Calves and Stirks
Lancaster boosted a far better entry this week of 100 calves matched with a scintillating trade in which more could have easily been sold. The consignment from Drinkall Bros, Over Wyresdale twice sold British Blues to £435, firstly for a 6 week old bull calf and then for a younger heifer calf with great cow potential. A cracking run of calves from AJ & AJ Gibbons, St Michaels sold British Blue bulls to £435 and £415. Weanling British Blue heifers from I Atkinson and Son, Carnforth sold to £420 and £415. The run of calves from WG Farms, Cockerham sold Charolais bull calves to £415 and British Blue bulls to £410. Other noted prices for Continental bulls was British Blues to £405 and £390 from AW & AM Park & Sons, Ellel with Lawson’s Farms, Cockerham topping at £395 with Blues. There were plenty of Continental calves this week selling in the late three hundreds and heifers easily achieving mid three hundreds. Charolais bull calves averaged £386, British Blue bulls £354 with British Blue heifer calves averaging £332.
Native calves sold to a top of £400 for six week old Angus bulls from Lawson’s Farms, Cockerham followed by £390 from Karen Parkinson, Out Rawcliffe. Angus heifer calves sold to a top of £340 from JM & MH France and Son, Littledale with Welsh Black heifers selling to £320 from AJ & AJ Gibbons, St Michaels. Angus bull calves averaged £316 and heifers averaged £235.
Dairy bull calves sold to a top of £320 for 5 week old Montbeliardes from WG Farms, Cockerham. Black and white bull calves sold to £230 and £185 from CR & A Baxter, Middleton with others to £160 from Karen Parkinson and £155 from Drinkall Bros. Black and whites this week averaged £122.
Store Cattle
The weekly sale of store cattle saw 200 go through the ring at a sharper trade as customers are now looking for summering type cattle with 24 active buyers on 36 accounts ringside, all eager to fill orders.
Taking top spot again this week was regular Lancaster supporter JM & AG Swarbrick, Out Rawcliffe with well fleshed Hereford steers at £1490. Other Herefords today sold at £1290 from R Escolme, Bay Horse who also had Charolais steers at £1440 with other Charolais at £1350 from J Lamb, Old Glasson who also topped the Angus steers section selling to £1370 with other Angus steers at £1320 from R & E Ladds, Scalthwaiterigg. Friesian steers today were also good to sell with three big lads topping at £1240 from R & E Ladds, Scalthwaiterigg not far behind was EJ Hodgson, Lambrigg at £1180. Limousin steers today saw J & O Galbraith, Endmoor making £1360 with other good sorts from H Chapman & Son, Middleton also at £1360.
Topping the heifers today was £1310 for Herefords from R & E Ladds, Scalthwaiterigg with others from the same good home at £1250. Limousin heifers topped at £1300 from R & J Dodgson, Natland who also had others at £1250. Belgian Blue heifers topped today from KH & D Holden, Pilling at £1190 also at £1190 was J Prest, Bay Horse.
All steers today averaged £1125 with heifers at £1102. More cattle are required to fulfil buyer requirements.
Cast Cows and OTM Cattle
OTM cattle today saw numbers back over the hundred mark with 118 cattle going through the ring with trade that can only be described as on fire; well ahead of deadweight quotations. Top price per head today came from loyal Lancaster supporters M & L Preece, Kirkby Lonsdale with a Belgian Blue cow grossing £1306 who also had Limousins at £1152 or 209.50p/kg. Angus cows sold to £1167 or 199.5p/kg for G Metcalfe & Son, Gressingham.
Friesian cows today topped at £1268 from H Halhead & Son, Nether Kellet with others from J Hoggarth, Slyne selling to £1248. Ayrshire cows topped at £1091 or 149.5p/kg from Cowell & Moore, Woodplumpton.
OTM heifers saw Blondes sell to £1360 or 219.5p/kg from SA Hill, Slyne with other Beef bred heifers at £1270 or 207p/kg for Angus from J Oddie, Balderstone. Friesian heifers sold to £1244 from H Halhead & Son, Nether Kellet with all heifers averaging 174p/kg.
A few more cast bulls on offer today saw Angus sell to £1359 or 191p/kg from Norbreck Genetics, Cockerham and Hereford bulls at £1294 from GB & EA Metcalfe, Carnforth. Cast cows today averaged 143p/kg for the good, bad and the very ugly if you haven’t tried Lancaster’s cast cow market on a Friday, it is high time you gave us a go.