Store Cattle

There is certainly more optimism is the store cattle ring at the moment with the trade showing signs of improvement, with maybe not as good a quality of show of cattle on offer this week. Once again, Lancaster had plenty of buyers forward leading to 100% clearance and vendors leaving satisfied. British Blue bullocks topped the market at £1200 from J Prest & Son, Bayhorse with Angus bullocks selling to £1160 from JG & BJ Escolme, Killing and H Birkett & Son, Overton. Limousin bullocks sold to a top of £1160 and £1140 from M & RW Strizaker, Milnthorpe with the consignment of British Blue bullocks from P Lawrenson & Son, Brindle selling to £1140 with Fleckvieh achieving £1120 from J Prest & Son. The heifer trade peaked at £1160 from S Kellet & Sons, Pilling for Angus’ with Charolais heifers selling to £1110 from JS & KM Wilson, Natland with British Blues achieving the same price from JS & S Atkinson, Scorton. Other British Blue heifers sold to £1100 from G Atkinson & Son, Quernmore. Black and white bullocks sold to a top of £1090 from D & K Swarbrick, Out Rawcliffe.

35% of cattle forward today sold in excess of £1000.

OTM Cattle

The weekly sale of Cast Cows at Lancaster had an entry of 122 forward. All classes of Cast Cows sold to a sharper trade this week although the deadweight price dropped the auction system continues to buck the trend and be the way to market your cattle, with 14 buyers purchasing over 25 difference accounts.

There was a much-improved market average of 106p/kg. Leading the way was OTM Limousin cows selling to 167.5p/kg from GA & A Atkinson, Cantsfield with cast steer selling to 164.5p/kg twice or £1103 for Angus’ from T & E Burrow, Slyne. Plenty more OTM heifers and Cast steers selling around the 160p/kg. Good quality beef cows sold around the 150p/kg mark with Limousins from JM & JJ Dawson, Littledale selling to 151.5p/kg with other Limousins from P Cummings, Holme selling to 149.5p/kg. Blackand white cows saw better ones regularly sell in the early to mid-one twenties. Limousin cows sold to a top of £1089 per head from P Cummings with black and white cows selling to £1074 and £1055 from J Bargh & Son, Heaton with Oxcliffe. Plenty more strong cows exceeded the £1000 mark.

Cast Bulls saw Luing bulls sell to 111.5p/kg or £1092 from Low Moor Howe, Windermere with Angus bulls selling to 119.5p/kg

Calves & Stirks

There were not quite a many calves on offer this week, but still a good entry of 77 with the entry mainly consisting of younger calves. Topping the market this week was another great consignment of British Blue calves from J & G Thornley, Kirkham selling to £310 and £300 for bulls with heifers selling to £300. The consignment from JR Newsham & Son, Conder Green saw Hereford bulls sell to £310 and £295 with Simmental Bulls selling to £300. British Blue heifers sold to £300 from C & J Smith, St Michaels. Younger British Blue calves sold to £280 from A Pickthall, Kendal with the consignment of British Blue calves from DR & C Galbraith, Kendal selling to £280 and £275, twice. Angus bull calves topped at £275 from Drinkall Bros, Over Wyresdale. Plenty more beef calves sold in the mid-two hundred.

Black and white calves topped at £70 from JP & C Robson, Garstang and Drinkall Bros, Over Wyresdale with bobby calves £15-25 up on the week.