Dexter Cattle For Sale Discussion Board

Photo of Aardrind Garnet with her haul of rosettes. She is very friendly, well-handled, halter trained and good to load. She will be at the mart on Friday afternoon and Paul will be delighted to let you handle her.
Sold for 330gns in the ring.

With a bit of luck she'll be out of my price range

Don't have anything entered this sale, but should have trailer with us incase we are tempted.

Just dropped to very nice quiet yearling steers of, if anyone is looking for steers. They where pleased to see Paul's heifer on the other side of the walk way and she was definitely pleased to have some company. worth making the effort to take them today, not another cattle trailer in sight. I expect it will be mayhem tomorrow morning

Everyone seems to be looking for steers this time - I'm expecting a good trade, but hoping for a bad one

Prices;

Registered
Cow + calf at foot
(15)
Av. 227
Top price 290

Cow
(7)
Av. 196
Top price 280

Heifer
(19)
Av. 94
Top price 330

Bulls - breeding
(2)
Av. 315
Top price 330

Bulls - feeding
(3)
Av. 100
Top price 100

Steers
(3)
Av. 200
Top price 200



Un-registered
Cow + calf at foot
(1)
Av. 270
Top price 270

Heifer
(10)
Av. 271
Top price 480

Bulls - feeding (had they ever been?)
(5)
Av. 30
Top price 30

The sad thing about yesterday is that a lot of female animals sold are never going to produce top quality animals and how does one educate the general public that it costs just as much to feed a poor quality animals, (probably more as a lot there definitely, needed feeding up) as a good quality one who will give you a better return in the end. I have to admit, If I had been putting my hand in my pocket I would have bought the young Hereford bull. I hadn't been to the sale for a few years and was saddened to see the quality of some of the animals there. I'm just hoping that if we can get the sale at the Thirsk Auction Mart of the ground next year we can show people what good quality animals should look like. And as an added note, have an auctioneer with a little more enthusiasm when it comes to sell stock. I think its about time a certain one was put out to grass

Forgot to say thank you to Robert for posting the above results and it was nice to finally meet you again after so many years.

I agree with Ann that it's disheartening to see animals that are not well presented entered for a sale with the option of showing. If some had been washed, handled and halter trained they would have looked a credit to the breed, we'd have had proper classes for judging and they would have sold well in comparison. I know it's work to get them handled but it has paid dividends last year and this when selling heifers. Top price heifer 2 years running at York and also Carlisle this year. People are prepared to pay good money for child friendly youngstock, particularly if short-legged. I've had huge interest in short-leg females this year and could have sold them two or three times over.

Good points about handling and it was nice to see you again Ann (and sorry to miss you this time Louisa).

I spend most of my time dealing with the meat these days so don't have much time for handling live ones but there's an easier way to up the value of youngstock - take the balls off the bulls and don't put maiden heifers to the bull!

No one wants to think their breeding stock will end up at the butchers but let the purchaser decide what's worthy of breeding from. With averages like 94gns for heifers you can soon double your money simply by not putting a bull in. And castrating can achieve the same.

I also wonder if steers should be sold first, rather than last? As a buyer it's a gamble whether you buy heifers for beef or wait until the steers come up. If other bidders are anything like me they'll hold back on bidding on heifers in case they fill their trailer/empty the budget before getting to the steers.