NORTHERN IRELAND BUYERS AMONG THE BIG CROWD AT NEW LLEYN SALE AT CASTLE DOUGLAS
September 18th 2006
The Lleyn Sheep Society staged a new autumn sale at Castle Douglas where yearling ewes achieved the day's highest average of £93.82 and reached a top price of £122 a head.
Stock from the Galston, Ayrshire-based flock of vet David Alexander was once again in demand with a pen of yearlings earning the sale's leading bid and also claiming the female championship. The yearlings made £122 to William and Irene McCreath, Castle Douglas.
“We've been so impressed with the first few Lleyns we've had on the farm that we decided to establish a new flock of 150. We run a hill farm and the Lleyns have proved themselves beyond any doubt; they are such an easy breed to manage and to lamb,” commented Mr Creath.
And it was the McCreath's who also held off all competition to claim the day's most fancied pen of ewe lambs consigned from the organically-run flock of Farmstock Genetics. This pen realised £120 a head. The overall average for ewe lambs was £60.69.
Two pens of aged ewes realised £80 apiece when two-year-old and three-year-old ewes from A W Davies, Bronallt, Pwllheli were bought by Messrs Redhead, Berwick-on-Tweed. Aged ewes averaged £60.43.
Northern Ireland buyers were to the fore in the ram section where rams from the Garndolbenmaen, Gwynedd flock of Arfon Hughes topped the aged and yearling sections.
J Howatson, Newton Stewart paid £525 for an aged ram while a yearling from the same flock made £787 to H Warden, Newtownards, Northern Ireland. Aged rams averaged £357 and yearling rams averaged £411
Auctioneers: Wallets Marts.