Auction sale is the only way
Auction sale is the only way
NON-RECORDED dairy cows averaged £588 when the Meaker family of Bridgwater, Somerset, dispersed their herd of 171 Holstein Friesians last week.
The sale was the culmination of five "viewing" days when potential buyers were shown around the herd two at a time.
Last Friday auctioneers Greenslade Taylor Hunt offered the herd in the local village hall. The shortage of cows available in smaller lots, up to 20 head, resulted in a good turnout of farmers looking for cattle for re-stocking.
Auctioneer Derek Biss said: "Many buyers agreed that an auction sale was the only way to secure cows which were usually only available as whole herds by private treaty."
He said the average was higher than sending cows on the welfare scheme. "This event was fixed for late September as an on-farm sale on the assumption that Somerset would have been designated foot-and-mouth free by then.
"But a mistake by DEFRA prevented this and limited the number of potential buyers. If we could have sold these cows as we originally intended, we could have earned another £100 apiece for them – that would have been an extra £17,000 for the Meaker family," said Mr Biss. *