[CarolineJ]

The catalogue for Tuesday's sale is now online:  http://www.anmarts.co.uk/_uploads/Catalogues/31_CLC_HishaNonHisha_090816.pdf

Am I right in thinking that, from left to right, it's the number of the pens they're in, the quantity for sale, sex (or breed if not a North Country Cheviot), breeder and then the HISHA number if they're in the scheme?

The lot sizes seem enormous - do they split down?  I only want 10-15 maximum.  If it's a mixed pen will they split the sexes?

[SallyintNorth]

My experience from my local marts - Longtown, Carlisle, Cockermouth, Wigton, Penrith, Hexham.

If the pen is mixed sexes, it's unlikely they'd split on gender. 

Some sellers will allow a subset of the lot to be sold ito the first bidder; you'd need to agree this with the seller and/or auctioneer before they get to the ring.  You don't get to choose which ones, they just run off the first X for you, then auction the rest.

If you want a subset, it's best to speak to the vendor while the animals are still in the pens.   Sometimes they'll let you choose the ones you want, and mark them, and put them into the ring as a single lot.  Sometimes they don't want to do that.  Often, they have buyers who buy off them every year.  I have had a seller get his regular buyer to agree to let us have a pen of our choosing, and allow us to select the animals we wanted from all of the pens and create a lot with just those animals in it. Of course we were obliged to buy that lot!  But they played it straight, put our lot in the ring 3rd or 4th, so the value had already been established, so we paid the same as the regular fella was paying for his.   All very fair and equitable.  But it was very nice of the seller and the regular buyer to accommodate us in this way.

[shep53]

You are correct on your interpretation of the catalogue .   you can normally take what ever number you want out of a lot  ( CUT the lot )  but as sally says it will just be random , the first ones out of the ring .    Some times a mixed sex lot may still be sold separately  or as sally says you can ask the seller before going in the ring

[mowhaugh]

Yes, as has been said above, they will let you split a lot, but this generally up north would involve you bidding on the whole lot, then when the hammer comes down, shouting out quickly how many you want, you'll then get the first that many out of the ring. Probably a good idea to ring and have a chat with the auctioneer before the sale day.

[CarolineJ]

Thanks everyone.  Handily there was a grazings committee meeting last night to approve the quotes for the fencing work, so I went along and asked some questions - apparently the sellers will sort them into lots in their allocated pens, so the prime draw will go through first, then second draw and so on, and the ewe lambs in the mixed lots will get split out if they're good enough to breed from. 

[sheeponthebrain]

The hisha number is not on anm's catalogue. The number at the end is the farm assurance number where applicable.

[SallyintNorth]

So... which ones did you buy? 

[CarolineJ]

Pen 75, 12 ewe lambs    A very kind neighbour who works at the mart is bringing them back for me when he's finished there for the day, so photos to follow!

[CarolineJ]

Rubbish pics because the light's going, they're a bit skittish and I was using my phone on zoom rather than my proper camera, but say hello to pen 75 

[SallyintNorth]

Lovely!