KEELHAM Farm Shop was yet again the main buyer of prime cattle at Skipton Auction Mart’s weekly Monday sale when acquiring exactly half of the 24 under 30-month clean cattle on offer.

Among them were the leading gross price of the day, a £1,354 Limousin-cross bullock from Keith and David Downs, of Bingley, the top price per kg entry, a 535kg Blonde-cross heifer from Ben Townsend, of Laneshawbridge, at 247.5p/kg, or £1,324, and the top price by weight 244.5p/kg Limousin-cross bullock, again from Mr Townsend.

Of the four over 30-month prime cattle presented for sale, the Smellows herd of Broughton’s Jeremy Taylor clinched top price of £1,039 for a black and white which sold to Preston’s John Thompson.

A reduced entry of 49 cull cows saw all classes meeting a sharp trade, with Joe Drinkall, of Chorley, performing notably well with some high quality fed cattle, primarily with a Simmental sold for a section best £1,128, or 153.5p/kg, along with a Shorthorn at £1,116, or 139.5p/kg. The overall selling average was a shade over £626 per head and 95p/kg.

Meanwhile a tremendous turnout of 747 cattle at Skipton Auction Mart’s latest fortnightly Wednesday sale represented an increase of 237 head on last year’s corresponding fixture.

The 245 young feeding bulls saw spring-born 350-450kg entries meet a very good trade, producing a Continental-cross average of £953 per head, with a top call of £1,180 for a British Blue-cross from the Keighley family in Leathley, Otley The top price pen of three Charolais-cross bulls from David Barker, also of Leathley, each sold at £1,110. Native entries averaged £782 per head.

In the store section, trade for the 488-strong entry of bullocks and heifers was again a shade dearer, especially for yearling cattle.

Bullocks sold to a high of £1,250 each for a Limousin-cross trio from W Mason and Son, of Appletreewick, who also presented the second top price pen of four Limousin-cross, which again sold well at £1,220 per head. The overall Continental-cross average was £1,024, with a native average of £752.

Limousin-cross also headed the heifer trade, with Philip Metcalfe, of Otterburn, topping at £1,240. The Continental-cross section average was £904 per head, with a native average of £679.

Of the eight breeding cattle on show, the leading price of £2,350 fell to a Limousin-cross heifer with Limousin heifer calf at foot from Ashfield Farms in Lothersdale.