A FLECKVIEH bull led the trade at the monthly Borderway Dairy Day, at Carlisle, selling for £5000.

The event, which saw the first ever sale of pedigree Fleckvieh at the centre, was topped by an entry from the Hamilton family of Fleckvieh Genetics, Dungannon, Northern Ireland. 

Their bull, one of six forward from the herd and a son of Wiscona, was snapped up by Peter Sherwen, buying on behalf of UK Sires Direct. Bred from a dam that produced more than 17,000kg in a single lactation at 4.99% BF and 3.52% P, he sold with a high genomic proof – the highest of any Fleckvieh to be exported from Austria, testing +1153 for milk. 

All six Fleckvieh bulls from the Hamiltons sold at £3000 or more. Second top price was £3800 paid by local producers, Messrs Moscrop and Waugh, Albyfield, Heads Nook, for a Genostar Wegweiser son bred from a dam that gave 9000kg at 5.63% BF and 4.01% P. 

Heading up the Monthly Dairy Day portion of the sale at £1900 was a Jeeves-sired Holstein heifer from John and Stuart Harvey, Drum, Dumfries, whose herd just won the Scottish NMR competition for the highest yielding herd in Scotland. Yielding 40kg a day she was knocked down to A and B Bargh, Wood Close, Skelton. 

Scottish producers, John and Gordon Lyle, of Nether Pratis, Fife, sold six high yielding Holstein heifers to a top of £1850 for a Pacific Dimension daughter bred from a VG-classified dam that has given more than 60 tonnes in her lifetime. She is yielding 40kg per day and headed home with D Walker, High Woodfield Farm East, West Road, Crook. 

With a large turnout of buyers, overall averages improved by £500 on the year, reflecting the increased milk price.

averages:
29 Holstein cows, £1121.90; 49 Holstein heifers, £1502.36; 10 Montbeliarde cows, £1113.33; 12 Holstein in-calf heifers, £1341.66; 12 Holstein served heifers, £965.00; six Fleckvieh bulls, £3650.00.