Special Show & Sale of Suckler Bred Cattle

The special March sale of store cattle at NWA J36 saw over 700 head forward with many customers returning to this popular sale both buying and selling. All vendors must be complemented on the quality of stock forward at this sale for which a fast trade was experienced for all classes and types which were a pleasure to sell.

A feature of today’s sale was the prize show for cattle under 12 months old which saw over 20 cattle presented before the judge, Mr James Duerden, Dalton in Furness who we thank for giving his time and expertise.

The championship rosette was awarded to an 11 month old Limousin x steer shown by Mark Cooper on behalf of N Cooper & Sons, Ulverston which later sold for £1200. The reserve rosette was awarded to an 11 month old Limousin x heifer from JG & PH Thompson, Selside which sold for £1100. A full ringside of buyers ensured all cattle sold to a fast and competitive trade with many leaving unable to fulfil orders.

Suckler bred cattle saw steers 10-12 months old nicely selling at £900 - £1100 topping at £1240 for a Limousin x from R & BJ Cleasby, Broughton in Furness. Younger steers 6 – 9 months old sold to £1010 for Limousin x from WA Atkinson, Ulverston.

Suckler bred heifers sold to £1180 for a Limousin x from JB & ND Barnes, Eskdale with others nicely achieving £980 - £1100. Younger heifers selling to £1010 for a Blonde x from JA & J Harper, Sedbergh. 6 – 8 month old heifers generally £720 - £850. Feeding bulls sold to £1030 for pure bred Limousins from RH & C Ayrton Ltd, Abbeystead with others £880 - £1000. Younger suckler bulls £680 - £850.

A large number of Charolais x suckler stores were forwards easily selling with steers to £960 from M & C Booth, Kentmere and heifers to £880 from a run of 50 from M Parker Farming Ltd, Ambleside.

Native bred cattle saw an exceptional demand with Aberdeen Angus x steers from JA & SM Allen, Windermere selling at £1170, Hereford x £1120 from M Blease, Carnforth and Shorthorn x £1050 from Messrs Fell, Barrow in Furness. Younger steers selling to £840 for Shorthorns from J Black & Son, Kentmere, £840 Aberdeen Angus x from J & M Wilson, Selside, Hereford x £790 from G & ID Postlethwaite, Howgill and a run of Saler x from NP & CE Buckley, Ings selling to £900.

Native heifers sold to £1040 for Aberdeen Angus x from S & M Cooper, Leece, Hereford x £960 M J Waller, Lupton. Younger native heifers sold to £700 for Beef Shorthorn x from MW & PA Rollason, Meathop.

Dairy x stores sold to £1140 for British Blue x heifers from JA & SM Allen, Windermere with British Blue x steers £1100 from S & M Cooper, Leece. Dairy steers sold to £1000 for Montbeliards from RW Nicholson, Lupton.

Cull Cows and OTM Cattle

All cattle sold to 184.5p/kg and £1254.

A nice entry of cows were forwards at today’s sale which saw an overall market average of 122.5p/kg achieved with over half the entry being diary bred.

The sale topped at 184.5p/kg for a Limousin x cow from N Cooper & Sons, Broughton in Furness who sold others at 159.5p/kg and NP & CE Buckley, Staveley selling a Limousin x at 157.5p/kg.

Beef cows for further feeding were generally 125p/kg – 145p/kg with leanest sorts 110p/kg – 120p/kg. The top grossing beef cow was £1116 for a Limousin x from N Cooper & Sons, Broughton in Furness with most achieving £825 - £980.

Dairy cows sold to a top price of 119.5p/kg for a Holstein Friesian from WB Winder & Co, Broughton in Furness with other heavy and well fleshed cows 112p/kg – 117p/kg with parlour types 105p/kg – 110p/kg and the leanest 90p/kg – 98p/kg. Top grossing dairy cow being a Dairy Shorthorn from JR Handley, Whinfell achieving £930 with Holstein Friesians topping at £834 from JM Barton & Son, Lupton.

OTM heifers sold to 159p/kg for an Aberdeen Angus x from J Twigge, Lindale and £987 for a Holstein Friesian from Messrs Sowerby Appleby.

Several cull bulls were forwards selling to 151.5p/kg for a Limousin from R Keith, Grange over Sands with a Blonde Aquataine grossing at £1254 from JA & G Gardner, Preston.

A single OTM White Park steer from JE Wightman sold at 109.5p/kg and £517.

Beef Breeding Cattle

Bulls sell to £2000, cows and calves to £1900.

A large crowd of buyers were in attendance for the sale of beef breeding cattle which saw all classes easily sold with many buyers leaving with empty trailers. A feature of the sale was the first part dispersal from Mr D Clarke, Underbarrow which saw a 2nd calved Limousin x cow with a 3 month old Limousin x heifer at foot achieve £1900 with other cows selling at £1700, £1650, £1500. Heifers with calves at foot sold to £1750 with a bull calf and others achieving £1650. A 3 year old Limousin x British Blue stock bull sold at £1750.

A consignment of British Blue x and Simmental x heifers with Limousin calves at foot sold to £1700 with heifer calves at foot with others nicely selling at £1250 - £1500.

Several breeding bulls were forwards today with a 24 month old Limousin bull from S Whitehead, Middleton selling at £2000 and a 3 year old Limousin x British Blue achieving £1400 from J Twigge, Lindale.

Calves

The sale of calves, once again had a strong entry with 80 calves and weanlings forward. There was a strong trade for all specifications with these numbers required each week. A fantastic British Blue bull calf sold to a top of £435 from RF & CE Hodgson Pennington. Other British Blues sold to £335 from JW & TE Sharp Lyth. A Pickthall of New Hutton had a run of month old British Blue bull calves selling to £320 with others from the same good home £305 and £300. Heifer calves were a strong trade at J36. Simmental heifer calves led the way with a top of 380 from RF & CE Hodgson Pennington with others to £320. British Blues peaked at £375 from Whitestone Farm, Penrith. A strong black & white trade, with weaned calves selling between £140 - £160, topping at £180 from Gibson & Berry, Old Hutton. Younger black & white calves would be £20 dearer on the fortnight with a top of £90 from J Scott & Co, Cark in Cartmel with others to £85 from A V Lord & Co, Aldingham. Dairy Shorthorn bulls to £70 from Messrs Robinson, Old Hutton. Medium types were selling between £30 - £50.

A consignment of weanlings this week from MA & S Johns, Kirkby Stephen saw 4 month old Augus heifers to £460 with bulls from the same home to £420. All weanlings were eagerly bid for.

The monthly special sale of stirks saw 80 forward with trade being strong and better than many other local Markets. The Market peaked at £730 for a Hereford bull from G M Redmayne, Ings. With Charolais heifers to £625 from F & TE Park, Crook. Plenty of yearling beef bred bullocks sold in the £600 region with Black and Whites peaking at £580 from FP & G Slater, Witherslack.