A huge crowd assembled at Frilsham Dairy, Yattendon, Berkshire to see the dispersal sale of the herd of Holstein Frieisan dairy cattle on behalf of Yattendon Estates.

Cows had been milked at Frilsham for over a hundred years and farmed by the Yattendon Estate since 1925.

For the last three years the herd had been totally flying with over three quarters of the herd having been imported as heifers from northern Germany.

The all year round calving herd was giving an annual yield of 11,000 litres per cow and producing an average daily yield of 38 litres.

The top price was 2,300gns paid by Thomas Plas Ltd of Carmarthenshire for a 2nd calver.

Two 2nd calvers made 2,200gns, the first being purchased by P Walker of Pewsey, Wiltshire, and the other by C M Pugh of Kempley, Gloucestershire.

C M Pugh also paid 2,100gns for another 2nd calver.

Two other 2nd calvers made 2,100gns, one being purchased by Birdcombe Ltd of Carmarthenshire, and the other by Oncoland Ltd of Longfield, Kent.

A total of 12 cattle made 2,000 guineas or more.

The 376 cattle were sold individually at the rate of over one a minute with proceedings being concluded in exactly 6 hours and the cattle finding new homes in 21 counties stretching from Cornwall to Scotland and Kent to Pembrokeshire.

Principal buyer was Baltier Farming Ltd of Newton Stewart, Scotland, acquiring 34 cattle.

Average:

376 cows     £1,434.60

Auctioneers:

GWILYM RICHARDS & CO