Prime Cattle (under 30 mos) (12noon)

Retail customers seeking lightweight cattle had choice at the March Show and Sale of Primestock with the leading priced p/kg and Overall Champion from Mesrs F&B Smith of Westhouse leading the way when selling to Keelham Farm Shop, Skipton for 261.5p/kg. This price was equalled by the Reserve Champion and first prize steer from Mesrs CD&RF Kitching of Threshfield which weighed in at 545kg and sold to Mesrs DA Gregory&Sons of Bacup for the same 261.5p/kg or £1425 on this occasion.

The leading gross priced animals came from the Critchley stables of RT&J Critchley&Sons for a 565kg Limousin cross heifer selling to Paul Ellison of Cullingworth for £1461 or 258.5p/kg and R&H Critchley for 620kg Limousin cross steer which sold to Keelham Farm Shop for £1460 or 235.5p/kg. The customary high quality show gave plenty of choice for retail and wholesale buyers and trade was up on the week.

Steers

465-560kg                                             to 261.5p/kg        av. 251.92p/kg

560kg+                                                   to 243.5p/kg        av. 239.3p/kg

Heifers

400-480kg                                             to 230.5p/kg

485kg+                                                   to 261.5p/kg        av. 241.78p/kg

Top Prices £ per head and p/kg

Steers

£ per head: R&H Critchley&Son (Limx) 1460, CD&RF Kitching (BBx) 1425, RT&J Critchley&Sons (Limx) 1412, JA Drake (Limx) 1364

p/kg: CD&RF Kitching (BBx) 261.5, F&B Smith (Limx) 254.5, RT&J Critchley&Sons (Limx) 254.5    

Heifers

£ per head: RT&J Critchley&Sons (Limx) 1461, L Bamforth&Sons (Limx) 1442, CD&RF Kitching (Limx) 1406, D&FJ Leeming&Son (Limx) 1388

p/kg: F&B Smith (Limx) 261.5, D&FJ Leeming&Son (Limx) 259.5, RT&J Critchley&Son (BBx) 258.5,258.5, (Limx) 258.5,

Prime Cattle (over 30 mos)

Overall Average                                   109.48p/kg                           £907.85

Top Prices £ per head and p/kg

£ per head: JG Hall&Son (B&W Hfr) 1079,908, A&CL Gray (AAx Hfr) 1035,981

p/kg: A&CL Gray (AAx Hfr) 181.5,154.5, JG Hall&Son (B&W Hfr) 137.5,135.5

Overall Average                                   100.35p/kg           £707.44

Just one beef cow in the sale and the Dairies firmer again. Heavy well fleshed cows not 110p-115p and just the odd very lean cow below 90p.

Black & White                      to 115.5p/kg                        av. 99.55p/kg

Beef Sh                                  to 102.5p/kg

Top Prices (£ per head or p/kg)

B&W:

£ per head: G Abbott&Sons 939, JG Hall&Son 878, AL Dean&Sons 870, A&CL Gray 861, G Abbott&Sons 852

p/kg: JG Hall&Son 115.5,110.5, A&CL Gray 112.5, AL Dean&Sons 111.5,109.5,  MP Jennings (Dairy) 110.5, G Abbott&Sons 108.5

Native

£ per head: JM Daggett (Beef Sh) 666.

p/kg: JM Daggett (Beef Sh) 102.5

3,146 Prime Sheep comprising 2913 Prime Lambs & 233 Cast Ewes & Rams (1pm)

Sheep trade under pressure around the country today, but we would get away alright on the day with an overall average of 190p and SQQ of 196p. The Monthly Prize show brought out some good lambs to sell with James Towler of Grindleton taking Championship honours under the careful judging eye of Mr Mick Etherington, which later sold for 274p/kg or £118 each for 43kg Beltex purchased by Vivers Scotlamb. Hayley Baines showing lambs for JG Burrow took 2^nd and 3^rd prize, and it was the latter which took top p/kg on the day at 285p (40kg £114). Other best lambs on the day in the 240’s and 250’s with next grade 230p-240p. Sample prices 41kg £106.50, 42kg £108, 44kg £109, 39kg £97.50, 40kg £98, 41kg £99 and 41kg £98.50.

Heavy Lambs were generally the ones to feel the pressure today compared to other weeks, but the 46kg to 52kg bracket still managed a 181p average or £89.93 per head, whilst the over 52kg range averaged £97.78. The over 52kg weight range topped  at £119 with Continental crosses from PC Longdin Doncaster and £111 IP Hutchinson Faceby. Warwick Gill made the trip from Leicestershire with a consignment of heavy lambs and topped at £110 for ten Texel crosses, others at £106 twice and £104 and levelling the run at £102. Brian Church topped at £108 and Rob Bailes of Aldborough got into three figures with £104 and £103 for better end.
Mules and Mashams sold well on the day, Bob Stubbs again bringing handy weight Mules up out of Cheshire to Skipton and making 186p to 189p, other better sorts around the 180p-185p bracket. Heavier end topping £94 from Chris Crowther Oldham and £88.50 Steve Dorey.

