Farming Eye

The champion from the Young Farmers calf rally has led the trade at the Caledonian Marts sale of show potential calves today when selling at £3000.

Overall Champion from Suzie Dunn – Gangnam Style £3000

This one, the winner of the first of the heifer classes, was bred by the Robertson family, Newton of Logierait and was bought in September at Caledonian Marts for £1150. Named Gangnam Style, she is by Craigatoke Butch and sold to John Taylor, Orkney.

Following that at £2400 was a Limousin cross heifer from the open classes from Archie MacGregor, Allanfauld. This one is a May-born heifer is by Haltcliffe Underwriter out of a limousin cross cow, she sold to John Lumgair, Gask, Forfar.

Allanfauld £2400

Craig Malone then sold his Limousin cross heifer for £2000 to Stewart Bett, on behalf of Balfour Baillie, Orkney.  This second prize calf from the YF section was purchased at Stirling in October for £900 from McGregor, Saddlebank, Perth

Click read more to continue…

by Jonathan Long

The winner of the first open class of the day was tapped out as the overall champion, with this being a British Blue cross from the Robertson family, Newton of Logerait. This one is by a Ridgedean bull and out of a Limousin cow by Attila and was bought as a calf at foot along with its dam for £1650 in May last year.

Reserve overall was the second prize bullock from the same class from Monzie Farms. He’s homebred and by Windsole Chancer and out of a Limousin x Blue cow.

by Jonathan Long

Taking the top place in the first class of open calves at Caledonian Marts was the Robertson family, Newton of Logerait with a British Blue cross steer born in April last year. Second place in this class went to Monzie Farms with a Limousin cross and third was Messrs Bothwell and Allan with a Charolais cross.

The second steer class was won by Monzie Farms with a Limousin cross, while in second place was H Erskine with another Lim cross bullock and in third was the Robertsons again with a Limousin cross.

The first open heifer class was won by Monzie Farms again, this time with a March-born Limousin cross heifer. Second place went to Archie MacGregor with a Britis Blue cross and third went to another from the same home, this time a Charolais cross.

The next heifer class was won by Archie MacGregor with a Blue cross born in June, with the Robertsons second with another Blue cross heifer and third place going to C McKenchnie with a July-born Lim cross.

by Jonathan Long

A Limousin sired heifer from Suzie Dunn has taken the overall championship in the YFC section of today’s show and sale of show potential calves at Caledonian Marts. This one, the winner of the first of the heifer classes, was bred by the Robertson family, Newton of Logierait. She was bought in September at Caledonian Marts for £1150 and is named Gangnam Style and is by Craigatoke Butch.

Taking the reserve championship were John and James Graham, Burnbank, with their British Blue cross calf which was bred by Fred Murray, Wrangham. This one cost £1050 at the Royal Highland Winter Fair and is out of Limousin cross cow.

Pictures and sale news to follow later today.

by Jonathan Long

The first of the YFC classes at today’s Caledonian Marts’ show and sale of show potential calves are underway and in the first class, the dairy calf class, the winner was S Rankin with an Ayrshire. Second here was G Black with a Holstein calf and third was S Rankin again with an Ayrshire.

Following that in the first of the beef calf classes, the winner was a March 2012-born British Blue cross bullock from John and James Graham, second place here went to Kirk Marshall with a Limousin cross born in February 2012 and in third was Kirsty Morton with another Limousin cross, this time a January-born entry.

The second of the beef breed classes saw the win go to Peter Wilson’s Limousin cross born in March 2012, with second going to Stephen Taylor with a Limousin cross and third to Andrew Morton with a March-born Limousin cross.

Then in the next class, the final bullock class the winner was Ian Dick with an end of April-born Charolais cross, second to this one was Adam Hamilton with a Limousin cross and in third place was Nicola Reid with another end of April-born Charolais.

In the first of the YFC heifer classes the winner was Suzie Dunn with a January 2012-born Limousin cross, with second spot going to Craig Malone with another Limousin cross and third place taken by Nicola Reid with a February-born Limousin cross.

Then in the second of the heifer classes with top spot was filled by Andrew Morton with a Limousin cross born in April last year. Taking second spot in this class was Jean McKay with a March-born Limousin cross and third was Ian McInnes, again with a Limousin cross.

The final heifer class of the day was won by R McLennan with a May 2012-born Limousin cross, with a Charolais cross from Suzie Dunn in second and third spot went to the Harvey family with their Limousin cross.

by Jonathan Long

In what could be seen as a good sign for the upcoming week of bull sales, the breeding cattle trade at Caledonian Marts yesterday was very strong, with heifers and calves selling to a top of £5800.

Taking the day’s top price was Craig Malone, Cardenden, with his Blue cross heifer with a heifer calf at foot. This one, which had been champion in the pre-sale show, sold to the day’s judge Gordon Cameron, Acharacle.

The second best price was £3200 paid for the day’s reserve champion, a Limousin Heifer with a heifer calf from John McAlister, West, Banknock. She again sold to the judge.

Craig Malone’s entry of eight Limousin and British Blue heifers with calves averaged £3012.50, while 15 British Blue and Limousin heifers with calves from John McAlister, averaged £2626.66.

by Jonathan Long

The lamb trade, while still dipping from its previous levels is some way ahead of last year, with most centres reporting prices at 4-6p above the same week last year.

At Caledonian Marts, Stirling, on Tuesday 1933 lambs averaged 164.10p/kg, a drop of 4.38p on the week, but still 4p/kg ahead on last year’s prices at this time.

