Store Cattle & Store Sheep
Store Cattle
Hexham & Northern Marts offered for sale a good entry of 590 head of catalogued store cattle which included over 240 native breed cattle for the monthly special sale of such types.
With no let up in numbers forward at Hexham once again trade was buoyant and with a very mixed show of quality throughout all classes were sought after. Several older, forward bullocks broke the two-thousand ceiling – the dearest two being the sale toppers at £2080; big Limmy and Charolais bullocks from Messrs Carins, Broomhall and Messrs Thompson, Fitches Grange respectively. Messrs Cairns also sold the dearest Angus beast on the day at £2040 and Messrs Thompson sold a super run of 7 older aged bullocks which returned at a newsworthy £1877 per head. Messrs Eggleston, Thornham Hill sold a great run of older Hereford cross steers which topped at £1900 and averaged £1750 for six sold on the day.
In terms of forward heifers the trade was very much ‘Back In Black’ with the top three prices all occupied by Angus heifers – the dearest at £1770 was from Messrs Metcalf, Fairley with another two at £1740 each, both from Messrs Burn, Aydonshields. Continental crosses scaled to £1720 for an exceptional Limmy heifer at 15 month from Malcolm Corbett, Dykehead with Charolais following at £1650 at a similar age from Agnes and James Sinton, White House.
It was continentals that dominated the middle aged trade with a superb Limmy bullock selling at £2060 from Thomas Graham, West Foreshield and another at £1640 from Messrs Walton, Greyside who also led the heifer charge at £1570 for another Limmy lady with trademark Greyside shape and style.
On the native day it was encouraging to see return consignors after some years absence and not only did the Moralee herd Herefords shine for Tommy & Di Harrison they practically glistened with a surplus pure bred young bull at 14 months selling to £1540 to highlight the increasing demand for bulls through the Hexham ring. Similarly John Ogle, Wydon had a great day selling bulls and topped at £1430 for a pair of smart simmentals and followed at £1390 for another pair which should encourage potential vendors to contact our auctioneers.
The mid-age range of native breeds were dominated by Angus types and these topped at £1430 for a pure bred bullock from Messrs Fabi, Broadlea, Stockton on Tees who reaped the benefits of heading north on the A1 to Hexham – the leading centre for the sale of Store Cattle in The North East! Another ‘happy traveller’ who enjoyed another trip; this time down the A1 was Christopher Sutherland, Ross Farms, Belford who peaked at £1400 for the lead bullock of his annual consignment in which he sold 33 steers and heifers to average £1075 – £80 up per head on the same sale last year.
The youngest class of continental cross calves and weanlings at ten months and under were sold late in the day on the week reserved for native types but suffered not in doing so. Steers peaked at £1470 for a cracking Limmy bullock from Messrs Walton, Greyside whilst heifers enjoyed an equally bouncing trade topping at £1430 for another smasher from Ken Ridley, Allenshields. Including the younger portion of native breed calves which peaked at £1345 for an Angus bullock from Neil Armstrong, Ricknall Mill the entire entry of steer calves averaged £1102 per head whilst heifer sisters returned a useful £1012 per head on the day.
