Farming Eye

Leading the way at today’s sale of show calves in Carlisle at £3900 was a May-born Limousin heifer consigned by Messrs J Lee and Son, Agars Hill Farm.

Then selling for £3800 was the second prize British Blue heifer from Andrew Harrison, which sold to Messrs Preece. Meanwhile, yesterday evening’s pre-sale show champion, a Limousin cross steer from John Smith-Jackson went for £3600.

Supreme champion and top price at £3600

Also selling for that price was Neil Marston’s first prize heifer, a Bluegrass Cyclone, for £3600. Then the reserve champion heifer, a Limousin cross from Messrs Harrison, Grange Hall, sold for £3000. Meanwhile the heifer champion and reserve overall from the Marston family again sold for £2700. This one is again by the British Blue Bluegrass Cyclone.

Reserve supreme champion

The Powley family, Green Marsh, then sold their reserve steer champion, a Limousin cross,  for £1700.

Buyers details and more trade news to follow….

by Chrissie Long

Greenslade Taylor Hunt’s Lady Day Collective Sale at Sedgemoor saw 48 different buyers from Cornwall to West Wales in action with the sale enhanced by Tim and Mandy Reed’s Culverhayes reduction sale of 60 cows and heifers plus heifer calves

And it was from this herd that the 3000gns sale leader came from in the form of Culverhayes Lennon Odyssey VG85-2yr. Out of an Ex 93 Drake daughter that traces back to the renowned Odyssey Chief Mark Ina (VG89), she sold to Messers Hussel, Cornwall, for their Perrins herd. They also picked up Dictator Odyssey at the same price, while another Odyssey also reached the 3000gns mark selling to a well known Somerset herd.

Culverhayes Talent Amanda (VG85-2yr) out of a show cow sold for 3000gns to Mr Reed at Cullompton, while her EX92 full sister sold to 2500gns.  A solid good heifer calf trade saw a top of 560gns for Culverhayes Greg Ivy with others trading at 550gns and 520gns twice.

Once again in the fresh milk section, the best quality sold to great demand with heifer from Terry Cox’s Holmead herd from Dorset selling to 2500gns. She is out of Wiltor Outside Tessie Ex94 and sold to the Andrews Family from Beneknowle. Other heifers sold to 2400gns for Hemburyfort Quickstep from Derek Pyle, Exeter, while R E and H E Bugler sold to 2200gns twice. Other vendors who exceeded the 2000gns mark were C R J and J A Bishop, D C Dennis and Son, R K and S G Miller and Son, G Morgan and J C Palmer.

Cows topped at 2420gns for D C Dennis and Sons’ third calver Dinnaton Bona Breakout Eclipse, which travelled into West Wales. Others to exceed £2000 were from M J and J R Monckton.

In-calf heifers from Lulworth Castle Farms topped at 1480gns for Poynings Baxter Topsy. The youngstock trade was equally strong with bulling heifers from Lillyane selling to 1120gns for Lillylane Buster Erty 37th and nine month old heifers selling to 820gns from M J and M D Day’s Cornish Cloverfields herd twice for Alta Rush and Alta Gratis sired heifers.

The Top priced bull on the day was the 2050gns Cloverfields Aruduolf Cornish Mouse Red, a red and white bred in Cornwall by Michael Day and purchased by a Cornish breeder.

by Chrissie Long

The Jalex Production Sale held at Ballymena Mart on behalf of Nelson and James Alexander, Randalstown, saw a demand from producers across the country as well as interest from across the water.

Sale leader at £3500 was the Simmental bull Glenoak Charlie. This three year old bull was purchased by Victor Wilson, Derrylin.

Trade topped at £2600 for heifers on two occasions, the first of which was for a well made red heifer in calf to a Simmental bull. She sold to Matt and Robert Workman, Kilwaughter.

Nigel Matchett, Portadown, then went to £2600 to secure the best of the freshly calved heifers with this outfit selling with a week old Simmental heifer calf at foot.

In-calf heifers were eagerly bid for and met a total clearance with Andrew Ewing, Annan, snapping up 25 of these on behalf of two farmers based in the south of England. A number of top end heifers were also purchased by Alistair Ward, Cumbria. Maiden heifers topped at £1750 paid for a number of lots.

by Chrissie Long

Described by judge Edward Griffiths as one of the best cows he’d ever had the pleasure of judging, the third calver Hilltara Zenith Echo from Sam and John McCormick’s noted 250-cow Hilltara herd based at Bangor, County Down, clinched the supreme overall and exhibitor-bred championship, at the 2013 Irish National Holstein Show, held at Moira.

Hilltara Zenith Echo

“She is an outstanding strong, well balanced cow with a fabulous udder. Exactly the type of cow that we all aspire to breed and milk,” said Mr Griffiths who runs the 150-cow Coachgate Herd at Penistone near Sheffield.

To read more from this show click the read more button below……….

by Chrissie Long

Trade peaked at 5000gns for Simmentals in Dungannon with bulls achieving a 78% clearance and 18 lots averaging £3045 – an increase of £179 on the same period last year.

