Haltered champion from Luke Bell-Percy
YF calves turn a profit at Darlington
CALVES returned an average gross margin of £545 at the Young Farmers overwintering competition at Darlington where competitors were limited to a purchase price of £1,400.
Leading the trade were the champions from the haltered and unhaltered section as the latter leader from Josh Burton, Ettersgill, attracted the top price of £2,550.
The British Blonde heifer was bought from Ian Spedding for £1,320, leaving Josh a margin of £1,230.
The haltered champion, a Limousin cross heifer from Luke Bell-Percy, Masham, was bought from E. Scott and Sons for £1,380 and went on to realise £2,500.
Honourable mentions in the profit margin results went to Lauren Clark (£1,040), Jack Sewell (£970) and Mya Giles (£960).
Achieving the best weight gain was a Limousin steer from Charlie Gray, Boston, who also claimed the reserve haltered championship.
The bullock weighed 302kg when bought and sold at 526kg, marking a 224kg weight gain.
Michael Brannen, Temple Sowerby, scooped the award for best showmanship as well as the reserve haltered championship with his Charolais-sired steer.
Jack Sewell, Hamsterley, won best turned out beast.
A new aspect of the competition was to create a costings booklet where Imogen Davies, Bolam, impressed.
The Easter show and sale of rearing calves set a new centre record of £1,300 for the champion, a Limousin bull from Messrs Wilkinson, Rushyford, which was bought by the judge, Ben Cowton, Tow Law.
Reserve was an Angus bull from J.T. Forster and Son, Darlington, which sold for £950, again to Mr Cowton.
The entry of breeding sheep peaked at £400/outfit for a pen of nine Suffolk Mules with Texel-sired twins from A. Pennell, Richmond, followed at £398 for a trio of continental ewes with twins from W. Wearmouth and Son, Eastgate.
Store hoggs peaked at £220 for a Charollais from A. Bloomfield, Darlington, while feeding ewes hit £302 for a pure Suffolk from J.J.M. Lonsdale, Rookhope.
Auctioneers: Darlington Farmers Auction Mart.
Gisburn calf record
A YOUNG heifer calf set a new record price for a cross-bred calf sold at Gisburn when it went under the hammer for £2,000 at the Easter show and sale.
Aged one month and 10 days and entered by R., G. and M. Falshaw, Walmersley, it is by the British Blue AI sire, Strawberry Fields Northstar, and bred from a British Friesian dam.
The entry of 56 dairy cattle peaked at £3,100 twice.
First at that price was a Westcoast Retrolook-sired heifer from Messrs Gibson and Berry's Auldbrook herd, Kendal.
Yielding 37kg with nine generations of cows in the top two classifications, it has a PLI of £385.
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Matching that was a red and white Denhamhill-bred heifer From R.B. and R.C. Webster and Sons, Stocksbridge.
This one is by Drouner K and L Augustus P Red and is also backed by VG and Ex-rated dams, including a 13-tonne dam.
Messrs Gibson and Berry also received £3,000 for Auldbrook Snipe 124, a Westcoast Lugnut daughter giving 35kg, and £2,900 for Auldbrook Azalea 301, another by Westcoast Lugnut.
Non-pedigree heifers peaked at £2,850 for a 34kg entry and the best of four from J.J.M. and H.J. Walmsley, Pilling.
Averages – Pedigree heifers, £2,374; pedigree cows, £2,130; non-pedigree heifers, £2,244; pedigree in-calf heifers, £2,160.
Auctioneers: Gisburn Auction Marts.
Limousin cross leaders at Huntly
LIMOUSIN cross heifers from J.R. Anderson and Sons, Strathdon, topped the 920 store cattle sold at the April show and sale at Huntly.
They sold to 642.3p/kg as well as £2,550/head, as the 321 heifers cashed in to average 426.7p/kg.
The 599 bullocks reached 614.3p/kg for Limousin crosses from West Anagach, Grantown-on-Spey, as well as the top gross price of £2,560 for Charolais crosses from R. and G. Slorach, Enzie. They averaged 442.2p/kg.
Champion at the pre-sale show was a 535kg Limousin cross bullock from Bradley Robertson, Barnhill, which realised £2,300 when sold to W. Cameron, Keith.
Reserve was another Limousin cross bullock, this time a 470kg entry from J.R. Anderson and Sons, which made £2,270 to Gavin Ross, Strichen.
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Messrs Robertson also presented the champion heifer, a 470kg Limousin cross, which sold for £2,010.
The first place pen of four bullocks, 478kg Charolais crosses from Messrs Smith, Tarland, realised £2,200/head, while the first prize pen of heifers, 392kg Limousin crosses from E. and R. Cadger, Rhynie, made £1,800/head.
Auctioneers: United Auctions.
Spring lamb season underway at Barnard Castle
ZWARTBLES lambs led the opening sale of spring lambs at Barnard Castle when entries from two different vendors hit £190/head and 515.4p/kg.
