Record averages set for store cattle at Bishops Castle
An entry of 141 store cattle went under the hammer at the Farmers Guardian-supported sale at Bishop Castle. A packed ringside of buyers ensured competitive bidding with numerous cattle selling well beyond the 500p/kg barrier, especially well-bred continental types. Limousin crosses dominated the leading prices, while British Blue cattle also attracted strong premiums.
The 78 store steers averaged a record 464p/kg or £1,997/head, with younger grazing cattle particularly popular.
The top price steer came from M. and A. Powell, Kerry, whose 325kg eight-month-old Limousin cross sold for 584.6p/kg.
Strong competition for heavier cattle saw E. M. Tilsley and Son, Garthmyl, achieve the top price of £2,400/head for a 470kg 12-month-old British Blue cross steer.
Other leading prices included 564.4p/kg for a 365kg British Blue cross from Fernyhough and Fernyhough, Newtown, while E. J. and G. M. Trickey, Caersws, sold Limousin crosses to 506.7p/kg and 506.2p/kg.
The 52 store heifers averaged a record 455p/kg or £1,944/head, with buyers keen to secure cattle with growth potential.
Leading the section was Messrs Powell, whose run of Limousin crosses topped at 646.2p/kg for a 325kg seven-month-old heifer, alongside further highs of 620.7p/kg and 603p/kg.
Top price per head came from W. I. Jones and Son, Llanbrynmair, whose 480kg 14-month-old Limousin cross heifer realised £2,300. N. K. Davies, Snailbeach, also featured strongly in the heifer section, selling several well-grown Limousin crosses between £2,100 and £2,280.
A smaller entry of 11 store bulls averaged 398p/kg or £1,789/head. R. F. Gough and Son, Newcastle on Clun, topped the section at 479.5p/kg for a 415kg 10-month-old Limousin cross bull, while another 475kg 11-month-old Limousin cross sold at £2,000.
Auctioneers: Halls.
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Harold Duke heads up Angus Direct sale
A TOP price of 9,400gns was achieved at the Angus Direct online sale for Harold Duke Jose.
Consigned by Messrs Hodgson, Darlington, December 2024-born Duke Jose is the first bull calf by stock bull Rawburn Joel and out of the Rawburn Makka Pakka-sired Harold Duchess Norfolk X230. It heads to a new home near Turriff with Messrs Scott.
Making 8,200gns when sold to Messrs Runciman, Lauder, was Harold Boseman, also from Messrs Hodgson. Its pedigree features Te Mania Nebo on to Rawburn Bonnie V958, a KCF Bennett Southside daughter.
Two sold for 6,800gns apiece including the Housesteads Justin Eric-sired Housesteads Prometheus from R.J. and L.A. Acton, Hexham. Selling to Messrs Biggar, Castle Douglas, its dam is by Fordel Ma Puma.
From the same home, Housesteads Powburn sold to Messrs Mcdonald, Olney, also for 6,800gns. It is by Skaill Donnas Traveller and out of a Netherton Monarch daughter.
Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.
Store cattle sell well at Lockerbie
TRADE for bullocks was strong at the sale of 312 store cattle at Lockerbie where an overall average of 430p/kg or £1,740 was achieved.
The sale peaked at £2,550 for Limousin steers weighing 558kg from Purdomstone with bullocks also hitting 522p/kg for 341kg Simmentals from Kimmeter Green.
Limousins topped the heifer section at £2,300 for a 566kg entry from Purdomstone and 485.5p/kg for a 350kg heifer from Hunterhouse, with that 485.5p/kg matched by a 350kg British Blue from the same home.
Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.
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Brown's bullocks top Tommy Baxter sale
A PEN of four Limousin steers from J. Brown and Sons, Workington, topped the Tommy Baxter show and sale at Cockermouth when they went under the hammer at £2,870/head.
Messrs Brown sold 41 to average £2,426.34, while Peter Edmondson and Jason Loan, Borrowdale, set the best average of £2,476.25 for eight.
Taking the championship was a British Blue heifer from Tom and Keith Bell, Keswick, which sold for £2,700 to the judge, Liam Rodney, Masham.
In reserve was a Limousin heifer from D. Harrison, which made £2,200.
Young bulls reached £2,780 for a Limousin from I. and R. Millard, Millom, who achieved the best average on the day of £2,460 for six, followed by Rodney and Janice Smith, Keswick, who sold four to average £2,320.
Auctioneers: Mitchells Livestock Auction.
Pateley Bridge entry reaches £2,580
AN entry of 111 feeding bulls and store cattle sold to a top of £2,580 at Pateley Bridge.
Sale leader was a Limousin bull from D. and F.J. Fleming, Ramsgill, with young bulls averaging £2,058.52.
Averaging £1,893.40, steers peaked at £2,360 for a Limousin from E. and A.M. Simpson and Son, Pateley Bridge, while heifers averaged £1,770.54 and sold to £2,360 for a Limousin from J.A.S. Church, Harrogate.
