Thursday 7th January 2021

OTM/Cast Cattle

Cull cows sold to an overall market average of 126p/kg with over half of the entry being dairy cows. Beef cows sold to a top of 167.5p/kg for a Stabiliser for A Dixon & Son, Selside with Limousin x cows selling to 164./5p/kg from J Twigge, Lindale. Heavy, well fleshed beef cows regularly sold to 135p/kg – 150p/kg, with buyers keen to secure cows for further finishing.

Dairy cows sold to a top price of 129.5p/kg for a Friesian from J & M Wilson, Selside with other heavy, well fleshed Friesians selling to 124.5p/kg from TK Robinson & Son, Old Hutton and JM Barton & Son, Lupton. Dairy Shorthorn cows sold to 119.5p/kg from JR Handley, Whinfell. Norwegian x cows also sold to 119.5p/kg from J & H Bland & Sons Ltd, Levens.

Medium type dairy cows were regularly 105p/kg to 115p/kg with leaner parlour sorts 95p/kg – 105p/kg. Top grossing beef cow was £1187 for a Stabiliser from A Dixon & Son, Selside with dairies selling to £951 from TK Robinson & Son, Old Hutton.

OTM heifers sold to a top of 179.5p/kg and £1150 for a Hereford x from J Twigge, Lindale with other OTM beef bred heifers achieving 165p/kg – 170p/kg. OTM dairy heifers sold to 141.5p/kg and £741 for a Holstein Friesian from JM Barton & Son, Lupton.

OTM steers saw an Aberdeen Angus x sell to 194.5p/kg and £1246 from JW Robinson & Son, Farleton. There was a single cull bull forward today selling to 114.5p/kg and £990 for a Diary Shorthorn from Messrs Robinson, Old Hutton.

More cows are needed to fulfil meat buyers demands with 11 active accounts at today’s sale and two new buyers in attendance also.

Store Cattle

The opening sale of store cattle at NWA J36 saw a well- travelled ringside of active buyers in attendance, keen to secure cattle of all classes and types to fill their sheds and take advantage of the current strong prime cattle trade.

Due to Covid 19 restrictions, prize awards were given for the highest priced individual steer and heifer along with groups of 3 or more steers and heifers. We thank vendors for their understanding and co-operation during these strange times.

A high quality entry of cattle attracted specialist buyers with their interest caught through pre-sale social media marketing. It was a much admired 10 month old Limousin x heifer from AT Rogerson, Chipping which, following a flurry of bids for both breeding and showing interest, sold to a final bid of £1520 to Mr M Blair on behalf of Thrimby Farms Ltd for breeding purposes. Well grown and well bred heifers attracted keen interest from buyers keen to secure high quality future breeding stock with M & L Preece, Kirkby Lonsdale selling a Limousin x at £1340. A consignment of 14 Limousin heifers from TA Chapman & Son, Helsington sold to £1320 and £1310 with N Cooper & Sons, Broughton in Furness selling Limousin x at £1300. 23 heifers sold in excess of £1200 with another 15 at £1100 plus.

Yearling heifers sold to a top price of £1130 for Limousin x from D & A Nicholson, Ulverston. Younger heifers sold to £850 for a 9 month old British Blue x from HR & KA Hodgson, Barbon and an 8 month old Limousin x achieving £800 from D & DW Prickett, Farleton. Other 8 month old Limousin heifers sold to £790 from MW & M Hodgson, Cartmel Fell and Charolais x £750 from CI Briggs, Wray.

Native bred heifers sold to a top price of £1180 for a Hereford x from J Twigge, Lindale who sold Aberdeen Angus x at £1050. Younger native sired heifers sold to £850 for a yearling Hereford from RC & SC Cleasby, Foxfield.

Steers saw a top price of £1510 achieved for a Limousin x steer from N Cooper & Sons, Broughton in Furness with other Limousin x selling to £1360 from Messrs Hodgson, Rydal and £1310 from MA & JA Winn, Burneside. Charolais x steers sold to £1290 from M & SM Robinson, Lowgill with other steers also achieving £1290 from Messrs Hodgson, Rydal and RG & L Holmes, Wharton. 27 steers sold in excess of £1200 with a further 16 in excess of £1100. Yearling steers sold to a top price of £1080 for Limoujsin x from D & A Nicholson, Ulverston with others achieving £1050 from M & D Hatton, Broughton in Furness and £970 from AT Rogerson, Chipping. Other younger steers sold to £950 for 10 month old Charolais x from R & BJ Cleasby, Ulverston with Simmental x selling to £940 from MW & PA Rollason, Meathop. 10 month old Charolais x steers from CI Briggs, Wray sold at £910.

Native sired steers sold to a top price of £1240 for Beef Shorthorn x from Messrs Hodgson, Rydal with Aberdeen Angus x selling to £1150 from MJ Shepherd, Newbiggin. Yearling native sired steers saw Aberdeen Angus sell to £880 from JH Atkinson & Son, Selside and Shorthorn x achieve £850 from MW & M Hodgson, Cartmel Fell and J Black & Son, Kentmere. Hereford x steers sold to £810 from JF Robinson, Woodland.

Several dairy bred steers were forward at today’s sale which saw Fleckvieh from RW & S Nicholson, Lupton sell to £960 with others at £910 and £900. Holstein Friesian steers sold to £840 from MJ Shepherd, Newbiggin.

Suckler bulls experienced keen, competitive bidding with 12 month old Blonde Aquitaine x from OR Hodgson, Old Hutton selling at £910 with HM Hodgson, Old Hutton selling others at £840. 7 month old Hereford x bulls from RI Dixon, sold at £620.

All classes and types of cattle sold to full value with vendors encouraged to enter cattle with confidence for the next sale on Thursday 21st January. Please contact Matthew Probert on 07540446667 or Bradley Thompson on 07867000244.

Calves and Stirks

A good show of 140 calves and weanlings were forward today with a fast trade seen from start to finish. British Blue calves saw a great demand with a top of £455 from A Pickthall, New Hutton with other British Blue bulls selling to £430 from HJ Robinson & Son, Preston Patrick with 20 Blue bulls selling over the £400 mark.

British Blue heifers sold to £400 twice from Lawkland Hall Farm Partnership and Gibson & Berry, Endmoor. Continental bull calves were regularly selling £350 – £400 mark with Native bred bulls selling at £300 – £350 for the best, with medium type native bred calves selling at £280 – £300.

A big show of dairy bred calves were forward with all selling to full value. The best black and whites were selling over the £100 mark with a top of £110 form JAH Warton & son, Kirkby Stephen with medium types £70 – £80. There was a good show of weanlings forward with British Blue steers from Kirkby and Longworth, Dunnerdale selling to £650 with Aberdeen Angus heifers from the same farm selling to £600. All weanlings forward sold to full value.