Have your say in dairy technology survey
Digital tools and sensors, including wearable devices that monitor dairy cows 24/7, are now widely available. But just how many dairy farms use precision livestock farming (PLF) technologies and, crucially, to what extent information from these technologies is being used regularly and reliably to support on-farm decision-making is still relatively unknown.
To answer these questions and help better understand what impact these tools and sensors have made on farm; for both cows, and the people who manage them, dairy farmers are being asked to take part in a survey being carried out Joanne Sharpe, as part of her PhD at Harper Adams University.
Every voice matters and all dairy staff are encouraged to participate in the survey, whether technologies are being used to assist with managing their herd or not. This will help build a clearer picture of what’s happening across dairy farms today and help to best determine what could benefit producers going forward.
The survey results will identify ways to help ensure dairy farmers can get the most out of the technologies they choose, both now and in the future. The work will also generate recommendations for manufacturers, farm advisors and industry groups, to enable them to better support farmers in optimising digital technology for decision-making and good cow management.
The survey should take just 5-15 minutes to complete, to access scan the QR code below or visit harper.ac.uk/dairyprecisionphd.
J36 Rural Auction Centre: General Sale of Horses, Ponies & Donkeys, Saturday 28th June 2025.
SALE OF HORSES, PONIES AND DONKEYS
A good entry of 160 horses of all types, breeds and sizes. The sale topped at 5400gns for a 17hh+, 4 year old Shire x piebald gelding from regular consignor of good stock Mr C Anderson. The same home also sold 3 year old dun and coloured cobs at 3600, 3400, 3000, 2900, 2500 and 2400gns.
Other cobs sold to 2800gns for a 7 year old cob mare from Mrs M Kenyon and 2700gns for a 5 year old grey roan gelding from Mr G Kenyon. Mr Stoyles sold Hermits Mavros at 2400gns and Mr Mowbray sold Lisa at 2500 and Kinniside Benny at 2050gns Native bred ponies topped at 3000gns for Kirtle Alice a 3 year old, registered Connemara filly, followed by 2000gns for a beautiful palomino Welsh Section C yearling colt from Mr A Halstead, an 8 year old Shetland from D Jordan sold to 1050gns and Fairytail Tia Rumba a 20 year old registered Shetland sold to a local farm home for 520gns. The next Sale of Horses Ponies and Donkeys will be Saturday 15th November.
Lancaster Auction Mart: Sale of Prime Lambs, Prime Hoggs & Cast Sheep, Monday 30th June 2025.
Customer flock to NWA Lancaster with new and regular buyers in attendance, keen to take advantage of this prompt efficient Monday morning sale. Eight buyers ringside today, all keen to do business and requiring more sheep to fulfil orders next week, 1000 plus can easily be sold at Lancaster. For all Monday enquires please contact Matthew Probert or Andrew Butler.
PRIME LAMBS
Additional buyers ringside competing for all classes and types, with lambs forward today ranging from 31kg to 55kg. The sale topped at £192 for heavy weight Texel cross from T&EA Garth, with Dorsets £198 from MJ&LC Lund. Others Texels sold to £196 from R Collinge & Son and J Bargh & Son. Well finished standard weight lambs were nicely selling at £145 to £155, with ¾ breds £160 to £170. Lighter weight lambs sold to £141 for Texel cross from P&AJ Whitaker & Son, with others £140 from J Bargh & Son. Well bred and well finished lambs were regularly 370p/kg to 380p/kg, with a Charollais cross Beltex leading todays sale at 416p/kg from D&K Swarbrick, with others at 404p/kg from R Collinge & Son. Well finished standard weight lambs were regularly 355p/kg to 370p/kg, with grass finished lambs 345p/kg to 355p/kg, depending on quality and weight. Several pens of well bred lighter weight lambs were 360p/kg to 380p/kg, with first cross lambs generally 350p/kg to 370p/kg.
