Two leading farmers in Perthshire and the Highlands have reaped the rewards of on-farm livestock auctions , with Texels, Lleyns, Simmentals, Beletex and NZ Suffolks all meeting strong demand from all corners of the country.
The McGowan family at Incheoch, Alyth enjoyed a complete clearance of their 98 Texel and Llyn rams on offer through the on-line Yourbid system which allows buyers to bid from smart phones, while standing in the fields and pens or with a traditional nod to the auction team at computer bidding stations.
Incheoch’s 44 Texels averaged £1020 and sold between £350 and £2100 – the top price going to the Cotswolds for a son of Incheoch Blizzard. The 47 Lleyns sold from £350 to £2900, and levelled at £1021.
The farm’s homozygous polled bulls also proved popular, with three Simmental sons of Auroch Deuter averaging £6266. In all eight bulls sold to average £4750.
Graham Burke of Pentland Livestock, who helped to manage the sale said: “Yourbid is an excellent and easy to use sales platform, that allows customers to bid from anywhere without the need to attend the sale and the flexibility to bid on any sheep, right up to the conclusion of the auction.”
Meanwhile, the team at Fearn Farm in Ross-Shire held their tenth on-farm sale, featuring a range of Aberfield, Texel, Beltex, Sufftex and New Zealand Suffolk rams and gimmers.
Ram viewing went well today. We had people here from Rogart, Dornoch, dingwall, Aultbea, Balintore and the USA! Better check out the export requirements for 🇺🇸 🙈. pic.twitter.com/SYS8jLHpaq
— Fearn Farm (@FearnFarm) August 20, 2021
A Texel ram by Glenway Boris achieved the top price of £2000 whilst £195 was achieved for a pen of Aberfield cross gimmers, sired by homebred Aberfield rams, 126 grass-fed rams sold to £815 and 331 gimmers averaged £169.
John Scott said: “We were delighted with the way the sale went, both in terms of the prices we received and the level of clearance, given that we had more sheep forward than ever before.
“It was great to see people in person, enjoying the relaxed atmosphere and interacting with the Yourbid format. But it was equally important that the sale was accessible to everyone, so individuals could join from their computer or phone at home, without the extra travel.”