Jacob Wellock buys two heifers at Skipton
The early-August Craven Dairy Auction at CCM Skipton Auction Mart combined judging and trading results for Jacob Wellock, a young Malhamdale teenager making his debut in the role. The show winner also achieved the highest sale price, changing hands for £2,900.
The 37kg-a-day Bomaz Tyce daughter was one of two animals entered by former champion Mark Smith of Winterburn. She came from a cow producing 9,211kg, with milk solids of 4.34% fat and 4.01% protein. Her dam remains on the farm, is currently dry and is carrying her third calf. Danny and Caroline Yarrow, regular buyers from nearby Cononley, purchased the heifer after she entered the sale ring first.
Wellock supported his earlier judging decisions when he tried to buy the animals as they were offered. He obtained the reserve champion, a balanced Holstein Friesian from Henry Hitchen of Luddendenfoot in Calderdale, for £2,700. The animal had calved three weeks earlier and was yielding 36kg a day.
The Wellock family also bought Smith’s second entry. The Denovo Citizen daughter had calved shortly before reaching two years old and produced 30kg from a firmly attached udder. It sold for £2,750. The mean price for milking heifers was £2,783. The next Craven Dairy Auction is scheduled for Monday August 24.
At CCM Skipton’s July Saturday collective livestock sale, 435 stirks, weaned calves and young store cattle were offered and sold. Prices above £1,000 were recorded in each section, and the overall average rose by slightly more than £68 a head from the previous month. Among 73 feeding and suckler bulls, a Limousin from New York Farms of Silsden led at £1,800. The same farm sold a Parthenaise for £1,760 and a Shorthorn for £1,640. Blue bulls reached £1,750 for John Willie Hardcastle of Harrogate, while Charolais crosses from Martyn Jennings of Cowling made £1,640 and Aberdeen-Angus from the same vendor reached £1,430.
Many Blue bulls sold between £1,400 and £1,500, and well-fleshed Blue steers aged eight to nine months commonly made £1,500-£1,600. Native bulls aged nine to 11 months, with both flesh and frame, reached £1,550-£1,600; Angus bulls aged eight to nine months sold for £1,400-£1,430.
Of the 359 bullocks and heifers, the top bullock was a Simmental from Sim x of Silsden at £1,910. Other strong steers from that farm made £1,800-£1,890. Yearling suckler-bred steers generally sold for £1,650-£1,800, dairy crosses for £1,300-£1,550, and younger dairy crosses for £1,200-£1,350. Angus steers peaked at £1,780 for CN&SA Harrison of Elslack, with other stronger native steers at £1,400-£1,700.
Heifers reached £1,840 for strong Angus from L Thorpe of Oakworth. Yearling native heifers made £1,050-£1,200, while a forward Limousin from Nick Carlisle of Kilnsey led continental heifers at £1,740. Better suckler-bred animals sold for £1,500-£1,700, strong dairy crosses for more than £1,400, and younger dairy-cross heifers for £1,100-£1,300. In-calf cows from Andrew Barker of Todmorden reached £1,120 for a Beef Shorthorn, with other in-calf cows selling for up to £1,000. The next monthly sale will take place on Saturday September 5, when the annual Beltex Sheep Society show and sale of pedigree rams and females is also scheduled.
