Store Cattle

There was an increased entry of Store Cattle forward this week which was met by an improved trade. Leady the way was the consignment of Angus’ from J Clark, Preston which sold to £1350, £1310 and £1300. Other Angus bullocks sold to £1240 from EJ Ward & Sons, Nether Kellet and £1220 from KH & D Holden & Son, Pilling. Limousin bullocks sold to a top of £1330 from H Chapman & Son, Middleton with others from the same good home selling to £1290. British Blue bullocks peaked at £1220 from JM & AG Swarbrick, Out Rawcliffe with Simmentals to £1210 from EJ Ward & Sons. Plenty of strong bullocks easily sold in excess of the £1100 mark. Heifers sold to a top of £1170 for Angus’ from M Shepherd & Son, Pilling with Continentals selling to £1160 from JD & GM Bracken, Catterall and Fleckviehs to the same price from JS & KM Wilson & Son, Helsington. 88 Cattle in Lancaster today sold in excess of £1100.

Black and white heifers sold to £1150 from JS & KM Wilson & Son with Friesian bullocks topping at £1080 from J Prest & Son, Bay Horse.

All bullocks forward sold to an average of £1047.96 with heifers averaging £998.77.

OTM Cattle

Due to the good weather, there was a reduced entry of cast cows forward with many vendors commencing with spring field work. The 93 that were forward were met by a strong trade from our busy active ring of buyers who require more each week who witnessed cattle average 121p/kg. It was cast steers that lead the market with Stabilisers selling to 177.5p/kg or £974 from MG & HM Capstick, Heversham. The consignment from J Prest & Son, Bay Horse saw Simmental steers sell to 174.5p/kg or £1151 with Black and Whites to 171.5p/kg or £1185 from the same home. OTM Heifers twice sold to a top of 169.5p/kg both times for Herefords firstly from JH Woof & Son, Oxenholme grossing £1062 and secondly from TJ Robinson, Milnthorpe grossing £1050. Black and white cast heifers sold to a top of 159.5p/kg or £1067 from TN Pye & Partners, Lancaster.

OTM beef cows hit the highs of 171.5p/kg for Bazadaise from BD & PM Gill & Son, Ingleton. Limousin cows sold to top of 154.5p/kg or £1052 from JE Parkinson & Son, Quernmore. Simmental cast cows sold to 147p/kg or £1082 from T Sharp, Ings. Plenty more beef cows sold in the 130p/kg range. Black and white dairy cows sold to a top of 134.5p/kg from Lawsons Farms, Cockerham and three times to 131.5p/kg from MJ & K Ayrton, Thurnham. Top price per head black and white cast cow was £1013 from D & E Monk, Bispham.

Calves & Stirks

Calf numbers were back to normal this week after last weeks stirk sale with 83 forward. This much improved spring-like weather has brought buyers out of the woodwork leading to a much-improved trade at Lancaster with vendors leaving well-chuffed. Leading the way this week was J & G Thornley, Kirkham selling British Blue bulls to £445 and £435. Other British Blue bull calves sold to £405 from JM & MH France & Son, Littledale. There was plenty of other Blue bull calves selling in the mid three hundreds. All British blue bull calves sold to an overage of £309. Charolais bull calves sold to a top of £435 from TM Townley, Over Wyresdale.

Heifer calves peaked at £365 for British Blues from Wallbank Farms, Over Wyresdale with other British Blue calves to £360 and £330 from J & G Thornley, Kirkham. Other younger British Blue heifer calves sold to £310 from Joylan Farms, St Michaels. Native beef calves saw Herefords topped at £300 from JR Newsham & Son, Conder Green. Angus heifer calves topped at £270 from Wallbank Farms and £260 from J & G Thornley.

Dairy bull calves sold to £215 for Montbeliardes from JR Newsham & Son, Conder Green with a very young show of black and white calves on offer this week selling to £55 from Tom Barron Farms, Wood Plumpton.