Prices of up to 1,980 guineas were achieved and buyers from across England and Wales were attracted as an entire Worcestershire herd of pedigree organic dairy cattle went under the hammer last week.
Auctioneers Halls conducted the dispersal sale of the dairy cattle and an extensive range of farm machinery at Hill Court Far, Grafton Flyford, near Worcester on behalf of Mrs Marion Bleney.
The Flyford Herd was started 50 years ago by Robin Murray, Mrs Bleney’s late husband. The 164-head herd - 119 cows either in milk or in-calf, two in-calf heifers, 14 bulling heifers and 29 heifer calves - comprised mostly Holstein Friesians with a few Brown Swiss and Swedish Red cows.
"The sale was a rare event on several counts," said Halls’ director and dairy specialist David Giles. "Firstly, few dispersal sales are taking place at the present time and even fewer of organic cattle.
"Perhaps the most impressive aspect of this herd was the careful and considerate management which lead to a predominance of older animals in the sale, with 43 out of 119 being sixth to tenth lactation cows and a further 11 on their fifth lactation."
Top price of 1,980 guineas went to Flyford 10, a November calved heifer by Leesthorpe Ferneley out of a Deidre Dependable dam. Most spring calvers sold in the 1,400 to 1,700 guineas range, but the trade for the older animals was ready and fast, with cows going to North and South Wales, Wiltshire, Oxford, Leicestershire, Cheshire as well as all neighbouring counties.
Youngstock attracted a particularly fast trade, with 29 heifer calves averaging 430 guineas to a top of 520 guineas for daughters of Newfailand Mr Frosty and Newhouse Ricky. Two in-calf heifers, standing off until the autumn and in-calf to a Hereford bull, realised 1,400 and 1,420 guineas respectively, the first being a non registered Brown Swiss.
The best of the Swedish Red cows was a sixth calver that had calved in December and had just been served by the Hereford bull, which attracted good interest and sold at 1,280 guineas. The Hereford stock bull, 28-month-old Albany Gerrard, sold for 1,900 guineas.
The sale concluded with 14 maiden heifers, 15 to 20 months old, which attracted tremendous bidding, as usual, averaging 1,070 guineas to a top of 1,220 guineas for Flyford Octave 5 by Leesthorpe Ferneley.
The substantial range of farm machinery also attracted tremendous interest. The top prices were £11,000 for a W reg Case MX135 tractor, £10,400 for an N reg Case 5120 tractor, £6,000 for a 2004 KRM 4.8m Opti cereal drill, £5,700 for a 2008 Teagle Tomahawk 8080 trailed big bale straw chopper, £4,700 for a Sherbal and Reynolds power spread dairy mixer wagon, £2,700 for Marshall 1400 slurry tanker, £2,200 for an Agri Master super flail topper and £2,100 for Opico mounted hydraulic folding grass harrows.
