CRAVEN Cattle Mart’s Fortnightly sale of young feeding bulls, store bullocks and heifers and breeding cattle on Wednesday, June 21 saw just over 450 head of cattle through the ring.

The sale proved to be the largest Wednesday Prime sale to date, with 36 head sold. Retail weight cattle remained a good trade throughout, but bulls and heavy premium breaking cattle sold easier. 336.5p/kg was the day’s leading price per kilo, achieved by Ben Townsend of Laneshawbridge for a smart 559kg homebred Limousin heifer, which sold for £1881 to Robert Pearson (buying on behalf of Ralph Pearson, Bradford). The best steer - a 552kg British Blue from F&A Smith of Masongill – made £1791 (324.5p/kg) when selling to Knavesmire Butchers, York. Second best price at £1938 (328.5p/kg) was a 590kg Limousin cross heifer from Richard Holroyd of Wadsworth which sold to James Robertshaw for Robertshaw’s Farm Shop, Thornton.

Overall average was 307.69p/kg, with steers 313.4p/kg, heifers 300.84p/kg and bulls 302.47p/kg. Topping the list of gross prices was Hargreaves Farms, Walton le Dale, with their customary exceptional run of heavy cattle, including four 700kg plus Continental steers at 321.5p and 320.5p/kg thrice and a pen average of £2237.

Good trade continued for feeding bulls, with well bred, well reared batches in the medium weight ranges selling nicely. A run of heavy, over 30 months native breed bulls averaged £1468. The bulk of the entry fell into the 10 to 12 months age range, and they still averaged £1380 with a few tail ends of the 2022 spring calves in the entry. Well-presented late spring 2022 bulls averaged £7 less (at £1373), underlining that buyers looking to fill pens with high quality younger cattle will continue to step on.

A strong show of 50 head of lean and plain feeding cows was put forward, with less weight about but still a very strong average of £1296. Plain cross-bred cows sold smoothly at £880-£1000, plain continental cows with frame £1100-£1250, lean cows £1250-£1350 and cows with style £1400. Those with more weight sold well at £1400-£1600 with the top price cow selling to £1900 from R Holroyd, Hebden Bridge.

The Stores also brought a stronger show with less yearlings about. Dairy bred Blue bullocks sold to a top of £1890 from DT&LA Houseman & Sons, Darley. Fit dairy bullocks regularly sold at £1600-£1720 with next grade, smaller, fit bullocks £1500-£1580. Lean bullocks got away at £1350-£1500 and plain feeding bullocks £1150-£1320. Blue heifers with flesh and weight topped at £1540 for a homebred beast from KM&L Throup, Silsden. Those with flesh and weight averaged £1450-£1550, lean heifers £1250-£1380 and plain feeding heifers £1100-£1250.

Topping at £1240 for British Friesians from JC&DJ Marshall, Harrogate, Black & White bullocks with weight averaged £1200+, with strong lean bullocks away at £1120-£1200 and the plain end at £960-£1080.

Trade was strong once again for the Native cattle, with Angus bullocks selling to £1660 & £1650 for over age bullocks. Averaging £1400-£1500 for those with weight, the leaner end bullocks weren’t far behind, averaging £1220-£1300. Angus heifers sold to £1280 from T Jowett & Sons, Bradford. Feeding heifers sold to £1180-£1280, with plain heifers £1000-£1120.

Suckler feeding bullocks proved a solid trade with the majority of 16/17 month old bullocks with frame and flesh selling at £1580-£1700 and retail heifers with weight selling at £1600-£1740. Next grade, smaller retail cattle averaged £1400-£1550, with lean retail spec feeders at 13/14 months of age away for £1200-£1400.

Yearling bullocks sold well, too, with the best stock selling over £1400 to £1660 for a 13month Lim from WP&B of Walker Appletreewick. The next grade retail bullocks averaged £1220-£1350 and growing bullocks averaged £1000-£1100. Yearling heifers sold well, with the best stock averaging £1300-£1450 and topping at £1600, again for a 13month old Limousin from WP&B Walker. Smart retail heifers sold at £1100-£1240 whilst grazing heifers could be bought at £1000-£1100, with a few plainer goods selling at £770-£980.

Another large show Breeding Cattle – comprising of 27 Cows and Heifers with 27 Calves at foot -was presented to a full ringside of purchasers. There was something for everyone, with quality outfits for inclusion in local suckler herds and some older outfits suitable for summering then splitting. Jack Berry, t/a JH Throup of Lower House in Bradley, took top price when his Limousin X Heifer with an April born Blonde Bull Calf sold for £3200, and a second Limousin X Heifer with Blonde Heifer calf for £2150; both selling to local farms.

CCM’s next midweek feeding and breeding cattle sale: Wednesday, July 5.