Heifer sells for £3,200 at Shrewsbury Auction Centre dairy sale

A heifer with a pedigree grabbed the headlines after selling for £3,200 at Shrewsbury Auction Centre’s dairy show and sale.

The heifer, Whitgreave Haniko Zindra, from Stubbs Partners, Whitgreave, Stafford was sold to R. A. Jones and Son, Pied House, Garthmyl, near Welshpool.

It was backed by 10 generations in the top two grades, tracing back to the great Ocean-view Mandel Zandra EX95 and giving 36kg of milk.

The sale was the best dairy price recorded at Shrewsbury for 18 months since the downturn in milk price.

Halls auctioneer Jonny Dymond at Shrewsbury said: “This well-bred heifer, a daughter of Haniko, was very correct and full of milk. Her looks matched her pedigree and the buyers clearly agreed."

The market’s pulling power was demonstrated by dairy show champion Deri Enid 455, a Seagull-Bay Jo Dancer heifer giving 31.3kg from D. R. Evans, Dryslwyn, Carmarthen, which sold for £2,600.

Mr Evans sold four heifers, including the much admired Deri Pet 82, sired by Seagull- Bay MJ Applejax and giving 34kg, which all sold for £2,250. The quartet, which averaged £2,187, sold to the show judge, Rachel Owen, from Overton.

Shropshire supporters J Allsop & Sons from Leebotwood, Church Stretton, saw Enchmarsh Totem Ethel 2, a Totem sired daughter giving 30kg, sell for £2,380.

And Hillstar Lighthouse Rebecca Raquel, a freshly calved heifer giving 36kg, with 10 generations in the top two grades, sold for £2,250.

New vendor G. W. Watkin, from Borth, sold an impressive group of 12 fresh heifers which topped at £2,150 for Henllys Kimball May 2, having calved two weeks ago. The group averaged £1,763.

The show’s second placed heifer was Deri Lofty 263 from D R. Evans which sold for £1,950 and third was Gwynnog Sedona Joanne from M. J. E. Hughes from Criggion which made £1,980.

The quality of the nine cows on show was underlined as more than half sold for £1,900 or more. The show’s reserve champion was Redlong Supershot Mauvoreen from A. C. & D. Drinkall, Wettenhall, which topped the cow trade at £2,350.

The 48 heifers on offer averaged £1,776 while the nine cows averaged £1,863.