The first sale to disperse the Terling Herd of Pedigree Holstein cattle, the property of Lord Rayleighs Farms Ltd, Terling Hall, Chelmsford, Essex, one of the oldest herds of black and whites in the UK today, whose history can be traced back some 130 years, certainly drew in the buyers from all over the UK when the entire milking portion, entire crop of in-calf heifers and all heifer calves born since December were dispersed at Beeston Castle Auction, Cheshire on Tuesday, 24th April.

Although the herd has a quite illustrious history so far as breeding and showing is concerned, the emphasis in the last ten years or so has been totally focussed on commercial milk production concentrating more on milk in the tank rather than classification and the need to show. And it was those commercial buyers that dominated proceedings travelling for all over the UK to secure these milky cattle; buyers were present from Ayrshire in the north to Truro, Cornwall in the south as well as most counties in South West Scotland, Wales, Yorkshire, the North West, Midlands, East Anglia and Devon and Cornwall.

Trade was tremendously good for all commodities throughout the sale from start to finish; there were no big prices, which was expected, but a very level and consistent trade. There were 35 animals that achieved a selling price of 2000 guineas or more reaching a top of 2450 gns. The top seller was Terling Bonna Jean 58th, a January calved heifer by Baxter sold giving 40 kg daily. She joins the local commercial herd of C A Vaughan & Sons at Burland, Nr. Nantwich and was one of ten heifers purchased by them.

Two other milkers sold for 2150 gns each; the first was the February calved second calver, Terling Total Eclipse 773^rd (GP81-2yr), a daughter of Far-O-La Devoted sold giving 53 kg daily to TG & DM Watchorn Ltd of Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire and the other was the July ’11 calved heifer Terliong Leilani 38th, a daughter of Paradise-DND Suede due again in June to Hornland Jayz purchased by DJ Harrison of Wigton, Cumbria.

The in-calf heifers were particularly good and as a whole looked particularly promising. They sold to a top of 2150 gns for Terling Leilani 43rd, a daughter of Gillette Capital due in June to the stock bull Curtismill Halo. She returns to East Anglia being purchased by the Airfield Herd of Robert Paterson at East Dereham, Norfolk.

Another June calver, Terling Quickstep 6th, also by Gillette Capital, sold for 2100 gns and was one of ten heifers purchased by commercial milk producers G A Hargreaves & Son of Cresswell, Stoke-on-Trent. At the same money was the July calving Schilldale Outbound daughter, Terling Sietske 852nd, purchased by A Thom & Son of Maybole Ayrshire.

Heifer calves were a very fast trade considering all were below five months of age. The top price was 800 gns which was achieved on five separate occasions all going to heifer rearers in either Cheshire, Cumbria or Lancashire.

There were twelve different buyers who purchased ten or more animals but the largest volume buyer was Cambridge University

Farms who purchased a total of 34 head.

TOP PRICES: GNS

AVERAGES:

228 Cows and Milking Heifers £1603.13 (including 44 heifer calves at £594.44); 79 In-calf Heifers £1661.79; 12 Served Heifers

£1429.75. 319 LOTS £1611.14

WRIGHT MANLEY of Beeston Castle Auction, Cheshire were the Auctioneers.