Dairy cattle sold to £2,220 and seven heifers topped the £2,000 mark in Gisburn Auction Marts’ ‘Dugdale’ Christmas show and sale.

 

Cheshire judge Wick Williams tapped out a heifer from James and Anne Rogersons’ 360-strong, pedigree Avenham herd at Singleton, Poulton-le-Fylde, as his champion, which went on to sell at £2,120 to N.W. and J.M. Coulthurst, Goosnargh.

The Welcome Armitage Pesky sired Avenham Pesky Rolls 3 was one month calved and on 34 litres daily.

 

The reserve champion was a non-pedigree heifer from T. and C. Robinson, Tosside. Just eight days calved and giving 26 litres, it had been bred in York but bought out of Gisburn by Messrs Robinson as a bulling heifer. The heifer went to the judge at £2,040.

 

In a sale which drew an entry of 68 milkers and where auctioneer Fred Spurgeon felt there were clear signs of gradually increasing confidence in the dairy sector, bidding peaked at £2,220 for a heifer from Jeremy Taylor, Broughton, Skipton. The buyer was Brian Blezard, Ribchester, Preston, who also paid £2,100 for another from the same home.

 

Samlesbury, Preston vendors G. and M.A. Smith had a run of five heifers from £2,100 to £1,880 and selling to three buyers, W.E. and O. Blockley, Tarvin; Messrs Coulthurst, and David Walmsley, Downham.

 

While the heifer trade was strong, Mr Spurgeon said newly calved cows were “exceptional”. Frankland Farms . Rathmell sold two second calvers at £1,800 apiece and the first prize cow from George Whitwell, Austwick, made £1,780.

 

In-calf heifers were in very short supply and reached £1,300 for an entry from Michael Tomlinson, Salwick, Preston, which sold to John Hough, Stonyhurst, Clitheroe.

 

Averages: Pedigree newly calved heifers £1,621, cows £1,800; commercial newly calved heifers £1,451, cows £1,546; in-calf heifers £1,200; pedigree heifer calves £510, non-pedigree £322.

 

Auctioneers: Richard Turner and Son.