Four-figure Mawson bids bring back HF memories
Four-figure Mawson bids bring back HF memories
By Jeremy Hunt
HOLSTEIN buyers took a trip down memory lane last week with a return to four-figure bidding during a flying trade at the dispersal of the Mawson herd.
An average of £914 was achieved for 101 cows and five deals over 2000gns peaked at 2900gns.
Lincs vendor Fred Mawer and his sons John, Tom and Robert had moved their herd to the new dairy complex at Beeston Castle Auction, Cheshire, where a huge crowd competed vigorously for big, powerful cows, most due to calve in late summer and autumn.
Two herds snapped up the "over 2000gns" lots, with Bromstead Hill Farm, Newport, Shropshire, going the extra yard to give 2900gns for the fresh third calver Beechbarn BPC Erma 2nd. By Bushy-Park Chesapeake and out of the 13,177kg Shalama Starbuck Erma 3rd, she was giving 48kg after completing two lactations over 8000kg.
Peter Brand Farms, Sudbury, Suffolk, were the other main contenders in the top rank bidding and gave 2350gns for Erma 2nds yearling daughter Mawson Lee Erma, by Comestar Lee. And a January-born half-sister by Stookey Elm Park Redstar sold to John Mawer, Grantham, Lincs, at 1800gns.
Two outstanding brood cows by Astre Starbuck were added to the Bromstead Hill Farm consignment. Lansen Astre Moxy 2nd, a 13,000kg cow milking with her fourth, made 2300gns (her November-born calf by Jed made 1900gns to John Mawer) and the EX-93 Schenlea Starbuck Duanna, another 13,000kg milker, reached 2100gns.
Peter Brand Farms favoured more Beechbarn breeding for their Foxhole herd when the paid 2100gns for the second calver Beechbarn Astre Ivy, a sixth generation VG cow bred out of a milky Inspiration dam. Her yearling heifer by Storm went to John Silver, Cavendish, Suffolk, at 1900gns and two baby ET-bred heifer calves by Storm made 620gns and 600gns to Leics buyers A W & R M Stafford and A C Birkle, respectively.
Averages 101 cows £914, 12 served heifers £892, and 23 maiden heifers £624 (Wright-Manley).
lThere was more four-figure trading last week when 2000gns was paid at the dispersal of Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, dairy farmer Matthew Gunninghams Worlebury Holstein herd. An undisclosed West Country bidder secured Moet Dannix Debutante A (PIN +£58), a 10,000kg third calver. And among the other leading bids was 1600gns given for her calved heifer daughter by Dombinator. Buyers were local farmers D & P Mead and Co.
Averages 131 cows and calved heifers £768, 16 served heifers £589, 88 recently served heifers £405, and 29 heifer calves £260 (Norton and Brooksbank). *