Hexham Mart reports, February 6

Store Cattle

Hexham & Northern Marts at their last sale of store cattle in the month of January and offered a catalogued entry of 285 head to a full ringside of buyers eager for all classes.

Trade was once again marginally dearer on the week with increased demand for finished cattle now prompting a rise in the store ring with numbers shortening as winter draws on.

The sale was topped, as is increasingly the case, by a very smart and upstanding forward heifer, this one from father & son; John Carr & John Junior, Camphill, Barrasford which came into the ring with bags of potential for either a feeding or breeding route. At twenty months the Limousin cross heifer from a Blue cross Friesian mother displayed all the desirable traits of a commercial suckler beef heifer and as such scaled to £1290.

It was another of the female offering that may well also have entered the breeding herd that followed in the rankings; this lot from Messrs Robson, Yatesfield, Otterburn were a pair of hefty, square Angus cross heifers at the same age as the sale leader which attracted obvious attention from dedicated ‘Angus Scheme’ finishers as well as upland herd masters with the hammer falling at £1275 in favour of Tony Green, East Barnwell for his Penshaw Farm Shop enterprise, Houghton Le Spring.

The Black Native breed sire topped the male entry also with not one but two lots of strong Angus bullocks from regular consignors and noted Coquet valley cattle producers Chris & Janet Watmore from their Holystone Estate. Firstly two of the biggest bullocks in the market on the day rose to £1245 with another lot of four selling for the same tariff. The entire run of 12 bullocks at 20-22 months returned a worthy £1217 throughout for the Watmore family and surely cemented this centre as the leading market in the region for the sale of such quality native breed cattle.

Cattle in the middle aged bracket of eleven to seventeen months also continue to sell at great rates and peaked at £1185 for a pair of smart red Limousin heifers from noted producers local to Hexham Messrs Nixon, Stotsfold which were sold at 15 months of age. Selby Robson, Yatesfield also sold a Limousin cross steer at the same age which levelled at £1145 and Peter Charleton, Little Harle flew the flag for the Charolais sire with a pair of bullocks at £1140. His twelve by both the white and red bulls sold well throughout to average £1115 in this age bracket.

The youngest age bracket were also sought after but perhaps a smaller number forward resulted in an easier trade than seen recently. The best cattle under ten months of age sold to £1055 for a sublime Limousin cross steer with shape=a-plenty bred from a Blue cross hybrid mother by Andy Thompson, East Unthank, Haltwhistle. His five steers all with super potential sold to a keen crowd to average £1027. Messrs Storrow, Willimoteswick in the neighbouring parish of Bardon Mill followed with a smart pen of four that hit £1030 and led their run of ten that averaged £965 with three heifers included that topped at £905. The heifer trade in this class was however led by two separate lots, both at £940. The first a Blonde cross heifer from Claire Everitt, Jolly Body Farm, Stanhope in Weardale followed by another well-bred Limmy cross from Ridley & David Milburn, Wallend, Greenhead, Cumbria.

We urge producers with cattle yet to be sold to contact our auctioneers who will be delighted to visit and give an on-farm appraisal of your cattle with a view to the values that are achievable at this centre.

Leading prices;

Cattle 23 – 30 Months

Limousin x steers – £1230 & £1200 Lunns House

Limousin x heifers - £1210 & £1190 Baal Hill, £995 China Hall

Beef Shorthorn heifers – £1060 Yatesfield

Cattle 17 – 22 Months

Charolais x steers – £1215 New Houses, £1185 Rare Dean & Tenter House, £1170 Newlands Haugh, £1145 Little Harle, £1115 Tenter House, £1110 White House Birtley, £1100 Harewalls, £1090 White House Birtley, £1080 Whitchester

Charolais x heifers – £1165 & £1100 Newlands Haugh, £1080 Rare Dean (x2), £1045 White House Birtley, £1140 Newlands Haugh, £1005 Raggetsyke, £970 White House Birtley

Limousin x steers – £1240 & £1230 Lunns House, £1195 New Houses, £1185 Tenter House, £1175 & £1170 Little Harle, £1155 Camphill & Little Harle, £1150 Camphill, £1130 & £1085 Little Harle, £1055 Little Harle & Raggetsyke, £970 Whitchester

Limousin x heifers – £1290 Camphill, £1235 Little Swinburne, £1225 Camphill, £1220 Baal Hill, £1190 Camphill, £1180 East Uppertown, £1145 & £1140 Little Swinburne, £1135 Stotsfold, £1120 Little Swinburne, £1100 Camphill, £1090 East Uppertown, £1075 Little Swinburne & East Uppertown, £1065 Camphill, £1055 East Uppertown, £920 China Hall

