THE 68 rearing calves on offer at Skipton Auction Mart’s weekly Monday sale was deemed a good turnout for a non-dairy day and, with a few extra faces at the ringside, produced strong trade throughout, notably for the quality end.

The Houseman family, who trade as Church Farm Enterprises at Burton Leonard, again produced the top price £570 British Blue-cross heifer calf and their entries, along with others from Richard Sutcliffe, of Queensbury, and Gargrave’s Colin Whitelock, saw the 14-strong Blue bull calf turnout soar to an average of £481 per head.

Blue heifer calves also did well, with the Housemans top again at £465 and Richard Shuttleworth, of West Marton, also helping the cause to produce an average of £400.83 for the six youngsters on offer. Continental-cross calves, which averaged 38 days of age, sold to an overall average of £456 per head.

Aberdeen Angus and other native breed calves, though in short supply, were also in demand, with a strong Angus bull calf, again from Richard Shuttleworth, making £330, and George Fleetwood, of Mirfield, hitting £260 with an Angus heifer calf. The native breed average was £280 per head.

Black and whites, with an average age of 27 days, also sold well, producing an overall selling average of £116.89 per head for the 38 calves on offer, clearly indicating shows strength of the trade at present.

Many Holstein-bred calves topped £100, with Richard Spence, of Sutton-in-Craven, leading the way at £260 with a pure Friesian bull calf.