MID MONTH SEES PRICES TO RISE TO £2650 FLYING TRADE - 56 HEAD OVER £2000

The opening Mid Month Sale for 2014 witnessed a flying trade for all classes in the milking sections of the sale. A huge crowd was in attendance and the trade was flying from start to finish.

MILKERS:

The quality presented for sale was exceptionally good throughout with not many bottom enders forward amongst the heifers. Cows were the opposite with the majority being medium quality and not so many top of the range individuals present. Despite the variations trade was tremendous from start to finish with plenty of bidding throughout which resulted once again in a total clearance.

Although this was the smallest entry received for sometime, the sale still provides the largest choice

anywhere in the country of fresh calved cattle and is renowned for its quality. There was also a higher than usual proportion of animals not forward for one reason or another. Some 56 cattle sold for in excess of £2000 to a top of £2650 which included 22 over £2300.

The top seller was a stunning red and white heifer consigned by David Bramall of Minshull Vernon,

Middlewich and bred in the Aintree Herd; the heifer Aintree Soccer Trix Red 298th is a daughter of C Haven Soccer P Red and out of a second generation Excellent dam. She sold to J & SA Whitehurst of Bramshall, Uttoxeter. Next in the price list was Clayden Horatio Satin consigned by JH Wynn & Partners of Whitchurch.

This heifer was by Clayden Horatio and out of a Shottle dam. She sold for £2550 to David Guy of Middlewich. Next at £2520 was the first of a good line of heifers from Mark and Ann Bowden of Wigland, Malpas; their home bred heifer, Wigland Loader Judy 2nd was sold giving 35 kg and was the choice of Robert Ford of Brindley, Nantwich. The Taylor brothers, Jack and Barclay, of Myddle, Shrewsbury had a good day selling to a top of £2480 for Bictown McCormick Florence a heifer giving 33kg by McCormick and purchased by JG Williams, Nantwich and also sold another Unregistered heifer at £2450 to Robert Ford.

Four other heifers sold at £2450; the first of these was a Woodmarsh Talisman daughter from Willis Dairy Farmers of Cholmondeley selling to Anthony Matthews, Whitchurch who also bought a Gillette Final Cut heifer from David Monk of Ormskirk and another from Neil Lewis of Farndon. The other was a Karona Bonair heifer from David Bramall which sold to Roger Brooks, Wettenhall.

Cows sold to £2350 for an outstanding second calf daughter of Outside from Haydn James of Northampton. She sold giving 44 kg to W & R & E Pritchard of Anglesey. There was a good show of coloured breed cattle and they sold very well. The top seller was a super Fleckvieh heifer from J & S Richardson of Ellesmere which sold for £1990 to Johnathan Scott of Hanmer, Whitchurch with same vendors selling a Jersey cross calved heifer at £1520. Ayrshires topped at £1850 for a fourth calf

daughter of Lagace Modem from H Tinker & Son of Rotherham with a fresh Ayrshire heifer by Changue Tryst from A Coutts & Sons selling at £1640. Dairy Shorthorns sold to £1860 for an unregistered heifer from Howard Walmsley, Garstang and another from John Dale of Brereton, Sandbach selling at £1650. A purebred British Friesian heifer from Howard Walmsley sold for £1700.

SERVED AND MAIDEN HEIFERS:

Served heifers were a decent trade for anything good selling to a top of £1380 three times for Feb March calvers, all unregistered from AJ Thompson & Sons, Kent, Hollington Farms, Essex and B & C Lampard Partnership, Nuneaton. The same comment applies for Maiden Heifer. They sold to £1020 for a Go Farm Artes daughter from RC Rout & Sons, Norfolk who sold another by Wyman for £1000. Both were yearlings.

HEIFER CALVES:

A small entry of heifer calves sold to £320 for a daughter of O-Man End Story from the Downing Partnership, Kent with another from the same vendors by Southland Delano making £300. John Gleave, Middlewich sold a Palermo calf for £310.

STOCK BULLS:

A small entry of 6 Bulls were entered and all sold well. The top seller was an unregistered January 2012 Simmental from Terry Goldstraw, Audlem which made £2150.

AVERAGES:

40 Cows £1418.00; 146 Milking Heifers £1887.74; 48 Served Heifers £1205.38; 39 Maiden Heifers £593.59; 14 Heifer Calves £269.64; 6 Bulls £1695.00.

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