With days lengthening and thoughts shifting to grass turnout the auctioneers at Hexham are keen to source cattle both locally and from beyond the normal catchment area to take advantage of the great rates being enjoyed currently. Contact Chris Armstrong 07808 721957 or Drew Patrick 07854 361967 to discuss marketing cattle at Hexham. Leading prices;
Cattle 30 Months +
Charolais x steers – £2080, £1900 & £1800 Fitches Grange
Cattle 23 – 30 Months
Limousin x steers – £1900 Lunns House, £1800 Rare Dean, £1780 Lunns House
Charolais x steers – £1920, £1880 (x2) & £1680 Fitches Grange
Luing steers – £1580 & £1530 Brandon
Simmental x steers – £1720 & £1680 Brandon
Angus x steers – £1790 Sunniside, £1780 Fairley, £1760 Sunniside, £1640 Rare Dean, £1630 Allendale Farm
Hereford x steers – £1900 & £1890 Thornham Hill
Limousin x heifers – £1610 East Uppertown
Angus x heifers – £1770 Fairley, £1700 & £1660 Allendale Farm, £1580 Church Farm
British Shorthorn heifers – £1130 & £1120 Burnbank
Hereford heifers – £1200, £1130 & £1100 Oakdene
Cattle 17 – 22 Months
Limousin x steers – £2080 Broomhall, £1980 & £1940 (x2) West Foreshield, £1880 Lunns House, £1800 Berry Edge, £1780 Lunns House, £1600 Berry Edge, £1590 Camphill & White House, £1580 Camphill
Charolais x steers – £1790, £1740 & £1700 White House
British Blue x steers – £1500 & £1400 Camphill
Angus steers – £1080 & £990 Wallish Walls
Angus x steers – £2040 Broomhall, £1850 Rare Dean, £1740 Sunniside, £1700 Broomhall & Lynnshield, £1660 Broomhall & Lynnshield, £1650 Allendale Farm
Hereford steers – £1320 Eltringham
Hereford x steers – £1690 & £1680 Thornham Hill
Simmental x steers – £1730 Brandon
Limousin x heifers – £1720 Dykehead, £1660 White House, £1500 Berry Edge, £1470 Camphill, £1410 Camphill & West Foreshield, £1400 Berry Edge
Charolais heifers – £1180 Harnham Hall
Charolais x heifers – £1650 & £1580 White House
Angus x heifers – £1740 Aydonshields (x2), £1520 Fairley
Hereford heifers – £1200 & £1160 Oakdene
Cattle 11 – 16 Months
Limousin x steers – £2060 West Foreshield, £1640 Greyside, £1620 Burntongues, £1600 Greyside, £1570 Burntongues, £1520 Greyside, £1510 Allenshields, £1500 Farnbury, £1490 Greyside, £1480 Harwood Shield, £1470 Low Stokoe, £1460 Allenshields
Charolais x steers – £1600 White House, £1310 & £1220 Harnham Hall, £1200 West Foreshield
Angus steers – £1430 Broadlea, £1280 & £1250 Bollihope Shield
Angus x steers – £1400 Warden Law & Ross Farm, £1340 Lowfield, £1300 Moorhouse Gate, £1280 Ross Farm
British Blue steers – £1540 & £1480 Greyside, £1260 Harwood Shield
Luing steers – £1100 & £1070 Low Chesterhope
British Shorthorn steers – £1090 & £1040 Thornley Hall
Hereford steers – £1540, £1350 & £1180 (x2) Eltringham
Limousin x heifers – £1570 Farnbury, £1460 Dykehead & Elrington Hall, £1410 Burntongues, £1400 Dykehead & Burntongues, £1390 Dykehead, £1380 Evistones, £1330 Burntongues & Farnbury, £1300 Elrington Hall
Angus heifers – £1200 Broadlea
Angus x heifers – £1220 High Trewhitt, £1170 Ross Farm (x3), £1140 Ricknall Mill
Cattle 10 months and under
Limousin x steers – £1470 Farnbury, £1325 Round Meadows, £1320 Tedcastle, £1300 Burntongues & Harwood Shield
Angus steers – £1080 Old Town (x2)
Angus x steers – £1345 Ricknall Mill, £1300 Moorhouse Gate
Charolais steers – £1100 Hill Head
Charolais x steers – £1100 West Foresheid & Harnam Hall
Hereford x steers – £1010 Ridgement Cottage
Luing steers – £900 Low Chesterwood
Limousin x heifers – £1430 Allenshields, £1360 Tedcastle, £1340 Allenshields, £1310 Harwood Shield
Angus heifers – £1040 Old Town
Angus x heifers – £1200 & £1080 Ricknall Mill
Charolais x heifers – £1180 West Foreshield
Young Bulls
Simmental – £1390, £1200 Wydon
Simmental x – £1390, £1310 Wydon
Cast Ewes
One of the largest shows of ewes seen at this time of year, were again a fast trade selling to a top of £208 for a Beltex Ewe from Quickeningcote.
