THURSDAY'S Gisburn Auction Marts sale saw yet again the pens packed with 174 prime and cast cattle, which Auctioneer Jack Pickup described as ‘a buoyant trade.’ Leading the sale at 302ppk was Yorkshire farmer D Bailey, Keighley, with a Limousin heifer. David went on to claim the highest price steer, another Limousin, going on to sell for 300ppk. Away from the highflyers retail cattle were very much in demand with a total of fourteen cattle selling over 285ppk. More commercial ‘R & U’ type cattle were just as well bid for with some big heavy steers from local farmers DN & D Capstick, Bolton by Bowland selling for 260ppk or £1,836 when they hit the scales at 706kg and 695kg.

Cast cattle saw highs of 187ppk or £1552 for an 830kg Limousin bull, whilst cows maxed at 230ppk for a 722kg cracking barley fed Limousin from mother and son team trading as JT Baines, Middop. Many other continental beef bred types flew past the 200ppk barrier, whereas native bred sorts saw highs of 198ppk or £1790 for an Aberdeen Angus from Messer’s Webster. Dairy Culls maxed at 196ppk for a 668kg Brown Swiss. Holsteins topped at 194ppk for 740kg model from the Brownlow family, Oswaldtwistle.