Farm and Country news for Cumbria and the Lake District: South Lakes, Eden, North Lancashire, Dales

Facebook page for red kite chicks

1:20pm Wednesday 23rd May 2012

WILDLIFE lovers are being asked to keep an eye out for red kite chicks, released as part of a Forestry Commission-led reintroduction programme in Grizedale Forest.

Lamb disease threat to be highlighted

9:22am Wednesday 23rd May 2012

THE threat of a potentially fatal disease in lambs, rendering them sensitive to sunlight, is being highlighted at a special farm event.

Penrith Auction prices - May 14

2:21pm Tuesday 22nd May 2012

PENRITH: Monday, May 21. Annual New Fair Show and Weekly sale of prime stock. Prices: Judge B Tweddell. Show Results: Cow with calf at foot: 1 Messrs RG Todd, sold to DC Evans £2,150. Heifer with calf at foot: 1 WH Brass to TH Harrison £2,800; 2 Messrs RW and G Dickinson to A and K Nicholson £2,600. Heifer/Cow with Blonde d’Aquitaine sired calf at foot: 1 Messrs RG Todd to Messrs A and R Lyle; 2 RG Todd to TH Harrison £2,250. Pair of Bulling Heifers: 1 Messrs AE and VJ Errington to G Park £1,340; 2 J Nattrass £1,400 to Messrs Bland and Barnes.Prices: Heifers and Heifer calves: Limousin £2,850; British Blue 2,750; Blonde d’Aquitaine 2,150. Cows and Heifer calves: Limousin £2050; Continental 1,800; British Blue 1,450. Heifers and Bull calves: Limousin £2,800; British Blue 2,700; Blonde d’Aquitaine 2,500. Cows and Bull calves: Limousin £2,220; British Blue 1,900 Aberdeen Angus 1,350; Continental 1,320. Bulling Heifers: British Blue £1,400; Limousin 1,380; Continental 1,150; Blonde d’Aquitaine 1,120. Breeding Bull: Limousin £2,500.

Ulverston Auction Mart price - May 24

2:24pm Tuesday 22nd May 2012

ULVERSTON: Tuesday, May 15. Show and sale of ewes and hoggs with lambs at foot and sale of livestock. Judge: G Cooper. Results: 1&2 J Woodburn & Partners; 3 GG Long. Prices. Hoggs with lambs at foot - Singles: Texel to £151 each; Mule 193; Suffolk 168. Twins: Texel 182. Ewes with lambs at foot - Singles: Texel 116; Herdwick 98. Twins: Suffolk 185; Texel 153; Herdwick 120; Mule 174; Swaledale 144. Prime lambs: Dorset to £74.50 each (average £74.25), or 180.39 pence per kilo (average 172.42p); Jacob 67.50 (67.50), 193.97 (193.97); Suffolk 85 (80.97), 222.22 (191.3); Texel 89 (85), 225 (192.75). Hoggs: Beltex 82, 176.34; Cheviot 76.50 (69.80), 184.9 (175.93); Herdwick 73.50 (58.08), 174.26 (164.9); Mule 70.50 (59.50), 180.77 (155.53); Scotch Blackface 58 (57), 180.65 (175.62); Suffolk 79 (72), 178.95 (158.54); Swaledale 71 (52.50); 167.19 (144.02); Texel 81 (64.75), 189.19 (153.39). Prime/OTM cattle - Steers: Limousin 190.5p; British Blue 189.5. Heifers: Limousin 200.5; British Blue 188.5; Saler 178.5. Cows: Charolais 142.5; Limousin 123.5. Cast ewes/rams: Texel £117; Suffolk 115; Mule 84; Swaledale 74; Cheviot 99; Herdwick 70; Rough Fell 70; Bluefaced Leicester 121; Charollais 88.

Carlisle Auction prices - May 24

2:11pm Tuesday 22nd May 2012

CARLISLE: Wednesday, May 16. Show and sale of store cattle, calves and dairy. Sale of holsteins. Forward: 778 yearling continental cattle, 307 calves. Store show. Judge: D Musgrave. Results: Champion and Reserve DE & AM Hodgson (steer) £1,300, (heifer) 1,400. Class 1: Cross bred steer 1 DE & AM Hodgson, 1,300. 2 KD & DE Miller. 3 A Kirkbride 980. Class 2: Cross bred heifer 1 DE & AM Hodgson 1,400. 2&3 Messrs Westgarth 990, 1,140. Steers: Charolais to £1,370; Limousin 1,300; British Blue 1,130; Simmental 1,280; Aberdeen Angus 1,025. Heifers: Limousin 1,400; British Blue 1,160; Charolais 1,120. Calves show. Sponsor: Genus. Judge: J Robson. Champion JW Storey & Son (Limousin heifer) £525. Reserve TW Hutchinson (Limousin bull) £500. Continental bull calf. 1 TW Hutchinson (Limousin). 2 M Booth (British Blue). 3 Messrs Jackson (British Blue). Continental heifer calf. 1 JW Storey & Son (Limousin). 2 FG & SM Lough (British Blue). 3 JN Todhunter (British Blue). Native breed. 1&2 J & D Glendinning. Heifers: Limousin 525; British Blue 450; Charolais 405; Aberdeen Angus 385. Bulls: Limousin 500; British Blue 495; Simmental 440; Charolais 435; Blonde d’Aquitaine 390; Aberdeen Angus 350; Holstein Friesian 335; Beef Shorthorn 280; British Friesian 255; Brown Swiss 168. Dairy. Ayrshire 1,900; Holstein Friesian 1,900. Holsteins to 8000gns. Averages - No heifer calves. New calved heifers 3,141,60; Cows and heifers 2,358.30.

