Prices hit 2,600gns at the Border and Lakeland Holstein sale
Prices hit 2,600gns at the Border and Lakeland Holstein club sale at Borderway Mart last week (21 June), with averages peaking at a very respectable £1,865.
Sale leader was the heifer Wormanby Statesman Gloriette, sired by Boclair Statesman and out of Wormanby Fever A Gloriette VG86 (2 year). Her grand dam was the All Britain Nominee Wormanby Aftershock Gloriette Ex93, who was placed second at both UK Dairy Expo and UK Dairy Day in 2014.
She was bought by an undisclosed purchaser.
See also: Genomics helps lift fertility and milk yield of pedigree Holstein herd
Selling for the day’s second highest price of 2,500gns was the November 2014-born in-milk heifer Espland Jordan Marilyn 7, who took champion under judge Tony Hunter from Berrier Head, Penrith.
Consigned by DI and AA Cannon, Espland Farm, Appleby, she was sired by Gillette Jordan and is out of Espland Sid Marilyn 4 VG86. She also sold to an undisclosed bidder.
Skirwith Hall farms sold three super milky heifers which topped at 2,300gns for Stowbeck Pure Jeanie sired by STE Oldie Pure and bred from an Excellent dam projected for over 15,000kg this lactation. She joined the herd of W Brewster, Wester Borland Farm, Stirlingshire.
Another undisclosed buyer paid 2,200gns for the in-milk heifer Evening Skyfire Bordeaux from Evening Hill Holsteins, Carlisle, Cumbria.
Sired by Glen-I-Beq skyfire Red her dam is by Sterndale Rose Royce Bordeaux Red. Altogether, six Evening Hill consignments averaged £2,108.
Selling for the same money was the reserve champion Warnelview Fever Silverwings 3, consigned by the Wilson family from Wood Farm, Carlisle. She was sired by Crackholm Fever and traced back to Burwren Midnight Silverwings Ex92, which produced over 60t during her lifetime. She caught the eye of Barr Farm Ltd, Fife.
On the day 14 animals sold for more than £2,000.
Kedar Brown Swiss Sale
Gavin and Jonny Lochhead, from Dumfries, sold 30 heifers from their prize-winning Kedar organic herd of Brown Swiss, based in Dumfries.
The herd is currently averaging 7,625kg 4.03% butterfat 3.67% protein with many cows producing for 10 lactations and recording massive lifetime yields. Ten in-calf heifers topped at 2,500gns to average £1,599 and 20 heifer calves topped at 1,000gns to average £655.
Leading trade in the group of in-calf heifers, due in July, was Kedar Archie Gill, sired by Kedar Vigor Archie and out of Kedar Ha Driver Glenda PI VG89. She sold for 2,500gns to an undisclosed purchaser having run with Kedar Hotstuff.
Gill is bred from three generations of Excellent cows that are still milking at Kedar. The third dam is the highest classified Brown Swiss cow outside Switerland, Kedar Seattle Glenda EX96 7E, and was grand champion at the Dairy Event in 2009. This month she is due with her 12th calf and is close to producing 100t lifetime.
Leading prices in the young calf section at 1,000gns was the show heifer Kedar TD Lucie PI, which sold to Hannah Lilburn, Northern Ireland. Sired by Webster Ridge TD, she is out of Kedar Vigor Liesa PI VG86 by Sun Made Vigor.
Averages:13 cows in milk, £1,758.75; 59 heifers in milk, £1,865.32; 12 in-calf heifers, £1,517.25. Kedar Brown Swiss Young-Stock: 10 in-calf heifers, £1,599.15; 30 heifer calves, £655.59.
(Harrison and Hetherington)