Ever increasing demand for easy calving, easy managed Salers cattle saw averages improve in all sections at the breed society's show and sale at Castle Douglas.
Such were the orders for this hardy red French breed that boasts superior mothering ability and fertility that bull averages soared by £467 on the year to level at £5356.
Check out our Photo Sales section for the breed society's show and sale at Castle Douglas here
Pedigree females also proved popular with in-calf heifer averages rising £676 to level at £3035.45, while heifers with calves improved by £210 to cash in at £2573. Bulling heifer averages rose by £365 to balance out at £2123.33.
Numbers sold were however slightly down on the year, but with increased demand, breeders have been selling more at home privately.
It was pedigree breeders who purchased the lead priced lots too with Neil Austin and his father David, who run 260 cows at Boreland of Girthon, Gatehouse of Fleet, buying three bulls.
"Salers are fundamental to our business when they are so easy calved and managed," said Neil. "Dad bought the first Salers for the farm in the 1980s and numbers have increased ever since. There's nothing to beat them when they calve themselves outside, and the calves are so quick to get up on their feet and suckle. We only look them twice a day at calving – first thing in the morning and at night," he added.
The father and son duo not only bought the junior and overall champion, Bacardi Rodney, from Roy and Adam Crockett, Galashiels, at 7000gns, but also the top priced bull at 9000gns and another at 2600gns.
The 19-month-old Rodney is no stranger to the limelight having stood male champion at the Royal Highland and reserve overall at the Great Yorkshire. He also boasts the best of genetics, being a son of the French sire Gulliver, a bull which has previously produced sons to 15,000gns for the 40-cow Bacardi herd, while the dam, Cleuchhead Delilah 3, a daughter of Poldean Vince, has bred three daughters that have either been champion at the Great Yorkshire or the Royal Highland. Her sole previous male calf made 6500gns.
Check out our Photo Sales section for the breed society's show and sale at Castle Douglas here
Earlier, the Austins forked out 9000gns for the reserve senior champion, Drumaglea Perseus, from Tiree breeders, Patrick and Judith Boyd. Their two-year-old which scaled a massive 1016kg, is another well-bred bull backed by French genetics. The first son sold by Cantal, his dam, Drumaglea Bella, by Variegeois, has previously bred bulls to 5000gns, and is still going strong at 12 years of age.
Another two-year-old from the Tiree breeders, Drumaglea Prince, a son of the French sire, Sancy, made 6500gns to A and J Wright, of Trayboyack Salers, Pinmore Mains, Girvan. Full brother to the 12,000gns Drumaglea Kingpin, sold to Cuil in 2017, he is bred from the Variegeouis daughter, Drumaglea Alice.
Iain Livesey and his parents, Rob and Kath, who run 100 pedigree cows in their Cleuchhead herd from Nether Firth, Lilliesleaf, Melrose, were also in the money with bull sales at 7000gns, 6500gns and 5800gns. Dearest here was Cleuchhead Rocky, the reserve overall champion at the pre-sale show, purchased by Norman and Raymond Lawrence, Blackpots, Ellon. For their money, they get a March 2021-born bull and the first son sold by the French import, Nomad, out of the nine-year-old, Cleuchhead Gentle 33, a Drumlegagh Brandon-sired cow.
Another Nomad son, Cleuchhead Red Rocker, an April 2021-born bull bred from another Brandon daughter in the shape of Cleuchhead Mhairi, made 6500gns selling to Welsh pedigree breeder, Harry Pritchard, Llwyngwyn, Gwynedd.
Selling down to Shropshire with Fred and Bryn Robinson, Preenbank, was the similarly aged Cleuchhead Ranger, the first bull sold by Bacardi Normandy, a son of the French sire Magnificent bought privately from Roy and Adam Crockett. His dam is another by Drumlegagh Brandon.
Patrick and Judith Boyd, Tiree, were back in the money amongst the females selling the top three highest priced lots at 4800gns, 3800gns and 3500gns. The couple, who were staging their fourth production sale from Drumaglea to reduce female numbers down to 30, led the trade with Drumaglea Pearl, a September 2020-born entry by Baron, a French sire that has bred sons up to 9000gns. The dam is the Sancy-sired cow, Drumaglea Yo-Yo, which is also a consistent breeder, having produced bulls to 5000gns. She sold due in February to Variegeouis, to M Dumbreck, Skelton-on-Ure, North Yorkshire.
Check out our Photo Sales section for the breed society's show and sale at Castle Douglas here
The similarly aged heifer, Drumaglea Prancer which goes back to the show bull, Cuil Domino and one of herd's foundation females, Vendee, made 3800gns selling to Trayboyack Salers. She is by the French sire, Hibou and sold due to Lorenzo for early 2023.
Strathaven-based breeders, J and J Craig, West New House, bought the 3500gns, Drumaglea Portia, an October 2020-born heifer, due early 2023 to Hibou. Her pedigree features Baron onto a home-bred cow by Django.
Just behind, on 3400gns, Paul Allison and his wife Tanya Devereux of Harperley Salers, Weardale, sold Harperley May Mist 4 a Mistral daughter with an April-born Harperley Onyx heifer calf at foot to E James and Co, Henbant, Ceredigion.
The last of the production sales from Gerald and Morag Smith's Drumsleed herd from Laurencekirk, reached 2600gns for Drumsleed Rose, a 17-month-old heifer by Cleughhead Outlaw, purchased by Lewis Ralston, Jedforest Livestock, Jedburgh.
Pre-sale judge Glen Welsh, farm manager at Garpel Farms which is home to run 1500 Blackface ewes and 70 predominantly Salers cross Galloway cows, found his female champion in the junior leader, Gentons Renate a Murphy-sired February-2021 daughter out of Orientale from first time exhibitor, Bertie Facon, Milcombe, Banbury. She made 2100gs selling to Irish breeder, Eugene Gallagher.
The reserve, Lisnamaul Rascal, a similarly aged heifer by Herbin, out of Lisnamaul New Look, from Seamus and Stephen Maginn, Northern Ireland, sold to Trayboyack Salers, Girvan, for 2500gns.
While averages for commercial heifer slipped on last year's record breaking trade, more were sold with a top price of £2750 paid for a pen of three in-calf heifers from AR Lee, Lumbylaw, Alnwick, purchased by I Stark, South Ballo, Abernyte.
Lumbylaw also sold three 22-month-old in-calf heifers at £2500 and three 18-month-old in-calf heifers at £2300 to Messrs Armour, Ingleston Farm, Borgue, who also purchased the £2200 top priced in-calf heifers from J Martin and Son, Swinlees, Dalry.
The champion pen of commercial heifers – five from Livesey Farming made £2000 apiece to R and M Dunlop, Pinvalley, Barr, with the reserve from Colin McClymont, Cuil, Newton Stewart, four bulling heifers, making £1700 each to GW Woolhouse, Ravenfield, South Yorkshire.
averages: Pedigree – 14 bulls, £5355.71 (+£466.65 for two less); 11 in-calf heifers, £3035.45, (+£675.57 for nine fewer); nine bulling heifers, £2123.33, (+£364.59 for five more); eight heifers with calves at foot, £2572.50, (+£210 for four more). Commercial – 29 heifer stirks, £998.28 (-£195.05 for 14 more); 132 bulling heifers, £1296.59 (-£43.41 for three less); 62 in-calf heifers £1773.39 (-£175.14 for 28 more).
Auctioneers: Wallets Marts
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