Wednesday 6th October 2010
The difficulties confronting many dairy farmers not only brought about the entire dispersal of Messrs Ackerley’s “Miltonmains” herd of pedigree Holsteins but also made the trade selective.
This very sensible herd of homebred cattle, combining longevity, sound type and production, mostly bred using carefully selected stock sires from local leading herds, came under the hammer at Borderway Mart, on Wednesday 6th October.
The older cows, as has been the trend recently were not easy to sell but correct, low cell count seventh calvers were up to 1000gns.
The young cows and milking heifers of which there were thirty or so attracted much more interested, even so they looked good value, particularly those calved in the spring, and safely back in calf.
Top price of 2050gns bid by Newhouse Farms Ltd, Dumfries was for a very classy second lactation cow by Dixie Lee Aaron from the Wendy family with a striking early August calved heifer by the stock sire Ansa Phil making next highest price of 1920gns.
The youngstock, all by stock sires sold well to keen competition from both sides of the border, although the February/March calving heifers looked to be excellent value.
Lot Gns Purchaser
74 2050 Newhouse Farms Ltd, Newhouse Farm, Stepford Road, Dumfries
112 1920 Newhouse Farms Ltd, Newhouse Farm, Stepford Road, Dumfries
103 1800 H&EM Hunter & Son, Berrier Head, Berrier, Penrith
104 1700 Newhouse Farms Ltd, Newhouse Farm, Stepford Road, Dumfries
81 1600 H&EM Hunter & Son, Berrier Head, Berrier, Penrith
102 1500 R&A Slack (Cockley Bank) Ltd, Cockley Bank, Heads Nook
117 1500 RD Walmsley, Beechwood Farm, Cockerham, Lancaster
Average
99 Cows in Milk = £919.55
22 Heifers in Milk = £974.59
37 Bulling & Maiden Heifers = £633.41
17 Heifer Calves = £431.12
