The first suckled calf sales of the season have seen a strong trade, with buyers seemingly not put off by fears of a long winter or high feed costs.
Harrison and Hetherington report an entry of 722 forward at Lockerbie on Tuesday and trade peaking at £1140 for the day’s pre-sale champio, a Limousin sired heifer from S M Wharton, Snade.
Other leading prices included a Limousin steer from Purdomstone at £1050, with another of the same breed at £1035 from Westlanegate.
Aberdeen-Angus sired bullocks topped at £1020 twice for steers from Carrutherstown, with Charolais selling to £960/head from Barnglieshead.
In the heifers the next best price after the champion was a brace of £1000 bids for Limousin heifers again from Messrs Wharton. Blue cross heifers sold to £870 twice for Glenzierfoot and Charolais peaked at £825 for Westlangate.
And at Skipton yesterday trade was equally forceful, with the suckled calf averages rising by £49.23 on last year, with the 260 suckled calves levelling at £737.45.
Leading the trade here was a British Blue sired bull calf from Kath Saffrey, Halton West, which sold at £1220.
And Blue genetics were to the fore in the judging too, with the day’s pre-sale champion being a British Blue sired heifer from Robert Wade, Cononley, which sold to Matt and Ben Townsend, Laneshawbridge, at £1040.
Meanwhile, at Bakewell last Friday trade pushed ahead on last year, with the 972 calves in offer in the High Peak Livestock Society’s sale strongly in demand from a keen ringside.
Any fears over high feed and forage costs were dismissed with the steer average rising by some £154 on last year to level at £840, while the heifer prices rose by £102 to settle at £652.
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