Ringside at Caithness market

Quoybrae, Caithness. Aberdeen & Northern Marts sold 2,745 sheep at Monday’s (3 October) sale, with prime lambs peaking at 160.5p/kg. Top price was paid for a pen of 38kg Texels, although a pen of Suffolks claimed top price per head of £69.50. Overall, 399 prime lambs averaged 148.2p/kg.

In the store section, 444 ewe lambs averaged £59.82 apiece, selling to a top of £90 for half-breds. Wedder lambs sold to £64.50 for half-breds and averaged £51.24 for 286 head. Some 1,196 Texel, Suffolk and cross lambs reached £68 a head and settled at £54.50. The 37 breeding sheep topped at £102 for Cheviot gimmers.

Almost 350 feeding ewes and rams averaged £51.74, peaking at £100 apiece for Texels.