Prime Lamb Top Prices: Texel: £192 Bailey Hey Farm, £186 North Farm, £186 The Dingle, £175 Bensons Farm, £172 Cragg End, £171 Hodgkinson Farm, £169 Bensons Farm. Continental: £189 Corney Hill Farm, £156 £153 Old Parkside Farm, £152 Dockensall Farm, £137 Gillibrands Farm, £132 £130 Dockensall Farm. Beltex: £186 £156 The Dingle, £154 Hazelslack Tower Farm. Charolais: £183 Bensons Farm, £170 Hodgkinson Farm, £135 Woodstock. Blue Texel: £180 £140 North Farm. Suffolk: £180 Woodstock, £174 Bensons Farm, £159 £154 Hodgkinson Farm, £147 £144 Hazelslack Tower Farm, £143 Beaumont Gate. Dorset: £142 Corney Hill Farm. Mule: £138 £103 Longstripes Farm.
PRIME HOGGS
Several pens of hoggs still appearing each week, selling to 254p/kg for continentals, with Suffolk cross to £156. The better end hoggs were still 200p/kg to 230p/kg, with others generally at realisation 120p/kg to 180p/kg.
Prime Hoggs Top Prices: Suffolk: £156 Beaumont Gate. Mule: £104 Longstripes. Texel: £104 £56 Longstripes.
CAST EWES
Ewes coming forward in greater numbers at farmers look to wean lambs, with all sold today averaging a very respectable £165. Just a handful of pure bred ewes today selling to £230 from A&E Clarkson who also sold others at £214. KA Purtill achieved £212 and E Hartley £206. The stronger end cross bred continentals were £180 to £195, peaking at £204 for Texel cross from A&E Clarkson, £200 T&EA Garth, £196, £194 KA Purtill and £192 J Gardner. Medium continental cross were £150 to £170, with leaner hard worked ewes £128 to £140. Mules sold to £169 from T&EA Garth, with others at £160 and £156 from A&E Clarkson. Other better end Mules were £140 to £162, with harder worked £130 to £135. Pure hill bred ewes sold to £123 for Cheviot and £122 for Lonks from W Pinder Jnr.
Cast Ewes Top Prices: Texel: £230 £214 Cock Hall Farm, £212 Oak Avenue, £206 Hazel Brae, £204 Cock Hall Farm, £200 Bailey Hey Farm, £196 Oak Avenue. Charolais: £194 £144 Oak Avenue. Suffolk: £192 Haversham House Farm, £182 Gillibrands Farm, £135 Haversham House Farm. Beltex: £180 Gillibrands Farm, £122 £100 Longstripes Farm. Mule: £169 Bailey Hey Farm, £160 £156 Cock Hall Farm, £154 Oak Avenue, £151 Bailey Hey Farm, £138 Bensons Farm. Cheviot: £123 Longstripes Farm. Masham: £108 Longstripes Farm. Swale: £86 Longstripes Farm
J36 Rural Auction Centre: Sale of Prime Lambs, Prime Hoggs & Cast Sheep, Tuesday 1st July 2025.
PRIME LAMBS
A touch less on the week but 50p/kg dearer than the same sale last year. Todays prime lamb sale topped at £222 for a heavy Suffolk from E Needham, The same home had another at £198. Texels topped at £189 for 54kg lambs from C Wilson, continental lambs reached £179 for a nice pair of 49kg lambs from RF&CE Hodgson. A pen of three lighter Texels from KA Purtill sold to £145 at 39kgs or 371.8p/kg. 42kg Texels from W Garnett & Son sold to 369p/kg, this was for a pen of ten. Quality lambs in particular were keenly sought after with a strong ringside of purchasers bidding competitively throughout the sale. An overall average of 342p/kg was achieved with again an emphasis on more numbers being required to meet with our buyer’s demand. Contact Joel McGarva on 07920009097 ahead of next weeks sale.
