REGULAR vendors and buyers were again in evidence in the weekly prime cattle ring at Skipton Auction Mart, on Monday, when trade for the 20 under 30-month clean cattle on offer was described as ‘steadier.’

Yet again, it was award-winning Keelham Farm Shop who arrived with the biggest shopping basket, securing seven cattle for its Skipton and Thornton shops, among them the top price per head and by-weight entries, once more consigned by the prolific Critchley family, from Hutton, Preston.

The former, a 620kg Limousin-cross steer, made £1,448, or 233.5p/kg, the latter, a 530kg British Blue-cross heifer, achieving 249.5p/kg, or £1,425. The leading steer p/kg was a 550kg Limousin- cross from Bill Cowperthwaite, of Malham Moor, which sold to another regular retail butcher buyer, Hamlets in Garstang, for 246.5p, or £1,356.

Cull cow buyers were also prominent at the ringside and while the 38 entries featured 80 per cent dairies there were a few more beef-crosses about, with trade continuing its recent gradual improvement. Empty, meated dairies were comfortably 113-117p/kg throughout, with the lean end also well supported from 80-90p/kg.

An improved selection of beef cows included one heavy native, a 920kg Belted Galloway from Tom Boothman, of Linton, which made £1,007, with the section headed at £1,116, or 139.5p/kg, by a fed Limousin cow from Simon Bennett, of Silsden Moor.

The overall cull cow selling average was £751.19 per head, or 110.41p//kg, while three mature bulls averaged £856.24, or 106.15p/kg, with a high of £1,157, or 117.5p/kg, for a Limousin from T Wild & R Ellis, of Nesfield, Ilkley. Also hitting four figures at £1,024 was a Friesian bull from father and son, Keith and David Downs in Bingley.

Prime sheep numbers showed an increase on the week at 2,526 head, with the 2,207 lambs among them trading to an overall average of £82.76 each, or 194.9p/kg.Top price of £120 per head, or 285p/kg, fell to a tidy 42kg Beltex pen from James Towler of Grindleton, claimed by regular buyer Vivers Scotlamb in Annan.

Smart lambs with a decent bit of weight sold well throughout, with plenty of £110 to £119 per head pens in evidence and a further 33 pens selling between £100 and £109. Handy-weight Beltex types were generally 235-250p/kg, while commercial lambs maintained the previous week’s good rates, with nice skinned sorts making 210-220p/kg and first crosses 190-205p/kg.

Hill-bred lambs were again good to sell. Mules are increasing in value each week and coming nicely into season, with a few pens of heavy Mules selling into the £90s and topping at £96 per head for a pen from east coast regular Mike Allen, of Staithes, and a by-weight high of 189p/kg from Andrew Taylor, of Broughton. Newark’s Steve Dorey sold Masham lambs to £86 per head, or 204.8p/kg.

Also penned for sale were 319 cast sheep. Good cull ewes continued to sell well, with leaner types harder to cash in. Ewes averaged £54.61 per head, topping at a solid £118.50 for a Texel pen from Wharfedale-based WH&MA Keighley. Cast rams averaged £47.26.

Skipton’s latest fortnightly Wednesday sale of store lambs and breeding sheep attracted 1,067 head, with store sheep meeting a very strong trade and producing prices easily on a par with the previous fixture.

Top prices of £85 and £84.50 per head fell to Texel pens from Reeth’s Ronnie Bailey, with Beltex entries producing the highest section average of £72.32, followed by Charollais at £70.73 per head, Mule £65, Texel £58.87, Cheviot £57.37, Suffolk £57.20, Lonk £56.46 and Swaledale £29.85.

In-lamb sheep were slow, selling to highs of £120 and £105 per head for Mule shearlings from Steve Hallam, of Egton, with a breed average of £101.

Another four-figure entry is anticipated for the next sale on Wednesday, February 7, which also incorporates a special annual sale of Blue Faced Leicester females.