Mid month dairy sale peaks at £2,820
Trade was hot from start to finish at Beeston’s mid-month dairy sale, where prices peaked at £2,820 for a freshly calved heifer from Simon and Clare Powell of Burlton, Shrewsbury.
Their homebred Million daughter Burlane Million Tracy 2nd sold giving 37kg to Dave Green of Lach Dennis.
The second top seller was the homebred Minver Shogun Stripy from David Bramall of Minshull Vernon, Middlewich. This daughter of Gen-I-Beq Shogun sold to David Guy, Middlewich for £2,600, giving 31kg.
despite the good spring day deterring some buyers from attending and taking the opportunity to get on with fieldwork. It also has to be stated that quality would not be as good as usual with a higher than usual proportion of heifers lacking a bit of condition forward but nevertheless they, and the best, sold exceptionally well improving on last month’s high average. It is interesting to note 190 milking cattle were forward, 186 were sold and 62 of these realised £2000 or more including 18 over £2400.
Cow trade topped at £2,180 for a second calved Outside daughter from Lower Denby Farms, Huddersfield, with other second calvers from J and I Garth, Preston and Grantchester Farms, Audlem, selling for £2,080 each. All three top priced cows sold to the same West Wales buyer.
There weren’t many coloured breeds about and ones that were, weren’t of the greatest quality but the top crossbred was a very powerful heifer from the Powell’s that realised £2,200. Dairy Shorthorns topped £1,700 for a fresh heifer from Martin Jackson of Thirsk, while Brown Swiss sold to £1,650 for a second calver from Rob Morgan, Wem.
Trade was in-calf and served heifers was good, but those in the early part of pregnancy continue to appear to be good value. Heifers due within three months met great demand and sold up to £1,900 for Grosvenor Mccormick Dixie – a June calver – from Grosvenor Farms Ltd, Chester, and sold to David Drinkall of Darnhall, Winsford. Others from the same home sold at £1,820 and £1,800 twice for daughters of McCormick and Dover. Unregistered heifers sold to £1,750 for an entry from DP Mounfield, Winsford.
There was big demand for maiden heifers, particularly for quality and good pedigrees. The top price was £1,380 for Wintersell Steffi 87th, a ten month old daughter Woodmarsh Zoro from The Downing Partnership, Edenbridge, Kent.
Only seven heifer calves were forward all of which were were from The Downing Partnership and these sold very well with prices up to £620 for a daughter of Regancrest Beau from the Spot family and another by Sam Doge from the Steffi family at £600. Both were February born.
Just one forward stock bull was forward. This was a good three and a half year old Hereford from Mike Richardson, Byley made £1,800.
AVERAGES:
44 cows, £1597.95; 142 milking heifers, £1852.68; 45 served heifers, £1508.22; 74 maiden heifers, £923.65; seven heifer calves £545.71; one stock bull, £1800.
(Wright Manley)