Prime Lamb Top Prices: Suffolk: £222 £198 Birkrigg Park Cottage, £189 Rowe End Farm, £186 Brikrigg Park Cottage, £169 High House Farm, £157 Ackenthwaite Farm, £156 Low Brundrigg. Texel: £189 Nether Hall Farm, £189 High House Farm, £176 Low Stangerthwaite, £173 Low Groves Far, £171 Arklid Farm, £171 Head house, £170 Arklid Farm. Continental: £179 £169 Rowe End Farm, £166 Low Groves Farm, £163 Rowe End Farm, £152 Oak Avenue, £152 Calverts Farm, £151 High House Farm. Dutch Spotted: £150 £146 £139 Small Holding, £115 £102 Archer Hill. Zwartble: £142 Birks Farm. Hampshire: £141 Endmoor Farm, £133 £116 Sewell Houses. Beltex: £138 Kellbrick Farm. Cheviot: £136 Oak Avenue. Charollais: £130 Calverts Farm, £130 Low House. Dorset: £129 Old Byre Barn. Mule: £125 Hawes Farm, £103 Archer Hill.
PRIME HOGGS
A small show of hoggs forward today signifying the end of the season. As from next week any hogg forward will be sold in the ewe section. Anything with weight and or in good condition sold well, however anything long keep was a lot more difficult to shift.
Prime Hoggs Top Prices: Texel: £162 £156 Cottage Farm, £153 Kellbrick Farm, £151 New Hall. Continental: £144 £110 New Hall. Suffolk: £136 White Horse, £135 New Hall. Swale: £134 Nether House Farm, £130 £118 Gunner Fleet Farm, £100 New Hall. Herdwick: £134 Hawkrigg Farm. Mule: £130 £110 £108 New Hall. Rough Fell: £124 St Annes Farm, £98 Low Carlingill.
CAST EWES
The cull sheep trade remains fast and furious, for a generally leaner hard worked entry. The best of the continentals sold to £196 for Texel cross from JE Wightman, with Charolais cross £190 from KA Purtill and other Texels to £190 from TMW&H Hodgson. The stronger end were generally £175 to £190, medium £155 to £170 and leaner continentals £138 to £150. Cheviot Mules sold to £178 from KA Purtill with North Country Mues to £164 from JE Wightman. Other stronger end Mules were £150 to £162, with mediums £140 to £150 and several leaner feeding types £118 to £130. Pure hill ewes sold to £166 for Cheviots from A Brown, with £160 achieved from KA Purtill. Smaller meated Cheviots were £130 to £145. Horned ewes sold to 1£28 for Swaledale from JF&AW Sutton. Smaller hard worked hill ewes are coming forward in greater number, with these generally £55 to £70.
Lancaster Auction Mart: Sale of Calves, OTM Cattle & Store Cattle. Friday 4th July 2025.
Calves
An abundance of customers ringside saw an increased entry of calves and stirks, with all classes maintaining the high prices of resent sales. Rearing bull calves sold to £940 for a ten week old Charolais cross from MH&AR Robinson and a British Blue cross at twelve weeks old from J&G Thornley Ltd. A consignment of British Blue bulls from JP&C Robson sold to £890, with others £880 and £870. Medium rearing continental bull calves were regularly £680 to £750, with the younger end in short supply £480 to £560. Native sired bull calves sold to £890 for a strong Aberdeen Angus cross from J&G Thornley Ltd, with Raby Farms selling Aberdeen Angus cross to £830, with younger rearing calves to £760 from RE&P Miller. Just a handful of dairy bulls saw the strongest sell to £530 from Raby Farm, with the youngest month old £120 to £180. Heifer calves sold to £750 for Aberdeen Angus cross, with other stronger end £650 to £720. Medium native and continental heifers were £450 to £520, and the youngest natives £300 to £350.
