Prime Cattle (under 30 mos)

At another well supported weekly prime cattle sale a high quality entry of retail cattle met a strong line-up of buyers with Keelham Farm Shop of Skipton and Thornton leading the way with 11 purchases including the top gross a 580kg British Blue cross Steer from Simon Bennett of Silsden Moor which made 243.5p or £1412. Weighing in at 480kg a steer from Mesrs AA&E Critchley & Son of Hutton was the leading price per kg at 268.5p when selling to Lancaster’s Countrystyle Butchers.

Steers

465-555kg                                             to 268.5p/kg                        av. 250.36p/kg

560kg+                                                   to 243.5p/kg                        av. 238.47p/kg

Heifers

400-480kg                                             to 244.5p/kg

485kg+                                                   to 263.5p/kg                        av. 237.64p/kg

Top Prices £ per head and p/kg

Steers

£ per head: SD Bennett (Limx) 1412, TWH Assets (Limx) 1407, JR Metcalfe (Blondex) 1330,1323, CD&RF Kitching (Blondex) 1327

p/kg: AA& Critchley & Son (Limx) 268.5, TW Cowperthwaite (Limx) 259.5,256.5, CD&RF Kitching (Blondex) 250.5, JR Metcalfe (Limx) 248.5.

Heifers

£ per head: AA&E Critchley&Son (Blondex) 1514, (BBx) 1476, (Limx) 1414, CD&RF Kitching (Limx) 1390,1295, TWH Assets (Limx)  1284

p/kg: AA&E Critchley & Son (BBx) 263.5, (Limx) 259.5, (Blondex) 254.5, CD&RF Kitching (Limx) 251.5,250.5, JA Drake (Limx) 249.5.   

Overall Average                                   114.85p/kg           £745.03

With cast cattle in plentiful supply last week the anticipated reduction in price this week was only minor. Top end dairies continued to make into the 120s  and very little in the lean cows under 100p. Beef crosses very similar values to previous weeks but short of cattle carrying farm assurance.

Black & White                       to 157.5 p/kg                       av. 111.49p/kg

Limx                                       to 143.5p/kg                        av. 121.16p/kg

BBx                                         to 134.5p/kg                        av. 128.55p/kg

Simx                                       to 120.5p/kg

Bazx                                        to 122.5p/kg

AAx                                         to 104.5p/kg

Top Prices (£ per head or p/kg)

B&W:

£ per head: J Caygill & Ptns 977,864, 851, M Baul&Sons Ltd 917, G Hayton& EC Stocks 846, CN&SA Harrison 814

p/kg: J Caygill&Ptns 157.5,122.5,121.5, CN&SA Harrison 123.5,  M Baul&Sons Ltd 121.5, G Abbott&Sons 121.5

Brit Blue:

£ per head: M Harker 844, JR &A Blades 841,

p/kg: JR&A Blades 134.5, R Dodson 122.5, M Harker 121.5

Lim:

£ per head: M Harker 1005,659, CJ&JE Lumb 854, P Fortune 825, R Dodson 820

p/kg: M Harker 143.5, CJ&JE Lumb 127.5, JR&A Blades 117.5,

AAx

£ per head: R Dodson 679

p/kg: R Dodson 104.5

Prime Sheep

A smaller show today with the word having got around of a fall in trade late on last week. Lambs with weight and meat sold well, and anything smarter sold well too, but lambs poorly finished or just lacking that overall sparkle were harder to sell on the week. It looks like this will be the case for a few weeks as we move through peak season, and so the advice is to present lambs a bit heavier than usual so they add up to a decent amount per head. Heavier lambs well fleshed were generally £30 £32 over the weight, whilst smarter good were in front of this at £36- £38 over. Some pens of butchers lambs 45kg to 50kg at either side of 200p. Cecil Hutchinson topped the sale with two super pens of Beltex crosses, weighing 37kg and 38kg both pens sold for £110 per head. Cast sheep were a sharp trade and levelled at £62.50 with a top of £103.50.

