Buyers were in attendance from throughout the Northern Counties and Midlands for the weekly sale of cattle at Lancaster Auction Mart. Store cattle sold to a top price of £1750, OTM Cattle to £1778, Stirks to £920 and Rearing Calves to £510.

Calf 

A weekly sale of rearing calves saw 71 forward selling to a fast and competitive trade with buyers keen to secure all classes and types. The sale peaked at £510 on 4 occasions for Charollias x bull calves from WG Farms Ltd, Cockerham, who sold others for £505 and £500. Other Charollias x bull calves from JE & S Seedall, Mellor sold at £485. British Blue x bull calves sold to £400 from AJ & AJ Gibbons, St Michaels, with other younger British blue calves to £355 from RT Halhead, Cockerham. Aberdeen Angus x bull calves sold to £395 from WN & D Smith & Sons, Cockerham with others to £360 from Wannops Farm Ltd, Morecambe. All beef bull calves today averaged £309, with most being 5/6 week old. Dairy bull calves sold to £175 for a Holstein Friesian from WN& D Smith & Son, Cockerham with others to £160 from Wannops Farm ltd, Morecambe.

Heifer calves sold to £375 for a Charollais x from WG Farms, Cockerham, with other selling to £340 from GJ & J Billington, Garstang. British Blue x heifer calves from AJ &AJ Gibbons, St Michaels sold to £330. Aberdeen Angus heifer calves sold to £235 and £230 from Wannops Farm Ltd, Morecambe.

Stirk 

The monthly sale of stirks saw steers sell to £840 for a Limousin x from T Ayrton & Son, Over Wyresdale, with Aberdeen Angus x selling to £815 from G&D Ball & Sons, Little Eccleston, with others at £790 from JW Thwaites, Tebay. Hereford x steers sold for £760 from JB & C Lamb, Thurnham. Younger steer stirks sold to £650 for a Hereford x from P Rossall, Scorton who also sold Shorthorn x steers to £565.

Heifer stirks sold to £830 for a Limousin x from T Ayrton & Son, Over Wyresdale. Younger 6 month old heifer stirks sold to £695 for a Limousin x from T Ayrton & Son, Over Wyresdale. Aberdeen Angus x stirks sold to £615 from R Fare, Kirkham and £610 from G & D Ball & Son, Little Eccleston.

Bull stirks sold to £920 for a Limousin x from R & EA Gardner, Kendal. Dairy bred bulls sold to £685 for Holstein Freisian from WG Farms, Cockerham.

OTM and Cast Cattle 

92 cows were sold at Lancaster Auction Mart today, with an overall market average of 188p/kg. Cull cows sold to 234.5p/kg for a Aberdeen Angus x from G Metcalfe & Son, Gressingham with British Blue x selling to 231.5p/kg from JH Atkinson & Partners, Selside and Simmental x selling to 229.5p/kg from E Rossall, Preesall. Heavy well fleshed dairy cows continue to sell to a premium, peaking at 221.5p/kg for a Holstein Friesian from AW & AM Park & Son, Ellel, with others at 214.5p/kg from WS Burrow & Son, Carnforth with Fleckvieh selling to 201.5p/kg from EW & R M Towers, Hornby. Medium dairy cows regularly sold at 165-180p/kg with leaner sorts to 130-150p/kg. Top grossing cow today was a Stabiliser from J A & R Geldard & Sons, Levens achieving £1673 with a further 5 cows over £1500. Dairy cows sold to £1497 for a Holstein Friesian from RT Halhead, Cockerham closely followed by Kellsall & Wood, Scotforth achieving £1491. All cull cows today averaged £1217.

OTM Heifers sold to a top price of 224.5p/kg for a British Blue x from Drinkall Bros, Over Wyresdale and £1561 for Aberdeen Angus x from JD EM JA Atkinson, Kendal. Dairy heifers sold to 214.5p/kg and £1548 for a Holstein Friesian from Drinkall Bros, Over Wyresdale. Steers sold to 247.5p/kg and £1532 for Aberdeen Angus x from T & E Burrow, Slyne with Holstein Friesian steers selling to 197.5p/kg and £1066 from J & JM Walmsley, Pilling.

A single cull bull today sold to 181.5p/kg and £1778 for a Stabiliser from JA & A Geldard & Sons, Levens.

Store Cattle 

The weekly sale of store cattle at NWA Lancaster saw all steers forward average £1331 and all heifers forward average £1169. A full competitive ringside of buyers keen to secure all classes and types of cattle saw vendors leave well suited with prices achieved. Steers sold to a top price of £1750 for a Aberdeen Angus x steer from JA Carr, Heskin with Charollais from R & E A Gardner, Kendal selling for £1700 with others at £1650 from J & H Bland Son Ltd, Levens, £1600 from EE Thornton & Sons, Morecambe and British Blue x to £1580 from R & D M Rossall & Sons, Pilling. Dairy bred steers sold to £1490 for Norwegian Red x and Fleckvieh x from JH Bland & Son, Levens and Montbeliarde x to £1480 from JS Clark & Son Catforth.

Heifers sold to a top price of £1500 for a British Blue x from R & D M Rossall & Son, Pilling with Aberdeen Angus x selling to £1490 from T Robson & Son, Poulton le Flyde. Hereford x heifers sold to £1390 from SH & LE Birkett, Nether Kellet and Charollais sold to £1360 from EE Thornton & Son, Morecambe.