THE May Craven Dairy Auction at CCM Skipton comprised a solid line-up of youthful heifers in milk offering great potential for the future - nothing was older than early March 2022-born.

Trade was led by the champion heifer, a 38kg robot-trained Applejax daughter fresh since April 27 from multiple past title winner Mark Smith, Winterburn. This black heifer was the pick of judge John Harry Hitchen, Luddendenfoot, and fell to Mark and Karen Goodall, Tong, at £2,150. Her herdmate, a 35kg Stark-sired white heifer, also joined the Goodalls at £2,050.

Next in line at £2,000 was a fresh heifer from Dykelands Farm, Airton, and the Bolland family, who continue to successfully disperse their milking herd, their latest offering going to Alf Townsend, Longridge.

Reserve champion was a daughter of Siemens AVZ Hanley, Wiskemanor Hanley Gail 3, consigned by Stephen and Jack Swales, Hutton Rudby, Yarm, and sold to Martin Crabtree, Hartwith, for £1,900. Heifers in milk averaged £1,794.

CCM’s latest fortnightly midweek cattle sale attracted an entry of 553 head, among them 73 breeding cattle offering plenty of choice. The best Continental heifers and cows with high-end calves at foot again sold well, comfortably exceeding £2,000. Top price at 2,900gns in the multi-breed bull section fell to a three-year-old Limousin by Lodge Hamlet, already proven with calves on the ground, presented by John and Claire Mellin, Long Preston.

The 50 grazing cows and stock bulls also met a sharp trade, the former averaging £1,327, the latter £2,133. Bulls saw aged Limousin fit to work sell at £2,900 and £2,500, with cows up to £2,100 for a nice Limousin from L Bamforth & Son, Wainstalls.

While trade for 159 young feeding bulls were a shade easier than recent sales, medium to long keep types continued to sell at an exceptional trade, Continentals averaging a solid £1,447 per head.

More 10/15-month-old cattle were seen among the 268 store bullocks and heifers, strong dairy-bred Blue bullocks selling to £1,790 from the Houseman family, Darley, other pens from the same home hitting £1,780 and £1,750. Dairy-bred Blue heifers made to £1,540 from JG Hall & Son, Gargrave, who also topped the dairy-bred Limousin heifers at £1,790.

Suckler heifers sold to £2,020 for a smart 12-month-old Limousin from J Nelson & Son, Clapham, other top end retail spec heifers at 10-15 months nicely away at £1,500-£1,700. Of the natives, Angus bullocks sold to £1,580, Angus heifers to £1,430.

Some large entries are in the pipeline for forthcoming Wednesday cattle sales. The next on June 5 incorporates a production sale of 20 mainly home-bred Continental and native cross heifers and young cows with Continental-x calves at foot, along with the second part of a dispersal of 15-20 head of Angus, Simmental and Charolais heifers and cows with calves. The June 19 fixture will include a dispersal of the Dale herd of pedigree Beef Shorthorn cattle for JC Bellerby, Weeton.