Summer milk chase takes buyers to Taunton Top 10%
Buyers were chasing summer milk at Greenslade Taylor Hunt’s annual “Top 10%” sale of Holsteins at Taunton livestock market.
Price reached 1420gns with a bid from Wiltshire farmers S Pottow & Son, who claimed several cattle for their herd at Warminster.
Local dairy farmer Chris Salisbury, who is dispersing his entire herd this autumn, consigned the freshly calved heifer Bickenhall Hickory 7th.
She was by Comestar Stormatic and out of an 11,927kg dam by Havep Marconi.
The Bryant family, who farm close to Taunton, secured the most fancied entry from a consignment of freshly calved pedigree heifers imported from France by Tiverton farmer Gordon Davies.
Their 1300gns heifer was one from the entire stock of a smallholding with an average yield nudging 8000kg.
The Ivybridge-based herd of Devon breeder Derek Dennis produced a best of 1280gns.
His four-week calved Dinnaton Jock Rub Bluebell (PIN +£12, PLI +£20) was out of a Jocko Besne dam.
Buyers were Gloucestershire dairy farmers E and H Sheldon.
They also gave the highest cow price, paying 1040gns for the second calver Moorshard Database Katey 258th (PIN +£41, PLI +£46).
Consigned from R & S Miller’s herd at Bridgwater, Somerset, she is by Dinnaton Database and hit the high spots as a heifer with a 12,542kg yield.
Somerset vendors L Turner & Son earned 1200gns for their calved heifer Chardit Eve 125th. By Dixie-Lee Aaron, she went to Messrs Pottow.
Despite buyers’ preference for cattle in milk, the young entry drew plenty of interest, with in-calf heifer reaching 980gns.
The call came from Gloucestershire dairy farmers Messrs Dalton for Hemmings Courier Lorna 2nd.
She was consigned by Norfolk dairy farmers J & D Reader, who dispersed most of their herd last month. She is by Cogent Courier and out of an 11,579kg dam.
Averages: Four cows £1060, 30 calved heifers £1052, 38 in-calf heifers £864 and 23 French imports £1080. (Greenslade Taylor Hunt)