The contestants for the prestigious AgriScot Scottish Dairy Farm of the Year title have now been whittled down to four herds.
They are: Malcolm and Janet Booth, Mainhill, Lockerbie – 123 Holsteins; Alastair and Sheila Nelson, Redcroft, Castle Douglas – 144 Holsteins; University of Edinburgh, Langhill, Roslin – 232 Holsteins and T M Ralston & Son, East Drumlemble, Campbeltown – 200 Ayrshires.
Commenting on the rigorous process in getting the top 20 herds reduced to the final four, judge Sue Cope said she had been looking for a range of performance indicators including calving indices below 400 days, above average yields, cell counts below 100 and calving at 24 months with a higher than average percentage of the herd in their fifth and over lactation.
She is now embarking on a visit to the four finalists to judge on-farm conditions prior to the final decision being announced at this year’s AgriScot at Ingliston on November 16.
Market round-up
United Auctions continued their “Perth” bull sales at Stirling on Tuesday when it was the turn of the Simmentals to go under the hammer. Topping the sale and matching the record was a 22,000gns bid for the first prize bull, Dirnanean Bradley, from Finlay and Neil McGowan, Incheoch, Alyth that was knocked down to Iain and Jimmy Green, Gorskie, Fochabers.
The 108 Simmental bulls sold averaged £4841 (up £482 on the year for 25 more sold).
The firm went on to sell 97 Charolais bulls at the same venue yesterday to a top of 70,000gns and an average of £6279 (up £1927.49 on the year for a 63.4% clearance). The top bid was for Barnsford Ferny shown by T&S Gatherer, 9 Brownsfield Holdings, Barnsford, Inchinnan and sold to Boden and Davies Ltd, Mellor Hall Farm, Mellor, Near Stockport.
The Cumberland and Dumfriesshire Farmers Mart sold 9243 store lambs (including 3001 Cheviots and 2528 Blackfaces) in Longtown on Tuesday. Top prices and averages: Beltex £76.50; Suffolk £76.50 and £67.02; Charollais £69 and £65.05; NCC £71.50 and £63.39; Cheviot Mule £66 and £61.55; Greyface £71 and £60.57; Texel £79 and £59.25; Hill Cheviot £69 and £52.35; Blackface £69 and £48.61; Swaledale £43.50 and £39.15.
Messrs Craig Wilson Ltd sold 12 prime bullocks at Ayr on Tuesday to a top of 202p and an average of 184.7p, while 31 prime heifers peaked at 212p and levelled at 194.9p.
In the rough ring 122 beef cows averaged 118.6p, while 183 dairy cows levelled at 104.2p.
Nine freshly-calved dairy cattle were topped at £1980 followed by £1820 and £1750. Also, a consignment of 24 Holstein bulling heifers sold to £980 and averaged £942.
Wallets Marts sold 1886 prime lambs in Castle Douglas on Tuesday to a top of £80 per head and 198.7p per kg to average 173.1p.
The 431 cast sheep forward saw ewes selling to £131 for Texels and £69.50 for Blackfaces with the overall average levelling at £64.
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