Cast cattle sold to £2,288 and 320p/kg for a Limousin from I. Barrett and Son, Braitsy Woods.
Auctioneers: Barnard Castle and Teesdale Farmers Auction Mart.
Limousin heifer tops Darlington store cattle
CLAIMING the championship at the Mid-March Extravaganza show and sale at Darlington was a Limousin heifer from A. Kitson, Hutton Rudby.
The 22-month-old went on to top the sale at £3,350, with the same home leading the steer entry at £2,840. The run of 36 from Messrs Kitson cashed in to average £2,600.
In reserve was a 10-month-old British Blue heifer from T. Ducker, Sheffield, which realised £2,390.
Young bulls sold to £2,460, from D.W. Humphrey, Redcar, while a small entry of breeding cattle peaked at £4,600 for a Limousin with a Blue-sired bull calf, from J.W. Fieldson, Gainsborough.
A pedigree British Blue cow weighed 993kg ,from B.J. Haigh, Melkridge, headed up the 62 cast cattle when it sold for 420p/kg or £4,170. Dairy-bred sorts reached 288p/kg and £2,603, from S.H. Watson and Son, Carnforth.
The breeding sheep entry saw a run of in-lamb ewes from M. Wilson, Lunedale. They reached £252/head and averaged £219.05/head for 74.
Store hoggs hit £181/head for a quartet of Beltex from S.A. Braithwite, Hawes, with feeding sheep to £208/head from N.G. Beveridge, Tow Law.
Auctioneers: Darlington Farmers Auction Mart.
Strong hogg trade at Longtown
WELL-BRED and fed heavy hoggs weighed 56kg and, more regularly, made between £200-£225 at Longtown, where there was a also a pre-sale show of Blackface hoggs.
Beltex hoggs led the trade at £232/head from Messrs Wales, Carlisle, and 524p/kg from R. and J. Lines, Campbeltown, as the sale averaged 383.26p/kg for 6,609 hoggs.
Taking the Blackface championship and leading the section at £187/head was a 53kg pen from Messrs Reid, Langholm.
The entry of 3,541 cast sheep saw heavy Texel ewes from W. Tindale, Durham, top at £400, while light ewes reached £178/head twice – for Blackfaces from C.J. and N.C. Brodie, Waterbeck, and D. Longlands, Hexham.
Auctioneers: C. and D. Auction Marts.
Large offering of cattle at Hexham
TRADE remained strong at the sale of store cattle and weaned calves at Hexham, where a top price of £2,680 was achieved.
Making that price was a Limousin cross heifer from J.S.A. Dodds, Milbourne, with the same home selling steers to £2,660.
Charolais cross bullocks from F.T. Walton, Morpeth, led the steer section at £2,670, while native-bred cattle sold to £2,560, for a bullock from G. and J.H. Tomlinson and Son, Consett.
Younger sorts and weaned calves reached £2,210 for an 11-month-old Limousin cross steer from A.J. Brown, Alnwick, with native calves to £2,110 for Aberdeen-Angus bullocks from F. Hall and Son, Durham.
Weaned heifers peaked at £2,100 for a trio of Limousin crosses from G.H. and A. Walton, Alston.
In the sheep ring, cast sheep reached £352/head for a Beltex from M.N.H. and M.E. Robinson, Staindrop, with rams to £270/head for a Charollais from A.W. Wigham, Haltwhistle
The 905 store hoggs peaked at £218/head for a Texel from J. Carins, Rouchester.
Auctioneers: Hexham and Northern Marts.
Limousin heifer tops Middleton
STORE cattle cashed in to average £1,806.95 for the 104 that changed hands at Middleton.
Leading the entry at £2,160 was a Limousin heifer from Alison and Neville Bainbridge, Barnard Castle, while British Blue heifers from Simon Bentley, Middleton, hit £2,000. Heifers averaged £1,725.88.
Averaging £1,861.49, steers reached £2,120 for a Limousin steer from Malcolm Dent, Lunedale, followed by more of the same form Messrs Walton, Barnard Castle, to £2,090. Steers averaged £1,861.49.
Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.
Messrs Powley's heifers are the pick of Penrith
CATTLE were dearer on the fortnight as 230 stores averaged £2,007.47 at Penrith.
The sale peaked at £2,705 for a pen of five dairy-bred Limousin heifers aged 20 to 21 months, from T.J. and J.M. Powley, Penrith, selling to P. Fowley. Messrs Powley's consignment of 14 averaged £2,488.57.
Bullocks reached £2,485 for a 22-month-old Limousin from G.W. and A. Hird, Embleton, which sold to F. Towers.
M. Ridsdale, Penrith, sold a pair of dairy-bred Aberdeen-Angus bullocks to D. Barker for £2,365, while a run of Limousin bullocks and heifers from Messrs Strong, Hesket Newmarket reached £2,375.
Auctioneer: Penrith and District Farmers Mart.
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