2025-01-09 |
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Trade on Fire at CCM Skipton New Year Cattle Opener
The 2025 feeding and breeding cattle year at CCM Skipton began with the traditional Great New Year opener, when all classes were in high demand and trade on fire, the 504-strong turnout producing an overall sale average of £1,716.54 for every animal sold, deemed an excellent start to the year. (Wed, Jan 8)
The opening young bull sale remains one of the most important feeding fixtures of the entire year, keenly anticipated by both vendors and buyers alike and launching a season which runs right through until June. It heralded the return of many regular buyers keen to fill pens at what represented the first real opportunity to buy good sized pens of 2024 Spring-born bulls in quantity.
Action from the CCM cattle ring at the Great New Year opener.
With Skipton bulls heading up a number of primestock markets in the last few months a full ringside met a lighter entry of 96 head, as wintery weather maintained its grip, the average for all sold coming out at £1,672.50, a sharp rise on the £1,371 average for 142 head at the 2024 opener, itself £102 up on the previous year.
June, 2024-born Limousin bulls topped at £2,280 for the Towler family, Grindleton, with a February-born Limousin from an exceptional pen of bulls from Peter Holt, Rossendale, heading the 10-12 months prices at £2,450. The breed average was £1,727.
British Blues at 10-12-months sold to £2,300 from the Mills family, Redmires, Sheffield, plus a second at £2,220, a price matched by a same age Limousin from M Taylor & Son, Rathmell. Blues averaged £1,518.
A shortage of short-keep, well-fleshed beef feeding cows – 29 were penned for sale – averaged £1,337.94 (2024 £1,137). JW Stockdale & Son, Burnsall, topped at £1,980 with a Limousin.
The 379 stores produced solid averages of £1,840.47 for 214 bullocks and £1,648.10 for 165 heifers. Dairy-bred Blue steers sold to a top of £2,250 from DT&LA Houseman, Dacre, plenty of pens in this category in forward condition making £2,000 and over, producing an overall Blue steer average of £1,920. Blue heifers sold to £1,820 for a pen of three from Messrs Blezard, Preston.
Suckler-bred yearlings met a flying trade, a pair of 8/9-month-old Limousin heifers from Stephen Horsfield, Mytholmroyd, achieving £2,040 and £2,000.
Continental steers sold to £2,400 for a Limousin from M Ryder & Sons, Harrogate, another Limousin pen hitting £2,330 from Williamson Bros, Ulverston. Selling prices of £2,200 fell to three vendors, H&SMD Lund, Bolton-By-Bowland, with a Limousin, NJ&SJ Pinder, Coniston Cold, and JM Ewin-Newhouse, Giggleswick, both for Charolais steers. Suckler-bred feeding heifers traded to £2,450 and £2,350 from Mrs I Swindlehurst, Preston.
Native steers sold to £2,150 for a Hereford from Louis Bretton, Brighouse, Angus steers to £2,040 from GT Blezard, Lancaster, Angus heifers to £1,900 from R Naylor & Sons, Ilkley.
Store bullocks sold to an overall Continental-x average of £1,908, natives averaging £1,826, black and whites £1,410, with comparative averages for store heifers of £1,673, £1,531 and £1,540. Sale sponsor was EMR Metal Recycling.
