Last updated at 15:47, Thursday, 11 September 2008

ON TUESDAY Hexham and Northern Marts had forward 89 cattle, which included five young bulls and 47 over 30 month animals.

Prime cattle prices. Heifers per kilo: Blonde to 169.5p Shield Farm. Belgian Blue to 165.5p Hard Riding. Limousin to 164.5p Ryal Westside, 164.5p Hard Riding and 163.5p Shield Farm. Steers per kilo: Limousin to 164.5p Nunwick. Heifers per head: Blonde to £1,120.40 Shield Farm. Limousin to £1,023.19 Hard Riding. Steers per head: Limousin to £1,044.58 Nunwick and £1,015.07 and £1,000.83 Peacock House Young bulls to 145.5p and £870.09 Hedley West.
Over 30 month cattle returned another sharp trade. Prices per kilo: Charolais to 146.5p Cooper House. Angus to 135.5p and 121.5p Ravensworth Grange and 114.5p Old Town. Blonde to 131.5p Shield Farm. Limousin to 133.5p and 119.5p Matfen Home Farms, 129.5p Old Town, 119.5p(2) Sunniside and 119.5p Agars Hill. Belgian Blue to 118.5p and 115.5p Grange Farm. Simmental to 117.5p Fairley, 117.5p Langley West. Prices per head: Limousin to £967.88 and £929.71 Matfen Home Farms. Charolais to £939.75 The Park and £873.68 Rare Dene. Blonde to £937.60 Shield Farm. Simmental to £907.10 Fairley. Angus to £809.52 Old Town. Friesian to £762.03 West Minsteracres.
At their prime sheep sale on Tuesday Hexham and Northern Marts had forward 5,320, which comprised of 4,631 lambs and 689 cast ewes and rams. Prime lambs. The largest number of lambs forward so far this season, at a time when killing out percentages are falling as a result of very poor grazing conditions meant a hard days trading. Quality, farm assured, well drawn, well fleshed , dry, clean lambs continue to be good to sell. The sale was topped by an excellent pen of three-quarter Texel lambs from Derwent Oak making 135.1p/kg purchased by Woodhead Brothers, Colne and £66 per head for Suffolk x lambs from Nunwick purchased by Andrew Atkinson. Prime lamb prices. Suffolk x per head to £66 and £59 Nunwick, £65.50 and £61.40 Buteland, £64.50 and £60 Hallington New Houses, £62.50, £60 and £58.50 Dunns Houses, £61 New Dotland, £59.20 High Fotherley, £58.50 Wallhouses, £57.80 Nilston Rigg Farms and £57 Old Town. Per kilo to 128.6p Middle Farm Cottage, 127.3p(2) High Fotherley, 126.9p and 126.8p Derwent Oak, 125.5p Merryshields, 125p and 124.5p Dunns Houses, 124.9p Low Eshells and 123.8p Steel Hall, Halton Red House, Beamwham and Piatroon. Texel x per head to £62.80 and £62 Matfen Home Farms, £62.80 Low Eshells, £61.20 and £60 Dunns Houses, £61.20 Waite Farm and Ashcroft, £61 Quarry House and Spenside, £60.50 Brokenheugh and Buteland and £60 New Dotland, High Fotherley. Per kilo to 135.1p, 132.2p and 131.6p Derwent Oak, 134.2p and 133.3p Matfen Home Farms, 132.1p(2) and 130p Rawfoot, 131.6p High Baulk, 131.4p Hallington New Houses, 130.2p Longlea and 130p Todburn, Breckon Hill and High Fotherley. Beltex x per head to £51.10 Comb Hills and £51 and £50.50 Ellfoot. Per kilo to 127.8p Comb Hills and 126.3p Ellfoot. Mule per head to £54.80 and £50.80 Warksfield Head, £52.50 Stoop Rigg, £52.20 Longlea, £52 Yatesfield and Derwent Oak and £51.50 Rusheylaw, Broomhope and Hotbank, £51.20 Tarset Hall, £51 Rawfoot, £50.50 Rusheylaw and The Steel. Per kilo to 123.8p Derwent Oak, 118.2p and 116.6p Yatesfield, 117.5p and 114.1p Stoop Rigg, 117.4p and 114.4p Rusheylaw, 116p Longlea, 115.9p Rawfoot and 114.8p Stotsfold and The Steel. Charollais x per head to £63 Piatroon, £54 Low Houselope, £53.50 Rusheylaw and £50.50 Cooper House. Per kilo to 127.4p Rusheylaw, 125.6p Low Houselope and 123.2p Cooper House. Bleu d’ Maine to £52 and 118.2p Low Staples. Cheviot x to £51.50 Greenfield. Cheviot Mule to £53 and 117.8p Overacres. Leicester to £50.20 Allendale Farm. Blackface per head to £50.80 Warksfield Head, £49 and £41 Hotbank, £48.80 Cranberry Brow, £47.80 Yatesfield, £45 Embley and £40 The Brigg. Per kilo to 113.8p Yatesfield, 111.4p Hotbank, 110.9p The Brigg, 109.8p Embley, 108.6p Burnbank and 108.4p Cranberry Brow.
Also on Tuesday there were 689 cast ewes and rams forward. A better show of ewes met a sound demand with well bred, well fleshed ewes selling to £60.20 for Texels from Lough Green. Ewe prices per head: Texel x to £60.20 Lough Green, £55.50 and £46.80 St Oswalds, £49.50 Dukesfield Hall and The Reenes, £48.80 Nunwick, £48.50 Halton Red House, £47.50 Cooper House, £46.80 Whitechapel and £46.50 Halton Red House. Suffolk x to £55 Halton Red House. Mule to £45.20 Colwell South, £42.50 Breckon Hill(smith), £41 Steel Hall, £40 East Greenridge, £39.50 Allendale Farm, £38.80 Low Staples, £38.50 The Ash, £38.20 New Dotland, £38 Camphill, £37.80 Heugh Farm and £37.50 Halton Red House. Bleu d’ Maine to £55 Lough Green. Charollais x to £48.50 Cooper House. Cheviot x to £48 Steel Hall and £41.50 Embley. Leicester to £41 Tipalt Farms. Vendeen to £39 Dilston Haugh. Blackface to £24 Burnbank, £23 Linacres, £22.80 Grindon Hill and £20 Camphill. Swaledale to £14 and £13.60 Broom House, £13.50 Tipalt Farms, £13.20 Hawksteel and £13 Tarset Hall. Jacob to £19 Pine Hill. Rams per head: Texel to £48 St Oswalds.

