A GOOD, quality show of beef breeding heifers, coupled with a shortage in the numbers forward, ensured a buoyant demand for all types of cattle at United Auctions' sale at Stirling on Monday, where averages improved on the year.

Auctioneers, John Roberts and David Brown, said bulling heifers rose anything from £50-£100 per head, while heifers with calves increased by more than £100 per outfit.

Such was the demand for breeding cattle that 35 heifers with bull calves averaged £2532, while 39 heifers with heifer calves cashed in at £2457.

It was another good sale for husband and wife duo, Craig and Katreen Malone, too, when they produced the top four highest priced outfits at £4300, £4150, £3800 and £3500. Dearest was a black British Blue cross heifer out of a pure Limousin cow that had been bought out of Carlisle. She sold with March-born heifer calf by Ronick Jojo, to Miller Farms, Aberdeen.

Second top priced lot for the couple from Pitcairn, Lochgelly, Fife, was £4150 paid for a Limousin cross heifer with heifer calf at foot.

The show of Simmental cross bulling heifers, judged by David Blair, Little Inch, was won by the Moffat family from Innerwick, Dunbar, whose pen of four sold for £1780 per head. The Johnstons from Kirkton, took the top three awards in the heifer with calf at foot section.

LEADING awards

Pen of four Sim X heifers – 1, Messrs Moffat, Innerwick, £1780; 2, Messrs Henry, Knockallan, £1500; 3, Messrs Dyet, East Merkland, £1450. Sim with calf – 1, 2 and 3, Messrs Johnston, Kirkton, £2150, £2000 and £1750.

LEADING prices

Bulling heifers – Innerwick (pure Sim) £1780; North Balloch (Sim X) £1580; Binzian and Ashybank (Red Sim) £1520; Mains of Callander (Sal) £1520; Merkland (Lim X) £1200.

Heifers and bull calves – Pitcairn (Lim X) £3800; Crosshouse (BB X) £3300; The Ross (A-A X) £3000; Chartershall (BP) £2750; Crosshouse (BLim X) £3050; Pitcairn (Cont X) £3200.

Heifers and heifer calves – Pitcairn (BB X) £4300 and £3500; Pitcairn (Lim X) £4150; Derrie (Cont X) £3400; The Ross (BP) £3050; Pitcairn (BLim X) £3200; McNeill Est (Sim X) £2700; East Bangour (A-A X) £2350; West Park (Cross) £2400.

Cows and bull calves: East Bangour (Lim X) £2200; Lindertis Farms (Sim X) £1950; Lindertis Farms (A-A X) £1900; Lindertis Farms (Cont X) £1850.

Cows and heifer calves – Lindertis Farms (Sim X) £1850; Lindertis Farms (Lim X) £1700; The Carse (A-A X) £1580; The Carse (Cont X) £1500.