Blonde x steers – £1135 & £1100 Camphill, £990 Rare Dean

British Blue x heifers – £1000 Camphill

Angus x steers - £1245 (x2) & £1230 Holystone, £1215 Newlands Haugh, £1210 Springwell, £1205 Sunniside & Holystone, £1200 Sunniside (x2) & Springwell (x2), £1195 Church Farm, £1180 Church Farm, Springwell (x2) & Holystone, £1170 New Houses & Newlands Haugh, £1150 Springwell, £1145 Holystone, £1140 Springwell, £1110 Church Farm, £1060 & £1000 Springwell, £980 Rugley Walls, £975 & £950 Redesmouth

Angus x heifers – £1275 & £1190 Yatesfield, £1175 New Houses, £1160 Yatesfield, £920 Rugley Walls

Beef Shorthorn heifers - £1040 Yatesfield

Cattle 11 – 16 Months

Charolais x steers – £1140, £1105 & £1100 Little Harle, £1080 Harewalls (x2)

Charolais x heifers - £920 Tenter House

Limousin x steers – £1145 Yatesfield, £1130 Sherburn Tower, £1125 Low Middleton, £1100 Rusheylaw (x2), £1075 Yatesfield & Warksfield Head, £1050 Low Middleton, £1030 Rusheylaw, £1025 Yatesfield & Low Stokoe, £1000 China Hall, £980 Yatesfield & Harewalls

Limousin x heifers – £1185 Stotsfold, £1120 Sherburn Tower, £1110 Stotsfold & Warksfield Head, £1060 Rusheylaw, £1055 Stotsfold, £1050 & £1025 Warksfield Head, £1020 Low Middleton, £1015 Sherburn Tower, £1005 Stotsfold, £1000 Warksfield Head, £990 Low Middleton, £985 Stotsfold, £950 Raggetsyke & Low Middleton, £945 Rusheylaw & Sherburn Tower, £940 Yatesfield, £935 Rusheylaw, £930 Stotsfold

British Blue x steers – £1070 East Unthank

Cattle 10 months and under

Limousin x steers – £1055 East Unthank, £1030 Willimoteswick, £1000 East Unthank & Elrington Hall, £990 & £970 Willimoteswick, £950 Wallend & Elrington Hall, £930 Wallend, £925 Wallend & Elrington Hall, £905 Wallend & Willimoteswick, £900 Wallend & Elrington Hall

Limousin x heifers – £940, £905 & £900 Wallend, £890 Wallend & Willimoteswick, £870 Willimoteswick

Blonde x heifers - £940, £915 & £900 Jolly Body

British Blue x steers – £1010 & £1000 East Unthank, £940 West Biggens

Angus x steers – £970 & £850 Redesmouth

Store Sheep

Cast Ewes

Cast ewes and rams easily sold with all types keenly bid for resulting in the average being £8 up on the week.

43 pens over £100 averaging £113

A pure Texel ewe from M/s T Common & Son, Low Ardley topped at £136

Blackface ewes topped at £96 from M/s L Forster & Son, West Nubbock with this class averaging £80

Mules again very easy to cash resulting in an average of £85.73

Tups topped at £130 for a Texel from M/s Hall, Whitchester.

More wanted to meet demand, please call Jack on 07739440457

Texel - £136 Low Ardley, £130 Whitchester, £116 Haredene, £100 Edges Green, £98 Middle Heads

Berrichon - £134 Low Burradon

Texel x – £130 Butterknowes, £121 High Knitsley, £120 Low Eshells, £118 South Clarewood & Butterknowes, £117 Low Eshells & Low Ardley, £116 The Laws, £115 Milbourne High House, £114 Low Ardley, £113 Catreen, £112 Butterknowes, £111 Little Swinburne, £108 Middle Heads, £107 Little Swinburne, £105 Follions & Stotsfold, £104 Low West House & Jolly Body, £100 Low Burradon & Butterknowes, £99 Follions, Little Swinburne, Jolly Body & Catreen, £98 Little Swinburne, £97 East Greenridge, £96 East Wharmley, £95 Follions, Hownsgill & East Wharmley, £93 Follions, £90 High Knitsley & River Green Mill, £89 Longwitton, £88 East Greenridge, £87 Little Swinburne, £86 Butterknowes, Low Ardley & China Hall, £85 River Green Mill