Topping the gross trade was a pen of four from G.P. Addison, Mickleton, Barnard Castle, while a pair from A. and R. Breeze, Manfield, Darlington, led the price per kg.
Well-finished hoggs remain in demand as the entry peaked at 373p/kg.
Texels topped the sections at £240 for one from M. Robson, Meadow View, as well as 440p/kg for a pen of six from S. Moore, Eggleston, Barnard Castle.
A Texel ewe from J.D. White, Greenside Farm, topped the cast sheep at £300.
Auctioneers: C. and D. Auction Marts.
Top of £3,200 for second-calver at Borderway
DAIRY cattle met a strong trade at the monthly sale at Borderway where a second-calver went on to top the sale at £3,200.
Selling as part of the Castle Douglas-based Davidson family's dispersal being offered throughout the monthly sales, Halmyre Urr FV Jinks VG87 sold to Neil Sloan, Knowe herd, Ayrshire. Yielding 38 litres, it is backed by four generations of VG dams.
Next best at £3,050 was a British Friesian heifer, Queenscairn Falcon Rosette 3, from the Shanks family, Kelso. It sold to Messrs Kincaid, Lockerbie, as Messrs Shanks' run of 10 averaged £2,594.
Two Holstein heifers hit £3,000, including Pacific Zolton Irena from Nether Pratis Farming, Leven, whose 16-strong consignment averaged £2,645. This late February-calved Claynook Zolton daughter sold to Messrs Spedding, Carlisle.
The same vendor and buyer were behind the £2,920 Pacific Hampshire Liza.
Also at £3,000 was Liscabank Taos Trudy from Messrs Parkinson, Preston, which sold to Messrs Brough, Wigton. This fresh heifer is by Leaninghouse Taos and out of a VG dam.
In-calf heifers peaked at £2,950 for a Holysmokes daughter from Edward and Linda Wilson, Southwaite, who sold three to average £2,893. Selling to Messrs Paterson, Newmains, it is due in Mayto sexed Cogent Koepon Ruben.
Five females made £2,900 including a brace to Messrs Sloan, Lockerbie. This included a fresh Holstein from R.P. Nicholson and Sons, Cockermouth, and Errolston Batman Lottie 2 from B. and V. Davidson, Gretna.
The other three – Lasmay Luster P Thistle and Parkend Letsgo Tulisa from B. Weatherup and Partners, Cowdenbeath, and Swaites Brown Star 19 from J. Adamson and Son, Pettinain, all sold to Kincaid, Lockerbie.
Auctioneer: Harrison and Hetherington.
Champion tops YF calves at Quoybrae
A LIMOUSIN bullock weighing 552kg from James Swanson, Thurso, secured the pre-sale champion at the Young Farmers overwintering competition at Quoybrae before going on to top the sale at £2,700.
It was originally bought from G. Sutherland, Occumster, and on the day sold to Iain Laird, Burray.
Reserve in the YF section was a 470kg British Blue cross heifer from Ross Campbell, Bridge of Westfield, which was bred by G.W. Forbes, Forse. It sold to the judge, Ian Pirie, Maud, for £2,260 and achieved the highest gross margin in the heifer section.
Making £2,200 to A.M. Connon and Sons, Auchnagatt, was the home-bred champion, a 486kg Charolais heifer from Iona Campbell, which was also the best paraded and presented animal.
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Isla Mackay, Watten, saw her 532kg Limousin bullock achieve the best daily live weight gain of 1.629kg per day as well as the highest cross margin of £840.
Among the heifers, a 592kg Charolais from Oliver Ruff, Upper Smerral, put on the most weight at 1.293kg per day.
In the open section, champion was a 540kg Limousin heifer from J.K. Manson, Hempriggs, which sold to Blair Duffton, Huntly, for £2,550.
G.W. Begg, Nybster, sold the reserve champion, a 353kg Limousin cross, to James Gunn, Wick, for £2,350.
Overall, 719 bullocks levelled at 442.2p/kg with 182 Aberdeen-Angus steers at 429.9p/kg, while 462 heifers averaged 422.6p/kg with 69 Angus at 404.6p/kg.
Auctioneer: Aberdeen and Northern Marts.
Breeding sheep reach £360 at Hawes
AT the opening sale of ewes with lambs at foot at Hawes, a total of 68 families were on offer.
Topping at £360/outfit was a continental ewe with twin Texel lambs from James Chapman, Hawes, followed at £350 for continental ewes with twins from Alex Lambert, Bainbridge.
Aged Mule ewes with Suffolk-sired twins from Messrs Lambert sold to £310, with the same home leading the singles entry at £245 and £242 for continental ewes with Texel lambs.
The entry of 650 prime hoggs averaged 365p/kg, having sold to £210/head for a pen of Cheviots from Raymond Lund, Garsdale, and again for Texels from W.J. Metcalf and Partner, Askrigg.
Mules reached £198 for heavies from T.M. Barrass and Son, Walden, while Swales reached £179 for a 52kg pen from A. Fawcett and Sons, Hardraw.
Auctioneer: Hawes Farmers Auction Mart.
