On Wednesday 25th November 2020 Mitchells Livestock Centre, Cockermouth held their weekly sale of primestock with 46 cattle comprising 34 cull cattle and 12 prime bulls and clean cattle, 2,273 prime sheep including 1892 lambs and 381 cast ewes and rams.
Leading the sale in price per kilo was a smart Limousin bull from J Brown & sons, Crakeplace Hall selling for 226 pence to Les Fell. Top price per head was a shapely Limousin bull from TA Byers, Ellenbank achieving £1556.52 again purchased by Les Fell.
Prime Heifer (Top price per kilo – pence):- Limousin – 200, 197 Hunday Farm.
Prime Heifer (Top price per head - £):- Limousin – 1182, 1074 Hunday Farm.
Prime Steer (Top price per kilo – pence):- Belted Galloway – 170 Pickett Howe.
Prime Steer (Top price per head - £):- Belted Galloway – 945.20 Pickett Howe.
Prime Bull (Top price per kilo – pence):- Limousin – 226, 225, 222 Crakeplace Hall, 210, 204 Ellenbank. British Blue – 194 Lowca Cottage. British Friesian – 188 Uldale Hall, 168 Stainburn Hall Farm.
Prime Bull (Top price per head - £):- Limousin – 1556.52, 1491 Ellenbank, 1367.52, 1344.70, 1327.50 Crakeplace Hall. British Friesian – 1203.20 Uldale Hall, 962.64 Stainburn Hall. British Blue – 1125.20 Lowca Cottage.
Cast cows the same good trade topping at 159p for a Limousin from WG Wilkinson, Brookfield, Torver. This grand trailer load averaged 154.1p or £1105.41. Top per head was for a Limousin from AG&KF Nicholson, Swinside End at £1201.20. Dairy types topped at 141p for a Holstein Friesian from Messrs Cook, High House, Gosforth with this good trailer load averaging 138.27p. Top gross £1072.64 from Donaldson’s Dairy, Threapthwaite.
Cast Cows (Top price per kilo – pence):- Limousin – 159, 158, 145 Brookfield, 154, 152 Swinside End, 139 Muncaster Head. Holstein Friesian – 141, 138, 136 High House Farm, 128, 112 Watson Hill, 123 Waites Farm, 123, 118 Lamplugh Hall, 119, 112 Barnyard. Holstein – 128 Threapthwaite. British Friesian – 119 Row Hall.
Cast Cows (Top price per head - £):- Limousin – 1201.20, 962.16 Swinside End Farm, 1177.10, 1124.13, 1015 Brookfield, 1011.92 Muncaster Head. Holstein – 1072.64 Threapthwaite Farm. Holstein Friesian – 996.30 Waites Farm, 913.92, 869.97 High House Farm, 907.74, 887.36 Lamplugh Hall, 828.80, 799.68 Barnyard. British Friesian – 817.53 Row Hall.
Prime Sheep
An entry of 1892 lambs proved good to sell with well good fleshed lambs maintaining recent high rates. The top price of £135 was paid for a Beltex lamb from Messrs Crozier & Langcake, High Moss, Bassenthwaite purchased by W Lindsay & Sons, Butcher, Station St, Cockermouth. Others to £133 from A&L Gott, Prospect House, Isel purchased by Tony Harrison Butchers, Main St, Cockermouth.
Pence per kilo honours went to I Powley, Green Marsh, Carlisle with their pen of 38kg Beltex Lambs selling for 307.9ppk or £117. This great consignment averaged 299.3p or £117.57.
A large entry of Mules received spirited bidding topping at £105.50 for a pen from P&PI Walker, Beechcroft, Mockerkin. Top per kilo was 212.8p for a pen of 30 from WE&DE Litt, Greengill, Gilcrux.
Fell sheep coming forward in very large numbers topping at £90 or 195.7p for Swaledales from G&A Crayston, Thornholme, Calderbridge. Herdwicks to £78 twice from Messrs Bland, Clea Hall, Wigton or 197.1p from P Bland & J Barnes, Knott Houses, Grasmere.
