Farming Eye

Heifer Champion – Temptation

Taking the first championship of the day were Trevor and son Jonathan Lyon with their 564kg home bred Limousin cross heifer Temptation. This January-born heifer is by Rossignol and was first prize calf at Smithfield 2012, home bred champion at Newark last week and she will be heading to Hereford show tomorrow.

Judge Elfed Williams described his champion as having “good width behind carrying it right through, she is a very correct and well fleshed heifer carrying the correct amount of meat on the day”.

Reserve Heifer Champion – Black Beauty

Reserve went to Andrew Bishop with the 574kg British Blue heifer Black Beauty. This May-born heifer was bred by Price and Morgan, she is on her second outing having recently won first potential show calf at Somerset.

by Chrissie Long

Judge Elfed Williams judging his heifer classes

Winning the first Limousin heifer class this morning under judge Elfed Williams was Lin Pidsley’s Sapphire, this April 2012-born 440kg heifer came forward from the baby beef section on weight. Standing second was Gilbert Brooke with the 448kg Brutey, then in third were Richard and Judy Fountaine with 487kg Shot in the Dark.

Taking the red ticket in the heavy weight Limousin heifers was Trevor and Jonathan Lyon’s 564kg home bred heifer Temptation. Second to her was Andrew Bishop with the 674kg Miss Money Penny and third went to Tecwyn Jones with his 564kg Tequila.

Standing top in the British Blue class was Andrew Bishop with the 574kg Black Beauty, second to her were Phil and Sharon Sellars with the 522kg Miss Dior and third was Nicola Beardsley’s 474kg heifer Haveyouseenme.

The Charolais class went the way of Julie Sedgewick and Neil Slack with the 464kg heifer Sugar Lips. Standing second were the Alford family with the 668kg Off The Clock and third went to the Fountaine and Plested partnership’s 646kg Golden Eye.

Winning the any other continental class was Andrew Bishop with the Blonde sired 485kg heifer Sharon.

Following that was the class for a purchase from public auction by any sire to a maximum of £1250, this was won by J M and S M Rowlands with the 604kg British Blue heifer Star. Second to her was D Thomas with the 458kg Spice Girl and third were the Hardy family with their 368kg Domino.

by Chrissie Long

Silage season may have kicked off…finally, but Greenslade Taylor Hunt witnessed a flying trade for quality freshly calved cows and heifers with good pedigree’s at their May Collective Sale.

This trade resulted in a top price of 3100gns for Ruckhall Forbidden Peach, a freshly calved heifer by Double Trouble Forbidden and from eight generations of VG or Ex consigned by R J Goss and Son, Wiltshire. She was purchased by a commercial producer from Somerset.

At 3000gns was Sahara Holsteins’ Sahara Atwood Ambrosia 3rd from a show winning family. She joins the Symba herd of Robert Symms and family at Sherborne, Dorset.

At 2750gns was the 34kg a day Bettiscombe Bogart Delila from regular consigners Roland and Simon Bugler who sold to regular purchasers D W C and M A Brunt, Bridport.  Red-and-white heifers from Longmoor Farm Partners sold to 2150gns for Longmoor Royce Dimple Red, one of nine cows and heifers purchased by the Tamplin family who are starting a new herd in South Wales.

Cows sold to 2050gns for Bettiscombe Principle Lovely 39th a second calver giving 45kg daily, while organic heifers form P R and S A Manley’s dispersal sold to 1950gns for Primehill India 5th by Palmcrest Breakout. Meanwhile, in calf heifers from R J Willcox sold to 1420gns for Wortwell Bolivia Milly due June to an Aberdeen-Angus.

Holstein bulls from A J Bennett and Sons sold to 1450gns for the red and white Lilylane Artiface Red.

Averages: Holstein calved cows £1651.50; Holstein calved heifers £1983.63; Holstein bulls £1198.75; Holstein in calf/served heifers £1276.00; Holstein heifer calves £569.10.

by Chrissie Long

Yesterday’s Hereford National sale in Australia may have seen a larger than usual catalogue which had a slightly negative impact on the overall average, but the top-price still equaled last year’s $30,000 high.

The sale leader came in the form of the reserve grand champion Kaludah Daddy O G224, offered by M M and P J Shelley, Kaludah Herefords, Cooma, NSW, selling to Top End Herefords, Goulburn, NSW.

