Quality in demand at Border and Lakeland sale

The June edition of the Border & Lakeland Dairy sale offered buyers a diverse choice of cows and heifers with more than 130 head sold to average £1,692 and a joint top price of 2,450gns.

The show was judged by Jim Barr from Bucklyuie Farm in Fife, he selected Nethervalley Talent Kimo to be his first place heifer and overall champion.  This silky black heifer was consigned by Robbie Scott who has expertly developed this line of the Kimo’s with the dam of this Talent heifer being Nominated All Britain Senior Heifer in 2011. 

The Reserve Champion was consigned by C Dent of Bridgeend Holsteins; Mossrigg Matson Steenhuizen was sired by Autumn-Ridge Matson from a Shottle dam with impressive production.  Both of these stylish young heifers join the herd of the judge for 2,000gns

The first heifer to sell for 2,450gns was Stowbeck Baroque Lillibet consigned by Skirwith Hall Farms.  She was a powerful heifer with a wide square udder and sired by Magor Baroque Allen. She was purchased by N&SJ Sanderson, Burtholme Farm, Brampton.

Also selling for 2,450gns was another super uddered heifer this time consigned by N.G. Scott, Millbuie Farm, Aberdeen.  She was sired by a home bred Roy son from the Margot family and out of a Bambam dam.  She was purchased by J. Forrest & Son, Meinfoot, Lockerbie.

Demand for fresh cows and heifers is still high and prices remain similar for top quality animals, report auctions Harrison and Hetherington. “It is evident however that buyers have reconsidered the value of animals that in their opinion is of slightly less quality as the pain of the recent unnecessary milk cuts start to take effect,” they said.

 Averages:  Two cows, £2,005.50; 39 heifers in-milk, £1791.73; eight in-calf heifers (Messrs Fiddler), £1,463.44; 35, in-calf heifers (Carden Livestock Co), £1467.60.