North Country Cheviot producers from the north of Scotland said goodbye to another year of hard work and breeding at Lairg yesterday as their 2023 crop of lambs sold through the iconic mart.
In a change from the usual format, United Auctions conducted the sale one week later than normal, with their second sale of lambs, along with ewes and gimmers, due to take place on Tuesday October 3, rather than next month.
A total of 14,686 lambs sold through the ring, which is 2,346 more on the year, with 10,851 wethers averaging £68.48 (-86p) and 3,835 ewe lambs cashing in at £84.24 (-£13.23).
The general consensus around the ring was that breeders were content with the trade as most shepherds admitted that their lambs weren’t quite as strong, purely down to a dry June and wet July.
Auctioneer Donald Young, who sold for the first four hours, said the sale attracted a variation of lambs but added that there were a lot of younger lambs forward.
He said that most breeders would be satisfied with the trade but not ecstatic.
“Generally, most people have traded similar on the year for wethers but ewe lambs are back, which is a combination of not as much strength and a lot of smaller lambs selling at the end of the sale,” said Mr Young.
“The small lambs left the money last year as the strong lambs were away before the trade rose so perhaps buyers are being more cautious this year.”
North Country Cheviot president, Robert MacDonald, from Grantown-on-Spey, reckoned the stronger lambs were barely as dear as last year but said the smaller types looked sharper.
He said it was a relief that there was now an abundance of grass across the country, attracting the usual drove of buyers from the south.
One of those buyers, Jim Reid from Bengal, Lockerbie, was hoping to source around 700 lambs yesterday and by the middle of the sale was averaging £80 for his purchases which he said was similar on the year.
Mr Reid also buys lambs at St Boswells, which are sold through the live ring at Carlisle in December, while the Lairg lambs are away in March and April, through the same centre.
Stalwart breeder Alan MacKay from South Balkeith, Tain, sold some of the strongest wether lambs, with his consignment averaging £91.
His ewe lambs sold at £135 which he said was back £25/£30 on the 2022.
Meanwhile, Gavin Ross from 186 Migdale, Bonar Bridge, who would usually only bring a trailer load to the first sale, was happy with his day’s trading when selling 172 wethers and 130 ewe lambs.
He said: “My top draw of lambs are £3.50 on the year and the second draw, which have been sold three weeks earlier, are up £4.50 so I can’t complain,” said Mr Ross.
“The ewe lambs are back about £20 on the year but they’ve been offloaded earlier. On the whole, my lambs aren’t quite as strong but we’ve had a fair time of mixed weather this last few months.”
The sale of North Country Cheviot rams will take place at Lairg on Monday October 2.
