CALVES AND STIRKS

The fortnightly sale of rearing calves sold to one of the dearest trades seen for several months, with an abundance of buyers in attendance, keen to buy replacement stock. Bull calves sold to a top price of £600 for an 8-week-old British Blue x from JW & TW Sharp, Lyth closely followed by J R Handley, Heversham who sold British Blue x at £570 and 560. Other bull claves to break the £500 barrier included a Simmental x from B & JM Crowe, Witherslack and British Blue x from A Pickthall, New Hutton. Strong shapely bull calves regularly sold between £350 to £420. Younger bull calves sold to a top price of £420 from a Charolais x from Bambers Farm, Cockerham with Limousin x selling to £370 from B & MJ Nelson & Son, Heversham. Native sire bull calves continue to sell to a keen audience of buyers, with a top price of £400 achieved for a Hereford x from Bambers Farm, Cockerham who sold others at £400 and Aberdeen Angus to £370. Other Herefords sold to £370 from J S & I M Wilson, Millom. With a Belted Galloway x calves from T W Handley, Sedbergh reaching a final bid of £310. Dairy bulls sold to a top price of £310 for a Montbeliarde from J S & I M Wilson, Millom who sold others at £300. Shorthorn calves sold to £290 from R G & JA Clark, Endmoor with strongest Friesian selling to £210 from B & J M Crowe, Witherslack and T W Handley, Sedbergh. Medium dairy bulls regularly achieving £140 to £180, with the smallest sorts achieving £60-£90.
A run of British Blue x heifer calves from JW & TE Sharp, Lyth sold at £560, £520 and £510 with other British Blue x heifers achieving £440 from A Pickthall, New Hutton. Limousin x heifers sold to £420 from B & J M Crowe, Witherslack with £390 achieved for both Charolais and Simmental x heifers from Bambers Farm, Cockerham. Young continentals regularly selling at £270-£360, with farmers keen to secure replacement breeding stock. Native sired heifers sold to £380 for Hereford x from J S & IM Wilson, Millom and Bambers Farm, Cockerham. With others regularly selling at £280-£330. Aberdeen Angus x heifer calves sold to £290 from J R Handley, Milnthorpe with younger sorts selling to £230 from R Dick, Freckleton.
Another large entry of weaned calves and stirks saw steers sell to a top price £720 for a 5-month-old Limousin x from KD & L Armer, Newbiggin-On-Lune with 4-month-old British Blue x steers from A Prickett selling at £580. Aberdeen Angus steers from Messr Young, Lindale sold at £560 and others to £500. Dairy bred steers sold to £640 for a Fleckvieh from P D & P J Mason, Burton in Kendal whom also sold Montbeliardes to £590. Heifer stirks sold a top price of £780 for a Charolais x from MW & MR Black, Staveley who also sold Limousins to £730. British Blue x heifers from P D & P J Mason, Burton in Kendal sold at £740 with other yearling heifers selling between £500-£600 to include Aberdeen Angus heifers from F & TE Park, Crook achieving £620.
Bull stirks saw £700 achieved for both British Blue x and Limousin x from RI Dixon, Low Newton with younger weaned British Blue x selling £540 from D Wightman, Heversham, who also sold Aberdeen Angus x at £480. Dairy bulls sold to £400 for Holstein Friesians from Quality Calves, Ecclefechan.

STORE CATTLE
An increased attendance of buyers at the fortnightly sale saw a rise in trade with all vendors leaving pleased with prices achieved. Steers today sold to a top price of £1120 for a 14-month-old Limousin x from D & A Nicholson, Ulverston with other steers selling to £1080 from TW Nelson & Son, Stainton and yearling and 12-month-old steers to £1040 from R C & SC Cleasby, Foxfield. Other yearling steers regularly selling at £900 to £1000. Younger steers sold to £920 for 8-month-old Limousin x from Thrimby Farms, Penrith and Limousin x from GC & GW Taylor, Crook selling at £880. Native sire steers sold to a top of £800 for yearling Luings from JW & TE Sharp, Lyth. Aberdeen Angus x steers sold to £870 from PD & P Mason, Burton-in-Kendal. With Blue Grey steers from M Gibson, Sedbergh selling at £800. Dairy bred steers sold to £830 for Holstein Friesians from CS & SE Wood, Penrith with Fleckvieh selling to £790 and P D & P J Mason, Burton in Kendal who also sold Norwegian Red x at £740.
Heifers sold to a top price of £1140 for a Limousin x from A & RA Middleton, Cowan Bridge with British Blue x selling to £1110 and £1090 from M J Shepherd, Newbiggan. Younger suckler bred heifers sold to £1030 for a Limousin x from D & A Nicholson, Ulverston with others at £1020 from A & L Birkett, Ambleside. Native sire heifers sold to a top price £1140 for a beef Shorthorn from A Wilson & Son, Skipton who sold to £1100. Hereford x cross heifers from RJ & J Gardner, Kendal sold to £900 with others achieving £890. Yearling suckler bred heifer saw a top price of £830 for a Charolais cross from RC & SC Cleasby, Foxfield with British Blue x selling to £820 from Thrimby Farms, Penrith.

