Prime Cattle (under 30 mos)

Another good entry of clean cattle headed up by two 245.5p/kg bids. Top gross of £1363 was Malcolm Metcalfe of Baldersby with a 555kg Limousin cross heifer which joined Edwards Butchers of Padiham for the first 245.5pence bid. Second high of 245.5p fell to Mesrs AA&E Critchley of Hutton with a 515kg Limousin cross heifer which sold to Countrystyle Butchers of Lancaster.

Steers

465-555kg                                             to 224.5p/kg        av.219.5p/kg

560kg+                                                   to 202.5p/kg

Heifers

400-480kg                                             to 237.5p/kg

485kg+                                                   to 245.5p/kg        av. 218.57p/kg

Top Prices £ per head and p/kg

Steers

£ per head: JR Metcalfe (BBx) 1296, CD&RF Kitching (Limx) 1212

p/kg: CD&RF Kitching (Limx) 224.5, 213.5,

Heifers

£ per head: JR Metcalfe (Limx) 1363, CD&RF Kitching (Limx) 1354, AA&E Critchley&Son (Limx) 1324, R Wood (BBx) 1279

p/kg: AA&E Critchley&Son (Limx) 245.5, 238.5, JR Metcalfe (Limx) 245.5, CD&RF Kitching (Limx) 238.5,237.5,

Prime Cattle (over 30 mos)

Overall Average                                   116.13p/kg           £796.64

Top Prices £ per head or p/kg

£ per head: D&P Brown (Devonx) 971, (Brown Swiss) 760,711, JR&DL Ogden 875, A&M Beecroft (B&W) 666

p/kg: D&P Brown (Devonx) 124.5, (Brown Swiss) 116.5, 113.5, JR&DL Ogden (B&W) 117.5,           

Overall Average                                   104.73p/kg           £701.40

Cast cattle trade a shade firmer with a light show confirming that farms are on top of culls. A good number of very heavy cows affected the p/kg average but gross average of £701. Limited quantity of dairies carrying finish but all classes a good trade.

Black & White                       to 112.5p/kg                        av. 101.56 p/kg

Dairy Sh                                 to 115.50p/kg                      av. 105.38p/kg                   

BBx                                         to 121.5p/kg                        av. 119.46p/kg

Hefd                                       to 118.5p/kg                        av. 90.55p/kg

Hefdx                                     to 121.5p/kg

Top Prices (£ per head or p/kg)

B&W:

£ per head: A&SL Throup&Son 911, IRG Collins&Ptns 804, CJ&DD Drake 673, JC Marshall 669, A&M Beecroft 624

p/kg: A&SL Throup&Son 112.5, IRG Collins & Ptns 112.5, JC Marshall 111.5, 108.5, A&M Beecroft 108.5

Other Dairy

£ per head: RW&M Walker (Dairy Sh) 745, IRG Collins&Ptns (Dairy Sh) 600,525

p/kg: RW&M Walker (Dairy Sh) 115.5, IRG Collins&Ptns 103.5,95.5

Brit Blue:

£ per head: DJ Grassam 964, CH&OF Hammond 954

p/kg: CH&OF Hammond 121.5, DJ Grassam 117.5

Native

£ per head: JR&DL Ogden (Hefdx) 1087, BJ Boulton (Hefd) 668

p/kg: JR&DL Ogden (Hefdx) 121.5, BJ Boulton (Hefd) 118.5

2,790 Prime Sheep comprising 8 Spring Lambs, 2,477 Prime Hoggs, 305 Cast Ewes & Rams

The first of this seasons Spring Lambs forward and butcher customers gearing themselves up to switch for Easter. Best end £120 from Robert Towers of Farleton.

An increased entry of Old Season Lambs this week and as predicted there was the dearest trade of the season so far, with a fabulous overall average for 2,477 lambs of 194.4p/kg, with an SQQ of 202.5p/kg, a welcome boost to finishers returns and those vendors still feeding their home bred lambs.

Smart lambs were a great trade all sale long, with 389 categorised as Beltex crosses and averaging 245.9p/kg or £102.33 per head marking Skipton out as the place to sell this category. Fox Farms of Clitheroe had the top price per head and per kilo when their pen of 5 Beltex crosses scaling 39kg sold for £121 each or 310.3p/kg. The Fox Family sold further pens at £120 and £114 twice, their run of 40 lambs averaging £111.10 or 253p. Paul Simpsons’ run topped at £115 or 280p/kg, whilst David Coates of Coniston Cold had a pen of 10 lambs at 42kg £113 and 6 at 44kg £113.  Messrs Saffrey of Cow Hill had lambs at 284.2p and Messrs Spink of Rookwith 282.1p.

Commercial Lowland Lambs were dearer on the week by some margin, with 195p to 210p the general run, and 220 plus for anything a shade better.  Heavy Lowland lambs (46kg to 52kg) showed another significant rise of 9p/kg to level at 181p, whilst the very heavy lambs were up by more.

