Farming Eye

Yesterday’s Summer collective dairy sale at Sedgemoor saw trade peak at 2450gns for Bettiscombe Toystory Lena from Simon and Roger Bulger. Calved at the beginning of the month and giving 34kg a day she sold to the Gazzard family, Gloucestershire.

Freshly calved cows sold to a top of 2400gns for first time consigners Tarver Park Farms, Worcester, with their Trioak Talent Piano, a second calver who had given 9000kg as a heifer.

Then at 2350gns was heifer Ebble Tennyson Erica from Kevin and Yvonne Follett who sold their milking herd in April and are dispersing their heifers as they calve. And three heifers from C F J and J A Bishop’s Curscombe herd sold for 2300gns twice and 2200gns.

Following that at 2250gns was Bettiscombe Dictator Pinkie from the Bulgers and also at this money was another from the same home, Bettiscombe Dictator Delia 2. Both these are second calvers.

Another at the same price was a December calved second lactation Jordan cow from the herd dispersal of John Rook, Portsmouth. Their in-calf heifers met an exceptional trade with a Shottle daughter due in August to Focus selling for 1900gns with an Autumn Ridge Matson daughter at 1820gns.

Averages; calved cows £2066.75, one bull £1785, 3 pedigree in-calf heifers £1708, 39 commercial in-calf and served heifers £1448, nine pedigree 10 month and younger heifers £710.50. John Rook dispersal, 108 cows £1276, 34 in-calf heifers £1602, 44 yearling and younger heifers £777 (Greenslade Taylor Hunt).

by Jonathan Long

Setting the pace at yesterday’s Craven Dairy Auction, Skipton, was the day’s reserve champion, a fresh calved Holstein heifer from Robin Jennings, South Stainley.

Robin Jennings’ runner-up, another pedigree from his respected Stainbank dairy holding by Lutz-Brookview Burt, and giving 28 litres, that sold for the day’s top call of £2220 to a relatively new dairy buyer, Wilmot Blockley, Tarvin, Chester, who is better known at the North Yorkshire venue as a purchaser of store lambs.

Selling at the second best price of the day was a fresh calved cow from Peter Sharp, Oakworth, when she was acquired at £2,210 by ringside regular Wick Williams, Nantwich, Cheshire,

And third top was a fresh calved heifer from father and son Raymond and Robert Johnson Felliscliffe, Harrogate. This one traded a t £2200 to Paul Bolland, of Airton.

Robin Jennings’ cousin, Simon Jennings took the day’s championship and fourth top price with his fresh calved cow from his Abbeyhouse herd. A daughter of the Canadian-bred sire, Wilcoxview Jasper, she sold giving 38 litres and made £2180 when knocked down to show judge Aubrey Greenhalgh, Preston.

Multiple champions Malcolm and Robert Swires, Haverah Park, Beckwithshaw, again sent out two rosette winners, the second prize newly calven heifer and the third prize newly calven cow. Both found pastures new in the north-east with J W and D W Craggs, Yarm, the former at £2120, the latter at £1920.

The first prize in-calf heifer from Alan Simpson, of Oulston, Easingwold, made £1830 when becoming a further Wick Williams acquisition, while Robert Metcalfe, Brearton, Otley, sold three 17 and 18-month-old maiden heifers to a high £1050. All fell to Malcolm and Robert Swires.

Averages; fresh calved heifers £1832, fresh calved cows £1805, in-calf heifers £1608, maiden heifers £1033 (Craven Cattle Marts).

by Jonathan Long

The dispersal of John and Heather Snook’s herd of Holsteins on Tuesday saw trade peak at 2120gns twice for calved heifers.

First at this money was Westontown Dieuwke 744, a Hawksmar Iranus daughter that had calved in May. The other at this price was a ay calved commercial heifer.

A spring calved British Friesian heifer by Cogent Matisse sold for 2100gns and then at 2020gns was Shermans Revolution Wendy 347, a Shottle granddaughter. Making 1920gns was a third lactation commercial cow.

Leading the in-calf heifers was a Vortex Persuauian daughter due in July to an Aberdeen-Angus sire at 1650gns. And a brace of Brown Swiss heifers by Sunmade Vigar and due in August sold for 1620gns.

Averages; 175 calved cows and heifers £1433, 23 calved heifers £1795, 48 in-calf heifers £1507, three bulls £1855 (Greenslade Taylor Hunt).

by Jonathan Long

Friday’s first sale to disperse Messrs Williamson’s Holstein and Brown Swiss herds, took place at Beeston Castle Auction and resulted in a top call of £3000 for the last lot in the ring, an uregistered two and half year old Brown Swiss stock bull which sold to R E Studley, Farndon.

