Prime Cattle (under 30 mos)

Countrystyle Meats of Lancaster accounted for the leading priced by weight animal and the leading gross in a 545kg British Blue cross heifer from Mesrs F&B Smith of Westhouse near Ingleton which made 265.5p/kg or £1447. Mesrs Smith also provided the second highest gross another 545kg Limousin cross, this time which sold for 262.5p/kg or 1431 to the same purchaser. Underbidder on each occasion was Keelham Farm Shop at Skipton which secured the highest priced heifer a Limousin weighing 505kg from Steve Walton of Phoenix Grain for 245.5p/kg and also the leading gross priced heifer a 590kg Limousin cross from Mesrs J&E Greenhalgh of Bashall Eaves for £1401 or 237.5p/kg.

Steers

465-560kg                             to 265.5p/kg                        av. 240.41p/kg

560kg+                                   to 199.5p/kg

Heifers

400-480kg                             to 179.5p/kg

485kg+                                   to 245.5p/kg                        av. 199.31p/kg

Top Prices £ per head and p/kg

Steers

£ per head: F&B Smith (BBx) 1447, (Limx) 1431, SD Bennett ((Limx) 1292

p/kg: F&B Smith (BBx) 265.5, (Limx) 262.5, JR Metcalfe (Limx) 256.5, SD Bennett (Limx) 248.5

Heifers

£ per head: J&E Greenhalgh (Limx) 1401,1389, CD&RF Kitching (Limx) 1392, 1377, (Blondex) 1373, R Wilson (Limx) 1354

p/kg: Phoenix Grain Ltd (Limx) 245.5, CD&RF Kitching (Limx) 241.5,239.5, R Wilson (Limx) 239.5, RT&J Critchley&Sons (BBx) 237.5, J&E Greenhalgh (Limx) 237.5.

Prime Cattle (over 30 mos

Overall Average                                   116.5p/kg             £646.58

£ per head: M Baul&Sons Ltd (B&W Hfr) 647

p/kg: M Baul&Sons Ltd (B&W Hfr) 116.5     

Overall Average                                   117.65p/kg           £766.77

Cast cattle trade very good with meated dairies 120p+ and some dairies in the steaking section close up to 120p/kg.  A few Continentals in the entry and up to 150.5p/kg or £1076 which was comparable to Wednesday feeding cow trade.

Black & White                      to 128.5p/kg                        av. 111.40p/kg

Blondex                                 to 116.5p/kg                        av. 102.50p/kg

Limx                                       to 150.5p/kg                        av.130.9p/kg

Top Prices (£ per head or p/kg)

B&W:

£ per head: M Baul&Sons Ltd 1019, GB Moorhouse 950, G Pickersgill&Sons 867, E&KM Marshall 821, G&PS Fleetwood 764

p/kg: G Pickersgill&Sons 128.5, M Baul&Sons Ltd 123.5, E&KM Marshall 123.5, GB Moorhouse 119.5, G&PS Fleetwood 118.5,

Contx

£ per head: JR Carr (Limx) 1076,990, T&S Gamble (Limx) 954, BL&R Lund (Limx) 947,

p/kg: JR Carr (Limx) 150.5,142.5, BL&R Lund (Limx) 143.5, T&S Gamble (Limx) 118.5

1,879 Prime Sheep comprising 237 Spring Lamb, 1179 Prime Hoggs & 43 Mature Hoggs 420 & Cast Ewes & Rams

Still a good show of fat sheep for time of year and a great trade all round. First up were the Spring lambs and a show including a lot of first cross from Mule Ewes, these seeing the nicely finished 40kg Suffolk and Charollais cross Mules around £100 (240p to 250p), whilst a ¾ bred smarter sort was 250p plus topping at 292p (41kg £120) purchased by Countrystyle Meats Farmshop and Restaurant from Lancaster. Next up was Peter Ashby from Norwood at 277p (44kg £122) purchased by Andrew Atkinson.

The hoggs trade was very firm, handy weights 220p to 250p, topping at 263p (44kg £116) from James Drake, Denholme, these were closely followed at 261p by Ken Gamble Easingwold (44kg £115) and 261p was also achieved by D Harriot, West Sussex with 49kg at £128 which were top price per head for hoggs. James Howard, Holmfirth made 251p and 250p of hoggs. In the lump, other chief prices per head included M&G Dobson, Hartlington £124 and JA&JH Hewetson Bank Newton £121, B Watchorn & Son Weston £119.
A large show of 420 ewes were a strong average settling at £72.92 per head. Good hill bred ewes getting into the 70’s, and better Lowland types £90 to £110.

