Big crowd finds Elliott HFs an irresistible attraction
Big crowd finds Elliott HFs an irresistible attraction
By Jeremy Hunt
FASHIONABLE sires, deep milking cow families, a high herd average and a healthy margin proved an irresistible attraction to Cornish dairy farmers last week when the Elliott family from Truro dispersed their herds of Holstein Friesians.
David Elliott, farming as W D and J A Elliott and Son, staged his retirement sale and offered 75 head from his Boswague and Westgate herds.
Small numbers did not detract from the interest in this sale which drew a crowd of over 300. The impressive catalogue details were enhanced by the high standard in which the cows were presented, pushing prices to 3600gns and taking 13 lots to 1000gns and above.
The top call came early in the day for Westgate Approval Lottie, a December calved heifer by Roycedale Approval, served in April to Gillette Carlton. Bred out of a Canadian family developed by MOET, she is out of a Starbuck/Oakwald P S Lottie cow. She was purchased by Mrs D Beer for her Coldridge herd in Devon.
8604kg herd average
Mr Elliott had achieved a herd average of 8604kg and a margin over bought feed of £1410. Typical of the type of cattle that have contributed to this level of performance was Moorshard Raider Meg 27th, a 1993-bred daughter of Hanoverhill Raider out of a Vanguard dam.
She had given 6132kg and 9039kg in her first two lactations. Served in March to Comestar Lee, she was bought by Lanhydrock Farms, Bodmin at 2200gns.
And they were keen to secure more of the same when they gave 2100gns for Westgate Inspiration Lottie. Bred out of the same cow that produced the top priced lot, this second calver had just completed a 11,096kg lactation worth £2539 from a milk price of 21.9ppl.
Progeny of the Moet Star Lottie K cow was in demand again when her five-month-old calf by Startmore Rudolph – Westgate Star Lottie – made 1150gns to Pam Coryn, Padstow.
Averages 15 cows in-milk £943, five dry cows £1068, 10 calved heifers £1236, 14 served heifers £778, two bulling heifers £514; 19 yearling heifers £523 and eight heifer calves £460. (Greenslade Taylor Hunt.) *