Topping the trade at £93/head were Beltex’s from Andrew Morton, Lochend, with the top price/kg going to Beltex from Morgan Farms at 220p/kg.

Meanwhile, at Ashford on the same day, an entry of 2084 sold on a trade very much in line with the week before and again ahead of last year’s prices.

Auctioneer Elwyn Davies said that despite a relatively big drop in the national averages prices at Ashford held firm to average 166p/kg with 37kg Beltex crosses topping the market at £70.50 (190.54p) from J ohn Cox.

In the medium weights the trade was topped at £76 (180.75p/kg) for 42kg Texel from M J Stears and Sons and 48kg Charollais crosses grossed up to £86.80 (180.83p/kg) from E Chantler and Sons.

The majority of light weights grossed £60 to £65, medium weights £65 to £75 and heavy weights generally made £75 to £80. “At these prices it is advisable to select well finished lambs for the prime market while leaner sorts would be better sold in the store ring.”

And at Lockerbie on Monday trade levelled at 160.4p/kg for the 658 prime lambs, with trade topped by Texels from Druid Hall at £82.50, with Beltex’s from Balgrayhill selling to £82.

The overriding message coming from marts and processors across the country is that while prices may not look as flash as they have been earlier in the season, the usual mid-summer dip has been avoided until now and prices are still very competitive with the same period last year. As a result those lambs which are fit should be traded wherever possible and anyone with lesser quality lambs would likely see a better trade in the store ring.

And now for a quick apology from the Farming Eye team, I’m afraid the site will be a little quieter than usual for today and tomorrow as Chrissie and I are getting married today. We will of course be back in action pretty quickly, so usual service will resume shortly……

by Jonathan Long

Taking the overall championship at in Stirling just now at the calf show and sale was the Robertson family of Logierait, Pitlochry, with their homebred Limousin bullock. Sired by Fedneyhouse Dapper and out of a British Blue cross cow this one has already taken a championship at Aberfeldy Show this year and came through as winner of the Limousin section and champion autumn-born calf championship.

Overall champion

Standing reserve overall was the champion Charolais exhibit from James McLaren, Murrayshall, Stirling. By Falleninch Empire, she is out of a Limousin x British Blue cow that was purchased from George MacFadzean.

Reserve overall champion

The reserve Charolais champion honours went to he Campbell family, Glenrath, Peebles with Jess Ennis, a homebred heifer by a homebred bull out of a Limousin cross cow. This one was champion at Peebles Show.

Taking the spring born championship was Brian Harper, Greenwells, Maddiston, with a Limousin steer, while the reserve went to the winner of the Kintyre trophy, a Charolais purebred heifer from Duncan Semple. By West Carse Ernie, this one has won purebred sections at Kintyre and Mid Argyll Shows this year.

Kintyre trophy winner

by Chrissie Long

Judging is now underway at Caledonian Marts’ premier show and sale of calves in Stirling where judge for the single entries, Wendy Hunter, is working her way through the classes.

Taking the lead in the autumn-born Charolais bullock class was D W Semple and Son, Carradale, while second place went to D Y Henderson, Kilsyth. The Limousin bullock classes saw a top three placing for the Robertson family of Logierait.

Standing top in the Charolais heifer class was James McLaren, Murrayshall (according to the Farming Eye spy this is one to watch later on in the sale!), while second went to J P Campbell, Peebles and third went to the Semple family again.

Continuing their run in the Limousin bullock classes, the Robertson’s were at the top of the line again in the Limousin heifer class with T Laird and Son, Cumnock standing second and in the any other breed autumn-born heifer calf class the Robertson family won with their Perth Show champion.

Then in the spring born classes, the winner of the Limousin bullock class came from B Harper, Maddiston, while second place went to the Robertson family and third went to T Laird and Son.

In the Charolais heifer class taking the red ticket was the Semple family, while second place went to J P Campbell and third went to D Y Henderson.

In the Limousin heifer class the Robertson’s stood top, while J J and C McCallum took second and in the other breed heifer class first place went to Chris Dick, Stirling, while the Robertson’s took second.

by Chrissie Long

Today’s sale of Scotch Mule ewe lambs at Caledonian Marts saw a centre record set for the champion pen from Douglas and Linda Graham, Burnbank, at £150/head.

Next best price of the day was a £140/head bid for the second prize pen from W Gray, Drumnessie, then at £130/head were the fourth prize pen from P J Laidlaw, Knowehead, with another pen from the same home at £122 and other lambs from the Grahams at £118, £114 and £112.

However, the overall trend in the sale was that seen at other breeding sheep sales already this season, with the average in the 2973 ewe lambs falling by £9.49/head on last year’s sale to sit at £92.68.

In the shearlings on offer Messrs Gray took the day’s joint best price of £142/head, with this price shared by gimmers from Gartenbantrick, with a pen from Glenquey making £141/head. The 838 gimmers averaged £124.37, a fall of £11.43 on 2011.

Meanwhile, in the south of the UK at Ashford a small entry of shearling ewes saw North Country Mules top at £139, with Suffolk x Mules hitting £131, with the Mules averaging £131 and the Suffolk crosses leveling at £121.

Store lambs were also well sought after at Ashford, with 2739 lambs sold to a high of £75 and averaging £59.67.

The overall trend looks fairly well set for the season now, with breeding sheep prices easing on the highs of last year, but still at very respectable levels and store lambs following a similar trend although the best may still look dear to many around the rings.

by Jonathan Long