Spring Lambs – Overall Average £107.32 per head or 245.3p/kg           

36.0kg to 45.5kg to 292.7p/kg         av 248.0p/kg         or £103.43 per head

45.6kg to 52.0kg to 267.4p/kg         av 247.0p/kg         or £118.17 per head

52.1kg and over   to 245.3p/kg         av 225.1p/kg         or £121.83 per head

Charollais average £100.09 per head or 251.67p/kg

£ per head: £120 GA Hewitt & Son; £100, £98, £97 x2 J Strange & Sons; £96 MJ&RH Wallbank;

p/kg:292.7p GA Hewitt & Son; 251.3p, 250p, 248.7p x2 J Strange & Son; 240p MJ &RH Wallbank

Suffolk average £107.5 per head or 246.74p/kg

£ per head: £128 A&EM Ashby & Son; £126, £124 J&F Nutter; £121x2 A&AR Phillipson; £121 J&F Nutter; £120 TH Mellin

p/kg: 269.8p, 268.9p A&AR Phillipson; 266.7p TH Mellin; 264.3p MJ&RH Wallbank; 263.8p J&F Nutter; 263p A&AR Phillipson;

Texel average £112.41 per head or 248.63p/kg

£ per head: £130 GH&G Emmott; £129 A&AR Phillipson; £124 J&F Nutter; £121x2 A&AR Phillipson; £121 J&F Nutter;

p/kg: 269.8p, 268.9p A&AR Phillipson; 266.7p TH Mellin; 264.3p MJ&RH Wallbank; 263.8p J&F Nutter; 263p A&AR Phillipson

Rouge average £114.20 per head or 234.02p/kg

£ per head: £121, £116, £105 JA&JM Wade & Son

p/kg: 246.8p, 244.2p 212.3p JA&JM Wade & Son

Hampshire average £96.60 per head or 220.55p/kg

£ per head: £111, £95 x2, £91 G Walters

p/kg: 227.5p, 217.6p, 215.9p x2 G Walters

Prime Hoggs – Overall Average £96.06 per head or 199.7p/kg              

32.1kg to 35.9kg to 191.4p/kg         av 177.1p/kg         or £62.00 per head

36.0kg to 45.5kg to 263.6p/kg         av 212.3p/kg         or £88.92 per head

45.6kg to 52.0kg to 261.2p/kg         av 208.8p/kg         or £101.09 per head

52.1kg and over   to 234.0p/kg         av 185.7p/kg         or £107.44 per head

Beltex average £117.25 per head or 239.29p/kg

£ per head: £124 MJ&GC Dobson; £110.5 T Blackwell;

p/kg: 245.6p T Blackwell; 234p MJ&GC Dobson;

Suffolk average £94.44 per head or 206.18p/kg

£ per head: £106, £106, £105 D Harriott Partnership; £102 JE Strainge & Sons; £100 A Calvert £98 JE Strainge & Son;

p/kg: 227.9p JE Strainge & Sons; 220.8p David Harriott Partnership; 214.4p JE Strainge & Son;

Texel average £98.6 per head or 206.45p/kg

£ per head: £128 David Harriott Partnership; £121 JA&JH Hewetson; £116 JA Drake; £116 W Crane; £115x2 D Harriott

p/kg: 263.6p JA Drake; 261.2p D Harriott & Partnership; 251.2p, 250p JM&VJ Howard Ltd; 241.9p JG Senior; 239.1p JE Strainge

Mule average £89.06 per head or 173.65p/kg

£ per head: £99 J Baker; £98 N&J&S Taylor; £98 JW Sayer & Son; £97, £91 JR Lancaster; £91, £87, £84, £83 MP Jennings

p/kg: 215.6p, 211.6p JR Lancaster; 204.2p N&J&S Taylor; 181.5p JW Sayer & Son; 173.7p J Baker; 172.9p MP Jennings

Charollais average £102.43 per head or 205.19p/kg

£ per head: £119 B Watchorn & Sons; £114, £112, £108.5 David Harriott Partnership; £106 JE Strainge & Sons

p/kg: 251.3p, 250p, 248.7p x2, 226.1p JE Strainge & Sons; 224.5p B Watchorn & Sons; 216.7p JM&VJ Howard Ltd 

