SKIPTON Auction Mart’s first 2017 Agri Trader and livestock collective Saturday sale of stirks, weaned calves and young store cattle was a chilly one, but bidding was hot for many of the goods on offer, both on and off the hoof.

A total of 119 head of cattle, comprising 36 bulls, 41 bullocks and 42 heifers, were penned for sale. Bulls traded to a high of £680 for a British Blue, with a breed average of £466, bettered at £485 per head for the overall Montbeliarde selling average, where prices peaked at £540.

Steers sold to joint highs of £670 for both Limousin and Aberdeen Angus entries, with respective section averages of £610 and £600, while the heifer section produced the livestock sale’s top price of £900 for a British Blue, with a breed average of £656, again the best of the day. Blonde heifers traded to £800, while Simmental also sold well to a high of £670 and a section average of £556.

A number of goats were also among the mix, with a Pygmy goat in kid selling at £90, while Pygmy wethers sold to £32, Togg nannies to £38 and Togg billies to £30.

In the Agri Trader sale, machinery was again in keen demand, prices peaking at £2,400 for an Iveco horsebox, followed by a muckspreader at £2,000 and a horse trailer at £1,380. A cattle crush made £880 and a quad bike £850.

In the reclaim and stone section, a pair of stone gateposts caught the eye at £700, while cobble stones sold to £60, with a log burner fetching £150.

For the green-fingered, plants and nursery stock were also on offer, when a bamboo tree made £30, with fruit trees selling to £21 and grass plants to £20.

The next Saturday livestock sale is scheduled for February 11 and the next full machinery sale for March 11.

Meanwhile, a total of 1,172 head, a good entry for the time of year, though very mixed in quality, were penned for sale at the Mart’s latest fortnightly Wednesday sale of store lambs and breeding sheep, selling to an overall average of £51.65.

Strong lambs were well bid for, while smaller lambs also found a very good enquiry and would be in front of most vendors’ expectations on the day.

Top call of £67.50 per head fell to a Texel pen from LM Huxley, of Briestfield, near Dewsbury, with a breed average of £55.74 per head. Beltex averaged £62.60, Suffolk £52.86, Mule £48.90, Lonk £34.40 and Swaledale £27.19.

The next sale on Wednesday, January 25, also incorporates the first pedigree breed show and sale of the year for Blue Faced Leicester females.