ON FRIDAY at their weekly sale Hexham and Northern Marts had forward an entry of 190 store cattle and suckled calves. A very mixed entry met an extremely sharp trade well in excess of sellers expectations. The sale was topped by a superb pen of five three-quarter Limousin steers from High Farm, Hallington which made £942.00. Heifers sold to £852 for Blonde x from Merryshields.
Top prices. Cattle aged 23 months +. Limousin x: Steers to £942 and £928 High Farm, £890, £880, £870(2), £850, £840, £830 and £810 Hay A Park, £850 High Farm and £790 Blue Gables. Heifers to £805 High Farm to £650 Blue Gables. Charolais x: Steers to £930 Hay a Park. Young bulls to £835 High Farm. Simmental x: Steers to £780 Hay a Park. Young bulls to £700 Cote House.
Cattle aged 17 – 22 months. Blonde x heifers to £852, £815, £795 and £790 Merryshields. Charolais x: Young bull to £830 Horncastle. Heifers to £738 Haggwood. Limousin x: Steers to £725 Woodhall, £710 Ridley Stokoe, £700 and £688 Fairleas and £695 Wagtail. Heifers to £815 and £675 Cheviot, £750 and £685 Wagtail and £662 Hindley.
Cattle 11 – 16 months. Charolais x: Steers to £810 Haggwood. Heifers to £700 and £658 Hindley. Limousin x: Steers to £772, £770, £752, £712, £688, £650 and £635 Bulls Hill and £755 Fairleas. Heifers to £690 Cheviot and £675, £665 and £635 Hindley. Simmental x: Steers to £735 and £605 Three Farms. Heifers to £682, £590 and £585 Three Farms. Belgian Blue x: Heifers to £578 and £540 Westburnhope. Heifers to £560 and £545 Westburnhope. Angus x steers to £545 High Rowantreefoot.
Cattle 10 months and under. Belgian Blue x steers to £755 Bulls Hill. Limousin x steers to £552 Bulls Hill and £538 Pea Farm.