The 21-month old junior bull had a big eye muscle area scan of 135 centimetres squared and weighed 1038kg on sale day.

By Kaludah Tiger D883 and out of Kaludah Margaret, a Banemore North End daughter, the bull was the third Kaludah sire Top End Herefords have purchased at Wodonga in recent years.

The top-price Poll Hereford and intermediate bull was offered by P J and J E Hancock, Whim Park, Blayney, NSW and purchased by fellow NSW breeders Yavenvale Herefords, Adelong, at $28,000.

Whim Park General G037 was by Kidman Neutron and was 22-months old. Weighing 926kg, the bull had positive estimated breeding values for both rib and rump fat.

Mawarra Herefords, Longford, sold the horned bull Mawarra As Good As It Gets at $17,000, the top-price for a senior bull and the top-price for a Victorian vendor. This 1154kg bull is by the stud’s powerhouse bull Mawarra Vice Admiral.

And while stud buyers were present for a portion of the bulls, it was the commercial buyers market, with many high quality lots selling for between $3000 and $5000.

Some 58 of the 76 junior bulls offered sold to a top of $30,000 and averaged $5207, while 69 of the 80 intermediate bulls offered sold to a top of $28,000 and averaged $5732. The senior bulls saw 22 of the 33 bulls offered sell to a top of $17,000 and average $5182.

by Chrissie Long

The record breaking Auldhouseburn hoggs

Blackface breeders saw breed records smashed today at United Auctions, Stirling, when Hugh and Alan Blackwood, Auldhouseburn, sold a pen of six ewe hoggs for £1900 apiece. Buying these were Andrew and Ian Cullens, Dollarbank Farm, Dollar.

Following them at £820 were a pen of 20 from Ian Hunter, Dachirla, with these going to Ewen MacMillan, Lurg, Another Dachirla pen sold at £310 apiece when selling to Mr McAldowie, Northern Ireland.

Then at £290 was a pen from Mary McCall Smith, Connachan, with this pen selling to Archie Paterson, Hardridge Farm, Kilmacolm. And another Dachirla pen made £220 when heading to Mr McCrugian, with a £215 bid for another Dachirla pen made by Hunter Smith, Spittal of Glenshee.

by Jonathan Long

Judging has commenced here this evening in Malvern for this year’s Beef Expo with the native heifer championship going to a Welsh Black heifer from Huw Jones. Gwarcwm Meinir 25 is a 402kg pedigree heifer by Perthi Xavier. Standing second to her in the heifer class was Richard and Judy Fountaine’s Beef Shorthorn cross heifer The Butcher’s Lass. Third went to Kingsbrompton Daisy May, a pedigree Devon heifer from Colin Hutchings.

Champion in the native steer section went to Welsh Wizhard, a 552kg Beef Shorthorn cross steer from Arwell Jones, this son of Hinstock Timothy was first prize Baby Beef at Agri-Expo and reserve native at Smithfield 2012. Second to him was Phil and Sharon Sellers’ Hereford cross steer Call Me What U Like and in third was Richard and Judy Fountaine’s Aberdeen-Angus cross steer I’m All Ears.

by Chrissie Long

Trade for the best of the couples remains strong in the north of England, with Saturday’s sale at Gisburn peaking at £280 for a Texel ewe with twin lambs at foot from Jonathan Frankland, Rathmell.

Texel ewes with twin from P A Holliday, Dacre, Harrogate, then sold at £235 an outfit, while a strong entry from Anthony Thompson, Foulridge, Colne, sold to a high of £220 with Beltex Ewes suckling twins

In the day’s show and sale of hoggs with lambs at foot the championship and top price went to John Stapleton, Skipton, with his Texel hoggs with Beltex lambs at foot which sold at £225/outfit.

Meanwhile, E A Davies’s long journey from Abergele, Wales, was worthwhile when he received the second prize rosette for his Suffolk cross hoggs with strong Charollais lambs at foot which sold for £198.

Mule hoggs with lambs sold to a top of £196 for a pen from Raymond and Robert Johnson, Harrogate, with the first prize winning pen from Stuart Forshaw with Beltex cross lambs at foot making £190, while at £184 were a pen from Edward Berry, Skipton.

