Weekly sales reports from Hexham and Northern Marts

Those cattle which did brave the treacherous road conditions were sold to a sound trade peaking at £1,440 for a pen of heavyweight, Charolais cross steers from Messrs Walton, Flotterton.

Consignors are reminded that we are now operating a ‘drop & go’ system and our auctioneers are happy to work to vendors instructions. In addition, face masks continue to be a necessity within the market premises and social distancing must be observed at all times.

Entries are invited for the sale next week, which would have been the special New Year prize show and sale, and despite the decision having been taken to cancel the prize show element, we fully expect an entry in excess of 400 head of top quality store cattle consigned by herdmasters from across the region. Entries should be directed to our auctioneers or the main office on (01434) 605444.

Leading prices;

Cattle 17 – 22 Months

Limousin x steers – £1360 Flotterton, £1280, £1180 & £1150 Lough Green.

Charolais x steers – £1440, £1410, £1380 & £1360 Flotterton.

Angus x steers – £1000 Rugley Walls.

Angus x heifers – £900 Woodwell House, £860 Rugley Walls.

Cattle 11 – 16 Months

Limousin x steers – £950 Salmonswell.

Limousin x heifers - £915 & £910 Whitchester.

Cattle 10 months and under

Limousin x steers – £1000, £955 & £950 (x2) Salmonswell.

Angus x steers – £940 & £910 Littlebeck.

Limousin x heifers - £955 Salmonswell.

A reduced show, due to snow conditions, met spirited bidding once again with all classes keenly sought after.

Overall average was £95.46. Don’t bypass Hexham with your cast ewes.

Topping the sale was a tremendous Texel ewe at £172 from regular consignor, Nilston Rigg Farms.

A pen of 11 monstrous Texel x ewes made £154 from M/s J Reed & Son, Hugh Eshells.

Suffolk x ewes were easily sold topping at £146 for a pair from M/s K Smith & Sons, East Greenridge.

Mules topped at £118 for a pen from Mr JW Watson, South Clarewood, with High Eshells selling 14 at £117.

Hill ewes of all classes easily sold.

Cast tups sold to a very dear trade with many more easily sold.

Texel tups sold to £168 from Mr G Pigg, Chesterwood.

More continue to be wanted to meet buyer demand.

Any enquiries to Jack on 07739440457.

Texel - £172 Nilston Rigg, £168 Chesterwood & Nilston Rigg, £165 Hallington New Houses, £158 Rusheylaw.

Texel x – £154 High Eshells, £152 Rusheylaw, £146 High Eshells, £142 Nilston Rigg, £140 Fell Lane, High Eshells, Wydon & East Greenridge, £138 The Fawns & East Greenridge, £134 South Clarewood, £125 Fell Lane, £122 The Fawns, £120 Merryshields (x2) & China Hall, £118 Rennys Barn, £117 East Greenridge, £116 Errington (x2), Rusheylaw & Colepike, £114 Fell Lane, £115 Errington, £113 East Greenridge, £112 Fell Lane, The Fawns, South Clarewood & Aydonshields, £110 The Fawns, The Ash, Aydonshields & Nilston Rigg, £109 South Clarewood, £108 Nilston Rigg, £107 Fell Lane & Merryshields, £106 Nilston Rigg, £105 Angerton Broom House.

Suffolk - £110 & £100 Merryshields.

Suffolk x – £146, £126 & £124 East Greenridge, £122 South Clarewood & Aydonshields, £120 Merryshields, Hareshaw Allotment, South Clarewood & Nilston Rigg (x2), £118 Bankfoot, £108 Colepike (x2), £105 Bankfoot & Nilston Rigg.

Beltex x - £100 & £96 East Greenridge.

Leicester - £116 East Greenridge, £112 Thornley Hall Farm, £100 Harsondale.

Hampshire - £70 Hazlett House.

Shropshire - £96 Middle Coldcotes.

Cheviot – £96 Fell Lane, £93 West Newlands.

Mule –£118 South Clarewood, £117 High Eshells, £116 Rusheylaw, £114 South Clarewood, £109 Fell Lane & Wydon.

Blackface – £80 New Dotland, £75 Broomhall.

Swaledale – £80 Thornley Hall Farm.

Crossbred – £68 Hallington New Houses.

