LANCASTER FRIDAY TRADE HOTTER THAN THE WEATHER

CALVES AND WEANLINGS

Lancaster Auction Mart once again saw a strong and competitive trade for all types of calves and more are needed weekly to satisfy our ever-increasing customer demand. Young rearing calves today sold to a top price of £365 on several occasions for British Blue bulls from Lawsons Farm, Cockerham and Hereford bulls from J, CH & JG Bland, Silverdale with other bull calves regularly achieving £295-£330. Heifer calves saw keen interest selling to a top price of £365 for British Blues also from Lawsons Farm and Herefords from Arnside Tower at £310, £90 and £250. With Aberdeen Angus at £235 from Lawsons Farm, Cockerham. Younger calves saw a keen interest with heifers and bulls regularly selling between the £180-£220 mark at 3-5 weeks old. Dairy bull calves sold to £60 for Holstein Friesians from Wallbank Farms, Over Wyresdale.

An entry of weaned calves saw bull calves sell to £560 for British Blues from AW & AM Park & Sons, Ellel this was closely followed by J & G Thornley, Roseacre selling British Blue bulls at £550 and Aberdeen Angus bulls from the same home to £500. A Charolais heifer from J & G Thornley, Roseacre achieved a final bid of £485.

STORE CATTLE

All classes of store cattle were keenly competed for, selling to one of the strongest trades in recent weeks. With more required to meet buyers demand, vendors are encouraged to enter cattle for the next sale with confidence. Steers today sold to a top price of £1460 for an Aberdeen Angus from J Prest & Son, Bay Horse who sold others at £1450, £1440 and a pen of Hereford steers to £1430. Also breaking the £1400 barrier were J & H Davis, Cabus selling to £1440, £1430 and £1400. Well grown steers regularly selling in excess of £1250, to include British Blues at £1340 from J & M Cockett, Ingleton and 20 month old steers to £1310 from EE Thornton, Morecambe.

Dairy bred steers sold to a top of £1270 for Fleckviehs from J & M Cockett, Ingleton with Montbeliarde selling to £1230 from JB Moore, Allithwaite and Black and Whites at £1200 from EE Thornton & Sons, Morecambe. There was an increased buyer interest for grazing type cattle selling to £1100 for British Blues from KG & LM Park, Witherslack. A run of Swiss Red bullocks from C Hargreaves & Son, Overton sold to £870. The average for all steers today was £1133.

Heifers sold to a top price of £1160 for Aberdeen Angus’ from R Oldfield, Yealand Redmayne with other Aberdeen Angus selling to £1140 from H Hesketh & Sons, Longton and Limousins from WA Hodgson, Whinfell also achieving £1140. All heifers today sold to a market average of £1053 to include a run of Limousin heifers (15 month old) selling at £850.

OTM CATTLE

There was a fast trade for all cull cows today which saw an overall market average of 149p/kg, with two thirds of the entry being dairy bred cows. The sale peaked at 214.5p/kg for a Limousin cow from S T Birkett & Son, Carnforth who sold other Limousin cows to 197.5p/kg. This was closely followed by RM Wilson, Horton in Ribblesdale selling a Limousin to 184.5p/kg and a Blonde Aquitaine cross also achieving 184.5p/kg from R Keith, Grange Over Sands. All breeds of heavy well fleshed cows were regularly selling between 150-170 p/kg to include an Holstein Friesian from AW & AM Park, Ellel selling at 177.5p/kg, with J Hoggarth, Slyne and WG Farms, Cockerham both achieving the 167.50p/kg mark. Top grossing cow today was a Limousin from S T Birkett, Carnforth achieving £1368. The £1300 barrier was broken on several occasions, to include the top price Holstein Friesian grossing at £1352 from Drinkall Bros, Abbeystead.

OTM heifers saw a top price of 207.5p/kg achieved for an Aberdeen Angus cross from JB Moore, Allithwaite with OTM dairy heifers selling to 194.5p/kg from Kelsall and Wood, Scotforth and £1256 from P Knowles, New Hutton. A single cull bull sold at 159.5p/kg and £1674 for a British Blue from AG & GM Rowlinson, Carnforth.