Texel cross ewes reached a high of £192 from West Moorhouses. Suffolk crosses peaked at £150 from Morrowfield. Leicester ewes topped at £148 on two occasions from Hackford & Blueburn. Mule Ewes to £122 for a penful from Morrowfield, with a pen of 19 from 4 Agricultural Cottages and a pen from Nettlesworth Nest making £120. Blackfaces to £110 from Hotbank and Nilston Rigg at £101. Swales reached a high of £86 from Hackford.
Beltex- £208 Quickening Cote
Beltex x- £150 East Greenridge
Texel x – £192 West Moorhouses, £188 Chesters, £172 Little Harle, West Moorhouses & Dipton Foot, £170 West Moorhouses & Crescent Farm, £169 & £166 4 Agricultural Cottages, £150 4 Agricultural Cottages & Crescent Farm, £149 4 Agricultural Cottages, £148 & £140 Crescent Farm, £139 Dickinson Drive, £135 4 Agricultural Cottages, £134 Lynup Hill, £132 Barker House
Suffolk x – £150 Morrowfield, £149 Ross Farm, £147 4 Agricultural Cottages, £140 Tosson Tower, £136 Steel Hall
Charollais x – £130 Crescent Farm
Leicester-£148 Hackford Steel & Blueburn, £139 Blueburn
Mule – £122 Morrowfield, £120 4 Agricultural Cottages & Nettlesworth, £118 Little Harle, £117 Armond Carr & West Shield, £113 4 Agricultural Cottages, West Moorhouses & Normans Riding
Zwartbles-£136 West Shields
Abermax-£118 Acton
Blackface – £110 Hotbank, £101 Nilston Rigg
Swaledale – £86 Hackford, £73 East Greenridge
Cross-£144 Ross Farm
Cast Tups
Cast Tups topped at £185 for a Texel from Tosson Tower.
Texel – £185 Tosson Tower, £168 Reavley Farm, £166 West Shields
Leicester- £130
Cheviot- £124 Acton
Blackface – £124 Little Harle
Store Hoggs
A nice show of hoggs forward for this time of year with numbers tightening due to lambing time approaching. The sale included a good number of forward sheep which were keenly sort after.
All classes were good to sell, trade was sharper. Taking top spot today was a pen of 8 Texel Ewe Hoggs at £160 from South Farm, Hallington.
Suffolk cross hoggs realized £137 from Flotterton with the same home selling Cheviot hoggs to £123.
Leicesters topped at £119 from Hotbank.
Mules Hoggs to £108 from Hotbank & Flotterton with Blackfaces to £114 again from Hotbank.
Swales topped at £77 from Buckshot.
Texel-£160 South Farm, £140 Willimoteswick
Texel x –£125 Warksfield Head, £124 Stewartshield Meadows, £119 West Shields, £116 Chesters & Tosson Tower, £115 Chesters, £114 Holly Hill West & Chesters (x3), £113 Lynup Hill
Suffolk x –£137 Flotterton, £119 Cheviot, £117 West Shields, £114 & £110 Lodge House Farm
Hampshire-£129 Norwoods
Cheviot- £123 Flotterton, £119 Quickeningcote, £116 Flotterton
Leicester-£119 Hotbank
Mule – £108 Hotbank & Flotterton, £100 Holly Hill West, £99 Warksfield Head, £98.50 Coombe Crag
Charolais x- £116 Flotterton
Blackface – £114 Hotbank
Swaledale – £77 Buckshot, £75 Stewartshield Meadow