Prime Lambs (Top price per kilo – pence):- Beltex- 307.9, 295.5, 294.7, 285.4 Green Marsh, 279.5 Parkhouse, 274.4 Fieldside, 273.9, 250 Swinside End, 260, 254.7 Thrimby Grange, 255.1 Parkhouse, 255 Overcroft, 248.9 Prospect House. Texel- 292.3, 271.7 Overcroft, 268.8, 266 Somerfield House, 256.1 Rose Farm, 252.1 Elva Plain, 246.3 Crosshow, 244.9 Hollins, 240 Aspatria Hall. Mule- 212.8, 209.3, 207.4 Greengill, 209.3 Strudda Bank, 207 Swinside End, 206.4 Kirkland House, 203.1 Shatton Lodge, 202.2 Ellenbank, 200 Stockhow Hall. Lleyn- 211.6, 211.4 Lamplugh Hall. Suffolk- 210.2 Croft House, 203.6, 203.1 Strudda Bank. TexXHerd- 207.1 East House, 205.3 Clea Hall, 205.1 Riggingill, 205 Rowbrow Park. Cheviot- 204.7 Strudda Bank. Herdwick- 197.1, 195.5, 189.2, 187.2 Knott Houses, 195(2) Clea Hall, 194.7 Parsonage, 189.7 Cockley Beck. Swaledale- 195.7, 186 Thornholme, 195.3 Low Priorscales, 194.4 Stockhow Hall, 187.5 Strudda Bank.
Prime Lambs (Top price per head - £):- Beltex- 135 Highmoss, 133 Prospect House, 130, 117(2) Green Marsh, 126, 112, 110 Swinside End, 125, 123 Parkhouse, 112.50 Fieldside, 112 Green Marsh, 109.50, 104 Thrimby Grange, 104(2) Overcroft. Texel- 130, 129, 125 Somerfield House, 127.50, 125 Overcroft, 127 Beckhouse, 125, 120 Far End, 120 Aspatria Hall, 120 Hollins, 119 Frizington Parks, 118 Crosshow, 117 High Boonwood, 117, 116 High Flatts. Mule- 105.50, 98 Beechcroft, 101 Swinside End, 97.50 Shatton Lodge, 97.50 91.50, 90 Greengill, 97 Kirkland House, 96.50, 93 Ellenbank, 96(2), 92.50 Wilson Parks, 90 Strudda Bank. Suffolk- 101 Scalesmoor, 100 Frizington Parks, 97.50 Strudda Bank, 95 Westray, 95 Causeway Foot. Lleyn- 99, 93, 92, 91 Lamplugh Hall. TexXHerd- 92 Baggra Yeat, 90 Foxhouse, 87 Drigg Moorside, 87 East House, 86 Rowbrow Park, 84 Low Hall, 82 Aspatria Hall. Swaledale- 90, 88.50, 86, 80 Thornholme, 75 Strudda Bank, 75 Stockhow Hall, 74 Eirinntalla. Cheviot- 88 Strudda Bank. Herdwick- 78(2), 74 Clea Hall, 74 Parsonage, 73, 70, 69 Knott Houses.
Cast ewes selling to a fast trade with weight and flesh in keen demand. Top of £126 for Texel ewes from EPM Lawson, High Boonwood, Gosforth. Fell ewes to £66 for Herdwicks from P Edmondson, Seathwaite, Borrowdale.
Cull Ewes (per head - £):- Texel – 126, 101, 97 High Boonwood, 110 Parkhouse Farm, 110, 100 Stargill Farm, 98 Beckhouse Farm, 97, 94 Lonsdale Terrace, 95 High Moss, 94 Rose Farm. Suffolk – 97 Brow Top. Mule – 87 Stargill Farm, 80 Parkhouse Farm, 79 Crookdake Cottages, 76 Low House. Herdwick – 66 Seathwaite Farm, 57 Stybeck Farm, 50 Strudda Bank. Swaledale – 58 Muncaster Head, 57 Low House, 57 Strudda Bank, 56 Gatra Farm. Scotch Blackface – 56 Low House.