NWA Lancaster had 718 cattle forward at its popular weekly sale, with all three sale rings attracting new customers from far and wide with trade reported as being well ahead of other local centres.

OTM / CAST CATTLE

Another large entry of 155 cows were forward, as farmers look to offload stock ahead of winter housing. All cows today averaged 150p/kg, with 85% of the sale being dairy cows. Heavy well fleshed cows of all breeds attracted the keenest bidding, with dairy cows selling to 219.5p/kg for a Holstein Friesian from Strickland Hill Farming, Witherslack and beef cows selling to 214.5p/kg for a Limousin from TS&HJ Park, Cowin Bridge. Other beef cows were generally 180p/kg to 200p/kg with the better end of dairy 160p/kg to 175p/kg, parlour types 140p/kg to 150p/kg, lean dairy cows 100pkg to 125p/kg with the very leanest at realisation. Top grossing beef cow was a Simmental from Barlow Bros, Croston achieving £1604 with dairy selling to £1563 from K&DE Woodhouse, Ellel and £1561 from J&G Thornley Ltd, Kirkham.
Beef heifers sold to 254.5p/kg and £1626 for a Limousin x from DJ Townley, Lancaster with dairy heifers selling to 229.5p/kg for a Fleckvieh from P Knowles, New Hutton and £1668 for a Holstein Friesian from Lawsons Dairy, Cockerham.
Beef steers sold to 284.5p/kg for a Limousin x from M&RW Stirzaker, Milnthorpe with others selling to £1708 for a Limousin x from J Lamb, Glasson. Dairy bred steers sold to 189.5p/kg for a Holstein Friesian from JH Atkinson & Partners, Selside and £1169 from TM Gardner, Tatham. Cast bulls sold to 149.5p/kg for a Limousin from J Bell Jnr, Wennington and £1553 for a Holstein Friesian from D Fox & Co, Bay Horse.

STORE CATTLE

445 store cattle saw a top price of £1980 achieved for a Charolais x steer from JM Haddow, Milnthorpe who sold others at £1880 and £1820. Limousin x steers sold to £1900 from DJ Townley, Lancaster with others at £1740 from H Birkett & Son, Morecambe. Heavy well grown short keep steers were regularly £1500 to £1700, which included Montbeliardes at £1680 from BL&D Banks, Pilling, Beef Shorthorns at £1620 from GR & A Foy, Conder Green and Aberdeen Angus at £1590 from CE&MA Hewitt, Forton. A keen interest in younger steers for over wintering with Aberdeen Angus x selling to £1370 from EE Thornton & Sons, Morecambe, with fourteen month old Simmental x from AVA Thornton, Cockerham selling at £1160.
Heifers sold to a top price of £1760 for a Charolais x from JM Haddow, Milnthorpe who sold others at £1580. Aberdeen Angus x heifers sold to £1550 form GR&A Foy, Conder Green with British Blue x achieving £1480 from JD&GM Bracken, Garstang and Simmental x £1400 from EW&A Bradshaw, Stalmine. Heavy well grown heifers were regularly £1300 to £1450.
The monthly sale of stirks immediately followed store cattle, with buyers keen to secure replacement stock ahead of winter housing. Steers sold to a top price of £1000 for a British Blue x from I Atkinson & Son, Carnforth with others at £980 from MD Close & Son, Arkholme and £900 for Shorthorns x from J&T Hunter, Dent. A large number of younger steers forward saw eleven month old British Blue x sell to £890 from I Atkinson & Son, Carnforth. Aberdeen Angus x sold to £860 from Mason Birkland Barrow, Over Kellet with others at £850 from A Prickett, Farleton and Charolais x sold to £840 from G&MA Smith, Samlesbury. Dairy bred steers sold to £650 for a British Friesians from R&J Parkinson, Preesall.
Heifer stirks sold to a top price of £710 for ten month old British Blue x heifers from J&R Waller, Killington with Charolais x selling to £700 from G&MA Smith, Samlesbury and Aberdeen Angus x to £670 for eight month olds from AW&AM Park, Ellel. Younger heifers were generally £550 to £620, depending on breed and quality.
Bull stirks sold to a top price of £670 for a consignment of Stabilisers from M Allen, Carnforth.

CALVES & WEANINGS

Calf numbers continue to rise with 118 sold today, to an ever expanding ring side of buyers. Bull calves sold to a top price of £585 for a pair of one month and twenty eight day old British Blue x bulls from JP&C Robson, Garstang. Aberdeen Angus x sold to £560 from Tom Barron Farms Ltd, Woodplumpton with other British Blue x at £555 from G&ME Woodhouse & Sons, Ellel and a two month three day old Charolais x bull from Lawson Farms, Cockerham achieving £520. Other strong bull calves were regularly £400 to £500. Six week old bull calves were £320 to £400, with only the youngest £260 to £300.
Dairy bulls sold to £245 for a British Friesian from AD&RL Milner, Garstang with others at £185 from G&ME Woodhouse & Sons and £175 from J Bargh & Son, Morecambe and Drinkall Bros, Over Wyresdale. Other nice rearing black and whites were generally £90 to £120. Several weaned bull calves forward sold to £590 for a Limousin x from JH Towers & Son, Tunstall, with Simmental x to £515 from MH&AR Robinson, Old Hutton. Black and whites sold to £320 from A&MI Robinson, Orton with others at £295 from RE&P Miller, Barnacre.
Heifer calves sold to a top price of £405 for a two month and one day old British Blue x from Wallbank Farms, Over Wyresdale with other at £400 from SW&K Metcalfe, Whittington and G&ME Woodhouse & Sons, Ellel. Limousin x heifers sold to £390 from JH Towers & Sons, Tunstall who sold others at £385. A two month and nine day old Charolais sold at £335 from Lawsons Farm, Cockerham, with other at £295 from MH&AR Robinson, Old Hutton. Nice rearing sorts were generally £280 to £340, with younger sorts £200 to £265 and the youngest and smallest £150 to £200.
Several weaned heifers forward sold to £490 for a Charolais from MH&AR Robinson with British Blue x selling to £465 form G&ME Woodhouse, Ellel and Aberdeen Angus x at £450 from JH Towers & Sons, Tuntall.