OVERWHELMING demand was seen at Skipton Auction Mart’s latest Craven Dairy Auction, when an unprecedented turnout of 100 dairy cattle sold to 22 buyers sourcing stock at a packed ringside. While many purchasers were local almost a quarter of the entry sold via a live internet bidding facility to purchasers from as far afield as Scotland and Shropshire. (Mon, April 11)

The fixture comprised the opening April show and sale for fresh milkers, along with a special Spring consignment sale of dairy youngstock and followers, over 90 head in total, which proved a runaway success.

From the latter came the day’s top call of £2,400 for Wormanby Chief Z Mahala, one of a consignment of 23 pedigree Holstein Friesian in-calf heifers from the Tewitthall herd of the Sharp family in Oakworth, Keighley. This exceptionally well-bred March, 2020, heifer by Stantons Chief is backed by nine generations of cows in the top two grades, being from an EX90 Zeber daughter who gave over 12,400kg at 4.5% fat in her third lactation.

Sold in calf for May to sexed Milksource Cheers, after a flurry of bids the top price performer headed home with brothers William and Michael Oldfield, who run the award-winning Whinhill pedigree Holstein herd in Newsholme, near Gisburn. Like many, the new owners appreciated not only the pedigree, but also the scope, width and udder promise of the heifer.

The next top priced in-calf heifer at £2,150 came from David Walker, of Crook in County Durham. In-calf to the Aberdeen-Angus and due next month, this heifer was among the last to be offered for sale after Mr Walker sold his Holstein Friesian herd three years ago – it had averaged 11,000kg then. His trio of served/bulling heifers averaged. £926

Tremendous batches of between five and 15 heifers enjoyed generally strong trade. Among them were consignments from mother and son team, Karen and Paul Hutchinson in Scorton, Richmond, the Coates family from Baildon, Allan and Richard Throup in Silsden, Healey Home Farm at Riding Mill, Northumberland; the Carlisles from Leyburn, Northallerton’s Richard Flintoff and David, Margaret and Jennie Booth, of Lothersdale.

The pick of the averages included the ten just served and bulling age group entries, with the Hutchinsons averaging £1,100 and the Coates family over £1,000 on their batches. Many buyers left with a full trailer, some with less than they’d hoped for, with the volume buyers Messrs Redmayne from Lancashire.

Peter Waring, who runs the Winton pedigree herd with son, James, at Field House Farm, Cherry Burton, Beverley, made another long journey west to Skipton worthwhile with a consignment that included seven milkers and three yearlings.

Accompanied by 10-year-old grandson Jake, a pupil at Cherry Burton Primary School, he was rewarded with a clean sweep of the prizes in the newly calven heifers show class, his two frontrunners tapped out as champion and reserve respectively by the show judge, Bishop Thornton dairyman Shaun Sowray.

The victor, Winton Shottle Bess, a late March calved heifer giving 30kg, made £2,380 when heading to Tong, Bradford, with regular West Yorkshire buyer Mark Goodall, while John Harrison, of Penrith, took home Winton Fuel Baby, a 35kg heifer fresh since March 15, at the same price. The Winton consignment of five Holstein milk heifers averaged £2,092, while a brace of Ayrshire milkers from the same home averaged £1,100.

CCM’s dairy sales co-ordinator Sarah Liddle said: “The youngstock sale proved a huge success, producing great appreciation of stock for their pedigrees, potential, high health statuses and overall confirmation. Thanks must go to all who made the trip to both buy and sell.”

Chief prices and averages are at www.ccmauctions.com The next Craven Dairy Auction is scheduled for Monday, April 25.

The same morning’s weekly sale of 39 dairy-bred rearing calves saw trade step up a gear, with Bishop Thornton’s Shaun Sowray leading the way on price across all categories ahead of judging the dairy show.

He topped the sale at £430 with a British Blue-x bull, also presenting the top price £400 and £410 Limousin-x and Charolais bull calves, following up with the leading heifer prices, a Blue-x at £360 and £300 Angus.

The Sutcliffe family, from Queensbury, also caught the eye with a £425 Blue-x bull, the section averaging £349.