Dutch Texel x - £126, £120 & £98 Little Swinburne

Suffolk - £130 Low West House

Suffolk x – £120 South Clarewood & Tedcastle, £114 East Greenridge, £102 Low Eshells, £99 Nilston Rigg, £97 East Greenridge, £90 Black Callerton, £88 Haredene

Beltex - £130 & £95 Low West House

Beltex x - £120 (x3), £113 & £107 Low West House, £98 Hownsgill, £96 Jolly Body, £95 Low West House

Leicester - £100 Whitchester, £98 & £95 Camphill, £86 Whitchester

Lleyn – £89 & £80 Middle Heugh

Cheviot – £96 Highwood, £77 Whitchester, £75 Highwood

Mule –£98 South Clarewood, Low Eshells & West Nubbock, £97 Low Ardley, £96 White House Matfen, Highwood & Newonstead, £95 Little Swinburne & East Wharmley, £93 Camphill, £92 West Nubbock, £91 West Nubbock & Whitchester, £90 The Shank, £89 High Knitsley & Low Eshells, £88 White House Matfen & Longwitton, £87 Middle Heads, £86 Nilston Rigg, £85 Low Mill, £84 Low Ardley, £82 Jolly Body & Brokenheugh, £80 Netherharsley, £77 Low Mill, £76 Salmonswell, Stobbilee & China Hall, £75 Haredene

Blackface – £96 West Nubbock, £90 The Steel, West Nubbock & Hole Farm, £86 Edges Green, £85 Cleughfoot & Townfoot, £84 The Steel, £82 Edges Green, £80 Townshields, £79 West Nubbock & Longwitton, £78 Highwood, £76 Harsondale & Hole Farm, £74 Ewesley & Harsondale

Swaledale – £77 Allenheads, £73 Todhillwood, £66 Netherharsley (x2), £63 The Laws, £60 The Laws & Intake, £59 Todhillwood, £58 East Plenmeller

Crossbred - £128 China Hall, £125 West Nubbock, £100 Middle Heads, £92 Hownsgill, Whitchester & Low Houselope, £88 China Hall & Low Houselope

In Lamb Ewes

Texel x - £97 & £86 River Green Mill

Store Hoggs

Store hoggs sold to the highest rates seen this season, averaging £81.82 for all classes including Hill, Mules and Lowland types.

250 sheep made £95 or more.

The sale topped twice at £110, firstly from M/s Curry, Low Burradon with eight Berrichon crosses and then M/s J Green & Sons, Follions for four Texel x hoggs. The Follions also sold a pen of 48 Texel x hoggs making £108

Hogg numbers very short of buyer’s requirements and entries wanted again for next week to fulfill the strong demand.

Contact Jack on 07739440457 for entries and enquiries.

Texel x – £110 Follions, £100 Redburn, £108 Follions, £106 Halfway House, £105 Tedcastle, £100 Bridgeford, £99 Thrunton, £98 East Wharmley, Salmonswell & Longlea Netherwitton (x2), £97 Buteland, £96.50 East Knitsley, £96 The Bridges, Whitehouse Farm & Halfway House, £95 Yetlington Lane, Highwood & Bridgeford, £94.50 Highwood, £94 Tedcastle, Halfway House & Hownsgill, £93 Wydon, South Clarewood, Highwood, Springwell Cottage & Catreen, £92 Causey View & Longshaws, £91 Springwell Cottage, £90 Sherburn Tower, Allenheads Farm, Cheviot, Yetlington Lane, Ewesley & White House Matfen, £89.50 Redburn, £89 Wydon, Haredene & Halfway House, £88 Longshaws & Buteland, £87.50 Waite Farm & Catreen, £87 Causey View, Hownsgill, Haredene, Allenheads Farm, High Knitsley, Riding Farm & Comb Hills

Texel - £103 & £98 Crops Hall

Dutch Texel x - £104, £93 & £84 Little Swinburne

Suffolk x – £103 Thrunton, £98 West Kirkheaton, £95 Thrunton, £94 Cheviot & West Kirkheaton, £93 High Knitsley, £92 South Clarewood, £91 The Bridges (x2), £89.50 Hownsgill, £89 High Knitsley & West Kirkheaton, £88 Black Callerton & Grindon Hill, £87.50 Riding Farm, £86 East Highridge & Grindon Hill, £85.50 Settlingstones & West Kirkheaton, £85 South Clarewood

Charollais x – £85.50 Middle Heugh

Beltex x - £105 Low West House, £99 Bavington Hill Head (x2), £96 Yetlington Lane & Bavington Hill Head, £92, £90 & £86 Bavington Hill Head, £85 Low West House