FOR their weekly sale of store sheep Hexham and Northern Marts had a total of 1,390 head entered. A quality show of lambs sold to a good crowd of local and distant buyers and sold to a top of £53.50 for Texel x lambs from Colt Crag and £51 for a pen of 40 Cheviot cross from Linacres.
Leading prices. Feeding ewes: Blackface to £17 Davyshiel. Store lambs: Texel x to £53.50 and £45(2) Colt Crag, £46.50 Hepple Whitefield, £45.20 Hollin Close, £44.50 and £39 Black House, £44 and £42.50 High Shipley £44 Catless, £42.50 and £39 Blakelaw, £42 and £36 Shortmoor, £41.20 The Ash, £40.20 and £37 Bellshiel, £38.50 Fellside and £37.20 and £33.80 Ridge End. Suffolk x to £47.80, £47.40 and £41.50 Settlingstones, £47.20 Hepple Whitefield, £46.20 Hollin Close, £42 The Ash and £41.20 East Highridge. Cheviot x to £51 Linacres. Charollais x to £34.50 Dumblar Rigg. Beltex x to £40.50 Catless. Leicester to £37.50 Deadwater and £36 Dumblar Rigg. Mule to £37.20 Hepple Whitefield, £37, £31.50 and £24.20 Grasslees, £35.50 Deadwater, £34.80 Blakelaw, £34.50 Moss House and Hawksteel, £34 Dumblar Rigg and £32 Whitchester. Jacob to £32 Catless. Blackface to £31 Davyshiel.

ON THURSDAY, Hexham and Northern Marts held their opening sale of the season for Mule ewe lambs for both members and non members of the North of England Mule Sheep Association. Prior to the sale the prize show was again kindly sponsored by Robson and Cowan Country Stores, Scots Gap and the Yorkshire Bank. Frank Cowan and Kevin Bewsher presented the Robson and Cowan trophy and prize money to David and Marion Hope, Albierigg, Canonbie for the second year in succession for a superb pen which realised £88. Prize list: 1, Messrs B.D. and M.S. Hope, Albierigg £88; 2, Messrs J.E. Woodman and Son, Great Chesters £85; 3, Crowhall Farms, Bardon Mill £74; 4, Messrs J. Browell and Sons, Quarry House £78. With the poor weather conditions this summer the overall show of lambs was not as strong as last year. Trade for tupping and strong lambs met a keen demand but the running lambs were harder to sell. The corresponding sale last year was the best trade of the season and todays sale was £1.20 up on the year. Leading prices: £88, £70 and £68 Albierigg, £85 Great Chesters, £82(2), £80, £79, £78 and £70 Quarry House, £78 and £71 Great Chesters, £76(2), £74, £73 and £70 Brownsleazes, £76 and £70 Yatesfield, £76, £74, £70 and £68 Low Leam, £76 and £69 Carry House, £74, £70, £69(2) and £68 The Steel, £74 Crowhall Farms, £73 and £68 Whiteside, £73 Redesmouth, £72 Hole Farm, £71 Rusheylaw and Homilton, £70 Garretlea, £68 West Nubbock, Dunns Houses, Hill End, Pitland Hills and Kellah. Prior to the sale of Suffolk x ewe lambs, the judges Ron Bulpitt and Craig Livingstone from Sparsholt Manor Farms, Childrey, Oxfordshire awarded the E.N. Jackson Perpetual Challenge trophy for the best pen to Tonehall. Prize list: 1, J. and D. Longlands Ltd, Tone Hall £72; 2, J. and D. Longlands Ltd, Tone Hall £70; 3, Mr R.W. Telford, Branton East Side £74. Leading prices: £74 and £70 Branton East Side and £72 and £70(2) Tone Hall. Texel x ewe lambs prize list: 1, Messrs J. Reed and Son, High Eshells £79; 2, Messrs R. Thornton and Son, Cornhills £62; 3, Messrs H. Huddleston, Round Meadows £62. Leading prices: £79, £71, £68 and £66 High Eshells, £66(2) Huntershield, £62 Cornhills(2) and Round Meadows and £55 Hackford. Prior to the sale of Blackface ewe lambs, Mr Dennis Charlton, Whiteside, Haltwhistle awarded the Gordon Swan Challenge cup for the best pen to Yatesfield. Prize list: 1, Messrs W.S. Robson and Co, Yatesfield £58; 2, Mr D.G. Yeats, Close-A-Burn £57; 3, Messrs R.J. and J. Raine, Townfoot £59. Leading prices: £77, £58 and £50 High Staward, £62 The Brigg, £59 Townfoot, £58 and £52 Yatesfield, £57(2), £56 and £50 Close A Burn and £50(2) Greenleighton.

