North West Auctions held its popular weekly sale at Lancaster Auction Mart, which saw cattle sold in all four rings to an ever increasing trade, with new customers once again in attendance. Over two days North West Auctions has sold over 1100 cattle, on behalf of customers from throughout the Northern counties to customer throughout the UK.

CALVES & WEANLINGS

There was plenty of buzz around the revamped calf ring today, with a great crown in attendance. The best rearing bull calves sold to £440 for a British Blue from JP&C Robson, Garstang with other calves generally £360 to £420. A fantastic show of weaned calves saw four month old British Blue bulls sell to £650 from SH&M Batty & Son, Quernmore with others at £640 from FW Rhodes & Son, Ellel. Twelve weaned bulls sold above £550, with many more £450 to £550. Younger month old bull calves saw Aberdeen Angus sell to £330 from T&CM Kelsall, Chipping, Longhorns to £290 from JE&SM Seedall, Mellor and British Blues to £315.
The stronger end rearing heifers sold to £400 for a trio of British Blue cross from JP&C Robson, Catterall with many others £360 upwards. The best of the weaned heifers sold to £560 for British Blues from SH&M Batty & Sons, Quernmore with others regularly £500 to £540, to include a Hereford at £545 from FW Rhodes & Sons, Ellel. A great trade was seen for younger month old heifers with British Blues and Aberdeen Angus’s to £305 from T&CM Kelsall, Chipping and J Bargh & Son, Morecambe.
An entry of predominantly younger dairy bulls sold to £170 for a Friesian from WN&D Smith, Cockerham. Other rearers were regularly £110 to £140, with the younger end £50 to £70.
An entry of Hereford cross stirks from E Lund & Son, Ingleton saw steers to £810 and heifers to £740.

DAIRY CATTLE

A pair of new calved pedigree heifers saw a top price of £2050 from W Garnett & Sons, Milnthorpe with another at £2000 from AEA Swale, Rishton.

STORE CATTLE

All store cattle today sold to overall market average of £1342, with buyers keen to secure cattle for both going into sheds for finishing and ahead of turnout. Steers sold to £1820 for a pair of British Blue cross from R&DM Rossall & Sons, Pilling with other strong steers regularly £1500 to £1750, to include black and white steers at £1600. Younger cattle for turnout sold to £1580 for Charolais cross steers with others £1200 to £1350.
Heifer sold to a top price of £1900 again for a pair of British Blue cross from R&DM Rossall & Sons, Pilling. Other stronger heifers were £1500 to £1650, with younger heifer purchased for turn out £1050 to £1200.

OTM / CAST CATTLE

All classes and types of cull cows sold to another sharper trade. All cull cows averaging 171p/kg for an entry of entirely dairy cows, OTM heifers averaged 217p/kg and OTM steers averaged 225p/kg. Well fleshed young dairy cows sold to 201.5p/kg from WG Farms Ltd, Cockerham. Heavy weight dairy cows sold to 191.5p/kg for a Montbeliarde from A&FM Bolland & Sons, Ellel with others generally 180p/kg to 190p/kg, medium parlour types 168p/kg to 180p/kg, with leaner sorts 120p/kg to 145p/kg. Top grossing is a Holstein Friesian from I Atkinson & Son, Warton achieving £1547 with others at £1495 from AW&AM Park & Son, Ellel and £1491 from J Hoggarth & Son, Slyne.
OTM beef heifers sold to 279.5p/kg and £1746 for a British Blue from M Shepherd & Son, Pilling with dairy heifers to 254.5p/kg for a Holstein Friesian from Barker Farms Ltd, Carnforth with the better end 230p/kg to 245p/kg. Top grossing achieved £1754 from B Butterfield & Sons, Burton in Kendal.
Beef steers sold to 284.5p/kg and £1721 for an Aberdeen Angus cross from O Butler, Kirkham.