Spring Lambs  – Overall Average  £71.24 per head or 164.46p/kg         

32.1kg to 35.9kg                 to 157.6p/kg         av 138.1p/kg         or £47.72 per head

36.0kg to 45.5kg                 to 297.3p/kg         av 164.09p/kg      or £70.41 per head

45.6kg to 52.0kg                 to 218.5p/kg         av 167.11p/kg      or £79.34 per head

52.1kg and over                 to 166p/kg            av 150.90p/kg      or £83.53 per head

Beltex average £85.84 per head or 202.5p/kg

£ per head: £110 x2 GB Moorhouse; £100.50 JA&JH Hewetson; £100 JG Hall & Son £99 JA&JH Hewetson; £98.50 E&M Townley

p/kg: 297.3p, 289.5p AC Hutchinson; 223.9p E&M Townley & Son; 220p James Garth & Son; 218.5p JA&JH Hewetson

Suffolk average £72.24 per head or 162.05p/kg

£ per head: £90 RA&M Earnshaw & Son; £82 S Dorey; £80 RA&M Eanrshaw & Son; £77.50 S Dorey; £76 JP&KE Hartley;

p/kg:180.5p TH&A Pickard & Sons; 177.8p RA&M Earnshaw & Sons; 167.4p CD&RF Kitching; 167.3p S Dorey;

Texel average £71.87 per head or 166.32p/kg

£ per head: £103 EF Eaton; £100 G Sunderland; £99 J Turner; £99 GA Hewitt & Son; £98.50 GB Moorhouse; £96 S&P Scrivin

p/kg: 228.9p EF Eaton; 222.2p G Sunderland; 218.9p GB Moorhouse; 216.3p J Greenwood; 210p S&P Scrivin;

Mule average £62.97 per head or 150.28p/kg

£ per head: £75.50 S&P Scrivin; £72 G Greenwood; £70 S Dorey; £69 CD&RF Kitching; £69 James Garth & Sons

p/kg: 167.8p S&P Scrivin; 156.5p G Greenwood; 156p Fair Place Farm; 155.6p S Dorey; 154.7p PL Metcalfe;

Charollais average £69.28 per head or 162.02p/kg

£ per head: £74.50, £73 JA Stoney; £70 DA Dobson; £67 A Fisher; £66x2, £65 DA Dobson;

p/kg: 169.8p, 169.3p JA Stoney & Son; 166.7p, 157.1p DA Dobson; 155.8p A Fisher

Cheviot average £66 per head or 157.14p/kg

£ per head: £66 PJ&JE Bolland

p/kg: 157.14p PJ&JE Bolland

Rouge average £62.97 per head or 168.5p/kg

£ per head: £87, £85 x2, £82, £77, £75 JA&JM Wade & Son

p/kg: 174.5p, 170.6p, 167.4p, 166.7p x3 JA&JM Wade & Son;

Suffolk to £87.50, Texel to £103.50, BFL to £65.50, Mule to £69.50, Lleyn to £73.50, Swaledale to £41.50,  Beltex  to £78.50.

Top prices:

Lowland: £103.50 A&CL Gray; £87.50 PN Garth;

Mule/Masham: £69.50 J Turner; £68.50 K&J Marshall

Horned: £41.50 Lambert – Milehouse; £39.50 RJ Gardt;

Hill: £73.50 DC Wood; £70 DC Wood;   

Cast Rams average £37.50

Swaledale to £37.50

Rearing Calves to £435 (30)

A quieter show this week with three big shows recently hampering numbers, however prices were good with buyers still out in abundance and bidding well for calves. Black and Whites were in another gear today averaging £86 and best Continental bulls no different to last week topping at £435 for a 5 week old bull from Church Farm Enterprises. Natives in storng demand yet again with Angus Bulls averaging £328 and topping at £380 for a 4 ½ week old bull from Church Farm again.

Bull Calves

Limousin x (Av £306.67) to £390 C&SB Whitelock                      

Brit Blue x (Av £383.33) to £435 Church Farm Enterprises                                                       

Aberdeen Angus (Av £328.33) to £380 Church Farm Enterprises

Black & White (Av £82.86) to £175 RM Spence                           

Heifer Calves                       

British Blue (Av £238) to £260 AL Dean & Son

Lim (Av £340) to £390 C&SB Whitelock

Prize Awards:       Newly Calven Heifers:         1^st ASE Crisp, 2^nd A Swires 3^rd GB Jennings      

                                Newly Calven Cows:            1^st A Swires

Champion – ASE Crisp         Reserve – A Swires

Newly Calven Heifers (av £1574): to £1900 ASE Crisp