Leicester - £96 Harsondale

Zwartbles - £90 Allenheads Farm

Berrichon x - £110, £84.50 & £80 Low Burradon

Cheviot x - £89 & £78.50 Grindon Hill

Mule – £93 Halfway House, £90 Cote House, £87 Little Swinburne, £86.50 Redburn, £85 Tedcastle, £83 Allenheads Farm, £82 Netherharsley, £75 Hole Farm, £74 Allenheads Farm, £73.50 Ochrelands, £73 Bridgeford

Blackface – £76 Longwitton, £65 Hole Farm, £60 Longwitton, £59 Hole Farm, £56 Buteland

Swaledale - £77.50 & £73 Westburnhope, £70 Linshiels, £60 Allenheads Farm (x2), £56 Westburnhope, £55.50 Allenheads Farm, £55 Westburnhope, £54 Netherharsley & Hesket Farm

Kerry Hill - £69 Tedcastle

Jacob - £59 Whitehouse Farm Centre

Herdwick - £80 Comb Hills

Crossbred –£88, £85.50 & £84 Riding Farm

Tuesday, February 4

Cattle

Prime Cattle

A select show of clean cattle sold to a top of 219.5ppk from Mr J Gibb, Jubilee Buildings.

Limousin Heifers – £1076.38 & £945.01 Little Swinburne

197.5p & 165.5p Little Swinburne

Blonde Heifers – £1240.18 & 219.5p Jubilee Buildings

Cast Cows & OTM

A nice show of 39 cast cattle sold to a similar trade. Topping the sale was a great run of cattle from Chris and Janet Watmore, Holystone Estate topping at £1203.55

Top price per kilo went to a returning vendor to the Hexham cast cow ring, M/s G&JH Tomlinson & Son, Sunniside with a Limousin making 146.5ppk

More cattle wanted to meet increasing purchaser demand.

Contact Jack on 07739440457 for entries and enquiries.

Limousin – £1029.65 Houselope Grange, £978.90 Little Swinburne, £944.93 Sunniside, £925.49 Halton Red House, £919.19 Little Swinburne, £895.902 Prospect Grange, £868.87 Agars Hill, £831.97 Low Staples, £807.98 The Laws

146.5p Sunniside, 144.5p Prospect Grange, 135.5p Low Staples & Agars Hill, 134.5p Agars Hill, 131.5p Little Swinburne, 130.5p Houselope Grange, 125.5p Little Swinburne, 121.5p The Laws

Angus - ££1203.55, £1138.29, £1119.24, £1080.31 & £1026.59 Holystone, £1013.63 Sunniside, £962.59 West Shields, £917.61 The Tofts, £870.53 West Shields, £865.85 Sunniside, £846.60 West Shields

135.5p Sunniside, 132.5p West Shields & Sunniside, 128.5p Holystone, 127.5p West Shields, 126.5p Holystone, 125.5p West Shields & Holystone (x3), 120.5p Holystone, 119.5p West Shields, 109.5p The Tofts (x2)

British Blue – £1074.82 Agars Hill, £967.01 Houselope Grange, £955.13 Little Swinburne, £917.29 Comb Hills, £903.38 The Tofts

143.5p Agars Hill, £141.5p Little Swinburne, 137.5p The Tofts, 134.5p Comb Hills, 123.5p Houselope Grange

Simmental - £1047.42, £943.40 & £805.92 Holystone

135.5p, 132.5p, 122.5p & 115.5p Holystone

Prime Sheep

Prime Hoggs

More sheep forward on the week and vendors taking advantage of the trade were rewarded in another almost 10p lift in the average price.

Selling to a top of 286.6p from Chris Hall, Whitchester and an average per head of £103

Texel x – £126 Tenter House, £125.50 St Oswalds, £120 The Hope & Quarry House, £119 The Hope & St Oswalds, £117.50 Whitchester, £117 The Hope, £116.50 Low Eshells, £116 The Hope, St Oswalds, Thornton Tower, Saugh House & Blackburn, £115 Willimoteswick, The Hope & Great Bavington, £114.50 Colepike, £114 The Hope, £113.50 New Dotland, Tenter House, Angerton Broom House, Middle Heads & Low Eshells, £113 The Hope, Blackburn & Old Town, £112.50 Thornton Tower, £112 Thornton Tower, Brokenheugh, Angerton Broom House, Baal Hill & Linacres, £111 High Eshells, The Hope & Blackburn, £110 The Hope, St Oswalds, Thornton Tower, Brokenheugh, Saugh House (x5), Blackburn, Aydonshields, West Shields & Colepike, £109 The Hope (x2), Blackburn, Middle Heads, Low Staples & Springwell, £108 West Moorhouses, The Hope, Thockrington, Middle Heads & Springwell, £107.50 New Dotland, Middle Heads & Aydonshields, Tenter House, Angerton Broom House, Blackburn & Partridge Nest, £106.50 Springwell, £106 Tenter House, Saugh House, Thockrington & Colepike, £105.50 Thockrington, £105 The Hope, St Oswalds & Saugh House (x2), £104 New Dotland & Quarry House (x2), £103 West Moorhouses & The Hope, £102.50 West Shields (x2) & Springwell, £102 Tenter House & Springwell, £101.50 Low Eshells

