AROUND THE SALES
AROUND THE SALES
SHEEP A record price for a ram at Chagford, Devon was achieved on Monday, when J V Lineys MVA Suffolk made £290. Among the ewes, Suffolk cross six-tooths made to £62, while full-mouthed Mashams reached £60. Ewe lambs were also in strong demand, with several topping £50. Highest price among the store lambs was £42 for a pen of well-grown Suffolk cross Mules. Average store price was £37. (Rendells.)
FINISHED CATTLE At Bakewell, Derbys, on Monday young bulls averaged 97.7p/kg. Top price in this section was 130p/kg for a mediumweight Belgian Blue cross, with Continental crosses generally in the 105p to 115p/kg range and the best Friesians over 100p/kg. Plainer black-and-whites were between 80p and 90p/kg. Heifers averaged 95.5p and sold to 119p/kg for a lightweight Belgian Blue cross. Plenty of smart handyweight heifers were in the 105p to 110p/kg bracket, while Herefords were mainly between 80p and 90p/kg, and Friesians were over a broad band from 60p to 96p/kg. Steers levelled 94p, topping at 104.5p/kg. (Bagshaws.)
JERSEYS Bidding at Carlisle, Cumbria rose to 880gns at the long-established Gold Top sale. Mackies Farm Foods, Inverurie were the days most prominent buyer, taking six of the leading entries from 600gns to 880gns. Among them was the top-price champion Croftlands Geminis Emerald. Paraded by Norman Hughes, Silloth, this freshly-calved heifer was by Shamrock Grove Gemini. Local bidders W W and J K Ridley gave 800gns for the heifer Kerbanks Sovereign Sunshine and 750gns for Kerbanks Sovereigns Leaf. Both were consigned by J and J Chester, Wigton, Cumbria. Averages 16 cows £393; 30 heifers £508; four maiden heifers £269. (Harrison and Hetherington.)
BREEDING/STORE SHEEP Average was £70.85 at the main ewe sale at Ludlow, Shropshire, last Friday. Yearlings levelled £80.30, while two-, three- and four-year-olds were typically worth £74.20, £61 and £56, respectively. The auctioneers said the event attracted the biggest contingent of buyers the market has seen for some time, with demand particularly strong for North Country and Welsh Mule yearlings. The following day, a sale of 754 stores at nearby Wheathill saw lambs average £38.20 and top at £43.50. (McCartneys.)