Sale leader at 5000gns Kilbride Farm Doagh

Sale leader at 5000gns was the first prize Kilbride Farm Doagh, brought out by Billy Robson and sons Michael and Norman, Ballyclare, County Antrim. This 14 month-old entry is by the home-bred Kilbride Farm Newry son, Kilbride Farm Warren and is out of a dam by the 15,000gns Cairnview Snazzy. Carrying a terminal sire index of +68, a self replacing index of +77 and a top 5% eye muscle area of +4.4, the highest bidder was Norman Wilson from Templepatrick, County Antrim.

Next best at 4600gns was the day’s reserve male champion Hiltonstown Cyclone, a September 2011-born entry from the 35-cow herd of Robert Rodgers and son Richard, Portglenone, County Antrim. Sired by the herd’s stock bull Auroch Amos – purchased at Roscommon in November 2010 for €4000 – he is out of the Ballinlare Farm Rival daughter, Innerwick Valentine – bought privately from Scottish breeder Dorothy Moffat. He is in the breed’s top 15% for calving ease +3.4, has an eye muscle area of +4.4, a terminal sire index of +92 and a self replacing index of +98. Buyer was J Torrens from Garvagh, County Londonderry.

Breaghey Charlie, 4200gns

To see the rest of the trade news click read more below………….

by Chrissie Long

The last run of bulls are now being sold at Roscrea with Greenhill Harry (lot 151) going for €7000. This January 2012-born On-Dit son from John Greene is out of the Impatient daughter Natte and carries five star ratings for maternal and terminal indexes.

Next up was Elite Happy (lot 157) from Edward Tynan. Selling for €5000, this ET-bred Ampertaine Commander son is out of the Renard daughter Vorace. He is half brother to the 2011 National Limousin champion Ardlea Electra.

The next bull in the ring Roundhill Herdplus (lot 158) from Tim Corridan has traded at €4100. This Acajou son is out of the former Tullamore junior champion Roundhill Egiroflee, an ET-bred daughter by Mas Du Clo. He carries a four starrating for maternal index.  His full ET brother, Roundhill Hamlet (lot 160) then traded at €3900.

John and Stephen Lynch then sold Ballinascraw Hercules (lot 161) for €4000. By Wilodge Cerberus, he is out of a Hawk daughter, Ballinascraw Precious and carries five star indexes for both maternal and terminal and he’s int he top 1% for muscle in the breed.

Then wrapping up proceedings having failed to meet his reserve earlier in the day, the junior champion Ardglasson Highlander from Fiona Gilsenan, has sold to the judge Dougie McBeath for €8000. This Fieldson Alfy son is out of Ardglasson Daisy, a Pelletstown Newman daughter and carries five star ratings for both maternal and terminal traits.

Overall average for the sale was a healthy €4162, with a 76% clearance and 40 bulls selling at €4000 or more.

by Chrissie Long

The Lukeroyal herd of British Blues owned by Mel and Diane Lucas, Antrim, Northern Ireland, have recently sold an all white British Blue bull, Lukeroyal Ghost to AI Services at Ballycraigy, Co Antrim, in a private deal.

Lukeroyal Ghost sold privately to AI Services, NI

Described by Mel Lucas, he is an extremely well balanced bull with a lot of style, exceptinal growth and weight gain and recorded 550kg at 10 months old.  “This bull always stood out and has a great pedigree on both sides.  His sire is the noted MountJoy Utopia and his dam is Lukeroyal Tulip, whose full sister Lukeroyal Tara picked up the supreme and overall championship at the Carlisle British Blue pedigree sale in May 2006 in a show of almost 300 British Blues”.

by Chrissie Long

Here’s a picture gallery from the weekend’s impressive display of pedigree dairy cattle at Borderway Dairy Expo.

As ever, pictures are available from MacGregor Photography.

by Chrissie Long

Today’s show of Simmental cattle in Roscommon has seen Michael Barlow tap out Garrett and Lyndsey Behan’s Jennalyn Charlie Rose as the overall senior champion. Winner of the first class of bulls, this one is by the herd’s senior sire Banwy T-Rex out of Jennalyn Tara-Rose.

The reserve senior honours went to the second place bull from this class Tulla Classic from Denis O’Halloran. This Kilbride Farm Newry son out of Tulla Vanessa, a Ballyduff Jeweller daughter.

In the junior section top spot went to Coolatinny Dell Boy from Noel Forde. By Curaheen Tyson this one is out of Lisnacran Themlma, a Hurtig daughter. Reserve here was the second prize from the same class Barnattin Dinny 2 from Derek Costello. By Kilbride Farm Newry, this one is out of the Seepa Teejay daughter Barnattin Amanda.

In the female classes top spot went to Mark neenan with Fearna Countess Jubilee, a Hillcrest Jerome daughter out of the Milton Lord-Tiffany daughter Fearna Tiffany. Reserve to her was Garrett and Lyndsey Behan’s Clonagh Diamond Eyes, again by Banwy T-Rex this time out of Milton Senhorita.

by Chrissie Long

Having taken the overall Holstein championship earlier today, the January 2006-born Lavenham Adeen owned in the three-way partnership of the Riverdane, Carldanton and Holmland herds has gone one better by scooping the overall title here. Having originally been purchased privately from Strutt and Parker Farms is currently giving 50 litres a day having calved her third in November and took the overall Holstein title at AgriScot in November.

Mark Nutsford and Lavenham Adeen

by Chrissie Long