Calves & Weanlings

The weekly sale of calves at Lancaster saw less numbers about, after last weeks bumper entry. However, there was still a respectable 58 through the ring, with most of the entry being a lot younger and not as much strength as seen in previous weeks.
Top of the leaderboard today goes to local and loyal Lancaster supporter JR Newsham & Son, Conder Green with a Hereford bull at £410 who sold other Hereford bulls at £405. Not far behind was WG Farms, Cockerham with a Charolais heifer at £400. Other younger Charolais heifers sold at £300. Aberdeen Angus calves always have a good following at Lancaster, CJ&MH Parry topped this today with bulls at £340 and heifers from the same home at £200. British Blue heifers achieved £360 from JP&C Robson and bulls to £350 from Barber Farms, Claughton on Brock with others from this good home to £340. Just a few Friesians in today saw WG Farms, Cockerham at £170 and £160.

Store Cattle

The renowned weekly store cattle sale at Lancaster saw a few more numbers through the main ring with the entry being mainly younger and smaller on offer. The trade took no harm at all with buyers round the ring for all grades of cattle on a weekly basis at Lancaster. EJ Ward & Sons, Nether Kellet took the honours today of top price, with a Charolais steer at £1960, with other Charolais steers from the same good home at £1640. Not far behind was P Metcalfe, Denny Beck with British Blue steers at £1600. Other British Blue steers achieved £1540 from SH&LE Birkett, Nether Kellet. Native Cattle always are a good trade at Lancaster and today was no exception with Herefords steers at £1820 and Aberdeen Angus steers £1640 from J Tattersall, Preston. A trio of Friesian steers sold to £1410 from GR Park & Son, Whinfell with others at £1300 from EE Thornton & Son, Heaton with Oxcliffe. TJ Robinson, Milnthorpe saw his run of heifers sell to £1560 twice for Limousins. British Blues from M Shepherd & Sons, Pilling achieved £1540 with other British Blue heifers to £1510 from SH&LE Birkett, Nether Kellet. TM Townley, Over Wyresdale saw his Charolais heifers to £1420. Aberdeen Angus heifers sold to £1400 from CG Birkett, Carnforth with others at £1380 from R&DM Rossall, Pilling.

Good Friday sees business as usual at Lancaster, with all buyers present. Please enter cattle with confidence.

Young Stores & Farmer Stirks

The last Friday of the month means stirk sale day at Lancaster, with a rather disappointing entry of 50 now through the main ring. What was not disappointing was the trade! Three times as many could have easily been sold with many buyers going home with empty trailers. Hitting the top spot today was regular stirk vendor G&D Ball & Sons, Little Eccleston at £960 for Aberdeen Angus steers. Other Aberdeen Angus steers saw R&J Parkinson, Preesall sell to £900. G&D Ball continued their good day with Aberdeen Angus heifers to £840. Also selling heifers was WJ&EA Woodhouse, Nateby with 12 month old heifers to £760 for a pen of four. W Pinder, Newton saw his well grown Charolais heifers to £700, who also had well done to Limousin heifers at the same price. JR Thornton, Winmarleigh saw his quality run of stirks sell to £790 for a pen of 6 month old British Blue steers, with 6 month old Herefords from the same home at £760. Other Hereford steers were at £700 from SE&J Gorst, Littledale. Just a handful of Friesian stirks in today from R&J Parkinson, Preesall sold to £690 for a pen of four 10 month olds. Bull stirks sold to £910 for both a Montbeliarde and British Blues from P&ME Higginson, Out Rawcliffe.
Our next stirks sale is on Friday 28th April, with vendors urged to enter cattle with confidence.

OTM / Cull Cattle

A slightly reduced entry on the week saw 82 OTM / Cull cattle through the ring, with an overall market average of 190p/kg achieved for all cattle forward. Beef cows led the way this week selling to 244.5p/kg and 234.5p/kg for Limousins from GA&A Atkinson, Carnforth. Also achieving 234.5p/kg was P Metcalfe, Denny Beck with a Charolais. Numerous beef cows sold between 215-235p/kg mark. Breaking the two thousand barrier was a shapey Charolais from P Metcalfe, Denny Beck achieving £2089.40, closely followed by a Limousin from GA&A Atkinson, Carnforth achieving £2051.36.
In the dairy department, Friesian cows reached 224.5p/kg from J Bargh & Son, Heaton with Oxcliffe and 221.5p/kg from Lawsons Dairy, Cockerham. Top grossing dairy cow was a Friesian achieving £1808.10 from T Taylor, Woodplumpton with this home also selling other to £1734.38. Other dairy cows sold to £1756 from J&M Robinson, Over Kellet.
There was an increased entry of OTM heifers forward this week with the majority forward being dairy bred, averaging an impressive 210.84p/kg. Friesians sold to 227.5p/kg from JE&J Pye & Son, Quernmore, 224.5p/kg from J Bargh & Son, Heaton with Oxcliffe and 221.5p/kg from J&M Robinson, Over Kellet. Top grossing was a Friesian heifer from J&M Robinson, Over Kellet realising £1756 followed by £1642.55 from JE&J Pye & Son, Quernmore and £1597.80 from J&M Robinson, Over Kellet.
Only a handful of cast steers were forward this week which saw a Hereford from R Esclome, Bay Horse achieve 234.5p/kg or £1407. Beef cast bulls realised a top price of £1593.70 for a Limousin from M&RW Stirzaker, Milnthorpe.