Aberdeen and Northern Marts sold 4,314 prime and store lambs through its Quoybrae Centre on Monday which included the annual show and sale of North Country Cheviots and Half-breds.
Averages across most of the breed sections were up on the year, particularly for the 397 cross ewe lambs, cashing in at at £119.43 and up £29.14 on the 2022, with a top of £210 for Texel crosses from Balnahard, Harpsdale.
The 310 North Country Cheviot ewe lambs levelled at £127.84 (+£14.57) and sold to £220 from 8 Murrayfield, Castletown, while the 767 Half-bred ewe lambs topped the day’s trade at £440 from Aimster, Thurso.
They cashed in at £155.21, back £11.12 on the year.
Amongst the wedder lambs, the 71 Half-breds averaged £105.43, a rise of £19.47 on the year, to a top of £118 from Tain, Castletown, while 238 North Country Cheviots levelled at £69.27, back £4.80, selling to £81 from Tormore, Dunbeath.
Meanwhile, the 2,443 cross lambs levelled at £84.17, back just £3 on the year, and reaching £127 for Texels from Balnahard, Harpsdale.
In the show, sponsored by DR Alexander and Son, and judged by Louise Coghill from Skinnet, Halkirk, the champion pen of 20 Half-bred ewe lambs and winner of the Harry S Sleigh Perpetual Trophy was awarded to J Sutherland, Overton, Clyth.
They later sold for £180 per head to Jim Stirling, Greenfield, Cuminestown, Turriff.
Ms Coghill purchased her champion single in the North Country Cheviot section from W Campbell, Naver House, for £300.
In the D R Alexander & Son sponsored show and sale of ewe lambs champion single in the half-bred section judged by Louise Coghill Skinnet Halkirk was from A Miller & Sons, Aimster, Thurso.
The champion pen of 10 North Country Cheviot ewe lambs was won by AG Simpson, Cairnside, which later made £210 to Morrison and Mustard, Hillhead, Birnie, Elgin.
W&G Coghill, Balnahard, Halkirk, won the champion single in the any other breed for a Suffolk cross, purchased for £210 by Ronnie Wilkie, Tillyboy, Echt.
Mr Wilkie also forked out £140 per head for the champion pen of 10 Suffolk crosses from the same home.
Prize list
Single Half-bred ewe lamb – 1, A Miller & Sons, Aimster, Thurso £440; 2, F Anderson, Osclay, Wick £155; 3, J Sutherland, Overton, Mid Clyth £420. Pen 10 Half-bred ewe lambs – 1, J Sutherland, Overton, Mid Clyth £180; 2, A Miller & Sons, Aimster, Thurso £185; 3, D Coghill, Tofts of Tain, Castletown £170. Pen of 20 Half-bred ewe lambs – 1, MG & A Shearer, Lythmore, Bridge of Westfield £165. Single NCC ewe lamb – 1, W Campbell, Naver House, Thurso £300; 2, C Forbes, 19 Mowat Place, Lybster £130; 3, A G Simpson, Cairnside, Watten £250. Pen 10 NCC ewe lambs – 1, AG Simpson, Cairnside £210; 2, J S Baillie & Co, Sebay £170; 3, J S Baillie & Co, Sebay £150. Single other breed ewe lamb – 1, W & G Coghill, Balnahard, Harpsdale £210; 2, W & G Coghill, Balnahard, Harpsdale £172. Pen 10 AOB ewe lambs – 1,W & G Coghill, Balnahard, Harpsdale £140; 2, Dunbeath Farms, Tormore, Dunbeath £142; 3, RW Innes, Stirkoke Mains, Wick £122
Leading prices
Ewe lambs: HB – Overton, Mid-Clyth £420, Aimster £300, Lythmore £250. NCC- Cairnside, 36 Oldhall £250, Naver House, Cairnside £240; Wester Dunnet £210, Tormore £175. TexX – Balnahard £172, Tofts of Tain £155, Plocan £148, Cairnside, Milton Halkirk £130. Plocan £125. SuffX – Granton Mains £150, Dunbeath Farms £142, Hunster £135, Bardnaclavan, Granton Mains £140, Stirkoke £122; Winless Mains £113. ChevMule- East End, John O Groats £152. Store lambs: BelX – Balnahard, Harpsdale £117, Scrabster House £94. Inkstack £89. HB – Osclay, Wick £116, Hunster £110, Overton, Tain £109. SufX – Milton £112 £108, Dunbeath Farms £96.50, Gerston, Winless Mains £92, Tormore £91, Kirkfield £86.50, Stirkoke £85.50. Tex – Achaguie Farm £100, Leen South Keiss £88, Fairview £78. Chev – Castle Heather, Smerlie £90, Scrabster House £78. BluTexel – Larkins, Upper Lybster £85. NCC – 19 Mowat Place £80, Buldoo £78, Damside £73.50. Mule – Fairview £76. Prime lambs – Cont – Upper Lybster £122, Myrelandhorn 248.9p; Tex- West Watten £120, Hillhead 268.2p; BelX – Hillhead £120, 272.7p; TexX – Myrelandhorn £118.50, West Watten 257.8p; Sufx- Winless Mains £118, Myrelandhorn, West Watten 250p; Suf – Myrelandhorn £117.50, Slickly, Lyth 252.3p; ContX – Kirkfield, Castletown £117, Castle Heather 251.1p.