In-milk heifers sold to £1880 for a January calved Holstein heifer sold giving 30kg daily to Charles Sherwin, Middlewich.

The next highest price was £1780 for a pedigree milking heifer bred in the Budworth herd. She calved last September and was back in‐calf again to Shottle for the autumn and sold to Rob Swain, Market Drayton.

The top price Swiss was £1520 for a February calved heifer selling to Messr Roycroft, Market Drayton. In‐calf heifers sold to £1700 for a Holstein selling to J A and M H Wright, Sandbach, and recently served heifers made up to £960 for a Swiss.

Averages; 67 cows and milking heifers £1142.39; 13 served heifers £1001.54; one bull £3000 (Wright Manley).

by Jonathan Long

A crowd of more than 200 were ringside at Exeter last week for the dispersal of the Hemburyfort herd of classified Holsteins for Derek and Jean Pyle, which saw the Bolton-sired freshly calved heifer Hemburyfort Satin 2nd sell for the top price of 4400gns to the Hussell family for their Perrins herd in Devon.

The heifer is out of the Ex90 Satin and goes back to the Ex93 Beneknowle Blackjack Satin. The same purchasers secured the top priced in calf heifer, Hemburyfort Ricki 2nd at 3200gns. She is by Buckeye and is out of the LittlebredyRicki family going back to Calbrett.

Shottle daughters were also inhot demand with the third calver Hemburyfort Demifrits 214th selling for 3200gns to Roger Morse for his Crowindale herd, Wales. She sold giving 47.4kg a day, while another Shottle daughter, this time, Hemburyfort Ermyntrude 37th went at 3000gns to a Carmarthenshire-based dairy farmer establishing a new herd.

Of the calves included in the sale, a September 2011-born Gerard bull calf out of an Ex91 Goldwyn daughter created considerable interest and sold for 1000gns to S E Voysey and Son, Axminster.

by Chrissie Long

A joint top price of 2450gns and an overall average of £1692 for 130 head traded were the highlights of yesterday’s Border and Lakeland Dairy sale at Carlisle.

The first heifer to sell for 2450gns was Stowbeck Baroque Lillibet consigned by Skirwith Hall Farms.  She is a powerful daughter of Magor Baroque Allen and was purchased by N and S J Sanderson, Burtholme Farm, Brampton.

Also selling for 2450gns was another super heifer, this time consigned by N G Scott, Millbuie Farm, Aberdeen.  She is sired by a homebred Roy son from the Margot family and out of a Bambam dam.  Buying this one were J Forrest and Son, Meinfoot, Lockerbie.

Then selling at 2200gns was the first lot in the ring, Wickerslack Design Mayotte from Messrs Kindleysides. This Regancrest Design daughter is out of Wickerslack Dynasty Mayotte and sold to Messrs Sanderson.

Making the same money was Boclair Matson Lady May 4 from Messrs Brewster. Sired by Autumn Ridge Matson she is out of Boclair Merchant Mady May 3 and was snapped up by W Moffat and Co.

Messrs Sanderson were then back in action paying 2150gns for Stowbeck Design Lillibet, another Design daughter.

Averages; two cows £2005.50, 39 in-milk heifers £1791.73, eight in-calf heifers from Messrs Fiddler £1463.44, 35 in-calf heifers from Carden Livestock Co £1467.60 (Harrison and Hetherington).

by Jonathan Long

Yesterday’s Holstein UK Genetic Elite sale at Bristol resulted in a top price of 15,000gns being paid for Crystalclear MH Christmas Snow, an ET bred daughter of Flevo Genetics Snowman and the first daughter of this sire to be sold in the UK.

Christmas Snow is out of Lacrest Chessa, a Lylehaven Lightning daughter which is maternal sister to the $82,000 Lacrest Case and $62,000 Lacrest Cinergy. This November-born heifer sold with the highest genomic index in the catalogue at 2240 and was knocked down to Peter Horrells, Longthorpe.

Following that at 8200gns was a choice of two leading heifer calves from the BB herd of Messrs Baker. This was a choice of two Observer sisters, with the eventual buyer, the Devon-based Pyne family opting for BB Alexander Georgia 2. Sired by Golden-Oaks St Alexander she is ET bred out of De-Su Oman 6121, an O-Bee Mafred Justice daughter.

