Store Cattle

The weekly sale of Store Cattle had 160 forward selling to a market average of well over a £100 a head. Grazing cattle continue to be a very strong trade with short term cattle slightly easier with the continued weekly drop in deadweight prices. Leading the way this week was a pair of Limousin bullocks from WS Burrow & Sons, Silverdale selling to £1260 this was followed by Angus bullocks to £1230 from JW Atkinson, Bentham and Simmentals to £1210 from J Prest & Son, Bay Horse, who sold a pen of five Simmental bullocks to £1190. Hitting the £1200 mark was Limousin from DE & SM Moorhouse, Natland, Angus’ from J Hesketh, Hutton, British Blue and Simmentals from WS Burrow & Sons. Plenty more pens of bullocks sold in the late eleven hundreds.

Heifers sold to a top of £1160 for Angus’ from I Atkinson & Son, Warton followed by £1140 from EJ Ward & Sons, Nether Kellet with Limousins. Plenty of best heifers sold around the £1100 mark. Black and white bullocks topped at £1110 from R & E Ladds, Kendal with others to £1020 from J & JM Walmsley, Pilling.

Due to the current restrictions in place due to Covid-19 we are operating on skeleton staff and request that all vendors have their cattle forward by 10am.

Cast Cows

The weekly sale of cast cows had an increased entry of 103 forward. A much larger entry than the previous week saw a slightly easier trade, but still stronger than the current deadweight price. Over 75% of the cows forward were dairy bred with an overall market average of 101p/kg. Leading the way this week was OTM Shorthorn steers selling to 159.5p/kg from WG Farms, Cockerham with other Shorthorn cast steers selling to £893 from the same home. Black and white steers from the same home sold to 154.5p/kg. Other Friesian bullocks from A Kirkby & Co, Pilling sold to 154.5p/kg or £857. OTM British Blue heifers sold to 154.5p/kg for British Blues from DJ Clarke Farming, Barnacre. Best beef cows sold to 144.5p/kg from AE Atkinson & Son, Endmoor with plenty other decent beef cows selling around the 140p/kg. Plenty of well-fleshed dairy cows sold between 115p/kg and 120p/kg.

Cast cows vendors are requested to enter their cows with the office by Thursday lunchtime to help with advising buyers.

Calves & Stirks

The weekly sale of calves had a slightly reduced entry forward of just 21 which saw beef calves in plenty of demand and sell to a strong trade. The consignment of British Blues from D Hargreaves & Son, Kirkham saw the bull calves sell to £360, £340, £335 and £325. Other notable prices for British Blues being £345 from T & EA Garth, Bleasdale. Beef heifer calves sold to £310 for a British Blue from J & G Thornley, Kirkham who sold an Angus bull calf to £305.

The rescheduled sale of Stirks had a 174 forward for the sale, the trade saw bullocks of all specifications in strong demand and eagerly bid for with yearling heifers getting away well and younger heifers slightly harder to place. Topping the market this week was a pair of yearling Angus bullocks from PA & D Slater, Barnacre this was closely followed by yearling Hereford bullocks from JF & D Hewitt, selling to £800. Followed by £750 from J Cooper, Penwortham. June/July 2019 born British Blue bullocks sold to £720 from D & J Hay, Cockerham closely followed by Limousin bullocks at a similar age selling to £710 from B Whittle, Bolton. Plenty more pens of yearling bullocks regularly sold around the £700 mark.

Heifers sold to a top of £740 for British Blues from JE Harrison, Greenhalgh closely followed by other British Blue heifers to £725 from B Whittle, who sold Limousin heifers to £700. The bull trade topped at £570 for September 2019 British Blues from JK & B Birkett & Son, Morecambe with younger British Blues from the same home to £550. Angus bulls sold to £560 from W Pinder, Newton in Bowland. Yearling black and white bullocks sold to £420 from J & CW Metcalfe & Son, Quernmore.

The next sale of Stirks will be on Friday 24th April.