CALVES AND STIRKS

What a trade was enjoyed in the calf ring at Lancaster today as all sizes and types of calves were in strong demand and eagerly bid for. Six-week-old British Blue bull calves sold to £555 from JP & C Robson, Garstang with others from the same home to £485 and £480. British Blue heifer calves, sold to £410 from J&G Thornley, Kirkham. Angus bull calves sold to £390 from RT Halhead, Cockerham with others to £380 from Tom Barron Farm, Woodplumpton. Plenty of beef calves easily selling in excess of the £300 mark. Dairy bull calves sold to a top of £240 for Montbeliards from TL Boldwin & Son, Forton. Black and White bull calves peaked at £225 from H&SD Cornthwaite & Son, Nateby with others to £215 from Karen Parkinson, Out Rawcliffe. Plenty of strong Black and White calves easily selling into the mid hundreds with all black and whites forward averaging £103. A larger run of weanlings forward today saw Hereford bulls to £410 and £390 from JK&D Birkett & Son, Morecambe. A handful of stirks on offer today saw British Blue bullocks to £745 and heifers to £690 from Sam Ashcroft, Exton.

STORE CATTLE

Store cattle once again met a buoyant trade with 304 on offer selling to a fast trade to our busy ring side of buyers. Topping the store cattle trade today was a pair of shapey Limousin bullocks from TE JS & SA Carruthers, Underbarrow at £1580, with L Parsons & Son, Lower Levens selling to £1420. A pen of Aberdeen Angus’s realised £1540 from EW & CR Clegg & Sons, Poulton Le Fylde, closely followed by GCL Stephensons, Kirkby Lonsdale selling to £1450. A pair of Shorthorn bullocks peaked at £1450 from EW & CR Clegg & Sons, Poulton Le Fylde. British Blues from M Shepherd & Sons, Pilling topped at £1370 with R&A Easterby, Westhouse closely behind at £1360. Saler cattle consigned by A&E Clarkson, Thurnham peaked at £1230. In the Hereford section a price of £1200 was achieved twice, firstly from SH&LE Birkett, Neither Kellet and secondly from GCL Stephenson, Kirkby Lonsdale. A pen of eight Friesians consigned by EE Thornton & Sons, Heaton hit the high spot of £1080.
Limousin also led the heifer trade today at £1290 consigned by E Rossall, Poulton Le Fylde. British Blues closely followed at £1260 for a pen from M Shepherd & Sons, Pilling. In the native section SH&LE Birkett, Neither Kellet sold Aberdeen Angus heifers to £1200.
A British Blue bull consigned by JH Bland & Son, Levens realised £1290.

OTM CATTLE

The weekly sale of OTM’s had forward 99 head of cattle, which averaged 134p/kg as to be expected for this time of year there was a large show of parlour cows forward. A British Blue cow topped the trade at 219.5p/kg or grossing at £1672 from A&P Hodkinson, Poulton Le Fylde. A Saler bull from JJ & J Woof & Sons, Dent topped at £1432.03 or 171.5p/kg. A Friesian from JM & AG Swarbrick, Out Rawcliffe sold to £1243.94 or 179.5p/kg. Black and White Friesian cows reached £1378.65 from Wallbank Farms, Over Wyersdale or 179.5p/kg from RM Mason & Son, Levens. In the Native section Aberdeen Angus’s peaked at £1220.55 from WJ & M Greenwood, Slattocks or 169.5p/kg from GJT Parkinson, Poulton Le Fylde. The OTM heifer trade saw a Swedish Red consigned by JM & JI Pye, Cabus realising £1171.50 or 184.5p.kg.