Next up at 8000gns was Wiltor Atwood Sharon, a December-born heifer calf. Bred from the same family as Shottle she is by Maple-Downs-I G W Atwood and out of Washfold Bolton Sharon, a Bolton daughter. Bred from nine generations of Ex or VG dams she is maternal sister to E22,000 Wiltor Observer Sugar and heads to Northern Ireland with Messrs McAufield.

And making 6500gns was Sterndale Palermo Ashlyn from Bill Nadin. This Glenn-Ann Palermo daughter is out of Smiddiehill Durm Ashlyn, a Regancrest Elton Durham daughter and carries a stack of show winners in her pedigree. Buying her were Messrs Willsbro, Cornwall.

Selling for 6000gns was Blythbridge Secure Red Pledge, the first Red Pledge born in Europe. She is by Crackholm Secure Red and out of 14,000gns dam Ridgefield Added Pledge, a KHW Kite Advent REd daughter. Bred from five generations of VG or Ex dams her dam is maternal sister to 50,000gns Smiddiehill Goldwyn Pledge.

The final lot at 5000gns or more was Bilsrow Jeeves Maria when she went at 5400gns. This Ked Outside Jeeves daughter is out of Smiddiehill Shottle Marie, a Shottle daughter bought for 11,000gns at the Smiddiehill dispersal.

by Jonathan Long

Tuesday’s dispersal of Montbeliarde and MRI crossbred dairy cattle from the Lodger family, Chard, Somerset, saw buyers travel from the South of England and Wales to Sedgemoor to witness 22 lots sell for more than £2000 and a top price of 2350gns on four occasions for autumn calved Montbeliarde x heifers by Pernan, Redan and Micmac.

The highest priced cow of the day was the September second calver by Pernan which sold at 2020gns. Lordswood Farms, who provided the foundation stock for the herd and who bred the widely used bull Lordswood Bispo, purchased a daughter for 2150 gns.

Incalf heifers due September to a Bazadaise sold to 2000gns and 1980gns for Triomphe and Tricastin daughters, while bulling heifers by Redan, Triomphe and LordswoodBispo, sold to 1000gns with yearlings reaching 780 gns.

The six year old pedigree British Blue stock bull Ridge Dean Buster sold for 2250gns.

by Chrissie Long

Last Friday’s dispersal of Dave and Sue Gray’s Holstein herd at Beeston saw prices peak at £2500 for Stardale Tiergan Gala, a Ballycairn Tiergan daughter. This second calver, due again in September, is bred from eight generations of Ex and VG dams and sold to F Wilkinson and Sons, Chelford.

The all year-round calving herd averages just shy of 11,000kg, with all cows bought in as heifers, mostly at the Western Club Sales and Mid Month Sales at Beeston.

Four then sold for £2050, with the first being the fresh third calver, Alandrew Lheros Mab. Sold giving 44kg  a day. The second at this money was Wheatleys Kershawe Verona who calved her third in February. Both these cows were purchased by Bradleys Farms, Preesall, Blackpool.

Another Wheatleys third calver by the same sire sold giving 47kg a day to Charles Sherwin, Middlewich,  and the final animal at this price was Wigland Shottle Amber, who calved her second in December and was sold giving 47kg to Adrian Owen, Ash, Whitchurch.

The fresh second calver Ketteringham Gabe Zwartence was the only other animal to break the £2000 target selling at the level money to Garnett Farms, Knutsford.

Average; 72 cows and milking heifers £1339.86 (Wright Manley).

by Jonathan Long

The Senterprise pedigree Holstein herd of Mark Houseman won its first Craven Dairy Auction championship at the opening June show and sale at Skipton Auction Mart yesterday and took top price honours too at £2320.

Mr Houseman, who trades as Church Farm Enterprises at Burton Leonard, secured the title with his first prize fresh calved heifer, which had calved 16 days prior to the show and was giving a seven-day average of 35 litres.

His inaugural Skipton victor sold to judge and regular Skipton buyer Wick Williams, Nantwich, Cheshire, who also paid £1910 for the reserve champion, the second prize fresh calved heifer from Alan Throup, Silsden Moor.

The third prize fresh calved heifer from J Wellock, Oakworth, sold for £1800 to Frank Wrathall, Gisburn, while a consignment of in-calf Dairy Shorthorn x British Friesian heifers from Calderdale’s John Hitchen, Ludendenfoot, sold to a high of £1550 to average £1370.

by Jonathan Long