Hexham and Northern Marts held its opening sale of 1,418 catalogued Store Hoggs. Those vendors that braved the ice and snow were very well rewarded with a fantastic trade throughout. With a very strong prime trade, purchasers were eager for sheep, even the very long keep hoggs were selling in excess of £85. The sale went on to average just short of £97, which is unbelievable for the show on offer.

Topping the sale with Beltex hoggs selling to £132.00 was Mr A Walker, Newbiggin. Suffolk x hoggs from D&NH Martell, Black Hedley, sold to £131.00

A fantastic run of 40 Texel tup hoggs from Peter Milburn, Butterknowes, sold to £129 and £128 and went on to average £124.35.

Blackface tup hoggs from Brieredge Farm, Bellingham, sold to £111.00.

A lot more hoggs could have been sold to vendors’ advantage. More numbers needed next week with this week’s purchasers already enquiring about numbers.

Texel x – £129, £128, £124 & £123 Butterknowes, £119 Fell Lane, £118 Hareshaw Allotment, £117 Grange House, £114 Hallington New Houses & Grange House, £113.50 Thrunton, £112.50 Normans Riding & Oakdene, £112 Butterknowes & Brieredge, £111 Hareshaw Allotment, £110.50 Townshields, £109.50 Normans Riding, £109 Fell Lane & Riding Farm.

Dutch Texel x - £116, £113 & £110 Agars Hill.

Suffolk x – £131 Black Hedley, £119 Holling Hill, £118 Black Hedley, £105 Bingfield East Quarter, £100 Grange House & Cooper House.

Beltex - £132 Newbiggin.

Beltex x - £128, £123, & £115.50 Hallington New Houses.

Leicester - £109 Wolsingham West End.

Zwartables - £106 Craigiehall.

Hampshire - £87 Hazlett House.

Cheviot - £97.50 & £89.50 Low Town.

Cheviot Mule - £104 Holling Hill.

Mule – £98 Holling Hill, £95 Thornley Hall Farm & Townshields, £90 Woodhall.

Blackface – £111 Brieredge, £89.50 Holling Hill, £81.50 Edlingham Demesne.

Swaledale - £83 Thornley Hall Farm, £77 Woodhall (x2)

Crossbred – £81.50 & £81 Middle Coldcotes.

More clean heifers forward, selling to 255.5ppkg for a smart Lim x heifer from Messrs TW Dinning & Son, Watch Currock.

Angus x Heifers - £1288.77, £1243.13, £1234.80 & £1226.70 Barker House

220.5p, 212.05p & 211.5p Barker House.

Charolais x Heifers - £1327.98 & 219.5p Lough Green.

Limousin x Heifers – £1492.12, £1466.15, £1348.15 & £1303.56 Watch Currock

255.5p, 248.5p, 229.5p & 228.5p Watch Currock.

A much larger entry of cows this week but a lot of plainer native bred sorts forward. Cows on the whole dearer on the week, especially the very lean sorts. Highest grossing cow came from Messrs WN & JC Gilhespy, Tedcastle, with a Lim x cow selling to £1230.60.

More cows needed on a weekly basis now with this increase in trade.

Please call Drew with entries and enquiries 07854361967.

Angus x - £1118.63, £1110.08 & £1089.55 Flotterton, £1007.93 Linacres, £984.31 Holywell

142.5p (x2) & 141.5p Flotterton, 133.5p Linacres, & Flotterton.

British Blue x - £1020.25 & 132.5p Rare Dean.

Charolais x - £973.66 & 138.5 Flotterton.

Hereford x - £1160.25 & 136.5p New Rift.

Limousin x - £1230.60 Tedcastle, £1113.21 Watch Currock, £1032.30 & £996.77 East Butsfield, £962.58 Flotterton, £961.95 East Butsfield, £960.33 & £933.65 Flotterton

146.5p Tedcastle, 139.5p East Butsfield & Watch Currock, 134.5p Flotterton.

South Devon - £971.23, £937.86, £886.44 The Deans

159.5p & 132.5p (x2) The Deans.

Shorthorn x - £995.46 & 131.5p Beacon Rigg.

Simmental x – £1065.63 & 137.5p Hartley West.

A good show of hoggs forward again this week and although the entry included, again, a fair proportion of hill sheep, all classes sold at extreme rates to an overall average of 260.0ppkg & £120/head.