Females of the species take the honours on first day of Perth sales

HIGHLIGHTS of the first day of the Perth Bull Sales held at Stirling Agricultural Centre were top prices going for females and not their male counterparts – with Aberdeen-Angus females fetching 14,000 and 12,000 guineas.

The top priced female came in the Kitewood dispersal sale from Val Huggins, of Insch. Her March 2009 born Kitewood Ellen Erica with a heifer-calf-at-foot was bought by new breeder, Andrew Hodge from Norfolk, a frequent buyer at recent sales up and down the country. He also paid the second-highest sum yesterday, bidding 12,000gns to secure in-calf cow Rawburn Elma from John Elliot and son John, of Roxburgh Mains, Kelso. Another of the Rawburn draft sold for 9,500gns to Mr Richardson, of Dungannon.

The Elliots also sold a Rawburn Lord Ross daughter to Gordon Brooke, Malton for 6,500gns. Mr and Mrs John Moores, of The Moss, Formby, sold to a top of 7,500gns for a six-year-old cow to the Elliots.

In the Aberdeen-Angus bull sale, 42 sold for an average of £4,650 compared to 44 sold for an average of £4,179 in 2010; a £471 increase over the year, but out of the 70 bulls through the ring, 28 – or 40 per cent –were taken out unsold, including the pre-sale champion from Neil Massie, of Blelack, Dinnet, even after the bidding had risen to 9,000 guineas. But he was later booked through the market at 8,000gns, selling to Ross Farms, of Gorebridge, Midlothian.

Massie had only minutes earlier accepted a 9,000gns bid, the top price through the ring for the intermediate reserve champion. This bull was bought by Co Durham-based genetics company Eggsport and apparently it is destined for export to the Czech Republic.

Alastair Fraser and his son Graeme, of Newton of Idvies, Forfar, had a useful sale, selling at 7,000gns to Blackford Farms, Burnside of Balhaldie, Dunblane.

Also at the 7,000gns level was Daniel Whiteford, of Borewell, Berwick-on-Tweed, who sold to Norrie, Slackadale, Turriff.

After the sale, Aberdeen-Angus breed society chief executive Ron McHattie said the bulls at the top of every class sold well, but the female trade had been exceptional.

Beef Shorthorn bulls, a smallish show with only seven sold to average £3,975 out of an entry of 11, topped at 6,500gns.

This was for the 22-month-old roan bull Cougar of Apsall from the Hon Gerald Turton, Upsall, Thirsk. The purchasers were well known Simmental breeders, Jimmy and Iain Green, of Corskie, Garmouth.

The next best Shorthorn bull price was the 5,500gns paid for Craigfaddock Capello from D Alexander, of Cloagh, Ballymena, selling to Kincraigie Farms, Lumphanan, Banchory.