The March edition of the Famous Wright Manley Mid Month Sale of Pedigree and Commercial Milking cows and heifers, in-calf heifers and young stock attracted a catalogued entry of 313 cattle of which 305 head changed hands on the day.

 

MILKING ANIMALS:

This was the smallest entry for some time and just goes to show there are nowhere near as many about as there was last year. Despite the fine spring weather, there were plenty of farmers present who were keen to secure milk with several taking large numbers including two big lorry loads going to West Wales. The Beeston Mid Month sale has many attractions for buyers; first of all it has the largest choice anywhere in the UK on one day; it is centrally located and easily accessible but above all the quality forward every month is fantastic and at the end of the day buyers want cattle that will do the job when they get them home.

 

Trade was up considerably on the month particularly for the top and middle range cattle and a total of 55 out of the 181 milkers sold realised £2000 or more. Not for the first time many of the top priced heifers were gained by entries from brothers Jack and Barclay Taylor of Middle, Shrewsbury; of the top twenty individual prices, eleven came from them. Their top seller was the Million daughter Garmoss Million Nancy who was sold giving 33 kg to John Allen of Tutbury for his Leaventhorpe Herd; he also purchased a Decker heifer from the same home at £2750. At the same price a homebred heifer by Burlane Tobago sold to David Colclough of Hassall, Sandbach and a Woodmarsh Topshot daughter from the same home at £2450. David Guy of Middlewich three good heifers from the Taylors including a Cogent Twist at £2650, a Langs-Twin-B Dondee at £2550 and a Shottle at £2450.

Mark and Ann Bowden of Wigland, Malpas always bring super heifers to the sale and they had four homebred heifers in the top twenty; their top seller was a Cogent Loader giving 32 kg. purchased by Anthony Matthews of Whitchurch and another by Woodmarsh Metalic at £2480 going to JE & DM Moss of Betley, Crewe. They also had daughters of Million and Gerard selling at £2350 each, both going to David Colclough. Other vendors achieving top twenty prices were Richard Taylor of Church Eaton, Stafford who sold a Loader heifer giving 36 kg to Anthony Matthews at £2450 and the Boughey family of Tarporley had two heifers at £2400 each, one by Clayden Rudolph selling to John Roberts, Aberdaron, Gwynedd and one by Woodmarsh Topshot selling to David Colclough.

Not many cows about but a great trade. The top was £2200 for an unregistered third calver from Galastar Holsteins of Holmes Chapel that sold to Richard Berrisford, Betley who also sold another at £2180 to Kevin Peacock, Tarporley. Frank Sanderson of Preston was next selling a second calver at £2120 also to Kevin Peacock.

 

Again not many members of the coloured breeds but they sold really well. They were headed at £2150 twice; the first was a Swedish Red cross from WJ Lewis & Co., Farndon with another of the same breed from the Whittakers of Knutsford selling at £1800. Brown Swiss also sold to £2150 for a pedigree purebred heifer from Jack and Barclay Taylor selling to Robert McColm, Stranraer who also sold a first cross Swiss heifer at £2020. Ayrshires sold to £1900 for a calved heifer from Richard and Trevor Lloyd of Anglesey with another at £1800 from the Lewis’, Shorthorns sold to £1750 for a pedigree heifer from the Whittakers, British Friesians also reached the same level and Montbeliardes sold to £1580 for a second calver.

 

INCALF AND SERVED HEIFERS:

An entry of very mixed quality with not many real good things about. Top price was £1780 for a daughter Regancrest Oman Ingles from Grosvenor Farms of Chester who also sold two daughters of Kings Ransom Dover at £1680 each

 

MAIDEN HEIFERS:

Again mixed quality. Top price was £1000 twice for entries from David Rees Farms, Nantwich and John Pogson of Newark. British Friesian Maidens from Richard Boyd of Calverhall were up to £980.

 

HEIFER CALVES:

A small entry of calves sold up to £300 on four occasions for entries from John Gleave, Middlewich and Frank Sanderson, Preston.

 

AVERAGES:

33 Cows £1671.36; 149 Milking Heifers £1890.78; 40 Served Heifers £1420.81; 66 Maiden Heifers £628.79; 14 Heifer Calves £254.29

 

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