Hill bred lambs were the trade of the day, Tony Kiernans run of Cheviots topping £93.50 or 207.8p, selling 5 pens for 200p or more. Mule Wethers topped at 200p on two occasions, Steve Dorey with a pen of 18 weighing 43kg at £86, and then Kevin Wilson a pen of 24 weighing 45kg at £90. Mr Dorey had eight further pens from 195p to 199p, Jim Baines had 195p as did Messrs Kitching. Messrs Slater had the best end of the Horned Wethers with three pens at 194p to 197p and topping at £89.50 for a pen of 22. 

Ewes continue to rise in value, but there was a shortage of the very best types today with a greater proportion of Mules and Hill bred. Best Mules this week in the mid £80’s with £84.50 twice from S Spensley & Co and from WA,VJ&JA Towler, whilst Horned Ewes to £81.50 from SP&VM Morris.

Spring Lambs  – Overall Average  £117 per head or 229.41p/kg

45.6kg to 52.0kg                 to 260.9p/kg         av 245.64p/kg      or £118.4 per head

52.1kg and over   to 226.4p/kg         av 206p/kg            or £114.67 per head

Texel average £120 per head or 230.5p/kg

£ per head: £120 x2 JD&V Towers & Son

p/kg: 235p, 226p JD&V Towers & Son

Charollais average £116 per head or 231.35p/kg

£ per head: £120, £116, £112 JD&V Towers & Son

p/kg: 260.86p, 236.7p, 196.49p JD&V Towers & Son

Prime Hoggs  – Overall Average  £83.98 per head or 194.3p/kg             

25.5kg to 32.0kg                 to 210p/kg            av 151.94p/kg      or £45.86 per head

32.1kg to 35.9kg                 to 272.7p/kg         av 200.95p/kg      or £68.80 per head

36.0kg to 45.5kg                 to 310.3p/kg         av 204.72p/kg      or £85.64 per head

45.6kg to 52.0kg                 to 228.6p/kg         av 181.19p/kg      or £87.10 per head

52.1kg and over   to 190p/kg            av 165.08p/kg      or £90.05 per head

Beltex average £102.33 per head or 245.89p/kg

£ per head: £121, £120 Fox Farms; £115 PW Simpson; £114, £114 Fox Farms; £113x2 D&J Coates; £112 Thwaite Bros;

p/kg: 310.30p Fox Farms;, 284.2p K Saffrey; 282.1p RA&SE Spink; 280.5p, 272.7p PW Simpson; 272.7p Fox Farms; 

Suffolk average £84.56 per head or 197.36p/kg

£ per head: £88x2 S Dorey; £87 RA&SE Spink; £87, £86.50 S Dorey; £86 H Chapman; £84 DW&CJ Towler; £83 N&M Hugill

p/kg: 207.1p RA&SE Spink; 202.3p, 200px2 S Dorey; 190.7p RA&SE Spink; 189.5p T Kiernan; 188.1p CD&RF Kitching

Texel average £85.10 per head or 193.92p/kg

£ per head: £112, £110 I Marsden; £110 HB Atkinson; £107 TH Heslop & Sons; £106 Fox Farm; £105x2 TH Heslop & Sons;

p/kg: 253.8p T Kiernan; 237.2p HB Atkinson; 232.6p HB Atkinson; 231.6p TH Mellin; 227.7p TH Heslop & Sons;  

Mule average £83.94 per head or 185.17p/kg

£ per head: £100 S Dorey; £90 JK Wilson; £90 J Baines; £89.50 S Dorey; £87, £86 J Pickles; £86x2, £85.50 x2 S Dorey;

p/kg:200p JK Wilson; 200p, 198.9p, 198.8px3, 197.6p  S Dorey; 195.7p J Baines; 195.5p S Dorey; 195.1p CD&RF Ktiching;

Charollais average £86.41 per head or 191.27p/kg

£ per head: £97 N&M Hugill; £93.50 HB Atkinson; £89, £88 J Lord; £87 H Chapman; £85.50 PC Longdin; £76 L Throup;

p/kg: 217.4p HB Atkinson; 206.4p N&M Hugill; 200p J Lord; 193.50p, 190p J Lord; 188.50 DA Pratt; 181.3p H Chapman

Lleyn average £78.42 per head or 195.23p/kg

£ per head: £80.50, £78, £73 CD&RF Ktiching;

p/kg: 201.3p, 195p, 173.8p CD&RF Ktiching;

Swaledale average £61.87 per head or 157.72p/kg

£ per head: £80 J Baines; £76.50 JE Cowperthwaite; £75 B Lancaster & Son; £74 W Mason & Son; £72 D Wood;

p/kg: 186p J Baines; 182.1p JE Cowperthwaite; 178.6p B Lancaster & Son; 167.1p J Taylor; 164.3p JK Wilson;