Bull stirks sold to £1280 for a six month old Charolais cross from FW Rhodes & Son who also sold Aberdeen Angus to £1150. Younger beef bulls sold were £750 to £900. Dairy bulls sold to £820 for nine month old black and whites. Steers sold to £1010 for British Blue cross from AJ Metcalfe, with others £940 to £980. Just a handful of heifer stirks forward saw a trio of Aberdeen Angus from WJ&EA Woodhouse sell at £970, with the younger end £740 to £800.
Heifer Calves Top Prices: ANGUS: £750, £690 Fern Hill Farm, £660 Derby Lodge Farm, £540 Bailey Hey Farm, £520 Fern Hill Farm, £500 Bailey Hey Farm. BRITISH BLUE: £670 Manor House Farm, £650 Fern Hill Farm, £590 Manor House Farm. HEREFORD: £540 Sellerley Farm. LIMOUSIN: £390 Holmescales Farm.
Bull Calves Top Prices: BRITISH BLUE: £940 Derby Lodge Farm, £890, £880, £870 Roe Farm, £840 Tills Farm, £650 Manor House Farm. CHAROLAIS: £940, £850, £630 Holmescales Farm. ANGUS: £890 Derby Lodge Farm, £830 Fern Hill Farm, £820 Derby Lodge Farm, £760 Lower Lingart Farm, £700 Tills Farm, £690 Lower Lingart Farm. FRIEISAN: £530, £300 Fern Hill Farm, £180 Derby Lodge Farm. HEREFORD: £510 Lower Lingart Farm. SHORTHORN: £480, £470 (x2) Fern Hill Farm, £390 Bolton Fold Farm, £340 Fern Hill Farm.
Bull Stirk Top Prices: CHAROLAIS: £1280, £920, £700 Barrow Greaves Farm. ANGUS: £1150 Barrow Greaves Farm. FRIESIAN: £820 Larbreck Hill Farm, £530 (x2), £470 Sellerley Farm.
Heifer Stirk Top Prices: ANGUS: £970 Gibsons Farm, £800, £750 Barrow Greaves Farm. CHAROLAIS: £800, £770, £710 Barrow Greaves Farm.
Steer Stirk Top Prices: BRITISH BLUE: £1010, £980, £940 Moss Gate Farm. ANGUS: £980 Gibsons Farm.
Store Cattle
Store cattle saw a nice trade right through out for steers, selling to £2480 for a Simmental cross from Barlow Bros. A consignment of Aberdeen Angus and British Blue sold to £2420 from K&DE Woodhouse with endless pens of stronger end steers £2200 to £2400.
Heifers sold to £2320 for Aberdeen Angus cross from Lawsons Farm Ltd. K&DE Woodhouse sold British Blue cross to £2300, with strong end heifers regularly £2100 to £2300 and longer keep £1700 to £1950.
Store Bullock Top Prices: Simmental: £2480 Littlewood Hall Farm. Angus: £2420 Kitchen Ground Farm, £2350 High Snab, £2350 Kitchen Ground Farm, £2220 Snub Snape Farm, £2100 Wood Nook Farm, £2050 Marsh Farm. British Blue: £2420 Kitchen Ground Farm, £2300 Kitchen Ground Farm, £2280 Kitchen Ground Farm, £2100 Lower Castle O Trim, £1950 Billinge Hall Farm. Flekvieh: £2250 Lambrigg Head Farm, £950 Sunderland Brows Farm. Limousin: £2200 Endmoor Farm, £2000 Endmoor Farm, £1980 Intack Farm, £1950 Intack Farm, £1850 Marsh Farm, £1820 Marsh Farm. MRI: £2120 Littlewood Hall Farm, £2000 Littlewood Hall Farm. Hereford: £2100 Gibraltar Farm, £2020 Wood Nook Farm, £1720 Billinge Hall Farm. Friesian: £2020 Lambrigg Head Farm, £1820 Plumpton Hall Farm, £1420 Billinge Hall Farm. Norweigian: £950 Sunderland Brows Farm.
