Fordswood heifer tops Beeston mid-month dairy sale at £2320

TRADE for dairy females continued to gather pace with a significant rise on the month at Beeston, where a large portion of the 253 cattle on offer broke the £2000 barrier. 
This can be attributed to a rise in commodity and farm gate prices following the fall in national production in the early summer, added to the general shortage of dairy cattle on the market. 
Hitting the top price of £2320 was Fordswood Saloon Angel, a March, 2015-born daughter of Sandy-Valley Saloon whose grand-dam, the 3700gns Fordswood Damion Angel GP83, gave more than 14,500kg during her third. 
Consigned by Howard Walmsley, Preston, Saloon Angel was snapped up by DE Davies, Powys, giving 36kg per day. 
Two followed on at £2300 with the first of these coming from GJ Sutton, Congleton. That was a similarly aged Ralma Confirm daughter in the shape of Rowarton Confirm Electric, which sold to D and HE Colclough and Son, Hassall, Sandbach, giving 33.8kg having calved a month ago. 
Also making £2300 was an entry from Scottish consignors, M and G Struthers, Fife. Their June-calved BB Toy Missile daughter also sold to Mr Davies, this time yielding 34kg. 
Not far behind with a £2280 price tag when sold to JA and MH Wright, Sandbach, was Lachstone Dalton Kindle from J and TJN Platt, Cheshire. She also sold a month fresh giving 36kg. 
Just a couple lots later, Mr Davies paid £2180 for another from the Platts, Lachstone Jackpot Kerry, which also calved a month previously but was giving slightly more at 38kg a day. 
Cows also met a strong trade, irrespective of age or colour, and this section peaked at £2100 for Topcroft Zoltec Ona VG85-2yr from T Crawford and Co, Bungay, Suffolk. 
Selling to MJ Winard and Son, Tarvin, she gave 11,000kg as a heifer and changed hands giving 50.6kg having calved her second a month ago. 
At £1950 was a third calver giving 35kg from GW and J Mercer, Lancashire, and at £1900 was a cow from D and E Monk, Ormskirk. Both of these sold to JG and CA Bayley, Nuneaton. 
A unregistered two-year-old due to calve in the spring topped the in-calf and served heifers at £1500. Consigned by JE, DM and JE Moss, Betley, she sold to Messrs Whittaker, Knutsford. 
Norfolk-based Bollockby Farms sold a Gerwyn-sired August calver for £1580 to SR Nash, Stoke on Trent, as well as a Homestead daughter for £1450 to R Webster, Sheffield.