averages: 18 Holstein cows in milk, £1366.66; 88 Holstein heifers in milk, £1728.62; 33 West Newton British Friesian dispersal, £1002.72; 11 British Friesian, £1650.00; 23 Montbeliarde and Fleckvieh crosses in milk, £1443.47; seven Ayrshire heifers, £1800.00; 103 New Zealand Friesian summer calving cows, £659.03;
8 faulted cows/heifers in milk slow/light/3/4, £778.75; 29 Holstein/British Friesian in-calf heifers, £1203.59; 15 British Friesian yearling heifers, £645.00.
A TOP price of £2400 was paid at the Borderway Monthly Dairy Day at Carlisle, where 300 dairy cattle changed hands and a large number of freshly calved heifers sold at or above the £1800 bracket.
With buyers present from across the UK and Ireland, sale leader was Errolston MM Ayr from Brian and Craig Davidson, Errolston, Gretna. This heifer which calved down at the end of November is by Errolston Maui Major and bred from the dam, Errolston Embassy Ayr. Currently giving 38kg, she sold to Messrs Rudd and Sons, Kirkbride, Wigton, Cumbria.
The Davidsons sold a similarly aged heifer, Errolston Major Sylvia for 2050gns to the same buyer. By the same sire, she is bred from Errolston Million Sylvia, which produced 9265litres in her second.
Richard Livingstone from Kirtlevale Farm, Gretna, sold a number of heifers above the £2000 bracket including a daughter of Grafeeti for 2200gns to Messrs Knowles, Woodplumpton, Prespton, Lancs. This was Kirtlevale Graafeeti Apple, a freshly calved heifer giving 30kg and bred from Kirtlevale Asterix Apple – a dam which gave more than 8000litres in her first.
The same home received £2050 for a similarly aged heifer by the same sire in the shape of Kirtlevale Grafeeti Bridget. Bred from Kirtlevale Asterix Bridget 2, a dam which gave more than 8000litres in her first, she sold to Messrs Fisher, Dundrennan, Kirkcudbrightshire.
Stephen Boow from Corney Hall Farm, Millom, sold two heifers for £2000 apiece. First to sell at this money was a daughter of Gillette Caviar to Messrs Sloan and Son, Trabboch, Mauchline, Ayrshire. She is bred from Futureproof Goldmine Peach which gave more than 7000litres in her first.
The other, which sold to Messrs Steel, Buchlyvie, Stirling, is a Toc-Farm Fitz daughter, bred from a Futureproof Hamptom Margot which gave 9040 litres in her first.
An offering of freshly calved British Friesian cows and heifers topped at £2000 to average £1650. Leading the trade was a heifer giving 35kg by Winnoch Black Jack which was purchased by Messrs Arkleby, Wigton, Cumbria, while Fleckvieh, Swedish Red and Montbeliarde cross-bred heifers from RB Farming topped at £2000 for a freshly calved heifer giving 31kg. She also sold to Messrs Knowles, Woodplumpton.
A smaller number of Ayrshire heifers were forward and peaked at £2020 for a freshly calved heifer from Messrs Fisher, Yanwath Farm, Penrith, when sold to Messrs Beaty, Bigrigg, Egremont, Cumbria.
Friesians being dispersed from Andrew and Linda Turnball's West Newton herd at Rothbury, Northumverland, sold to £2000 for a daughter of Raheenarran BCG Sochar. Freshly calved in her third and giving almost 30kg, she heads to How Mill, Brampton, Cumbria, with Messrs Bland and Son.
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