And at Skipton on Monday it was a pen of Texel hoggs with single lambs at foot from Shaun Richards, Hapton, Burnley, which led the trade at £245/outfit. Selling at £170/outfit were a pen of Texels with single lambs at foot from Simon Bennett, Silsden Moor.

by Jonathan Long

Last Friday’s sale of working dogs at Skipton saw a new world record set at 8800gns and a healthy trade despite a lack of farming buyers at the ringside.

The record breaker, Bob a 15 month old black and white dog which was purchased by Howden, Selby-based John Bell at Skipton last year as a 13 week old pup for 300gns. Bred by Broughshane, Ballymena-based Ivan Stevenson, Bob was knocked down on Friday to an undisclosed telephone buyer and it is understood he now heads to the USA.

John Bell’s 8800gns record breaker Bob

Second best of the day was a bid of 3500gns for Nan, a three year old smooth coated black and white bitch from former world record holder Shaun Richards. This one was bred by Peter Blain, Bala and is by Gel out of Nell.

Already placed in open trials and with national points under her belt, Nan sold locally to Stephen and Tracey Fawcett, of Fold House Farm, Drebley, Barden, for use at home by the couple’s 23-year-old twins Samantha and Ben.

Following that at 2950gns was Fly, a ten-month-old black and white bitch with trial potential from Northern Ireland’s William Torrens, Castlederg, Belfast. By his own Ben, out of Kim, the quality young dog found a new home on the east coast of England with beef and sheep hill farmer Edmund Nicholson, Briscoe Farm, Whitby. Fly will be used solely as a work dog.

by Jonathan Long

Top Price £4400 from J McAlister, West Thomaston

Breeding cattle met a ready demand at Caledonian Marts today, with heifers with calves at foot well bid for and a Limousin cross heifer with a Limousin heifer calf at foot selling for the day’s top call of £4400.

The heifer, consigned by J McAlister, West Thomaston, Banknock, had earlier stood third in the pre-sale show and was knocked down to Brian Harper, Falkirk.  Calf is by the Limousin bull Easegillhead Exterminator.

£3900 from J McAlister, West Thomaston

Second best of the day was a £3900 bid for another Limousin cross heifer. This one, from the same home, had a Limousin cross bull calf at foot also by Easegillhead Exterminator and sold to I Michie, Ballechin Farms. And at £3800 was another from Messrs McAlister, this time a British Blue cross heifer with a heifer calf at foot.

Selling at £3600 was a Limousin cross heifer with heifer calf at foot from Craig Malone, Pitcairn. A number then sold at £3200, including the day’s reserve champion a Limousin cross heifer with Limousin cross heifer Calf at foot also from West Thomaston. This outfit sold to the judge James Thomson, Hilton of Beath Farm, Kelty.

Mid Cambushinnie – 4000gns

A select offering of bulls saw 16 sold to a top call of 4000gns for a Charolais from Murray Lyle, with this one heading to Orkney with Liam Muir. Second best at 3000gns was a Limousin from Archie and John MacGregor, Allanfauld, with another Limousin, this time the champion from the Dick family’s Ronick herd, selling at £2900.

Averages; 62 heifers with calves at foot £2222.59, 18 cows with calves at foot £1104.71, 51 bulling heifers £913.88 (Caledonian Marts).

by Jonathan Long

Top price at Gisburn Auction’s dairy show and sale was £2500 for the pre-sale champion from Jeremy Taylor, Broughton. This fresh calved heifer by Picston Shottle carries two generations of excellent dams and sold giving 32 litres a day to the judge, John Hartley, Bashall Eaves, Clitheroe.

Following that at £2300 was another fresh heifer from Mr Taylor, this one a Fortland Rice daughter. She sold to N and K Forshaw for their Longridge pedigree herd.

Next was from Colin Singleton, Goosnargh, Preston, with a Schilldale Outbound heifer, giving 38 litres a day and was purchased by Brian Blezard, Ribchester, Preston.

A total of 10 dairy cattle achieved prices of £2000, they included Ben Hardcastle and Sons at £2150; Trevor and Clive Robinson, Tosside, Skipton, at £2100.

Trade for second quality heifers was more cautious due to the late turnout.

Averages: fresh heifers £1931; fresh cows £1895 (Auctioneers: Richard Turner and Sons)

by Chrissie Long