OTM CATTLE
North West Auctions J36 saw another fast traded for all cull cows, with an active ring side of buyers competing for all types and classes of cattle. The sale peaked at 199.5p/kg for a young Blond D'aquitaine x from SJ & NS Wood, Windermere with heavy weight beef cows selling to 181.5p.kg for Aberdeen Angus x from J T Proctor, Flookburgh and 177.5p/kg for a Limousin from DP Escolme, Endmoor. A large entry of dairy bred cows today sold to a top price of 169.5p/kg for a Holstein Friesian from J M Barton & Son, Lupton with other heavy, well fleshed dairy cows selling to 159.5p/kg from A and B Pickthall, Hincaster. Medium dairy cows regularly selling between 128-140p/kg. Top grossing cow today was a heavy weight Aberdeen Angus from JT Proctor achieving £1479 closely followed by the top from dairy cow at £1342 from J M Barton, Lupton. Well fleshed heavy cows regularly achieving £1000-£1200. OTM heifers sold to a top price of 174.5p/kg and £839 for a Fleckvieh from RG & J A Clark, Endmoor. A single OTM steer sold at 134.5p/kg and £847 for Simmental x from J E Stables & Sons, Grange Over Sands. All cull cows today averaged 141p/kg, with more needed at every sale to fulfil buyer requirements.

BREEDING CATTLE
North West Auctions held its popular June cattle fair which included the annual prize show and sale of beef breeding cattle which saw buyers in attendance from throughout the northern counties, Midlands and Wales. Today’s sale was kindly sponsored by Paxton’s, Lloyds Animal Feeds, Thornton Breakers, with the pre-sale show kindly judged by Aaron Bindloss, Shap Abbey. The first prize and championship rosette was awarded to a Limousin x heifer and Limousin x bull calve from NL & CJ Brown, Claughton, who also received the reserve champion rosette with a Limousin x heifer with heifer calf. The first prize cow and calf was award AT Rogerson, Chipping for a British Blue x cow with British Blue x bull calf at foot.
All vendors must be complemented for the standard at stock on offer with the popularity of the North West Auctions breeding sales continuing to attract keen interest, Vendors are encouraged to pre enter cattle for the next sale on the 8th July. Bulling heifers saw a top of £1220 achieved for a Limousin x from T & D Wright, Wray who sold others at £1180 and £1140. British Blue x bulling heifers sold to £1180 from TW Nelson & Son, Stainton. Breeding bulls saw a top price of £3800 achieved for a Limousin from RS & BA Harker, Holme who sold another at £3700. A four-year old Limousin bull from J Kitchen & Son, Cartmel Fell sold at £2500. J E Gaunt sold a 19-month-old Charolais bull at £2400 with a Simmental from Barlow Bros achieving £2200.
Beef Breeding heifers and calves saw a top £2800 for a Limousin x heifer and Limousin x heifer calf NL & CJ Brown, Claughton who sold other at £2600 with bull calf at foot. This was closely followed by J T & J Kellsall, Clapham selling a Limousin x heifer and Limousin x bull calf at £2550 which was also achieved for the third prize Limousin heifer and Limousin x heifer calf from DE & SM Moorhouse, Natland. The annual consignment of Limousin x heifers from E J Hodgson & Son, Lambrigg sold to £2500, with a Limousin heifer calf at foot, with others from the same home achieving £2250. J Woodburn and Partners, Ulverston saw a top price of £2300 achieved for a Limousin x heifer with Limousin x bull calf at foot. E Rossall, Preesall sold a Limousin x heifer and heifer calf at foot at £2250. British Blue x heifer with Limousin x steer calf sold to £2200 from PT & J Inman, Lockerbie with others achieving £2100. W Garnett & Son, Milnthorpe sold Limousin x heifers and heifer Calves at £2100. All heifers and calves today sold to a market average of £1842.
Cows and calves saw a top price of £2500 for Limousin cow with Limousin heifer calf and PD back in calf from T, L & BJ Knowles whom sold others at £2100. The first price cow and calf from AT Rogerson, Chipping sold at £2300 for a British Blue cow and British Blue x calf, The annual consignment of beef Shorthorn and Aberdeen Angus x cows from T M & D Dobson, Crosthwaite saw a top price of £1900 for a Shorthorn cow with Charolais bull calf and another Shorthorn cow with Charolais heifer calf. Other cows in this consignment regularly selling at £1300-£1500. A second calved Limousin x cow with heifer calf from J Woodburn & Partners achieved £1800. An entry of Pure Hereford cows with calves at foot from PJ Holt & Son, Blackpool sold to £1700 with others at £1500. Hereford x cows from J Woodburn & Partners with Charolais x bull calves sold to £1650. Other pure bred Hereford cows with Hereford calves sold to £1450 from SE Coar, Hoghton. Stabiliser x cows with Aberdeen Angus calves from AE & PC Capstick, Heversham sold to £1400. All cows with calves sold an average of £1410.