Leek Market

A very wet Tuesday didn’t deter customers from coming to Leek with improved trade in the lamb sections, as well as calves seeing a superb trade.

Lambs sold very well up to 287p/ kg or £163.44 with a good entry forward.

Ewes cold on a competitive trade, up to £154.

More Barren cattle about and trade slightly easier on the week, but plenty of buyers with a top price of 156p/kg for Limousins and clean cattle to 231p/kg.

Trade for Calves gets better week on week, with some excellent prices being achieved up to £430 for British Blue bulls and heifers to £320.

A selective trade for Dairy cattle with a second calver to £1,810 and heifers to £1,740. A lot more pigs this Tuesday and trade down on the week, the best getting up to 118p/kg.

BARREN COWS (53)

Trade a little less on last week but some good prices achieved. Top price of 156p/kg for a 800kg Limousin from J W Hudson, Ipstones, with a 655kg Limousin at 155p/kg from C H Barnsley, Morridge who sold another

730kg Limousin for 144p/kg. A 575kg Aberdeen Angus realised 145p/kg ro P Ritter & Sons, Peak Forest, with a 760kg Hereford at 140p/kg for B Higginson, Swythamley and a 710kg Angus at 140p/kg for D H Jones & Son, Barnshaw and a 655kg

Angus at 139p/kg for P Ritter & Sons.

Other top prices: 137p 835kg Hereford - A E K Simpson, Winkhill; 137p 865kg Holstein - DJ & KL Leadbetter, Sudbury; 137p 715kg Hereford - B W Swindells, Onecote; 130p 645kg Simmental - JL & NT Walker, Matlock; 129p 495kg Simmental - JL & NT Walker, Matlock. Overall average of 112.68p/kg or £723.77 per head. Top headage price of £1,248 for the 800kg Limousin from

J W Hudson, with Holsteins to £1,185.05, and Herefords at £1,143.95 and £1064.

CLEAN CATTLE:

A small entry sold to 231p/kg for a 590kg Limousin; heifer from

J W Hudson, Ipstones to gross £1362.90. The British Blue heifers realised 194p/kg and 189p/kg for R J Critchlow, Grindon.

DAIRIES (41)

A very unpredictable trade for milkers saw the best to

£1,810 for a second calver from Messrs Bradburn of Orrell,

Wigan, with a heifer from Derek Davenport of Sandbach at £1,740. Entries are now being taken for the Pedigree sale in a fortnight which includes the Autumn Shorthorn Show & Sale.

PIGS (144)

A drop in trade this week, with averages back by 15-20 pence. Pork pigs topped the day at 118p/ kg for 73kg pigs from DJ Pope Ltd, Thame. Cutters sold to 108p/kg for J&B Fentem for 76kg pigs with others from the same home at 107p/kg, 106p/kg, 104p/kg twice and a pair of 77kg pigs at 106p/ kg for D J Pope Ltd. Bacon pigs topped at 115p/kg for a trio of 101kg pigs from PF&PD Parsons, Whitchurch, who also sold a

103kg pig at 114p/kg and a trio of 96kg pigs at 109p/kg. 91kg pigs made 114p/kg for D J Pope Ltd and a 89kg pig at 109p/kg for J&B Fentem. Heavier pigs sold up to 106p/kg for 105kg pigs from Philip Kelsall, and a 111kg at 103p/kg for J&B Fentem. Cull sows sold up to 45p/kg for a 352kg sow from D J Pope Ltd and a 270kg sow at 40p/ kg for P J Saunders, Lichfield, and a 274kg sow at 38p/kg for Ray Rowlinson.

Averages: Pork pigs (2); av 118p/ kg or £86.73/head; Cutting Pigs (32); av 93.50p/kg or £75.22/head; Bacon Pigs (93); av 93.67p/kg or £88.81/head; Heavy Pigs (11); av 81.97p/kg or £104.02/head

Cull Sows (2); av 40.05p/kg or £112.93/head.

SHEEP SECTION:

BUTCHERS LAMBS (746)

A modest entry sold on a solid trade throughout. Many more could have been sold with a couple of regular orders unable to get started. Best lambs regularly 250p and better topping at 287p or £163.44 per head. All sorts well bid for providing that they were meat. It certainly pays to give them some corn to get the required finish. Overall average of 239p/kg for a wide cross selection of lambs on offer.

Sample prices: 259p 38.5kg A Shaw, Sturston; 258p 39kg M&C Hall, Sheen; 256p 38.6kg GW & SM Pattinson, Weaver; 287p 43kg R M Hardy, Cauldon Lowe; 278p 42kg G Redfern, Onecote; 268p 45kg J F Kirkham, Hartington; 266p 44.5kg PGR Sales, Leek;

280p 48kg D Williams, Basford; 271p 51.2kg Smith & Wardman, Longnor; 265p 53kg D Williams, Basford; 258p 55.6kg A P Williams, Offley Hay; 234p 62kg M Turner, Waterhouses.

CULL SHEEP (414)

Another bumper entry with perhaps buyers a little more selective but certainly a competitive trade throughout. Best Texel’s to £154 for A P Williams, Eccleshall with others at £153 from the same home. Better Texel’s generally £130 and better. Best Mules to £115, leaner mules heavily discounted. Overall average of £81/head.

CALVES (150)

Another good show of numbers this week although quality thin on the ground. Trade absolutely amazing and equally as good, if not better than last week.

39 CONTINENTAL BULLS AVE £310.53

Bidders galore right through the sale with calves perhaps getting dearer as we went on. 10 best topped £355 including the best 3 over £400 with strong two month olds at £430 and fresh posh (38 Days) Blues from Brian

Goodwin at £420. Medium bulls £250 - £350 with just a handful of bulls under £250.

26 Blues av £320 to £420 - N E Goodwin & Son; 3 Sims av £358 to £410 - S &M Huxley & Son 9 Lims av £255 to £280 - NG, JMH & H Mellor; 1 Char to £390 - D&G Tudor.

21 CONTINENTAL HEIFERS AVE £233.57

Similar to last week, super trade with the top 10 over £270. Strong Simmentals from Messrs Huxley sold at £320, £300 and £290 with smart Blues to £290 3 times.

Just 5 under £200.

14 Blues av £239 to £290 - N E Goodwin & Son NG, JMH & H Mellor (x2).

3 Sims av £303 to £320 - S & M Huxley & Son

4 Lims av £160 to £275 - NG, JMH & H Mellor.

59 NATIVES

A bumper show and trade.

11 Here Bulls av £183 to £325 - J & W Knight.

22 AA Bulls av £109 to £290 - C V Whilock & Sons.

7 Here Heifers av £103 to £195 PT Beswick.

19 AA Heifers av £90 to £195 - W Millington & Co.

31 Black &White Bulls av £78.62. A trio of British Friesian Bulls sold at £178, £145 and £140 for Ian Gregson, Hanbury, Shorthorns to £180, Holsteins to £130 and Normande to £150 & £130 x2. Smaller bulls generally £20 - £30 today.