DAIRY cattle and dairy-bred rearing calves were both on the Monday sales agenda at Skipton Auction Mart, with black and white youngsters among the 50 calves entered meeting a notably fierce trade, topping a £205 for a bull from Sutton-in-Craven’s Richard Spence, with a solid three-figure section average of £112 per head.

Prices peaked at £450 for a British Blue-cross bull calf from N&SA Fort on Silsden Moor, with all Blue bulls selling well to produce a section average of £409, while most of the 15 Blue-cross heifer calves made £350-£390.

Limousin-cross calves sold to £440 for bulls, which averaged £317, while native entries peaked at £360 for an Aberdeen-Angus bull.

The nine dairy cattle from five separate vendors were purchased by seven different buyers, four making over £2,000 to a top of £2,320 for a good Dalliance heifer from Sally Wellock’s Harehills pedigree herd in Oakworth, claimed by ringside regular Ribchester’s Brian Blezard. Seven in-milk heifers averaged £1,951, an in-milk cow making £1,700 and a cross-bred in- calf heifer £1,300.

The next Craven Dairy Auction on Monday, August 10, will have substantial added interest, as it will include a dispersal sale of 40 head of milkers from the Blackburn family’s Wharfedale herd in Storiths, among them Wharfedale Dreamer Lady VG86, a second calver giving over 30kg from an EX93-2E dam.

Also due to be sold the same day are 11 bulling heifers from the Hutchinson family’s Whychall herd in Scorton, plus some classic semen from a leading local dairy herd.

In the interim, Skipton’s second online timed auction for all classes of machinery, implements, vehicles, plant equipment, ATVs, building and architectural stonework, landscape gardening, reclamation items and small implements takes place next Wednesday and Thursday, August 6 & 7.

Like the first sale, which proved a runaway success, with high sales levels and some very solid prices, the follow-up fixture is again expected to attract widespread interest. All lots will be posted online at www.ccmauctions.com where bidding also takes place.