Store Heifer Top Prices: Angus: £2320 Sweetings Farm, £2250 Sweetings Farm, £2180 Kitchen Ground Farm, £2080 High Snab, £2050 Raw Head, £2050 Wood Nook Farm. British Blue: £2300 Kitchen Ground Farm, £2220 Kitchen Ground Farm, £2050 Windy Hill Farm, £1850 Endmoor Farm, £1820 Plumpton Hall Farm, £1780 Park Farm. Limousin: £2100 Gibraltar Farm, £1920 High House Farm. Hereford: £1950 Gibraltar Farm, £1380 Well House Farm. Friesian: £1780 Kitchen Ground Farm.
OTM Cattle
All OTM cattle average 264p/kg, with a large proportion being dairy cows and many direct from the parlour. More are required next week, with a lighter number forward this week, as many farmers are out in the fields. Just a handful of beef cows sold to 339.5p/kg and £2403 for a Beef Shorthorn from GR&A Foy, with others generally 275p/kg to 290pkg. Heavy weight well flesh dairy cows sold to 289.5p/kg for Montbeliarde from EW&RM Towers with black and white 284.5p/kg from Barker Farms, other medium dairy cows were regularly 255p/kg to 270p/kg. Top grossing being a Montbeliarde from EW&RM Towers at £2208. Only two cows today were under £1000.
OTM beef heifers sold to 364.5p/kg for a Limousin from M&L Preece and £2160 for an Aberdeen Angus from JD EM JA Atkinson. Dairy heifers sold to 319p/kg and £1990 for black and whites from W&S Airey. OTM steers to 364.5pkg for a Hereford from WS Burrow Ltd. Cull bulls to 269p/kg and £2867 for a Beef Shorthorn from D&T Wood.
OTM Cow Top Prices: Shorthorn: 339.50 Parkside Farm. Limousin: 294.50 High House Farm.Friesian: 284.50 Cotestones Farm, 279.50 Derby Lodge Farm, 269.50 Derby Lodge Farm, 269.50 Stauvins Farm, 269.50 Cote Farm, 264.50 West Hall. Montbelliarde: 289.50 Holme Head. Angus: 279.50 Allcocks Farm. Flekvieh: 274.50 Sellerley Farm, 269.50 Holme Head. Jersey: 239.50 Lawkland Hall Farm. Continental: 229.50 Sellerley Farm.
OTM Heifer Top Prices: Limousin: 364.50 High House Farm. Angus: 359.50 Low Groves Farm, 349.50 Low Groves Farm, 339.50 Whinney Garth. Friesian: 319.50 Cocker House Farm, 319.50 West Hall, 289.50 Cocker House Farm, 269.50 Lawkland Hall Farm, 239.50 Lawkland Hall Farm, 229.50 Lawkand Hall Farm. Flekvieh: 269.50 Sellerley Farm.
Cast Steer Top Prices: Hereford: 364.50 Gibraltar Farm.
Cast Bull Top Prices: Shorthorn: 269.50 Abbots Reading Farm.
Next Week's Upcoming Sales
Monday 7th
Lancaster: 10am Prime Lambs & Cast Sheep
J36: 9am-4pm Machinery Viewing
Tuesday 8th
J36: Online Machinery Sale concludes 10:30am Pigs
1pm Prime Lambs & Cast Sheep
Wednesday 9th
J36: 9am-4pm Machinery Collection
Thursday 10th
J36: 9am-4pm Machinery Collection 10am Stirks
10:30am OTM/Cast Cattle
11am Beef Breeding & Store Cattle
11:30am Rearing Calves
Friday 11th
Lancaster: 10:15am Rearing & Weaned Calves
10:15am OTM/Cast Cattle
11:15am Store Cattle
J36: 9am-4pm Machinery Collection
