Leek market

A TREMENDOUS entry of dairy cattle, with the pedigree sale and the dispersal on behalf of TP Morten & Sons, Cowdal. Top price of £2,240 for the Morten Family and a Limousin stock bull to £2,300. A decent show of barren cattle. Clean cattle were well sold with a good show forward topping at 190p/ kg for steers and heifers.

More pigs about, with prices to 131p/kg for cutters and 130p/kg for baconers.

BARREN COWS (47)

SIMILAR numbers forward this week and a good trade for the sorts on offer. Top price of 133p/kg for a strong 745kg Limousin cow from David Elliott, Tideswell. Others sold to 130p/kg for a 820kg Swedish Red from Wetwood Farms, Meerbrook and 124p/kg twice for a 665kg British White from G W Hicklin, Onecote and for a 740kg Dairy Shorthorn from Critchlow Bros, Sheen.

Other top prices: 123p 780kg Holstein - D & G Tudor, Kingsley Moor; 122p 710kg Holstein – Critchlow Bros, Sheen; 122p 840kg Holstein – D J & K L Leadbetter, Sudbury; 119p 775kg Holstein – G E Brookes & Partners, Loxley; 119p 935kg Holstein – D J & K L Leadbetter; 118p 590kg Norwegian Red – E Morten & Sons, Buxton; 118p 755kg Holstein – W

G & J Clark, Bradnop Overall average 104.12p/kg or £685.44. Top headage £1,112.65 for Holsteins from D J & K L Leadbetter with others at £1,066 and £1,024.80.

CLEAN CATTLE (24)

A good show of clean cattle and a good turnout of buyers. Steers to 190p/kg for a 540kg Angus from T J Hargreaves and also for a 650kg Angus from Rushton Spencer. Blue steers from J R Hall, Endon sold to

184p/kg and 178p/kg.

Heifers achieved up to 190p/kg for a 495kg Limousin from P G Beswick & Sons, Rudyard and a 525kg Limousin also at 190p/kg from Rushton Spencer. Top headage price of £1,254.90 for Blue steers from J R Hall, with other steers at £1,235, £1,222 & £1,196.

Heifers sold to a top of £1,088.55, £1,082.25 and £1,078.80.

DAIRIES (189)

SO MANY highlights. 189 Head were sold with all concluded before 3pm. A big pedigree sale included 60 bulling heifers. First to pass the £2,000 mark was Harleygrange Atlantic Anne 220 from regular vendors Mark and Lynne Hodgkinson. Swift bidding saw Bill Bradbury clinch her for £2,100. The second to reach £2,100 was a Balllycairn Supersire Corinthian ET from Alsopdale Herd of Andrew Bunting of Bakewell. She went to the Hargreaves Family of Stoke.

Eric & Oliver Easom saw one of their five heifers reach £2,020 with all averaging £1,722. Andrew Weston of Litton had three heifers forward with the best reaching £,1960 and the trio averaging £1,897. Entry of 60 bulling heifers from Phillip and Marilyn Critchlow peaked at £870 and averaging £755.

A large crowd patiently waited for the herd dispersal on behalf of the Morten family. The fact that seven passed the £2,000 mark is evidence enough of the quality and as is often the case now it was the cross-bred element that brought most interest.

Topping at £2,240 was a fantastic Montbeliarde cross heifer by Cargo giving 31kg. She caught the eye of Brian Parker who took her home to Stafford with another by Godvari reaching £2080 to Messrs Lee of Wolverhampton.

In calf heifers topped at £1760 with the whole herd averaging a superb £1476 with many travelling into

Wales.

1st Quality Heifers to £2100 av £1,885; 2nd quality Heifers to £1,670 av £1,598; 2nd Quality Cows to £1,600 av £1,520.

Bulling Heifers to £870 av £775 All Milkers Av £1443 Herd to £2,240 73 Head Av £1,476

PIGS (84)

MORE numbers about but trade slightly back on the week but still comparing well with other national outlets.

Pork pigs topped at 125p/kg for three 74kg pigs from J & B Fentem & Sons. Others sold to 84p/kg for 73kg and 71kg pigs from L Slater & Sons, Birchover. Cutting pigs sold to 131p/kg for 84.5kg pigs from J & B Fentem & Sons with others at 128p/kg for a pair of 84kg pigs from R Wilson and others from the Fentem Family at 124p/kg and 123p/kg.

Bacon pigs topped at 130p/kg three times for

98kg and 91kg pigs from J & B Fentem, and a pair of 95.5kg pigs from R P Thompson, Hinstock. Others sold to 129p/kg and 128p/kg for J & B Fentem and 128p/kg for 96.5kg pigs from R Wilson, Oldham.

Heavy pigs sold well up to 126p/kg for 110kg pigs from J & B Fentem, 120p/kg for 105kg pigs from R Wilson, Oldham, 116p/kg for 115kg pigs from Chris Hine and 115p/kg for a 114kg pigs from J R Mosedale, Longford.

A good show of sows with a top of 71p/kg for a 280kg sow from J Wheawall, Leigh.

Averages:pork Pigs (6) av 104.83p/kg or £76.70/head

Cutting Pigs (14) av 124.11p/kg or £102.30/head Bacon Pigs (38) av 124.38p/kg or £115.58/head Heavy Pigs (11) av 115.17p/kg or £125.95/head

Cull Sows (7) av 58.84p/kg or £131.81/head

Two lots of weaners today from

S Proctor, Longnor to £38 and £34 per head.

LAMBS (876)

A REASONABLE entry but a fall in trade making

numbers a little tighter.

Trade for commercial quality lambs was very difficult.

Generally 150-165p/kg. Heavy weights in more demand with better sorts generally £80 and above to a top of £92.80.

Better types seeing more bidding to a top of 190p from A J Gilman of Elkstones. Overall average 166p/ kg.

Sample Prices: 172p 31kg A S & E L Heathcote, Rainow;

183p 33.4kg R D Liddle, Hanbury

186p 37kg J M Robinson, Swythamley; 190p 38kg

A J Gilman, Elkstones; 183p 41kg J B Rowlinson, Gawsworth; 182p 45.75kg A Williams, Basford

177p 51kg T Stafford & Son, Ballidon.

CULL SHEEP (281)

A SIMILAR entry saw another solid trade, with the average up to £67/head, but in fairness, a better show of sheep overall.

Best Texels to £115 per head from the Mifflin Family of Bignall End and other Texels at £108 and £102. Best Mules to £88, but generally £58-£70 per head.

Consistent numbers required to maintain demand.

CALVES (173)

A BETTER turnout of calves with plenty of buyers at the ringside and trade very much on a par with what we have come to expect.

49 Continental Bulls av £242.02

A good entry and some good quality on offer. Best bulls traded today over £280 with a strong Limousin from C E Hine at £375 with best fresh calves to £365 for a Wes Clark special Blue. Mediums £200-£270 with smaller bulls under £200.

17 Blues av £249 to £368 – J Ball, Betchon.

10 Sims av £249 to £290 – GW & C Brassington, Kingsley.