WITH bags of promise on offer, the second production sale of predominantly young, fresh and close to calving cows and heifers from the local Threshfield Holstein dairy herd of the Dean family at Skipton Auction Mart was hailed an all-round success. (Mon, Nov 21)

With five years having elapsed since herd numbers were reduced by 200 head across all ages at the family’s first production sale in 2017, the milking herd at Toft House Farm was again bursting at the seams.

The sale saw strong trade from the first lot in the ring, a youthful fresh calver at £1,700, right through the 34 lots forward until the hammer fell on the final entry, an in-calf heifer from the Elegance family due December to the Hereford, making £2,050, with 25 of the total entry breaking the £2,000 barrier, selling to an overall average of £2,233.

Top call of £3,000 fell to the widely admired full of milk Threshfield Mogul Matilda, Angus Dean’s sale favourite. Carrying a picture perfect udder, recently scored VG85-2yrs and giving 32kg on a low cell count, after a flurry of bids she heads to the renowned Aireburn herd of Brian and Judith Moorhouse in Bell Busk, the current National Premier Pedigree herd.

Two descendants of the Dalesend herd both made £2,900. The first, Threshfield Achieve Spottie, a VG85 early September second calver giving 37kg, served on November 13 to Sexed Dealmaker, was one of four going to regular buyer West Yorkshire buyer Mark Goodall in Tong, Bradford.

At the same price was one of a trio bought by the Metcalfe family at High Birstwith, Threshfield Apps Gail, a powerful first lactation daughter of Lindenright Apps, whose dam also sold at £2,000. Her third dam was also an EX cow bought at the 2011 Newton-le-Willows-based Dalesend herd dispersal.

Threshfield Lighthouse Columbine, VG86 and giving 40kg in her second lactation, was the selection at £2,700 of William Oldfield for his family’s long-established Whinhill pedigree herd at Gisburn, where he will no doubt breed her on to lengthen the current four generations of VG and EX.

A total of 15 buyers from Cumbria, Lancashire and Scotland, as well as many from Yorkshire, made the trip to Skipton for the much-anticipated sale. CCM’s dairy sales co-ordinator Sarah Liddle noted: “It provided purchasers with an opportunity to secure genuine cattle, those with the stamp of high well attached udders keenly sought.”

The Dean brothers said afterwards: “On behalf of Threshfield Holsteins, our family would like to thank everyone who came to the sale. We hope all the cows do as well in their new homes as they did for us at Toft House Farm. Thanks must also go to all at CCM for hosting the sale and their yet again excellent sales preparation and advice. The facilities, including the new parlour, made the sale the success it was.”

The Threshfield production was the second of three successive Monday dairy sales at the mart. The previous Monday’s fortnightly Craven Dairy Auction twice saw prices peak at £2,500.

Robert Crisp, from Calton, brought forward the sole second calver, which progressed to stand reserve champion under Calderdale show judge, John-Harry Hitchen, of Luddendenfoot. Eight-days fresh, she was the first joint top price cow to sell to regular buyer Richard Sutcliffe, of Queensbury, followed at the same price and to the same purchaser for the second placed heifer in-milk from Graham Donaldson, of Stokesley. His Lingbar Maggie 139, calved on November 7 and sired by Denovo Archer, looked a milky wearing heifer, who is at 28kg and climbing.

Mark Smith, from Winterburn, stepped up with the first prize in-milk and show champion, a 32kg robot-trained heifer by Matcrest Dewey who calved at end of October and also headed home with Richard Sutcliffe at £2,300.

Four consignors, including the three aforementioned, along with David Crane, again travelling north from Stixwold in Lincolnshire, all averaged over the £2,000 barrier, the overall selling average for the eight head on offer coming out at £2,084.

Next up this coming Monday is the annual Christmas show and sale, which looks to include over 30 head, incorporating a batch of 12 mid-lactation young cows from the low input, high health herd of Ian and Phil Carlisle in Leyburn – all in-calf for May or June next year.