Calves & Stirks
Lancaster enjoyed a busy day with a bumper entry of 288 stirks, weanlings and calves forward with buyers in the market for all specifications. The trade today for the stirks saw the best bred and fed in big demand and easily sold with leaner types eagerly bid for but meeting realisation.
The stirk trade peaked at £870 for an Aberdeen Angus heifer from K McBride, Astley. Strong bullocks were in big demand with a pen of three Hereford yearling selling to £860 from JR Pye, Stalmine followed by a pen of three yearling bullocks to £850 from G Rawlinson, Astley. Other leading prices saw Aberdeen Angus bullocks from SE&J Gorst, Littledale to £830 with ten month old Hereford bullocks to £800 from R&A Jolleys, Cabus. Continental bullocks saw yearling British Blues sell to £800 and £790 from JR Pye, Stalmine with nine month old British Blue bullocks to £790 from D&J Hay, Cockerham. This was followed by others to £750 from MD Close & Son, Arkholme. Fourteen month old black and white bullocks sold to £730 from K McBride, Astley with nine month old British Blue bulls sold to £650 from FW Rhodes & Son, Ellel.
A large number of weanlings forward today in the calf ring saw well grown quality ones in plenty of demand, peaking at £605 for a pen of three five month old British Blue bulls from J&G Thornley, Roseacre whom sold another pen to £560. Weanling Friesian bull calves sold to £385 from EW&R towers, Hornby with Fleckviehs to £375 and £370 twice.
The calf trade peaked at £360 for a British Blue from Barber Farms, Claughton on Brock. Aberdeen Angus bull calves topped at £350 from Tom Barron Farm, Woodplumpton who sold others to £340. Plenty of strong good quality calves regularly sold around the £300 mark with a busy ring side of buyers in the market today.

Store Cattle
Heavy well fleshed steers continue to sell to a premium today, peaking at £1720 for an Aberdeen Angus x from R Townsend, Freckleton. This was closely followed by Pilling Hall, Pilling selling an Aberdeen Angus and a Limousin to £1650 with others at £1580 from J Prest & Son, Bay Horse and TJ Lloyd, Setting. Other notable prices included Salers at £1560 from M&M Carr, Carnforth, Fleckviehs to £1540 from J Prest & Son, Bay Horse who also sold British Blue x at £1500. Charolais x sold to £1490 from L Goodier & Son, Lea. All steers forward today averaged £1202.
Heifers sold to £1640 for a Limousin x from TJ Lloyd, Settle who sold others at £1620 with British Blue x selling to £1580 from GR&A Foy, Conder Green. The Charollais section topped at £1380 from DR Preston, Caton with Aberdeen Angus’s to £1270 from B&J Preston, Caton. All heifers today averaged £1070.

OTM Cattle
This week saw another increased entry of cull cows with 165 forward, due to the change in weather and many farmers now looking to turn in. Once again, a shortage of heavy and well finished cows with these types today selling to 221.5p/kg for a Limousin x from RG&L Holmes, Warton. Other Limousins sold to 219.5p/kg from JE&AC Clarke, Melling, British Blues also achieving 219.5p/kg from TE JS & SA Curruthers, Underbarrow. Other heavy and well flesh beefs cows regularly sold at 185-205p/kg with feeding types 165-185p/kg. Dairy cows peaked at 194.5p/kg for a Holstein Friesian from Cote Farm Partnership, Nether Kellet and Fleckviehs to 191.5p/kg from EW&R Towers, Hornby. Other heavy cows were generally 175-190p/kg with medium types 145-170p/kg with the leanest and direct out of parlour types 110-135p/kg, depending on quality and type. Top grossing beef cow today was a Limousin x from JE&AC Clarke & Son, Melling achieving £1546 with diary cows peaking at £1532 for a Holstein Friesian from J Bargh & Son, Morecambe. All cull cows forward today averaged 161p/kg.
24 OTM heifers sold to 217.5p/kg for a Hereford x from AT Burrow & Son, Gressingham with another Hereford x from G Atkinson & Son, Quernmore achieving 207.5p/kg. Dairy heifers sold to 204.5p/kg for a British Friesian from WT Whitaker & Son, Nether Kellet with Holstein Friesian to 194.5p/kg from Lawsons Dairy Ltd, Cockerham. Top grossing beef heifer was a Hereford x achieving £1381 from AT Burrow & Son, Gressingham who also sold the top price dairy heifer at £1293.
14 steers sold to 217.5p/kg for a Hereford x from D Burrow, Arkholme with beef shorthorns also achieving 217.5p/kg from JF&HE Caton, Cowan Bridge, Dairy steers sold to 211.5p/kg for a Friesian from DR Preston, Caton. Top grossing steer being a Hereford x from D Burrow, Arkholme achieving £1679.
A single cull bull forward today being an Aberdeen Angus x from S&J France, Over Wyresdale achieved 174.5p/kg and £1736.
Vendors are encouraged to have cull cows forward by 10am to allow all stock to be lotted and imputed, to allow for a prompt 10.15am sale start.