Cattle sale is end of an era
A Shropshire farmer whose family has been dairy farming for four generations was due to auction off his whole herd today. A Shropshire farmer whose family has been dairy farming for four generations was due to auction off his whole herd today. The sale marks the end of an era for the Dutton family, of Old Marton Farm, Ellesmere, after they agreed to sell the dairy herd of 211 cattle. The sale was due to be conducted by county auctioneers Halls, of Shrewsbury, at the farm, and machinery and other implements were also due to go under the hammer. Richard Dutton is the fourth generation of his family to farm at Old Marton. Read the full story in today's Shropshire Star
A Shropshire farmer whose family has been dairy farming for four generations was due to auction off his whole herd today.The sale marks the end of an era for the Dutton family, of Old Marton Farm, Ellesmere, after they agreed to sell the dairy herd of 211 cattle.
The sale was due to be conducted by county auctioneers Halls, of Shrewsbury, at the farm, and machinery and other implements were also due to go under the hammer.
Richard Dutton is the fourth generation of his family to farm at Old Marton.
His decision to sell his herd follows a warning from National Farmers' Union president Peter Kendall about the state of the dairy industry.
He said it was in "meltdown" during his opening speech at the union's national conference in Birmingham, adding that urgent action was needed to stem the number of farmers quitting over milk prices.
In February, a Devon group revealed that more than 1,000 dairy farmers had quit the business nationally in the past year with more set to follow unless the Government intervened.
Mr Dutton's family has a proud farming pedigree in the area and all four generations who have farmed at Old Marton have also all shared the same first name.
His great grandfather moved to the farm in the late 1880s winning the Wirral and Birkenhead Show in 1902 for cheese making.
Mr Dutton has farmed there since leaving school and built up a good herd of cows, which Halls said have deep bodies, sound legs and feet to achieve longevity while producing plenty of milk.
The cows are milked through a Herringbone parlour and fed maize and wholecrop silage and are mainly home-bred.
Principal purchases were Pentrem heifers from Graham Arthan's dispersal sale last year and the cows in the sale are by bulls including Hardy, Rubytom, Marker, Larson, Dependable, Bombay, Zidane, Josh, Jubal, Laurel, Bergwil and Celsius.
Halls director and dairy expert David Giles said: "This is an exceptionally good commercial herd and a sale not to be missed.
"There is also a good crop of 28 calves following their dams by Westminster, Melody and Nansen and heifers by Larky, Westminster and Janner who have been served mainly to Melody."
Machinery up for sale includes a milking parlour and a bulk tank.
By Oliver Cartwright
