CCM Skipton Auction Mart’s latest midweek Wednesday cattle sale attracted another solid entry of 548 head, among them 148 young feeding bulls, again a high quality turnout with trade continuing unabated, with a full ringside of buyers intent on filling pens with the best of the 2023 suckled-bred bulls.

Under 13-month-old bulls averaged £1,443, with a high of £1,960 for a January-born Limousin from J Nelson & Son, Clapham, those over 13 months, including a number at 20 month-plus, averaging £1,378, top of £1,700 going to a December-born Limousin from T Robinson & Son, Catlow. The overall section average was £1,446 for Continental-x, £1,194 for natives.

The 44 beef feeding bulls and cows saw the former average £2,200, the latter £1,348. Bulls topped at £3,000 for a pedigree Limousin from T&JM Sedgwick, Burton in Lonsdale, strong meat cows trading to £1,800 from the Grindleton Towlers.

A more mixed entry of 336 store bullocks and heifers, the majority dairy/beef crosses rather than suckler-bred, saw bullocks top with a £2,020 Limousin-x from JG Hall & Son, Gargrave, the section averaging £1,423 for Continental-x and £1,373 for natives, with respective heifer averages of £1,312 and £1,234, and RD Elliott, Tadcaster, selling two-year-old Continentals to £1,840.

Breeding cattle comprised ten in-calf cows and a trio of cow and calf outfits. In-calf heifers sold to £2,300 and £2,150, again from the Gargrave Halls, in-calf cows to £1,600 from RG&VJ Makin, Selby. J Clayton, Wyke, sold heifers and calves to £2,100.

A handful of over 30-month clean cattle maintained good trade, a 559kg British Blue-x steer from Francis and Andrew Smith, Masongill, grossing £1,887, 337.5p/kg, to Knavesmire Butchers, York. Best by-weight heifer price of 329.5p/kg was shared by Ben Townsend, Laneshawbridge, and the Smiths again, both with Limousin-x heifers, making £1,805 and £1,664 to, respectively, Knavesmire and James Towler, Grindleton.