbourne High House, 202.6p Springwell Cottage, 200p Low West House & Springwell Cottage, 192.7p Middle Heads, 185.4p & 181.3p Molesden, 180.6p West Shields, 178.7p Milbourne High House, 178.4p Springwell, 176.8p West Shields, 176.2p Springwell, 175p Springwell & Morrowfield. Suffolk x: £85 (x2) & £81.50 Morrowfield, £80.50 New Dotland, £80.50 Middle Heads. 167.7p New Dotland, 166.3p & 157.4p Morrowfield, 151.9p Middle Heads. Beltex x: £94 & £90 Low West House. 225p & 223.8p Low West House. Cheviot x: £74.50 & £72.50 Flotterton. 181.7p & 181.3p Flotterton. Mule: £70 & 166.7p Baal Hill. Swaledale: £61.50 & 166.2p Baal Hill.

Cast ewes and rams.

Mule ewes to £66.50 from Morrowfield.

On Friday 1 March Hexham & Northern Marts at their weekly sale of store cattle offered a catalogued entry of 553 head drawn from a wide catchment area including the local counties of Northumberland, County Durham & Cumbria and also from a distance with consignments travelled to vendors advantage from Ecclefechan, Lockerbie as well as Whauphill and Sorbie, Newton Stewart.

With a more mixed show of older cattle on offer this class sold marginally easier on the week, topping at £1310 for steers and £1280 for heifers. The former was a shapely black limousin bullock at 20 months of age from Richard Johnson & Sons, West Wharmley, Hexham whilst the latter; a very correct black heifer with bags of potential as either a feeder or a breeder at 20 months of age will undoubtedly be put to the bull having sold well for breeder Ian Potts, Redburn, Weardale, County Durham.

The middle order of cattle aged 11-17 months continue to meet with keen demand at Hexham from consistent return purchasers and many regular seasonal vendors of high-end sorts have reported increased averages on the year. This age class peaked at £1205 for a smart Limousin cross steer from Brian Storey, Woodhead, Haltwhistle at 13 months of age whilst Robert Armstrong, East Fourstones, Hexham sold the dearest Charolais steer; a strong square sort at 16 months which hit £1185. A trio of single Limousin cross steers, all at 12-13 months all cashed at £1180; the first from Messrs Nixon, Longlea, Wark; the next from Messrs Nixon, Stotsfold, Hexhamshire and the third from Messrs Charlton, Whiteside on The Roman Wall.

The youngest class of cattle; those up to 10 months of age were similarly sought after although buyers were working with a keen eye towards shapelier sorts which resulted in lesser types being harder to place. A welcomed return to the Hexham store ring saw Andrew Proctor, Swarland Old Hall, Morpeth sell his best; a pure bred bullock with style and shape for £1080 at only 8 months of age highlighting the quality within his pedigree Limousin herd at home. The same vendor sold six in total at the same age to average £1021 throughout to complete a satisfying days trading for Messrs Proctor.

Dennis and Stuart Charlton enjoyed a similar trade for their run from Whiteside and sold three well-bred ¾ limmy steers at £1070 and another at £1050 with buyer interest a-plenty whilst a heifer from the same district from Ridley and David Milburn, Wallend, Gilsland sold well at £1020 to a regular Tyne Valley based buyer.

Cattle 23 – 30 months. Limousin x steers: £1310 West Wharmley, £1260 Blackburn, £1210, £1200 & £1195 Luns House, £1180 Duddo Hill, £1080 East Kildarroch, £1050 Duddo Hill. Limousin x heifers: £1010 High Warden, £990 East Uppertown. Angus x steers: £1090 East Kildarroch. Beef Shorthorn steers: £1020 Duddo Hill. Hereford x steers: £1050 Haggwood.

