Averages: 249 cows and heifers in milk £1,207.16 (including 35 heifer calves at £422.10); 52 three-quartered/light/high cell count cows £656.85; 77 in-calf and served heifers £1,072.23; 97 maiden heifers £733.59

Auctioneers: Wright Marshall 

 

One of the largest dispersal sales of dairy cattle took place at Beeston Castle Auction over two days on 28th/29th June when the historic Uphall herd of pedigree Holsteins, the property of J D Alston (Estates), Uphall, Garboldisham, Nr. Diss, Norfolk was dispersed in its entirety following the decision of the owners to cease milk production.

 

The herd can trace its history to the end of the nineteenth century and was the first substantial dairy herd to be established in East Anglia when the family uprooted from Lanarkshire in the 1890s to Norfolk. Over the years numbers grew to 400 milking cows and in recent history only proven sires were used that would increase PLI. The herd followed an all year round calving pattern was milked three times daily and averaged in excess of 10,700 kg.

 

Dairy trade continued its upward trend mainly due a bit of confidence which has returned to the prospects of dairying, the recent Brexit vote and the downward change in currency rates and there is no doubt this was the best trade experienced for a dispersal sale in recent months when one compares ‘like with like’

On the first day it was the sale of the milkers and all heifer calves born this year; a really good crowd was in attendance who converged on Beeston from southern Scotland to Cornwall. Right from the start trade was on another level from that which had been seen in the last few months and anything that was either reasonably fresh or due in the autumn was very keenly contested for.

 

Top price for milkers was 2,200 gns which was achieved on two occasions; the first to hit this price was Uphall Million Countess 259 (VG87-3yr) a second calver who had given over 12,000 kg as a heifer and who freshened again in April and was sold giving 60kg a day. She was purchased by B & L Whitfield & Son of Wem for their Alderbarrow herd and they also purchased another April calved second lactation cow, Uphall Kudos Hope 86 for 2,120gns. Also selling at 2,200gns was Uphall Guarini Countess 275 (GP84-2yr) (VG-MS), a milking heifer by Guarini with a big PLI of £346 who is due again with her second in to Taycas Beacon Valor. She sold to an undisclosed West Wales breeder.

 

The only other at 2,000 gns was another Guarini daughter, Uphall Guarini Quail 126 a heifer who calved in early June and sold to J F Owen & Son of Overton-on-Dee, Wrexham. Two animals made 1,900gns each; the first was Uphall Wyman Marie 254 (GP83-2yr) a fresh second calver selling to A G & H Barnett & Son of Hilderstone, Stone and also at this price was the milking heifer Uphall Zelgadis Eclipse 85 who is due again in September with her second and was the leading priced animal purchased by volume buyers M W Roberts & Co., of Ruthin. A total of twenty made 1,600 gns or more in what resulted in great days trading.

 

Heifer calves were the dearest they have been all year, but it has to be said they were probably as good a collection of quality calves that have been presented for sale for some time. One after another they were really good. The top seller at 720gns was the March born Uphall Labron Cherub out of a VG89 Gerard dam who sold to Nigel Martin of Smithboro, County Monaghan, Eire who also purchased a January born Shottle from the Alice family at 650gns.

 

On the second day it was the turn of the served and maiden heifers and what a great trade was achieved from start to finish and by far were the dearest they have been this year.  Again a big ring of buyers were in attendance and who had travelled from central Scotland to Bristol to Norfolk as well as the locality and it was mainly the local buyers that were competing fiercely for all the in-calf and served heifers. The top seller was Uphall Massey Allie 23, a late July calver who sold to Philip Plant of Eccleshall but there were over twenty late summer and autumn calving heifers which sold in excess of 1,200gns. Even heifers due in 2017 were extremely well sold selling up to 1,180gns.

 

The maiden heifers followed on in the same vein as their older herd mates with a great trade experienced from start to finish. The top seller was Uphall Mogul Hopeful 100 who has a PLI of £338 and has three VG/EX dams. This lovely Mogul daughter sold for 1,750gns to an undisclosed west Wales buyer. There were a further 20 heifers from 7 to 14 months which sold from 800 to 980gns in a trade which was on fire.

 

This was a great herd of dairy cows which had all the right ingredients to make a successful sale – big milk production, good type and high health status and in particular being from a four year TB area.