Prices peaked at £1900 at a draft sale of dairy cattle from Keith Downs who farms with his wife Pam and son David at Milnerfields Farm, Bingley, at Skipton, on Monday.

The sale, conducted by CCM Auctions, saw an entry of 40 principally spring calvers, with 16 being February calvers, 10 having calved down in March, two in April and nine due in the autumn to a beef sire. A further 21 were sold in their first lactation.

Sale leader was a fresh third calver giving 33kg per day, after calving early March. She was one of four purchased by Richard Sutcliffe, Queensbury.

Seven animals broke through the £1700 barrier, with these being to the pick of buyers for cows and heifers that were fresher and giving in excess of 30kg per day,

Milnerfields cows are predominantly British Friesian crosses, bred to thrive on a lower input grass-based system, and the cows forward were in fine form and full of milk

The 37 lots forward averaged £1504 with 12 buyers recorded.

Auctioneers: CCM