CALVES AND WEANLINGS
Lancaster continues to offer a strong trade for all calves with buyers present wanting more each week. Leading the way this week were 12-week-old British Blue bulls selling to £490 from J T & B Fox, Quernmore with other British Blue bulls from the same home to £470 and heifers to £465. Matching the top price of the day at £490 was a weaned Angus heifer calf from CR & A Baxter & Son, Middleton, whom sold British Blue heifers to £470. Other leading prices saw British Blue heifers to £475 from J & G Thornley, Kirkham whom sold Angus heifers to £445. British Blue bulls from AW & AW Park & Sons, Ellel at 2-months-old sold at £460. 6-week-old British blue bulls from JS & KM Wilson & Son, Kendal achieved the £400 mark. Plenty more strong Continental calves easily selling around £400, with 1 month old beef calves regularly selling around the £300 mark.

Black and whites topped at £245 from JR Newsham & Son, Conder Green with others achieving £155 from CR & A Baxter & Son, Middleton.

STORE CATTLE
Lancaster’s weekly sale of store cattle had an entry of 177 forward, with a few missing as vendors take advantage of this good weather and catch up with field work. Once again, forward cattle full of flesh were eagerly bid for and looking well sold.

Today saw more grass-fed cattle on the market, still meeting plenty of demand but a slightly easier trade. A great run of well fleshed cattle from JM & AG Swarbrick, Out Rawcliffe sold Angus to £1550, British Blues to £1510 and Montbeliardes to £1490. Native cattle continue to be in strong demand at Lancaster with a pen of Angus bullocks to £1470 from CE & MA Hewitt, Forton. Other Angus bullocks sold to £1340 for a pen of four from H Birkett & Son, Overton, followed by others to £1330 from J & JM Walmsley, Pilling. Other native bullocks saw beef Shorthorns and Welsh Blacks sell to £1310 from R & EG Gardner, Brigsteer. Continental bullocks this week saw a pair of British Blues at £1400 from BW & G Robinson, Ingleton followed by £1350 from J & M Cockett, Ingleton. Limousin bullocks sold to £1330 from T & E Garlick & Son, Freckleton. Plenty of pens of strong bullocks easily and regularly selling around the £1300 mark.

The heifer trade peaked at £1280 for beef Shorthorns from R & E Gardner, Brigsteer with other heifers from S Kellett & Sons, Pilling selling Herefords to £1250 and Angus to £1200. Other noted prices for heifers were £1240 from T Robson & Son, Poulton-Le-Fylde. Yearling suckler bred bullocks sold to £1250 from FK & F Woodhouse, Scorton.

OTM CATTLE
There was a much-reduced entry of cast and OTM cattle forward today, as many vendors took advantage of the good weather leading to an impressive overall market average of 153p/kg.

Young Limousin cows sold to 199p/kg from H Morgan, Stalmine. British Blue cows sold to 194.5p/kg or a top price of the day of £1458 from ST Birkett & Son, Carnforth. OTM heifers sold to 187.5 p/kg for Friesians from WA Ward & Son, Slyne, with plenty of others in the late 170’s.

Best dairy cows today regularly sold into the 160’s; the leading prices being £1228 from LM Harrison & Son, Dolphinholme, £1192 from ME & B Mason & Son, Tatham, £1188 from CJ & MH Parry, Cockerham, £1186 from MD Close & Son, Arkholme and £1175 from J & G Thornley, Kirkham. Plenty more good dairy cows regularly selling round the £1100 mark.

There was a few stock bulls forward today which saw Limousins sell to £1467 from WA Ward & Son, Slyne, with others to £1429 from JM Kelsall & Son, Quernmore.