LAST Wednesday the Hexham and Northern Marts had an entry of 1,252 lambs at their Scots Gap centre to average an encouraging 43.3kg, 131ppkg and £56.68 per head. All classes sold well and more numbers could easily have been sold to vendors advantage. Leading prices were £70.80 for Texel x lambs from Richard Thornton, Cornhills and 149.2ppkg from Peter Charleton, Little Harle. Suffolk x lambs sold to £63.80 from Peter Walton, Thockrington Farms and 134.8ppkg from Jim and Nicholas Brown, East White Hill.
Other prices. Texel x per head to £70.80, £64.20 and £61 Cornhills, £66 Ealingham, £65.80 and £64 Tuthill, £64.50, £62.60 and £61.80 Ingoe Low Hall, £62.50 Station House, £61.80 Chesters, Tosson Tower, £61.50 Little Harle, £61.20 East White Hill and Merryshields and £60.80 Craig Hall. Per kilo to 149.2p Little Harle, 139.5p Lyneup Hill, 138p Buckshaw, 137.3p East White Hill, 137p Capheaton New Houses, 136.5p High Callerton, 136.2p Tuthill, 136.1p and 135.6p Cornhills, 136.1p and 134.4p Ingoe Low Hall, 136p Merryshields, 135.1p Craig Hall, 135p Cartington, 134.6p South Kirkheaton and 134.4p Tosson Tower.
Suffolk x per head to £63.80 £61.20 Thockrington Farms, £63.10 Tuthill, £62.80 Homilton, £62 and £56 Little Harle, £62 East White Hill, £61.50 Crook Dene, £61 Town Farm Milbourne, £60.50 Cornhills, £59.80 Merryshields, £58.80 Chesters, £58.50 Capheaton New Houses, £57.80 Thockrington Farms, £56.80 Holling Hill, £56.50 Catreen. Per kilo to 134.8p East White Hill, 133.7p Crook Dene, 133.6p Homilton and Chesters, 133p, 132.9p and 131.4p Thockrington Farms, 133p Capheaton New Houses, 132.9p Catreen and Merryshields, 132.6p Town Farm Milbourne, 132.5p Gallows Hill, 132.1p Holling Hill, 131.9p Little Harle and 131.5p Cornhills and Tuthill. Mule per head to £57.30 Little Harle, £57 and £52.20 Holling Hill, £56.20 Catreen, £54.80 and £53.20 Carrick, £50.50 The Shield and £44.20 Rattenraw. Per kilo to 129.8p and 124.6p Carrick, 124.9p Catreen, 124.6p Little Harle, 124.3p and 123.9p Holling Hill, 123.2p The Shield and 119.5p Rattenraw. Charollais x per head to £66.50, £55 and £54.50 The Lee and £61.20 and £46.50 Overacres. 130.2p Overacres and 127.9p, 126.7p and 125.5p The Lee. Leicester to £56.80 and 123.5p The Shield. Zwartbles to £53 and 129.3p Three Farms. Blackface to £51.20 and 121.9p Carrick.

