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Article: High prices mean dairy bulls are viable option ; Dairy bull calves have become a valuable asset again, with auction prices reaching averages of up to pounds80 per head through the spring and early summer.
- Article from:
- Western Morning News, The Plymouth (UK)
- Article date:
- July 1, 2009
CopyrightCopyright 2009 Western Morning News, The Plymouth (UK). Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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Dairy bull calves have become a valuable asset again, with
auction prices reaching averages of up to pounds80 per head through
the spring and early summer.
This is encouraging for producers who, for years, have felt the
only option was to shoot their dairy bulls on farm.
Currently, there is no export trade for calves because of a
voluntary ban by overseas buyers following concerns about TB in
summer 2008.
But auction marts, including Sedgemoor, near Bridgwater, are
seeing excellent calf prices, driven primarily by the high prices
fetched by finished and store cattle.
Jeremy Bell, auctioneer at Sedgemoor, commented: "Although most
Holsteins on a silage-based system will only grade P-plus or ...