286.6p Whitchester, 272.7p The Hope, 270p West Moorhouses, 266.7p Brokenheugh, 264p Low Eshells, 263.6p The Hope, 258.5p Tenter House, 258p Middle Heads, 256.8p Blackburn, 256p Middle Heads, 255.7p Thornton Tower, 253.7p Quarry House, 250p New Dotland, St Oswalds, Saugh House & Blackburn, 247.7p Springwell, Blackburn & The Hope, 247.2p Whitchester, 244.3p Aydonshields, 244.2p St Oswalds, 242.1p Whitchester, 241p Brokenheugh, 240.9p Thockrington, 240.5p West Moorhouses, 238.6p Saugh House (x2), 237.5p The Hope, 236.2p The Hope, 236.1p Linacres, 234.8p Springwell, 234.1p West Moorhouses, 233.3p Baal Hill & Thornton Tower, 233p West Shields & Springwell, 232.6p Blackburn, 232p Thornton Tower, 231.8p Springwell & Tenter House, 231.6p Angerton Broom House & Tenter House, 231.1p Quarry House, 230.8p St Oswalds, 230.4p Colepike, 230.3p Partridge Nest

Dutch Texel x - £123, £116.50 & £113 Willimoteswick

273.3p, 240.4p & 224p Willimoteswick

Suffolk x – £126 Old Town, £124 Brokenheugh, £117.50 Morrowfield & Lunns House, £117 Thockrington, £116.50 New Dotland, £115.50 Middle Heads, £115 Brokenheugh, Baal Hill, Great Bavington & Old Town, £114 Lunns House, £112.50 Steel Hall, £112 Thockrington, £110.50 Morrowfield, £110 Old Town, £109.50 Low Eshells, £109 Saugh House, Thockrington & Lunns House, £108.50 New Dotland, £107 The Hope, £104 Saugh House, £103 Great Bavington & Old Town, £101 Brokenheugh, £100.50 Lunns House, £100 Thockrington & Great Bavington

260p Saugh House, 239.4p Steel Hall, 237.2p Tenter House, 232.9p Low Eshells, 227.3p Thockrington, 227.1p Lunns House, 226p New Dotland, 225.5p Morrowfield, Brokenheugh & Baal Hill, 224.5p Old Town, 223.3p Lunns House, 222.5p Thockrington, 221.7p Morrowfield, 221.6p New Dotland, 220.5p Great Bavington, 219.6p & 219.5p Brokenheugh, 219.3p Great Bavington, 219.2p & 217.9p Lunns House, 217.8p Morrowfield, 217.4p Steel Hall & Great Bavington, 216.7p Great Bavington, 215.7p New Dotland, 215.4p Thockrington, 214.3p Lunns House, 213.9p Middle Heads

Beltex x – £115 & £113 West Moorhouses, £111 Linacres, £108 West Moorhouses

280.5p West Moorhouses, 277.5p Linacres, 276.9p & 262.8p West Moorhouses

Charollais x - £112.50 & £105 Colepike

233.3p & 229.6p Colepike

Mule – £103 Tenter House & Baal Hill, £102.50 New Dotland, £100.50 Tenter House, £99.50 Quarry House

223.9p Baal Hill & Tenter House, 216.3p Quarry House, 209.2p New Dotland, 201p Tenter House

Blackface - £100 Sewingshields & Quarry House, £96.50 Quarry House, £74 Stoop Rigg

219.3p & 217.4p Quarry House, 184.2p Stoop Rigg

Swaledale - £87 & 212.2p Baal Hill

Cast Ewes and Rams

Texel x – £103 Old Town, £97 Springwell, £93 Fairspring, £77 Great Bavington

Suffolk x - £101 Fairspring

Mule – £92 Fairspring & Linacres, £88 Old Town, £86 Linacres

Herdwick - £58 Fairspring