Tuesday's sale at Beeston Castle consisted of the Nivelle and Northernline Herds of Pedigree Holsteins, following a change in direction of the business of R & A Ryan of Forncett St. Peter, Norwich who have decided to accept a new share farming opportunity with Sir Nicholas Bacon of nearby Raveningham.
This change in business development involved them taking a proportion of their herd with them; in so doing they decided to take most of the older cows and all the young stock leaving the younger part of the milking portion of the herd for sale.
Prior to this new development in their business, last year they embarked upon on an expansion plan and part of this was the purchase of the entire Stibbard Herd from North Norfolk and it was cows carrying this prefix that dominated the leading bids of the sale.
The herd follows an all year round calving pattern, which are loose housed and averaging 9489kg, 3.68% fat and 3.04% protein. Overall quality of the herd was considered by the auctioneers to be of a good standard with cows generally displaying power, capacity and good udders.
The top price was 1320 gns for Stibbard Magpie List (GP84) (VG-MS), a fresh third calver by Ridge-Star Journalist who calved in February and was giving 40 kg. She was purchased by Aubrey Greenhalgh on behalf of a Lancashire client.
The next two top prices were 1220 gns and 1210 gns and both were purchased by J Macaulay of Castlewellan, Co Down, Northern Ireland; for the higher price he purchased a fresh heifer by Modesto and the other was another heifer by Jordan.
The only other at the 1200 gns mark was Stibbard Bullrush List 2nd (GP84-2yr), a heifer by Journalist due with her second in October to Modesto purchased by Beattie Lilburn of Dromore, Northern Ireland.
Here's some pics from the sale.......
At 1320gns was lot 68, Stibbard Magpie List selling to dealer Aubrey Greenhalgh who took at least half of all the top priced animals on the day.
At 1180gns was lot38 Stibbard Virago Galaxy (jpeg Hol-1d) selling to Aubrey Greenhalgh.
