A nice entry of 129 Stirks, Weaned Calves and Young Store Cattle were presented for the Monthly Saturday Sale at Skipton Mart this week. In line with recent improvements in store cattle and prime cattle prices there was a very good enquiry from the ringside of buyers looking for cattle to graze and grow on. Goats were forward in large numbers and this is now becoming a popular feature of the Monthly sale as customers travel further distances in search of a ready market in which to both sell and buy. Forward – 129 head cattle: 23 Bulls, 102 Steers & Heifers & 4 Breeding Cattle. 29 Breeding & Store Sheep and 45 Goats

Forward: 44 Prime cattle comprising 1 Clean Cattle (over 30 mos) & 43 Cast Cattle. 2,626 Prime Sheep comprising 1894 Spring Lambs, 116 Cast Hoggs, 605 Cast Ewes & 11 Rams. 43 Rearing Calves. 2 Loads of produce.

Rearing Calves to £530 (43) B&W av £120.58 Cont av £483 Native av £204 A trade that hasn’t been seen in a long time! Holstein Friesian calves were a phenomenal trade with 15 over £100 and 5 of those over £200 topping with a fantastic 8 wk old holstein calf from David Hall of Conistone Cold at £260. The number of farmer buyers chasing these good black and white calves can’t be ignored.

MARKET REPORT – WEDNESDAY 10th JUNE 2015 Fortnightly Sale of Young Feeding Bulls, Store Bullocks & Heifers, Breeding Cattle Forward: 358 head of cattle Comprising: 126 Young Feeding Bulls, 162 Bullocks & Heifers & 70 Breeding Cattle A great show of bulls for the time of year attracted additional buyers, some buoyed by the recent increased returns for finished cattle and trade was sharper than the previous sale and the average rose to £1,006.90 per head. Smart strong bulls were £1,200 plus up to £1,340 for a cracking Blue form Mark Nelson of Bull & Cave Farm in Clapham. All the nice makers were £1000 plus.

Forward: 43 Prime cattle comprising 1 Clean Cattle (under 30 mos)& 42 Cast Cattle including 2 Mature Bulls 1,749 Prime Sheep comprising 1,127 Spring Lambs, 231 Hoggs, 391 Cast Ewes & Rams, 203 Breeding Sheep, 77 Rearing Calves, 7 Dairy Cattle, 1 Load of produce.

77 Rearing Calves to £490 B&W av £93.11 Cont av £366.22 Native av £218.6 Calves continue on the strong trade with a good show being well supported from start to finish. Right through well reared calves making a good trade with 28 Black and White calves averaging £93.11 and 11 of 28 well over £100 and topping at £200 for a fine calf from Richard Spence of Low Jackfield. Native calves for the quality of the show were very strong with an overall average of £218.6 and Richard Sutcliffe of Queensbury topping at £275 for a 1mth old calf.

Keelham back in for primestock champions Keelham Farm Shop, of Thornton, Bradford, virtually completed a clean sweep of the prize winners at the June show of prime cattle at Skipton Auction Mart, including the champion and reserve champion, as well as buying the day’s top prime lambs. (Mon, June 1) Keelham’s James Robertshaw started off by purchasing the prime cattle champion, a 525kg 16-month-old British Blue-cross heifer for 280.5p/kg, or £1,473. It was shown by regular red rosette winner Jim Baines, of Trawden.

Forward: 81 Prime cattle comprising Clean Cattle 8 (under 30 mos), 4 Clean Cattle (over 30 mos), 3 Mature Bulls & 66 Cast Cattle 2,040 TOTAL HEAD OF SHEEP comp: 1,943 Prime Sheep comprising 1098 Spring Lambs, 230 Prime & Lightweight Hoggs, 586 Cast Ewes & 29 Cast Rams. 97 Breeding Sheep. 41 Rearing Calves. 3 Loads of produce.

Fortnightly Sale of Young Feeding Bulls, Store Bullocks & Heifers, Breeding Cattle Forward: 521 head of cattle Comprising: 137 Young Feeding Bulls, 336 Bullocks & Heifers, 4 Feeding Cows, 44 Breeding Cattle inc 22 Suckler Breeding Cattle.

Jayne Pick bull the pick on price at Skipton multi-breed beef showcase Skipton Auction Mart’s 2015 pedigree beef season came to a close with the Ling Fields Beef Cattle Fair, the annual multi-breeds show and sale of beef breeding cattle, when interest among a discerning audience centred around mobile, natural bulls ready to go straight to work.

Lawson four-timer at Craven Dairy Auction A fourth Craven Dairy Auction championship of 2015 fell to the Wharfedale-based Newbirks pedigree Holstein herd, the reigning Craven Cattle Marts’ Dairy Farmers of the Year, at the main May show and sale at Skipton Auction Mart. Father and daughter David and Suzy Lawson, of Mill Farm, Arthington, saw their first prize newly calven heifer, Newbirks Gertie 321, by the home-bred Braedale Goldwyn son, Newbirks Jazwyn, progress to become overall champion courtesy of show judge Stephen Coates, of Baildon Moor, who then backed his judgment at the ringside when securing his chosen victor, 19 days calved and giving 32 litres, for £1,800.

581 Breeding Sheep A busy sale for late in the season saw 229 Hoggs, Shearlings and Ewes with 352 Lambs at Foot presented for sale. The sale ring was packed and older sheep with strong lambs were keenly sought, but trade for Hoggs and Lambs has certainly become quieter in the last few weeks. As ever please advise entries to the mart office by 12noon Friday for inclusion in the online catalogue. Today we held our special late season show and sale of single sheep with lambs at foot. The following awards were given: Lowland sheep: 1st JM Daggett £180; 2nd C Nelson & Son £150; 3rd JW Stockdale & Son £200 Hill Sheep: 1st JH&J Bland £180; 2nd JH&J Bland £170

Rearing Calves to £460 B&W av £85 Cont av £362 Native av £251.50 Small Show of calves forward following the calf show with a lot of farmers with one eye on their silage. However trade was strong not quite that of Show week but a couple of strong Simmental heifers topped the bidding today from John Blackwell, Gargrave 1mth and 28 days making £460 with Alf and Andrew Townsend just pipped with their bull at £455. Black and Whites and Angus’ continue their strong trend with some planer calves than what has been previously seen still averaging £85 and £251.50 Respectively.

Forward: 12 Prime cattle comprising 1 Clean Cattle (over 30 mos) & 11 Cast Cattle. 1,825 TOTAL HEAD OF SHEEP comp: 1,244 Prime Sheep comprising 530 Spring Lambs, 464 Prime & Lightweight Hoggs, 239 Cast Ewes & 11 Cast Rams. 581 Breeding Sheep. 16 Rearing Calves. 14 Dairy Cattle. 2 Loads of produce.

MARKET REPORT – SATURDAY 23rd MAY 2015 Forward: 163 Cattle comp: 35 Breeding Cattle, 128 Stirks and Weaned Calves; 49 Store, Breeding Sheep and Goats; 526 lots of Machinery; 611 Lots of Reclaim, Salvage, Stone & Timber; 299 Lots of Poultry, Waterfowl, Hatching Eggs and Equipment; Spring Sale of 223 Lots of Border Fine Art, China and Beswick.