Auctioneers Halls reported a "bullish" trade at a successful sale of store cattle at Bishops Castle Auction on March 4.
"The number of entries was down on the previous sale and it was clear to see that there is growing resistance from purchasers to pay inflated prices given the current fat trade," said Halls’ Bishops Castle office manager David Bryan Jones.
Overall steers averaged 170p per kilo and £740 per head with highs of £1,045 for a 615 kilo Limousin from F. T. Bedell and Son, Bishops Castle and 213p per and £680 for two 320 kilo Limousins from O. and H. Moyle, Llanbrynmair.
Heifers averaged 155p per kilo and £652 per head to a maximum of £875 for a Charolais from Messrs Cooke and Edwards, Kempton and 175p per kilo and £735 for a 420 kilo Charolais from D. W. Evans and Sons of Brooks.
Limousin bulls averaged 160p per kilo and £685 per head. Price and Price of Sarn recorded the top prices with a 475-kilo bull selling for £800 for and a 345-kilo bull making 174p per kilo and £600.
A consignment of 60 well bred, strong, in-lamb ewes was presented by A. G. and S. J. Joseph, Cefn Vastre as part of a genuine flock reduction. The Welsh Mule and Lleyn ewes, which included a variety of ages, attracted great interest and sold extremely well.
Scanned in-lamb to Lleyn and Texel rams and due at end of March, the following prices were achieved: £143 for nine Welsh Mule yearlings, £136 for 10 Lleyn three-year-old ewes, £134 for eight Lleyn one and two-year-old ewes, £120 for 10 Lleyn three and four-year-old ewes, £104 for 10 Lleyn full mouthed ewes and £103 for 10 Welsh Mule full mouthed ewes.
The next sale of store cattle and store sheep at Bishops Castle will be on Thursday, March 25, with entries closing on March 18. A prize sale of store cattle for the Barclays Bank Silver Salver will be held on Thursday, April 22, with entries closing on Thursday, April 15.
An auction of 190 acres of sheep and cattle grazing at Freehold Farm, Norbury, Bishops Castle from April 1 to December 31, 2010 is being organised by Halls on Saturday, March 27 at noon. Contact Halls on Tel: 01588 638639 for more information.
