CCM Skipton Auction Mart’s latest fortnightly Wednesday cattle sale saw another solid turnout of 574 head, among them 48 beef feeding cows, vendors responding to a stronger trade across the board for all grades, producing a section average of £1,286 and a top of £1,920 for a British Blue from the Wallbank family, Keasden.

A good trade for 140 young feeding bulls could be accredited to both quality and the knowledge that the pick of the bulls are sold in the Spring. Alan Lodge, Langcliffe, began his annual consignment, headed at £1,860 by an April, 2023, Limousin, his other March/April-born bulls averaging £1,790.

Jeff Pickles, Ribblehead, sold January-born Limousin to £1,850 and John Stephenson, Bordley, Blue yearlings to £1,820, the best among April-born continental bulls weighing less than 350kg away at £1,350-£1,450.

With grazing cattle coming forward in increasing numbers and more buyers appearing ringside, the 362 store bullocks and heifers saw plenty of trade, feeding bullocks selling to £2,000 for a suckler-bred Limousin from M Ryder & Sons, Haverah Park, others with meat and weight making £1,800-plus, retail spec bullocks regularly £1,500-£1,650.

James and Deborah Odgen, Austwick, sold a trio of 14/15-month-old Blue bullocks at £1,700-£1,750, with plenty of thick deadweight spec bullocks £1,600-£1,800. Dairy Blue bullocks made £1,400-£1,560, Blue heifers with size £1,400-£1,500.

A tidy turnout of 129 native cattle produced some high end prices for weight among both sexes, 34 Angus bullocks trading to a top of £1,790, a price matched by Hereford bullocks, while 52 Angus heifers topped at £1,720 from John and Jean Bradley, Giggleswick.

Store bullocks averages: Continental-x £1,421, native £1,258, black and white £1,266, Charolais £1,564, with respective averages for store heifers of £1,351, £1,102, £1,600 and £1,253.

Sixteen beef breeding cattle, the majority in-calf, included a part reduction from David and Stephen Hollings, Pecket Well, Hebden Bridge, and ongoing dispersal from JH&J Ryder, Masongill, with four £2,000-plus selling prices achieved to a top of £2,320 for a 2017 Limousin-x cow due March/April from the Hollings twins.

A small number of under 30-month prime cattle topped at £1,955, 336.5p/kg, for a Limousin heifer from L Bamforth & Son, Wainstalls, Halifax.