North West Auctions held it popular weekly sale which saw 396 forward, with all classes selling to a fast trade, well ahead of vendors expectations and other local sale centres. Many customers were taking advantage of the beneficial feature of being able to do all their buying and selling on one day. Four sale rings were in action today with buyers present, keen to secure additional and replacement stock.

CALVES & WEANLINGS

86 calves were forward today, which sold to a fast and full clearance with vendors leaving very suited with prices. Aberdeen Angus x bulls sold to £525 from J&G Thornley Ltd, Kirkham with recently weaned British Blue x selling to £515 from H&SD Cornthwaite & Son, Nateby and Herefords achieving £510 from Drinkall Bros, Abbeystead.
A huge rise in the interest in dairy bulls, which saw weaned Montbeliardes sell to £350 from WG Farms, Cockerham who also sold Holstein Friesian at £320, as did Drinkall Bros, Abbeystead with RE&P Miller, Barnacre achieving £290. The best rearing Holstein Friesians sold to £210 from Drinkall Bros, Abbeystead with others rearing calves £140 to £175, with younger sorts £50 to £90.
Rearing heifer calves sold to £400 for a British Blue x from Drinkall Bros, Abbeystead with others at £350 from Barber Farms, Claughton on Brock and £355 from JP&C Robson, Garstang. A keen interest in heifers suitable as suckler replacements. Charolais x heifers sold to £350 from EE Thornton & Sons, Morecambe who sold other to £340 with £345 from WG Farms Ltd, Cockerham. Younger heifer calves sold to £300 for a British Blue x from Wallbank Farms Ltd, Over Wyresdale. Others generally £240 to £280. A large number of native sired heifer calves sold to £315 for an eight week old Hereford x from TE&M Kidd, Ellel who sold others at £300. Young Aberdeen Angus heifers sold to £280, £270, £260 from EE Thornton & Sons, Morecambe with Hereford x heifers selling to £220 from Wannops Farm Ltd, Morecambe.
Weaned heifer calves sold to £610 for a Limousin x from AT Hewitt, Preston. Charolais x heifers from J&G Thornley, Kirkham sold to £590, who also sold British Blue x at £580 and Aberdeen Angus x at £560. Other weaned heifer calves generally £420 to £480 depending on breed and quality.

DAIRY CATTLE

Plenty of buyer interest at the dairy sale today with several leaving unable to fill trailers. A feature of todays sale was a consignment of new calved Friesian heifers from J Stott & Co, Cartmel which sold to a top price of £2020 with others at £1850 and £1800. A nice new calved heifer from R&K Jenkinson, Pilling achieved £1920 with this home also selling a 4th calved cow at £1800.
The next sale of dairy cattle is on Friday 30th June.

STORE CATTLE

An increased number of stores forward, which continued to sell to the strong prices which are now known as a feature at Lancaster Auction. Steers broke the £1700 barrier on 10 occasions, topping at £1740 for a Limousin x from J&S Hindley, Lea with others at £1720 from EJ Ward & Son, Nether Kellet, J&H Bland & Son Ltd, Levens and MJ Shepherd & Son, Pilling. Another 32 steers excessed £1600, to include Aberdeen Angus x at £1660 from WA Cardwell, Stalmine, £1640 from WS Burrow Ltd, Silverdale and £1630 from MS&G Mason, Kirkby Lonsdale.
Dairy bred steers sold to £1520 for Montbeliarde from J&H Bland & Son Ltd, Levens with Fleckvieh achieving the same price from the same good home. Holstein Friesian sold to £1480 from WS Burrow Ltd, Carnforth with Brown Swiss also achieving £1480 from EJ Hodgson & Son, Lambrigg.
A keen interest in younger steers suitable for grazing, selling to £1200 for British Blue x from TH Wensley & Son, Kirkham with others regularly £1100 to £1180. All steers today averaged £1455.
Heifers saw a top price of £1700 for a Limousin x from J&S Hindley, Lee with others to £1680 from WR&CM Lawrenson, Winmarleigh. Charolais and British Blue x selling to £1560 from J&H Bland & Son Ltd, Levens with others at £1550 from WT Eastham & Son, Goosnargh. Native sired heifers sold to £1460 from TJ Robinson, Milnthorpe with others at £1400 from EJ Ward & Son, Nether Kellet and Hereford to £1380 from TJ Robinson, Milnthorpe. All heifers today averaged £1310.
Consignments of feeding bulls are becoming more frequent at Lancaster and are met with a keen buyer interest. Well grown Montbeliarde bulls from WR&CM Lawrenson, Winmarleigh sold to £1900 with younger bulls from the same home achieving £1300. Suckler bred bulls sold to £580 for Simmentals from R Eshborne, Glasson Dock.

CAST / OTM CATTLE

Lancaster Auction Mart once again proved itself to be the place to sell cull cows, with an overall market average of 182p/kg. Todays sale being predominately parlour type cows. Very few beef cows were forward but those that were sold to 229.5p/kg from S Wilman, Kirkby Lonsdale with Beef Shorthorns selling to 207.5p/kg from GR&A Foy, Conder Green and Aberdeen Angus x at 204.5p/kg from CM&CA Jackson, Caton. Several other beef cows sold for finishing at 190p/kg to 205p/kg. Top grossing beef cow was an Aberdeen Angus x from S Wilman, Kirkby Lonsdale at £1565 closely followed by a Beef Shorthorn from I Gibbon, Marston at £1528.
Dairy cows sold to 214p/kg for a Holstein Friesian from J&G Thornley Ltd, Kirkham with a Montbeliarde from WR&CM Lawrenson, Winmarleigh achieving 209.5p/kg. Other heavy dairy cows were generally 195p/kg to 205p/kg, with parlour types 175p/kg to 190p/kg, depending on quality and type. The leanest cows generally 140p/kg to 175p/kg. Top grossing dairy cow was a Holstein Friesian from Wallbank Farms Ltd, Over Wyresdale achieving £1740. Closely followed by J&G Thornley, Kirkham at £1709 with MD Close & Son, Arkholme achieving £1656 and £1646.
Heifers sold to 224.5p/kg and £1333 for a Holstein Friesian from Wannops Farms Ltd, Morecambe.
Steers sold to 239.5p/kg (x2) and 234.5p/kg all for Aberdeen Angus x from MS&G Mason, Kirkby Lonsdale who sold others at £2064 and £1959.