THERE was a good trade all round at CCM Skipton Auction Mart's mid-August midweek sale of feeding and breeding cattle with 273 head forward comprising 40 young bulls, 25 beef feeding cows and bulls, seven prime cattle, 185 bullocks and heifers and 16 breeding cattle.

A mixed turnout of young feeding bulls ranging from heavy high quality Continentals to late calves and grazing bulls produced solid trade, with best Continentals £1700 to £1900 and, with few pens in the range available at this stage of the season, smart medium keep Continentals the pick at £1300-£1450. Bulls in spec at 10-12 months averaged £1505, those at 12-30 months £1438, the section producing an overall Continental-x average of £1408, natives averaging £1428.

A good turnout of 24 feeding cows attracted a full ringside of buyers. Grazing cattle were good to sell with solid prices for the finished product and prime cattle trade rising. Best pure-bred cows made to £2070 for a nice Limousin from the Grindleton Towlers, while a young Limousin made £1780 from JA Mellin, Long Preston.

A run of four Simmental-x cows from RD Elliott. Tadcaster, made to £1760 per head, with D&A Livestock, Harrogate, in the mix at £1680 for a nice Limousin cross. Medium cows were in the £1300 and £1400s range, lighter meat cows £1100 to £1280.Beef-bred feeding cows averaged £1326, bulls £1240.

Store cattle saw a strong trade once again across all classes, natives in particular, with steers selling to £1700 from TM Harrison, Threshfield. Steers with flesh sold at £1600 upwards, lean feeding steers from £1500-£1650. Shorthorn steers sold to £1400, Hereford steers to £1500. Of the Continentals, Kevin Wilson, Blubberhouses, saw his steers sell to £1870, while well-farmed suckler-bred steers at 14-16 months made £1580-£1700 and leaner feeding goods with frame £1400-£1550. Black and White steers sold to £1220.

Suckler-bred heifers sold to £1880 from T Robinson & Son, Slaidburn. Smart short-keep retail heifers sold at £1700 upwards, next grade retail heifers to £1450-£1650 and yearlings £1200-£1380.

There was a full ringside of buyers for dairy-bred cattle. Heaviest steers sold at £1550-£1650 and strong steers with frame £1450-£1550. Well fleshed dairy heifers sold at £1600. Store bullocks sold to a Continental-x average of £1372, native averaging £1349, with respective averages for store heifers of £1276 and £1039.

The 16 beef breeding cattle again produced solid four-figure prices, Limousin-x cows with same way bred bull calves selling to £2680, those with heifer calves to £2250 and Aberdeen-Angus outfits to £1600.

The auction saw a good lift in clean cattle trade for a handful of mainly handy weighted retail cattle all making 350p/kg plus or just short. Commercial heavier heifers (625kg+) were 287.5p/kg to 299.5p/kg, with a top gross of £1902 for a British Blue-x from R&E Cowperthwaite, Settle, and by-weight high of 359.5p/kg for a Limousiin-x from Ben Townsend, Laneshawbridge. The Baines family, Gisburn, topped the steers with another Limousin-x at £1846, 358.5p/kg.