ON TUESDAY, at their Longtown sale the Cumberland and Dumfriesshire Farmers’ Mart had forward 3,032 store lambs. Quality was much better and trade much sharper with many distant buyers present. Top of £46.20 for Texels from Ridley Farm, others £44 Hollinclose, £42 Spadeadam. North Country Cheviot £46 Clover Hill. Charollais £43.50 Greensburn. Greyface £43.50 Station Road, £39 The Row, £38 Greensburn, £37 Park House. Suffolk £43 Station Road, £41 Blakelaw. Cheviot Mule £35 Shawhill. Blackface £29 Whintingstown, £27 Brownhill. The first sale of Cheviot lambs met a very good trade to a top of £40.50 from Humbleheugh, £38.50 Stoophill, £36 Gillesbie Farm.

ON THURSDAY at their weekly Longtown prime stock sale the Cumberland and Dumfriesshire Farmers’ Mart had forward 72 prime cattle and one young beef bulls, along with 5,447 prime lambs and 5,352 cast ewes and rams. Cattle averages. Steers: Light, 128.5p (128.5p); medium, 177.5p (154.8p); heavy, 180.5p (168.4p). Heifers: Medium, 167.5p (149.2p); heavy, 179.5p (155.2p). Young beef bulls: 155.5p (155.5p). Sheep averages. Lambs: Light, 134.0p (118.2p); standard, 146.0p (129.2p); medium, 145.0p (133.0p); heavy, 148.0p (131.1p); other weights, 144.0p (127.9p). Ewes: Light, £48.50 (£20.69); heavy, £69.50 (£40.51). Cast rams: £70.50 (£37.94).

FOR their Annual special sale lowland breeding sheep last Wednesday at Longtown the Cumberland and Dumfriesshire Farmers’ Mart had forward 2,457 ewes, 1,642 shearlings and 15 rams.An excellent show of sheep forward attracted many buyers from as far away as Suffolk. All classes were good to sell at firmer rates than last year.
Shearlings sold to £90 for Texels from Windy Hill, others £84 Hillhead, £80 Windy Hill. Greyface £84 Broomhills, £80 Sceughdyke. Cheviot Mule £84 Greenacres. Suffolk £82, £78 Kirkhouse. Swaledale £43 Bolam Crofts.
Ewes sold to a top of £83 and £75 for Suffolks from Kirkhouse. Greyface £76, £70 Parcelstown, £64 Fieldside. Bleu d’Maine £76 Lustruther Cottage. Texel £70 Shawhill, £68 Clonrae. Half Bred £54 Redhouse. Lleyn £51 Shawhill, £50 Norman Farm. Cheviot Mule £50 The Croft. Cheviot £47 Woodhouselees. Jacob £37 Shawhill. Swaledale £28 Stackbraes. Ewe lambs sold to £53 for Texels from Shawhill. Rams sold to £390 and £340 for Charollais x Beltex shearlings from Lesson Hall. Texel shearling rams to £340 and £330 Roachburn who sold two shear Texels at £240.
Included in the sale was the dispersal of 565 Greyface sheep from the Springkell Estate for Michael Johnson-Ferguson. The sheep were well shown and in excellent condition, trade was buoyant throughout. Greyface gimmers to £60, 1 crop £55, 2 crop £55, 3 crop £46, 4 crop £41.50, 5 crop £38. Suffolk gimmers to £71, 2 crop £70, 3 crop £53, 4 crop £56. Overall average just short of £50.

First published at 11:34, Thursday, 11 September 2008
Published by http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk