PEDIGREE newly calved heifers sold to £2,220 twice, and averaged in excess of £1,800 in Gisburn Auction Mart’s weekly dairy sale last Thursday.

A tighter supply of quality heifers, and plenty of buyers looking for them, saw entries from J and M Singleton and Sons, Preston, and PT and MR Critchley, Wrea Green, both making £2,220.

First up was the Critchleys’ August 2015-born Newfold Dolmio Pam by Relough Dolmio out of a 10,980kg Boyesland dam. Sold giving 26 litres it went to BF Blezard, Ribchester.

The Singletons’ slightly older Whytil heifer by Crackholm Fever out of a 14,502kg home-bred dam, and which was the day’s reserve champion, was bought by local farmer William Oldfield. Mr Oldfield was also the buyer of Preston vendors A Bretherton and Sons’ sale champion, a mid-October calved Apina Altaembassy-sired heifer at £2,100.

At £2,200 WA and A Booth, Feizor, sold their two weeks calved Gillette Windbrook sired heifer, giving 32 litres, to F and M Graham, Gretna.

Also topping the £2,000 mark was G D Donkin, Copster Green, Blackburn, with a 34 litre heifer by Altaamazing, that made £2,050 to FA and TCR Wrathall, Gisburn, at £2,050.

The red rosette in the non-pedigree section went to RR Parkinson and Sons, Inskip, Preston, with a one-month calved heifer that sold at £1,980 to JR Dodgson, Skipton.

Hellifield vendors ML and JE Kayley had the first prize pedigree in-calf heifer, this one carrying a Kimball sexed semen calf and selling at £1,600 to DW Shuttleworth, Gargrave.

The averages were: pedigree newly calved heifers £1,809.50; pedigree in-calf heifers £1,600; pedigree bulling heifers £687. Non-pedigree newly calved heifers £1,462.70, cows £1,515; in-calf heifers £1,350.

Auctioneers were Richard Turner and Son.________________________________________