Wallets Marts Castle Douglas Limited held their Annual October Show and Sale of Spring Born Suckled Calves, Native Bred Cattle and Continental Store Cattle on Saturday 8th October, 2016. A catalogue entry of 2205 cattle, one of the largest sales of its type was presented to a packed ringside of buyers who were in attendance from throughout all parts of the country. Trade for all classes of cattle was much better than anticipated with 1931 cattle sold averaging £838.40 compared to £875.31 for 2155 last year. Average weights were also slightly down this year which contributes to part of the drop.
At the pre-sale show the judge, Mr Andy Ingram from Huntly awarded the Champion Ticket to a spring born Charolais bullock from M & G Barr, Meikle Kirkland which scaled 328kg and made £960 to Bruce Watt, Aberdeen. Reserve Champion was a spring born Limousin cross bullock from Messrs Armstrong, Farhills which scaled 295kg and mad £790 to Gordon Kyle, Spout Bank. Champion pen of 4 calves were also Charolais crosses from Meikle Kirkland which weighed 318kg and made £870 to Gordon Kyle.
Outwith the show cattle the spring born calves topped at £1000 for Charolais cross bullocks from A & F Ramsay, Craignarget selling to Derek and Rob Parrish, Hassendeanburn Farm. Top price per kg for spring born bullocks was 313.7p paid to Craignarget for a pen of six Charolais bullocks. Spring born beifers topped at £830 for Charolais heifers from Craignarget and 272.9p per kg for Charolais crosses from Stephen Dale, Airds of Balcary selling to Brian Davidson, Penrith. Overall averages for springborn calves levelled at 247.7p for bullocks (+8.9p on the year) and 223.5p for heifers (up 0.9p on the year).
Native bred stores sold to £1260 for a pen of Aberdeen Angus crosses from W & W C Sheddan, Balgerran selling to Mr W C Henderson, Kettlehill. Top price per kg for native bred bullocks was 230.9p paid to R L Milligan & Son, High Glasnick for a pen of Aberdeen Angus crosses. Native heifers topped at £1100 again for a pen of Aberdeen Angus crosses from Balgerran and 221.9p for Aberdeen Angus crosses from R Watson, Slatehouse. Averages in the native section levelled at 196.58p for bullocks (+7.1p on the year) and 194.04 for heifers (+4.2p on the year).
The biggest section of the sale was once again the continental store section which saw a top price per head of £1200 for a pen of eleven Simmental bullocks from S Black & Son, Hillside which sold to Messrs Bargh, Lancaster. Top price per kg was 259.6p paid to J & S Ross & Son, Romesbeoch for a pen of Charolais crosses. Heifers topped at £1130 for Limousin crosses from A Kerr & Co, Fagra and 282.3p for Charolais crosses from M & G Barr, Meikle Kirkland. Overall averages levelled at 214.5p for bullocks (-7.8p on the year) and 206.6p for heifers (-2.5p on the year)