Hawes Auction Prices - May 24

2:16pm Tuesday 22nd May 2012

HAWES: Tuesday, May 15. Weekly sale of livestock. Forward: 15 calves and 407 sheep, comprising of 16 prime lambs, 76 prime and lightweight hoggs, 115 cast ewes and rams and 200 ewes with 331 lambs at foot. Prices. Calves - Bulls: British Blue cross to £450 each (average £425); Limousin 405 (367); Friesian 195 (148). Heifers: British Blue cross 420; Limousin 395. Prime lambs: Lightweight to 210 pence per kilo; Standard 201; Medium 213 (average 208.1p). Prime hoggs: lightweight to 194 (173.5); Standard 184 (183.1); Continental 190; Mule 184p, or £74; Horned 194, 68; Bluefaced Leicester £84; Suffolk 79. Cast ewes: Polled £118 (£86.13); Horned 80 (44.45). Cast rams: Polled 108 (99.33); Horned 94 (78.15). Ewes with lambs at foot - Twins: Mule 180 (155.52); Continental 168 (153.25); Swaledale 180 (134.27). Singles: Mule 130 (118.75); Continental 135 (126.20); Swaledale 160 (93.53).

Kirkby Stephen Auction Prices - May 24

2:19pm Tuesday 22nd May 2012

KIRKBY STEPHEN: Tuesday, May 15. Weekly sale of sheep. Forward: 145 spring lambs. Prices - Prime lambs: Beltex to £113.80 each, or 281 pence per kilo; Texel 99.80, 208; Dutch Texel 95.80, 239.5; Suffolk 92.30, 204.7; Charollais 87.30, 210.5. Prime hoggs: Suffolk 110; Texel 100; Charollais 93.80; Beltex 87.30; Cheviot 85.30; Bluefaced Leicester 80; Rouge de l’Ouest 80. Cast ewes and rams: Texel 110.50; Suffolk 85.50; Mule 85.50; Cheviot 83.50; Bluefaced Leicester 80.50; Scotch Blackface 86.50; Swaledale 75.50; Masham 65. Breeding sheep - Ewes and lambs: Cheviot 51; Texel 50.

Bentham Auction Prices - May 24

2:07pm Tuesday 22nd May 2012

BENTHAM: Wednesday, May 16. Weekly sale of livestock, monthly sale of stirks and evening sale of sheep. Forward: 5 dairy, 793 breeding sheep with lambs at foot, 38 calves, 252 stirks, 2,715 sheep, comprising of 514 spring lambs, 1,586 prime hoggs, 615 feeding and cast sheep. Prices - Dairy: Newly calved Black and White cows to £1,550 each; Newly calved Black and White heifers 2,060 (average £1,953.33); Black and White heifer calves 250. Breeding sheep with lambs at foot - Ewes (with twins): Dutch Texel 340 (320); Beltex 260; Mule 200; Suffolk 140; Swaledale 202 (176.63); Jacob 100. (With singles): Dutch Texel 260; Continental 142 (130.82); Mule 121 (119); Suffolk 110; Swaledale 175 (131.45). Shearlings (with twins): Dutch Texel 300 (277.50); Beltex 290; Mule 250. (With singles): Swaledale 180 (161.47). Broken mouth (with singles): Continental 123; Swaledale 100 (95.64). (With twins): Swaledale 180 (150.71). Hoggs (with twins): Continental 190. (With singles): Continental 185 (165.67); Mule 215 (165.34); Suffolk 186 (172.27). Calves - Bulls: British Blue cross 385 (347.20); Limousin cross 285; Black and White 190 (91.36). Heifers (all crosses): British Blue 452; Limousin 350 (270); Simmental 322; Aberdeen Angus 282. Stirks - Bullocks: British Blue cross 885 (759.60); Limousin cross 820 (677.50); Charolais cross 780; Blonde d’Aquitaine cross 785; South Devon 740; Aberdeen Angus 680; Simmental cross 480 (442.50); Beef Shorthorn cross 472; Montbeliarde 520 (465.56); Black and White 700 (513.40). Heifers: British Blue cross 780 (561); Limousin cross 640 (536); Charolais cross 600; Blonde d’Aquitaine cross 740 (675); Aberdeen Angus cross 652 (512.83); Simmental cross 720 (580); Galloway 505 (502.50); Saler cross 450. Bulls: Limousin cross 720 (609.47); Stabiliser cross 780 (715.83); Aberdeen Angus cross 600 (430.66); Beef Shorthorn cross 645 (607.50); Black and White 615 (401.70). Spring lambs (less than 36 kilograms): Continental cross £75.80, (average 232 pence per kilo). (More than 36 kilogram): Continental cross 108, (291); Suffolk cross 100, (248). Prime hoggs (less than 36 kilograms): Continental cross 75.80, (222); Mule 51, (154); Horned 61, (178). (More than 36 kilograms): Continental cross 102, (204); Suffolk cross 99, (185); Mule 79.50, (162); Masham 73, (146); Horned 80, (185). Cast sheep - Ewes: Continental cross 146; Suffolk cross 109; Mule 88; Masham 82; Horned 84.50; Bluefaced Leicester 99. Rams: Polled 138; Horned 65. Goats: 30.