Prime Show

 Cont X Lambs

1^st WA Towler 43kg Beltex £118 to Vivers

2^nd JE Burrow 42kg Beltex £108 Vivers

3^rd JE Burrow 40kg Beltex £114 Vivers

 Suff x Lambs

1^st S Dorey 54kg £93 Paul Watson

2^nd J&C Wright 50kg £89.50 M Etherington

3^rd J&C Wright 49kg £85.50 John Bowling

Mule/Masham

1^st S Dorey 50kg £88.50 Nick Dalby

2^nd J Pickles 53kg £84 John Bowling

3^rd S Dorey 45kg £82 Andrew Atkinson

Hill

1^st SM Collinson 46kg £80 Andrew Atkinson

2^nd S Dorey 41kg £79 Woodhead Bros

Prime Lambs  – Overall Average  £84.87 per head or 190.0p/kg            

32.1kg to 35.9kg to 205.7p/kg         av 158.53p/kg      or £55.43 per head

36.0kg to 45.5kg to 285.0p/kg         av 197.46p/kg      or £82.94 per head

45.6kg to 52.0kg to 230.4p/kg         av 181.11p/kg      or £89.93 per head

52.1kg and over   to 209.4p/kg       av 171.13p/kg      or £97.78 per head

Beltex average £100.15 per head or 223.51p/kg

£ per head: £118 WA&VJ&JA Towler; £114 JE Burrow; £111 EP&JM Hutchinson £109 T Kiernan; £108 WA&VJ&JA Towler;

p/kg: 285p JE Burrow; 274.4p WA&VJ&JA Towler; 259.8p HB Atkinson; 257.1p JE Burrow; 247.7p T Kiernan;

Suffolk average £87.3 per head or 183p/kg

£ per head: £106, £104, £99 WR Gill; £98 PC Longdin; £96.5 J Greenwood; £94 AJ Slater; £94 TA Harrison; £94 S Dorey;

p/kg: 218.3p S Breare; 204.7p CR Brittain; 220p, 197.8p CD&RF Kitching; 195.5p, 193.2p CR Brittain; 187.5p H Downs & Son

Texel average £87.34 per head or 194.61p/kg

£ per head: £117 PC Longdin; £110 £106 WR Gill; £109 PC Longdin; £108 RG Church Ltd; £107 EP&JM Hutchinson; 

p/kg:242.3p HB Atkinson; 240.2p EP&JM Hutchinson; 238.8p HB Atkinson; 232.6p x2 EP&JM Hutchinson;

Mule average £80.67 per head or 174.35p/kg

£ per head: £94 C Crowther; £85 N&J&S Taylor; £84 J Pickles; £83.5x2 AC Simpson; £83.5 J Pickles; £83.5 S Dorey;

p/kg:189.7p, 189.5p, 186.9p B Stubbs; 182.2p, 180.7p S Dorey; 180.5p CD&RF Kitching; 180.2p H Downs & Son

Charollais average £82.91 per head or 186.59p/kg

£ per head: £93 FG Throup; £88.5 J Greenwood; £86 PC Longdin; £83 DS Thompson; £82 JA Mellin; £82 S Dorey;

p/kg: 238.5p FG Throup; 215p PC Longdin; 200p JA Mellin; 188.3p J Greenwood; 186.4p S Dorey; 181.8p Stocks Enterprise

Masham average £80.90 per head or 88.50p/kg

£ per head: £88.50 S Dorey; £79.50, £74 S Dorey; £73.50 PC Longdin;

p/kg: 183.8p PC Longdin; 180.7p, 180.5p, 177p S Dorey

Swaledale average £60.05 per head or 149.44p/kg

£ per head: £77 N&J&S Taylor; £76 RH&EA Close; £69 CD&RF Kitching; £68.50 DE&CP Sayer; £65, £56 JK Wilson;

p/kg:167.1p DE&CP Sayer; 166.7p JK Wilson; 160.5p CD&RF Kitching; 155.6p JK Wilson; 152p RH&EA Close;

Cheviot average £80.78 per head or 192.44p/kg

£ per head: £83.50 AC Simpson; £79 x2 S Dorey; £78.50 B Stubbs;

p/kg:201.3p B Stubbs; 197.5p, 192.7p S Dorey; 177.7p AC Simpson

SBF average £79.37 per head or 187.25p/kg

£ per head: £80, £79 J&E Slater; £75.50 B Stubbs;

p/kg:193.6p B Stubbs; 188.1p, 186p J&E Slater;

Texel to £106.5, BFL to £68.5, Mule to £69.5, Dalesbred to £52.5, Cheviot to £48.5, Beltex  to £96.5, Lonk  to £44.5.

Top prices:

Lowland: £106.5 KG Stapleton; £103.5 WA&VJ&JA Towler

Mule/Masham: £69.5 KG Stapleton; £69.5 A Butler

Horned: £52.5 K Lister & Sons; £44.5 A Guy & Son

Hill: £68.5 D Charnley; £48.5 DW&CJ Towler

Cast Rams average £58.9

Suffolk to £, Texel to £93.5, Swaledale to £37.5, BFL to £73.5.

Rearing Calves to £435 X2 (70)  (10:45am)

B&W av £75 Cont av £277 Native av £158.46

Decent show of calves on show this morning with a mixed trade throughout the sale. Some fierce bidding met the better end of the British Blue bulls with Joss Lancaster topping twice at £435 with the majority of the British Blue bulls £350 +. Aberdeen Angus bulls again made some healthy prices with £210 the average topping at £255 from Broadley Farms.

In the heifers a younger show of calves made for harder selling however even stronger calves struggled to the money even with all the usual bidders present. Native heifers certainly less money with an odd face missing for the lambing period.

Black and whites returned on a better trade than last week with best bulls to £165 from A&SL Throup & Chadwick and Leaver with 4wk + calves anywhere from £80+.

Bull Calves

Limousin x (Av £215) to £290 G Pickersgill & Sons                     

Brit Blue x (Av £330) to £435 x2 J&SA Lancaster; £430 JC Marshall                                                       

Aberdeen Angus (Av £210) to £255 Broadley Farms                  

Black & White (Av £75) to £165 A&SL Throup                             

Heifer Calves                                                                       

Ab Angus (Av £98.33) to £120 Broadley Farms                                                           

British Blue (Av £232) to £330 Church Farm Enterprises

Lim (Av £165.33) to £180 G Pickersgill & Sons