Strong Jersey trade hits £1,750 at Exeter

A “tremendous” trade was reported at Exeter Livestock Centre’s Jersey and Guernsey Gold Top Sale on Friday (15 April) with eighteen lots making £1000 or more.

Strong demand was boosted by fresh interest from black and white buyers, with trade peaking at £1,750 for in-calf heifer Jubilee Legacy Roxy from Wiltshire breeders J&A Anthea Daw, Winterbourne Monkton.

The trade topper, to calve in September, boasted three VG and EX dams going back to Glanmor Xerxes Roxy EX95, selling to V Dimond, Dorset as trade for milking Jerseys levelled at £942, £21 up on the September sale.

Next best at £1,600, also from the Jubilee herd, was sire Jubilee Colonel, knocking down to Harvey, South Devon. This maternal brother of Jubilee Excitation Ceres EX94 is out of the renowned Ceres family.

Second highest female on the day at £1,500 was from Treginegar Dairy Farms, Padstow, Cornwall, selling to W Bennett, Gloucester. Due to calve next month, Glanmor Million Pound is by Select Million out of three generations of VG/EX dams.

Next in the money was the Holmfirth Lix Naoni at £1,400, standing out from a batch of 30 Yorkshire-bred heifers from J&E Dickinson, Ardsley, South Yorkshire, from a consignment averaging £983. Sired by the Danish DJ Lix and out of Holmfirth Pride Naoni, she is expected in May to Red Poll.

Three Maervale-bred heifers by the Danish DJ Broiler also made over £1,220 from SJ&D Vooght, Dunsford, Devon, on a day of “phenomenal” trading, according to auctioneer Mark Davis.

He expected a decent trade, but was pleasantly surprised by values on the day, noting growing “black and white” demand.

“The Jersey is certainly one that is going to hold out through tough times,” he told Farmers Weekly. “We have seen producers with Holstein-Friesians coming into the bidding this year to add value to the milk cheque. There are lots of changes in milk contracts with some being capped on production with increasing interest in coloured breeds.”

Averages: 14 milking Jerseys, £942; 41 in-calf Jersey heifers, £1018; 12 Guernsey yearlings, £631.
(Kivells)