An average of over £2,000 for calved heifers and a top of 3,600 guineas were the headlines at The Bristol dairy Sale this month with a strong commercial trade alongside the pedigree section. 29 buyers from 15 different counties attended with pleasing results for all grades of stock.

Richard Thomas from Carmarthenshire consigned two fine heifers with deep pedigrees and went home with an empty trailer and over £6,000 on the credit side. His Cramar SB Lulu Red PI, bred from 8 generations of the famous North American family, tracing back to A Tora Triple Threat Lulu EX-96 11* was fresh calved giving 28kg. Bred by Roger & Dianne Steeples, who topped the milking section at Bristol a fortnight earlier, Lulu returns to West Wales along with her herd mate Churchvale Rock Black Rose Red PI that made 2,300 guineas.

Messrs Amos from Hay-on-Wye selected some of the best heifers including Moundsmere Hatley Dahlia at 2,000 guineas. Consigned by Rhys Jones from Kidwelly, Dahlia had calved a fortnight previous and sold giving 33kg daily.

Commercial milking heifers topped at 1,820 guineas for a daughter of Culverness Wallace from David Walker, selling to regular supporter Andrew Alford from Abergavenny. Ed Newton from Malvern consigned a large group of commercial heifers following a decision to move to a ‘flying’ herd with served heifers reaching 1,600 gns for a Brown Swiss cross and yearlings up to 680 gns again for a Brown Swiss X.

Yattendon Estates from Reading, who are also moving to a ’flying’ herd consigned all their youngstock also which comprised some 150 commercial maiden heifers and calves. Mostly Swedish Red and Brown Swiss crosses several made 700gns to a top of 780gns for a Holstein bred yearling out of a 12,000 litre dam.

SUMMARY

PEDIGREE CATTLE

10 Calved Heifers avg. £2,025.45

1 Cow 892.50

1 Served Heifer 1,050.00

1 Bull 1,365.00

13 Head avg. £1,812.46

NON-PEDIGREE CATTLE

25 Cows & Calved Heifers avg. £ 1,466.64

30 Served Heifers avg. 948.15

61 Yearlings / Bulling Heifers avg. 635.33

123 Calves 11 -1 months old avg. 279.78

239 Head avg. £ 578.57

Auctioneers: NORTON & BROOKSBANK with GWILYM RICHARDS & Co