Early morning

Today was one of the key days of our farming year with the annual lamb sale at Dingwall. We were up early to gather and sort our lambs for the market, in anticipation of the lorry coming to collect them at 7.30. It was a pity that it only arrived at 9.30!

We sent 73 lambs to market this year keeping back about 16 lambs for stock. It is a small number, and most likely we should for nearer 100 to justify all the effort involved.

The pens at Dingwall Mart

As a consequence we were running late and missed our slot in the auction. However the Mart were very helpful in slotting us in as soon as we arrived and I don’t think it made any difference to the result.

Our best wethers in the ring

Overall, we were pleased with the prices we achieved. The lambs looked in good order and we were at the better end of the prices. Overall we were about £3 a lamb back from the same time last year but that seems to the same across the board.

But if we were pleased at the prices we achieved, it is only in the context of relative performance. Overall, lambs sell for less than the cost of production, at least in the Highlands. Without the Single Farm Payment a sheep industry in the north would be impossible.