Cattle 17 – 22 months. Charolais x steers: £1260 Blackburn, £1260 & £1225 Flotterton, £1175 Town Farm Wall, £1140 East Fourstones, £1030 & £1020 Gallowhill. Charolais x heifers: £1260 & £1200 Flotterton, £1185, £1180 & £1060 West Wharmley. Limousin x steers: £1250 Quarry House, £1245 Luns House & Quarry House, £1240 Blackburn, £1215 Milbourne High House, £1210 Blackburn & Woodhead, £1190 & £1180 (x2) Corneyside, £1175 Low Horton, £1160 Blackburn, £1155 & £1090 Corneyside, £1060 Duddo Hill, £1025 Duddo Hill & Rennys Barn, £1020 Rennys Barn, £1000 Duddo Hill, East Kildarroch & Bellshiel. Limousin x heifers: £1280 & £1160 Redburn, £1140 Corneyside, £1135 Milbourne High House & West Wharmley, £1110 Hammershield, £1080 Milbourne High House, £1060 Milbourne High House, Corneyside & Brackenthwaite, £1050 Hammershield, £1035 Corneyside, £1030 Hammershield, £1015 Corneyside, £995 Hammershield, £975 Rogerley Hall. British Blue x steers: £1050 High Warden, £1010 Rennys Barn.

British Blue x heifers: £1040 High Warden, £985 East Kildarroch. Simmental x steers: £1030 East Fourstones. Simmental x heifers: £1040 High Warden, £950 East Kildarroch. Angus x steers: £1260, £1175, £1155, £1110 & £1055 Gallowhill, £1040 Lowfield, £1030 Gallowhill, £995 Brackenthwaite. Angus x heifers: £1050 High Warden, £1030 Low Horton. Hereford x steers: £1070 Haggwood.

Cattle 11 – 16 months. Charolais x steers: £1185 & £1080 East Fourstones, £1060 Raggetsyke, £1050 Redsteads, £1040 East Fourstones, £995 Westburnhope, £990 Hedley West & Raggetsyke. Charolais x heifers: £1055 East Fourstones. Limousin x steers: £1205 Woodhead, £1180 Longlea, Stotsfold & Whiteside Haltwhistle, £1150 Lowfield, £1115 Allenshields, £1100 Rogerley Hall & Lowfield, £1090 Woodhead, Rogerley Hall & Town Farm Wall (x2), £1080 Woodhead & Longlea, £1070 Rogerley Hall, £1065 Woodhead, £1060 Lowfield, £1050 Town Farm Wall, Wallend & Whiteside Haltwhistle, £1045 Allenshields, £1025 Lowfield, £1000 Stotsfold, Rogerley Hall, Lowfield & Pinfold House, £995 White House Eastgate, £990 East Uppertown, Lowfield & Todhillwood, £985 (x2) White House Eastgate. Limousin x heifers: £1055 Stoney Flatt, £1050 Brackenthwaite, Town Farm Wall & Chesters, £1030 Quarry House, £985 Woodhead & Rogerley Hall, £970 Stoney Flatt, £965 Rogerley Hall, £940 Kingswood. Simmental x steers: £1060, £1055, £1040, £1035 (x2) & £1020 Ross Farm, £990 Low Horton, £980& £970 Ross Farm. Simmental x heifer: £945 Hedley West. Angus x steers: £1130 Low Horton, £1130 Lowfield. Hereford x steers: £945 Lowfield.

Cattle 10 months and under. Charolais x steers: £910 Throp Hill. Limousin x steers: £1080 Swarland Old Hall, £1070 Whiteside Haltwhistle (x2), Swarland Old Hall & Kingswood, £1050 Whiteside Haltwhistle, £1030 Swarland Old Hall, £1010 Rogerley Hall, £1000 Swarland Old Hall (x2), £990 Whiteside Haltwhistle, £950 Swarland Old Hall, £940 Wallend, £930 Kingswood. Limousin x heifers: £1020 Wallend, £965 Allenshields.

Store sheep and cast ewes.

Hexham and Northern held its weekly catalogued sale of 664 cast sheep where it was noticed all sorts would be slightly sharper on the week.

Heavy ewes topped at £116 for Suffolks from Mr FT Walton, Flotterton.

Mule ewes again sharper with two pens from M/s A Turnbull & Son, Swan Farm, Stannington and M/s JG Clarkson & Ptns, Elrington Hall sold to £73.

Cheviot ewes sold to a high of £82 from Mr FT Walton, Flotterton.

A poorer show of horned ewes this week with less flesh about.

Blackface ewes from M/s H&L Morshead, Harsondale sold to £59.

