EXACTLY 100 head of cattle, plus 137 sheep and goats, went under the hammer at Skipton Auction Mart’s latest monthly Saturday livestock collective sale.

The bovine element as usual comprised stirks, weaned calves and young store cattle, for which trade was described as “out of this world.”

In fact, a shortage of stirks saw purchasers battling for large numbers as grass day rapidly approaches.

Black and whites met the dearest trade yet, with eight-month-old well fleshed goods selling to £700, a pen of eight 7/8-month-old bullocks from regular vendor, David Mitchell, of Wilsden, making £655. Harder farmed goods were £560-£620, younger plainer types £380-£470.

Ten-month-old British Blue bullock stirks sold to £785, a pen of four at six-month-old again from Mr Mitchell doing well at £670. Blue heifers met a wide audience, with a top of £770 from regular vendor JC Roberts, of Clitheroe.

Limousin bullocks averaged £715 per head, peaking at £790 for a suckler-bred from Dave Reay, of Allerton, while Limousin heifers sold up to £810, smaller under ten-month-olds making £640-£680.

Charolais bullocks and heifers from James Fortune, of East Marton, made £610, with Thomas Atkins, of Oldfield, selling young well farmed dairy-bred heifers at £600. Some pens of seven- month-old goods sold either side of £700.

Of the natives, Aberdeen-Angus steers sold to £870 from Tim Metcalfe, of Clayton, while Mr Reay returned with a brace of ten-month-old dairy-bred bullocks at £635. Angus heifers made to £770 for ten-month-old nice framed goods, £660-£740 for the younger types and £580-£620 for the leaner end.

More sheep were forward and sold well to a high of £175 per outfit for Mule ewes with twin lambs, closely followed at £170 for Texel ewes with twins. A large entry of goats was also keenly sought, with all ages in demand.

The next Saturday livestock collective is scheduled for May 15.