Newly calved heifers top trade at Craven Dairy Auction
Top price of £2,300 fell to the newly calved heifer from Robin Jennings’ Stainbank pedigree Holstein Friesian herd, near Harrogate. Also the reserve champion, she’s twelve days calved and giving 35 litres. Daughter of Genus sire Lutz Brook-View Burt, she went home to Glusburn with Stephen and Edward Jeanes.
Pendle dairy farmer Sean Hickey got the day’s second top price of £2,250 with his first prize newly calved heifer. Eight days calved and giving over 30 litres, she went to G and PS Fleetwood, Mirfield.
Pictured with the principals at Skipton’s main July Craven Dairy Auction are, from left, BOCM Pauls’ Richard Colley, champion Sean Hickey and his 11-year-old nephew John Thorpe, reserve champion Robin Jennings and judge Aubrey Greenhalgh.
Chris Broadwith, Thornton Watlass, was also among the leading performers with a newly calved heifer that achieved the same price as the title winner when joining the Fleetwoods.
Top price for newly calved cows fell to John Rennard, Beamsley, who’s first prize winner reached £1,420 when bought by Wick Williams, Nantwich.
The Lea farming family from Wortley, Sheffield, won all three prizes in the in-calf show class with Holstein x Meuse Rhine Issel heifers due at the end of August to an Ayrshire sire. They sold to a high of £1,150.
Trade for the top end of the 34 dairy cattle forward was again strong, though entries not quite up to the mark met with an easier trade, with some decent heifers achieving £1,700-£1,850 and some honest tank fillers £1,500-£1,700.
Pedigree newly calved heifers averaged £1,930 overall, with their commercial counterparts averaging £1,654. Newly calved cows averaged £1,385 and in-calf heifers £1,125
“The recent ARLA milk price reduction may well have had an impact on the confidence of many farmers and this has clearly had an influence on prices,” said dairy auctioneer Sam Bradley.
CCM Auctions