REARING AND WEANED CALVES

132 rearing & weaned calves were forward at the fortnightly sale with new & returning customers in attendance. Rearing calves sold to £505 for an 8 week old British Blue x bull from Messrs Gibson & Berry, Endmoor. With other younger British Blue bull calves selling to £400 from JW & TE Sharp, Lyth with others at £390 from HJ Robinson & Son, Preston Patrick. Native sired bull calves sold to £345 for Aberdeen Angus x from WB Winder & Co, Dalton in Furness who sold others at £270. Dairy bull calves sold to £300 for an 8 week old Fleckvieh from J & S Brakewell, Kirkby in Furness who sold others at £240. Younger Fleckvieh bull calves sold to £215 from RF & CE Hodgson, Pennington. Heifer calves sold to £390 for a British Blue x from JW & TE Sharp, Lyth, with a 6 week old Charolais x from M & C Booth, Kentmere selling at £350. Younger month old heifer calves generally £190-£250 depending on quality and type. Weaned bull calves sold to £600 for British Blue x from Messrs Williamson, Colby with others at £560 from WB Winder & Co, Broughton in Furness. Younger recently weaned bull calves sold to £485 from W Stamper, Chipping who sold others at £450. Dairy bull calves sold to £390 for a Holstein Friesian from R & J Dodgson, Natland with others at £345 from Messrs Williamson, Colby.

STIRKS

46 stirks saw 6 month old Limousin x steers sell to £730 from B & MJ Nelson, Heversham with other younger continental steers selling to £690 for Limousin x from JC & G Taylor, Crook and British Blue x from AE & PC Capstick Ltd, Heversham. Bull stirks sold to £620 for British Blue x from E Lawson, Sedbergh. With Fleckvieh selling to £595 from SJ & J Hodgson, Colton. Heifer stirks sold to £850 for Blonde Aquitaine. Predominately 6-8 month old heifer stirks saw Aberdeen Angus sell to £685 from AE & PC Capstick Ltd, Heversham and Limousin to £640 from E Lawson, Sedbergh.

CULL COWS

Cull cows saw another active ringside of buyers keen to secure all classes and types particularly those suitable for further finishing. Overall market average of 175p/kg was achieved with over half the entry being parlour type dairy cows. Beef cows sold to 219.5p/kg for Limousin x from Messrs Hodgson, Windermere, and a Stabiliser from AE & PC Capstick Ltd, Heversham, other heavy well finished beef cows 200p/kg-215p/kg with medium types 190p/kg-200p/kg. Dairy cows sold to a top price of 184.5p/kg for a Holstein Friesian from JM Barton & Son, Lupton who sold others at 179.5p/kg. The leaner end of dairy cows generally 145p/kg-160p/kg depending on quality and type. Top grossing cull cow was a Charolais from T Atkinson, Ulverston achieving £1936 with other heavy beef cows regularly £1400-£1600 with Dairy cows peaking at £1324 from JM Barton & Son, Lupton. Cull bulls sold to 179.5p/kg for a Charolais from Messrs Beaty, Windermere with others selling at £1949 from HM Hodgson, Windermere.

STORE CATTLE

Store cattle continue to sell to a competitive trade which we expect at our fortnightly sale of store cattle. A run of British Blue heifers from I & AJ Armer, Burneside saw a top price of £1430, with a lovely batch from TW Nelson & Son, Stainton selling to £1330 with a full ring of Aberdeen Angus heifers from the same home selling to £1230. Bullocks saw yearlings top the sale at £1320 for Simmentals from JB Moore, Allithwaite, with yearling Limousins sell to £1245 from JT Proctor, Flookburgh. A lovely run of 8 month old suckler calves from Messrs Hodgson, Windermere saw his best Limousin bullocks sell to £910. With a trio of 7 month old Limousin heifers from the same home selling to £840.

BEEF BREEDING CATTLE

The monthly sale of breeding cattle saw a stronger trade than first thought with all vendors leaving pleased with todays trading. The first heifer and calf into the ring sold to the top price of the day of £2350 for a first cross British Blue heifer with a sweet Limousin calf from TLB & J Knowles, Selside with another British Blue heifer with Limousin calf selling to £2300 from EJ Hodgson & Son, Lambrigg. Cows and calves were keenly bid for, with a top of £2200 for a 3rd calver Limousin cow with a Limousin calf from A & P Hodgkinson, Stalmine with a 4th calver British Blue cow with an outstanding Limousin bull calf from M Gibson, Grisedale selling to £2000.