As sale season gets into full swing, we have been busy washing and colouring tups in preparation for Kelso ram sales on Friday. We’re taking a mixed bag of Texel and Beltex cross shearlings and Suffolk tup lambs.

The weather this past week has been wonderful, which has given the grass, stock and myself a much needed boost. Farmers around us have taken advantage of this good spell of weather and are bashing on with harvesting wheat and barley.

More piglets arrived this past week, along with seven chicks - it’s a spring mentality around our place!

Finished cattle prices seem to be holding steady, with most markets with averages slightly up on the week. The finished lamb trade continues to be difficult, although some markets have seen some improvement and, as sheep breeding sales get going, trade seems to be a little down on the year but nowhere near as much as some people had anticipated.

Sales coming up this week: Friday and Saturday, September 11 and 12, it’s a Mart's the Heart national show and sale of traditional and rare breed at Melton Mowbray Market. On Saturday, September 12, Hexham and Northern Marts have an on-farm dispersal sale of Texel cross-bred and Mule breeding sheep, tractors and machinery. The sale takes place at Alrey Hill Farm, Northumberland, on behalf of G. and L. Stoker.