EVERY single one of the 11 under 30-month clean cattle at Skipton Auction Mart’s weekly Monday prime sale made more than £1,500, with three over £1,600.

Top gross at £1,661(261.5p/kg), a 635kg Blonde-x steer from TH Mellin, Black Lane Ends, was among weekly purchases by Ralph Pearson Wholesale Butchers in Bradford, as was the top price heifer, a 630kg Limousin-x from the Critchley family, Hutton, at £1,635 (259.5p/kg).

Top per kilo at 267.5p (£1,525), a 570kg Limousin-x heifer from Charles and Richard Kitching, Threshfield, was one of several falling to Robertshaw’s Farm Shop, Thornton.

A dozen cull cows, all bar one dairies, were another roaring trade, a Simmental beef cow making149.5p/kg and the best of the dairies 147.5p/kg, £1,106, with an overall average of 130.14p/kg, £846.43.

An increased turnout of 2,812 prime sheep comprised 2,298 hoggs and 26 Spring lambs, many snapped up by butcher customers looking to stock up shop shelves for Easter.

Springers generally made £155-£165 for the best, peaking at £168 gross twice, a per kilo high of 392p and overall average of £151.25, 336.7p/kg. This coming Monday is the Easter Spring lambs show and sale with classes for singles and pairs.

A nice trade for old season lambs saw several pens topside of £4 per kilo, the best butchers’ types away at £150-£170, with an overall average £125.28, 287.1p/kg.

Nigh on 500 head of cast sheep comprised 488 ewes keenly sought by multiple buyers, trading to a top of £179.50 and overall average of £112.77. Cast rams averaged just shy of £107.

The 533 breeding sheep met a straight trade for most goods, older ewes looking best sold. Young Continental outfits were generally £225-£240, topping at £262 for outfits with twins, those with singles regularly away at £150-£165 for strong outfits with a top of £180. Mules with twins could make £168-£185.

The fortnightly Craven Diary Auction produced total clearance for nine fresh pedigree heifers, which averaged £1,850 and topped at £2,150 for a 27-day calved 32kg entryr from new vendors, the Corner family in Brompton. A good mix of 39 dairy-bred rearing calves was well sold to a top of £425 for a British Blue-x bull from JS&J Walmsley, of Harrogate.