Texel: £84 Townfoot Woodburn, £81 Throstle Nest, £80 Nilston Rigg, £78 Errington Red House, £74 East Haydon, £70 East Highridge, £66 Grange House, £64 Fallowfield, Crescent Farm & Grange House. Texel x: £112 Townfoot Slaley, £107 High Eshells, £104 East Matfen, £100 East Matfen & Nunwick, £96 Townfoot Slaley, £95 East Matfen, £92 Errington Red House, £90 Fallowfield & Grange House, £89 Cowbyre & High Eshells, £86 Nunwick & Linacres, £85 Grange House, £82 Willimoteswick, £79 East Haydon, £78 Linacres & Nilston Rigg, £75 Agars Hill & Hackford, £73 Errington, £72 Townfoot Slaley, £71 North Cocklake, £70 Errington Red House & Thornton Tower, £68 North Cocklake, £66 Swan Farm & Causey Burn. Suffolk: £116 Flotterton. Suffolk x: £84 & £82 Grange House, £82 Nilston Rigg & East Haydon, £78 Crescent Farm, £70 Nilston Rigg, £67 Swan Farm, £60 Causey Burn. Leicester: £77 Flotterton. Cheviot: £82, £77, £67 & £65 Flotterton, £64 & £50 South Colwell. Cheviot Mule: £55 Barrasford Green. Mule: £73 Swan Farm & Elrington Hall, £72 Flotterton, £71 Nunwick, £70 Dyke Nook & Errington, £68 Cowbyre, £67 High Eshells & East Haydon, £66 Willimoteswick, £64 Cowbyre, Hackford & Willimoteswick, £62 Errington Red House, £60 Swan Farm & Linacres, £58 Blackhalls, £57 Fallowfield & Capheaton New Houses. Blackface: £59 Harsondale, £58 Dyke Nook, £54 Flotterton, £46 Davyshiel & Thornton Tower, £44 Nilston Rigg. Swaledale: £52 Bulls Hill, £50 Hackford, £48 Hesleywell, £46 Dyke Nook, £40 White House Eastgate. Crossbred: £86 Linacres & Nunwick.

Hexham and Northern Marts held its weekly catalogued sale of 1027 Store Hoggs.

This week the trade bucked the current fat trade and would be dearer on the week, especially the better export type hoggs. There was a noticeable demand for longer keeping hoggs also with several potential purchasers going home and needing more sheep.

The sale this week was topped by Mr A Walker, Newbiggin Farm, Hexham with Dutch Texels selling to £102. The same vendor sold sheep to £100

Horned lambs saw a high of £70 for Blackface hoggs from M/s RJ&J Raine, Townfoot, East Woodburn.

Texel: £78 & £71 Crescent Farm. Texel x: £90 North Cocklake, £89 Burmoor, £87 New Hall & Nettlesworth West, £86 High Alderheads & North Cocklake, £85 Errington (x2), Longlea Netherwitton, Throstle Nest & Capheaton New Houses, £84.50 North Cocklake, £84 (x2) Burmoor, £83 Errington (x2), Burmoor, High Alderheads & Nettlesworth West, £82 Swan Farm, £81.50 Crescent Farm & Nettlesworth West, £80 Errington, £79.50 Swan Farm & White House Eastgate, £79 Linacres & High Alderheads, £78 Nunwick, £77.50 Hedley Park & White House Eastgate, £77 High Yarridge, £76 Crescent Farm, Dene House & Cowbyre, £75 Nettlesworth West. Dutch Texel x: £102, £100 & £93 Newbiggen Hill, £88 Little Swinburne, £85 Willimoteswick & Little Swinburne, £81.50 Willimoteswick, £72 Little Swinburne. Suffolk x: £83 East Fourstones, £74 High Alderheads & East Fourstones, £72 Nettlesworth West, £70.50 Dene House, £70 Swan Farm, £69.50 Low Greenley Cleugh, £69 High Alderheads & Capheaton New Houses (x2), £66 East Haydon, £64 Causey Burn & West Kirkheaton, £63 High Yarridge. Beltex x: £93 Throstle Nest, £92 & £86.50 Dotland Park, £84 Throstle Nest, £80, £74.50 & £71 Highside, £67 Throstle Nest. Cheviot x: £66 Nunwick. Cheviot Mule: £66 Barrasford Green. Mule: £69.50 Cowbyre, £66 Winnows Hill, £60 Cowbyre, £56.50 High Yarridge. Blackface: £70 Townfoot Woodburn, £55 & £54 (x2) Cowbyre, £48 Townfoot Woodburn. Swaledale: £68 Gleedlee. Jacob: £46 Crescent Farm. Crossbred: £74 Capheaton New Houses.