Dalesbred average £45.83 per head or 136.74p/kg

£ per head: £79 DA Robinson; £51 DA Robinson; £45.50 JG&B Brown & Sons; £42 DA Robinson

p/kg: 145.7p, 143.6p, 140p DA Robinson; 138.3p JG&B Brown & Son

SBF average £85.89 per head or 191.27p/kg

£ per head: £89.50, £89, £88.50, £85.50 x2 J&E Slater; £79.50 DW&CJ Towler; £75.50 J&E Slater

p/kg: 196.7p, 194.6p, 194.3p, 190p, 188.8p J&E Slater; 184.9p DW&CJ Towler; 178p J&E Slater

Cheviot average £84.65 per head or 188.36p/kg

£ per head: £93.50, £89 T Kiernan; £86 AR&AC Parkinson; £86x2 T Kiernan; £86 S Dorey; £85.50 T Kiernan;

p/kg: 207.8p, 203.6p, 200px3 197.8p T Kiernan; 191.7p J Drinkall Ltd;

Lonk average £77.76 per head or 177.59p/kg

£ per head: £82 J Greenwood; £77, £76 J Drinkall Ltd; £70 SP&VM Morris

p/kg:183.3p J Drinkall Ltd; 174.5p J Greenwood; 162.8p SP&VM Morris; 161.7p J Drinkall Ltd

Suffolk to £103.50, Texel to £124.50, BFL to £98.50, Mule to £84.50, Swaledale to £53.50, Charollais to £63.50, Cheviot  to £34.50, Beltex  to £78.50, Lonk  to £81.50.

Top prices:

Lowland: £124.50 W Watson; £109.50 W Watson

Mule/Masham: £84.50 WA&VJ&JA Towler; £84.50 S Spensley;

Horned: £81.50 SP&VM Morris; £53.50 W Mason & Sons

Hill: £98.50 AJ Mason; £89.50 CD&RF Kitching;

Cast Rams average £65.57

Texel to £81.50 J Cheetham Suffolk to £76.50 Ashfield Farms; Charollais to £78.50 DA Pratt; Gritstone to £69.50 J Cheetham; Cheviot to £76.50 Grain Farms; BFL to £67.50 Ashfield Farms;

Texel

Shlg with twins to £240, £230 x4, £220x2, £215 T Boothman

Shlgs and Singles to £170x2 T Boothman; £140 R Wallbank

Correct with Twins to £230x2 215,£210, £205 T Boothman; £170 JW Hall

Correct with Singles to £170 T Boothman; £142 A Midgley; £132 RG Johnson & Son

B/M with Singles to £115 D Haigh

Beltex Correct with Singles to £175 AV Bailey

Suffolk Correct with Twins to £150 FM Shepherd

Mule

Correct with Twins to £178 T Bootman; £162 JW Hall

Correct with Singles to £125 W Rathmell; £108 RG Johnson & Son

B/M with Twins to £138 J Baines;

B/M with Singles to £108 R Peel

Zwartbles with Twins to £170 A MIdgley

Masham correct with Singles to £110 A MIdgley

Rearing Calves to £400

B&W av £74.09 Cont av £335 Native av £192.50

A small show of calves forward this morning but a flying trade for the goods on offer. John Marshall of Monk Ing topped 5 of the breeds with his British Blue bull reaching the highest price of the day at £400. He also topped the heifers with a sweet month old heifer at £390 and another at £350.

Black and whites were a similar trade to last week with Jim Caygill seeing the best of the bidding seeing his old calf reach £160 and Wellock’s of Seat House at £110 and £100 for a strong calf from RL Wright & Son.

Bull Calves                            

Brit Blue x (Av £345) to £400 JC Marshall                                                     

Hereford X (Av £195) to £200 JC Marshall

Saler to £140 RL Wright & Son                        

Black & White (Av £74.09) to £160 J Caygill & Partners                             

Heifer Calves       

Hereford X (Av £175) to £175 JC Marshall    

Saler (Av £185) to £185 RL Wright & Son

British Blue (Av £337.5) to £390 JC Marshall

Lim (Av £205.60) to £250 JC Marshall

Prize Awards:       Newly Calven Heifers:         1^st GB Moorhouse; 2^nd M Baul & Partners; 3^rd A Swires

                                Newly Calven Cows:            1^st EJ Fort; 2^nd GB Moorhouse

                                In-Calf Heifers:                     1^st GD&JC Holme

                                Champion – GB Moorhouse              Reserve – M Baul & Partners

Newly Calven Heifers (av £1617.33): to £1900 A Swires & Son

Newly Calven Cows (av £1515): to £1680 WR Ireland & Son  

Pedigree Newly Calven Heifers (av £1641): to £1820 EJ Fort

Incalf Heifers: to £900 GD&JC Holme