Frantic bids for Holsteins
By Jeremy Hunt
ENTHUSIASTIC BIDDING at the Western Holstein Club”s show and sale at Beeston Castle, Cheshire, saw the sale average 1096 for 97 in-milk cattle – the highest for two years.
Greening pastures and few sales of significant numbers of dairy cattle since Christmas brought milk producers out in force. And although the quality of stock on offer was not as high as the previous month”s fixture, it did little to deter the ringside”s enthusiasm.
Michael and Jean Gould”s Shropshire-based Woodmarsh herd drew the three highest prices for a young cow and two heifers, as well as taking the fifth leading bid with another heifer.
Wright Manley auctioneer Clive Norbury said: “We had a packed ringside and bidding was almost frantic at times. There was no problem selling anything on offer.”
Buyers had travelled from as far away as Cornwall and Scotland and topped the day”s trade at 2000gns for Woodmarsh Mtoto Hope 44th.
By Carol Prelude Mtoto, this heifer is out of the 10,954kg heifer Woodmarsh Leduc Hope 26th, whose pedigree traces back to a Prelude-Hope that achieved five-figure yields in each of her four lactations – with two over 13,000kg.
She was giving 40.2kg on the day and was bought by Ian Williamson for his Wardle herd at Nantwich. He was in again to take the next lot, Woodmarsh Mtoto Helen 78th, at 1750gns.
milking family
This calved heifer is another from one of the herd”s heavy-milking families and is out of a 12,500kg dam with a 15,198kg Horace-Helen cow as second dam.
Third up for Mr and Mrs Gould was Woodmarsh Geno Hatlady 46th, a second calver by Be-Ware Juro Geno out of a 10,297kg heifer by Prelude. She was giving 53kg and heads for Cornwall with W and J Cowling of Wadebridge, who took 26 head in total.
Messrs Cowling also took the day”s reserve champion, the calved heifer Woodmarsh Salopian Isabel 47th at 1500gns. The bid was matched by an undisclosed Northern Ireland buyer to secure the calved heifer Chatterley Emerson Della from Cheshire farmer Stan Price”s herd at Stockport.
Entries from Chester breeders R and J Jones & Sons” Leamoll herd were in demand, selling to 1450gns for a Markwell Kite daughter from the herd”s Present family. Buyers were Messrs Cowling.
Averages 25 in-milk cows 994; 71 in-milk heifers 1133. Overall, 97 head 1096 (Wright Manley).