Swaledale average £71.98 per head or 167.21p/kg

£ per head: £85 N&J&S Taylor; £83 C Nelson & Sons; £82 JG Senior; £80, £70.5 S Horsfield; £66 JW Sayer & Son;

p/kg: 200p JG Senior; 173.9p S Horsfield; 173.7p JW Sayer & Son; 173.5p 167.6p N&J&S Taylor; 161.1p JG&B Brown & Sons

Dalesbred average £66.30 per head or 172.66p/kg

£ per head: £80 Stocks Enterprises; £79 JG Senior; £70 K Lister & Sons

p/kg: 195.1p Stocks Enterprises; 192.7p JG Senior; 162.8p K Lister & Sons

Cheviot average £79.38 per head or 212.46p/kg

£ per head: £98 K Lister & Sons; £95 J Lord; £77 K Lister & Sons; 

p/kg: 227.9p K Lister & Sons; 220.9p J Lord; 202.6p K Lister & Sons;

Suffolk to £99.50, Texel to £117.50, Blue to £80.00, Mule to £76.50, Dalesbred to £55.50, Swaledale to £75.50, Lonk to £73.50, Cheviot to £78.50, Charollais to £81.50.

Top prices:

Lowland: £117.50 £107.50 KW Gamble; £99.50 J Strange;

Mule/Masham: £76.50 £75.50 J Strange;

Horned: £75.50 £60.50 C Nelson;

Hill: £78.50 AG Horn; £69.50 SR Petty;  

Cast Rams average £65.83

Texel to £87.50, Swaledale to £39.50, Herdwick  to £59.50.

Rearing Calves to £480 (60)

B&W av £62.88 Cont av £316.2 Native av £188.33

A nice show of calves a week before show week and a strong trade set also. Best Calves in the market came from James Cooper of Dacre with a couple of surplus Pure Limousin calves the best of which being a bull calf at 2 mths old selling for £480.

In the Blues Richard Spence of Sutton in Craven hit the top with the penultimate calf in the ring making £470, with Joss Lancaster of Horton in Craven not far behind with his best calves realising £450 and £445. Native bulls were a straight trade throughout today with Andrew Lee of Lothersdale topping at £190 however it was Native and Lim x heifers that were the trade of the day with Aberdeen Angus out stripping their male counterparts averaging £205 and topping with a sweet heifer from Chris Drake at £280. Limousin’s were topped once more by James Cooper at £390 and average £341.67.

Black and whites nice to sell with a ready audience for all types. Best again presented by Richard Spence of Sutton In Craven at £135 and a very respectable average of £62.88

Bull Calves

Limousin x (Av £380) to £480 JM&SM Cooper                            

Brit Blue x (Av £322.67) to £470 RM Spence                                                

Aberdeen Angus (Av £180) to £195 AJ Lee

Hereford X (Av £160) to £160 EJ Fort

Dairy Shorthorn (Av £95) to £100 IRG Collins & Partners

Black & White (Av £62.88) to £135 RM Spence                           

Heifer Calves                       

British Blue (Av £297) to £350 M&R Smith

Lim (Av £341.67) to £390 JM&SM Cooper

Aberdeen Angus (Av £205) to £280 CJ&DD Drake                                                      

Hereford (Av £200) to £200 EJ Fort

Craven Dairy Auction (7 head)

 Not quite the exceptional show of last fortnight but a trade equivalent to it. A mixed show of cows and heifers found a ready audience ringside with the Champion a 2^nd Calved MVP daughter from Brian Moorhouse found numerous bidders with the final bid eventually coming from Ken Throup of Woofa Bank. The reserve a wearing Friesian type heifer from Richard Close of Starbotton sold very nicely heading home with John Howard of Heslaker at £1600. 

Judge – Sam Naylor

Prize Awards:       Newly Calven Heifers: 1^st RH&EA Close 2^nd High Rails 3^rd High Rails        

                                Newly Calven Cows: 1^st GB Moorhouse 2^nd A&G Midgeley        

                                Champion – GB Moorhouse                             Reserve – RH & EA Close

Newly Calven Heifers (av £1342.5 ): to £1600 RH&EA Close