Cash plan to help birds through the winter

4:45pm Monday 21st May 2012

FARMERS are to be offered cash so they can buy winter food to help save some of Britain’s native wild birds.

'Supermarket ombudsman' must be given powers call

2:21pm Wednesday 16th May 2012

THE new ‘supermarket ombudsman’ should be given powers to punish companies for breaching trading standards to prevent the office from becoming a ‘toothless watchdog’, campaigners are demanding.

Hunt is on for natterjack toads

9:30am Tuesday 15th May 2012

A survey has been launched to find new colonies of natterjack toads in Cumbria.

Furness haulier unveils new fleet

3:22pm Monday 14th May 2012

A FURNESS cattle haulage company has responded to the thriving beef market by enhancing its fleet with four new state-of-the-art trucks.

'Water friendly agriculture' scheme in Eden

12:40pm Sunday 13th May 2012

FARMERS in the Eden Valley have been practising ‘water-friendly agriculture’ to help protect the River Eden and its tributaries.

South Lakeland auction mart on target to open in August

3:10pm Wednesday 9th May 2012

WORK on a new modern auction mart for South Lakeland is progressing on target.

Black grouse breeding project is paying off

12:20pm Wednesday 9th May 2012

RARE black grouse numbers have doubled in just two years in some parts of northern England.

Farm prices - Kirkby Stephen Auction Mart

1:00pm Tuesday 8th May 2012

KIRKBY STEPHEN: Tuesday, May 1. Show and weekly sale of prime, cast and breeding sheep. Results - Continental (pairs): 1 (Champion) & 2 Messrs Bainbridge, £138 (306.66p/kg), to A Atkinson/£130 (313.25p), to Steadman’s Butchers; 3 Messrs Slee, £114.80 (273.33p), to Steadman’s Butchers. Suffolk (pairs): 1&2 Messrs Sowerby, £91.80 (216p)/£91.30 (217), to A Atkinson; 3 Messrs Ewin, £97.80 (203.75p), to Messrs Jewitt. Prices - Prime lambs: Beltex to £138 each, or 313.3 pence per kilo; Texel 114.80, 273.3; Suffolk 98.80, 217.4; Charollais 96.30, 211.8. Prime hoggs: Beltex 87.80, 217.2; Texel 86.30, 204.6; Scotch Blackface 85.30, 198.2; Cheviot 83.30, 203.6; Swaledale 79.80, 194.6; Badger Face 78.80; Mule 77.80, 194.7; Suffolk 75, 195.5. Cast ewes and rams: Texel 115; Suffolk 106; Mule 84.50; Swaledale 60; Rough Fell 60. Breeding sheep - Hoggs and lambs: Texel 77.50. Shearlings and lambs: Texel 72. Ewes and lambs: Suffolk 58.50; Texel 54; Cheviot 52.

Farm prices - Lancaster Auction Mart

1:02pm Tuesday 8th May 2012

LANCASTER: Monday, April 30. Weekly sale of primestock. Results - Spring lambs: Suffolk to £93 each; Continental 85; Charollais 90; Texel 96.50. Prime hoggs: Suffolk 86; Masham 78; Mule 78; Rough Fell 75; Horned 64; Charollais 79; Cheviot 82; Texel 88. Cast sheep: Texel 101; Lleyn 90; Suffolk 99; Charollais 107; Mule 80; Horned 77. Prime cattle - Bulls: Limousin to 199.5 pence per kilo; Charolais 183.5; Simmental 174.5; Aberdeen Angus 179.5; Stabiliser 183.5; British Blue 182.5. Heifers: Piemontese 179.5.