Leek market

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17

A PACKED shed of Dairies for the monthly Pedigree sale, including the herd dispersal of the Soarbrook herd. Plenty of trade about, with an exceptional second calver peaking at £2500 and numbers others over the £2000 mark.

Lamb trade was much improved this Tuesday, especially for the commercial types, with returning buyers coming forward. Best quality topped at 238p/kg or £113.42. Ewes up to £109 selling on a similar trade.

Good to see more barren and clean cattle forward, and trade fairly steady as it is nationally at the moment, with Limousin cows to 140p/kg, and black & white’s up to 122p/kg. Clean cattle were well sold selling to 202p/kg for heifers; steers to 190p/kg; bulls to 186p/kg

Pig continue to sell well, up to 139p/kg for bacon pigs and plenty of fat pigs above 125p/kg. Also, cull sows well sought after selling to 84p/kg.

Calves well sold once again, with continental bulls up to £350 and buyers forward for all types and qualities. Heifers sold to £290.

BARREN COWS (42);

Selling time – 10:00am

Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976

370894). Another good entry of cattle and selling on a similar trade with a top price of 140p/kg for a 615kg Limousin from RG & AS Williamson, Wetley Rocks, with a 625kg British Blue realising 131p/kg for G J Tideswell, Marchington.

Black & white’s topped at 122p/kg twice for 800kg and 820kg Holsteins from E Morley & Sons, Kirk Langley.

Overall average of 97.43p/kg or £669.05. Top headage price of £1000.40 and £976 for Holsteins with Limousins to £896.80.

CLEAN CATTLE (17);

Selling time – 10:45am approx.

Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894)

A decent trade for cattle topping at 202p/ kg for a 530kg British Blue heifer and 197p/ kg for a 585kg Charolais heifer from FG,JM & TE Carnwell, Dilhorne, both selling to Peter Lymer of JW Ash Butchers, Leek.

Other heifers sold to 191p/kg for a 605kg Limousin from the Carnwell’s who also sold a 540kg Charolais at 188p/kg. A

565kg Simmental sold at 182p/kg and a 545kg Simmental realised 178p/kg for J Greatbatch, Wetley Rocks.

Steers topped at 190p/kg for a 505kg Limousin, and 184p/kg for a 490kg Limousin, both from JA & EM Ratcliffe, Rodsley.

Bulls sold up to 186p/kg for a 615kg Limousin from Chris Barnsley, Morridge, and black & white bulls sold at 166p/kg, 162p/kg and 161p/kg for 560kg bulls.

Top headage price of £1155.55 and £1153.70 for heifers with plenty over £1000/ head, with bulls to £1143.90 and steers to £959.50.

DAIRIES (229);

Selling time – 11:30am

Auctioneers – Meg Elliott (07967 007049) & Mark Elliott (07973 673092)

Something for everybody in the dairy ring on Tuesday which saw 229 pass through the ring of which 129 were milkers and achieving a 100% clearance rate.

A full ring of socially distanced buyers saw another “flat out” trade with many going home empty handed.

Just rewards for those pedigree vendors with animals in attendance with the Mellor family stealing the show with their second calver Braemarhouse Bill Julie. By Cogent Bill she had given 8080kg as a heifer. Sold giving 40kg she was clinched by the Halls of Ipstones.

Close behind at £2320 was another second calver, this time from the Broomhouse Herd of Messrs Easom. She too went to Messrs Hall.

Stockton Heath Ltd purchased a smashing packet of heifers including a ABS Mayday heifer from Messrs Easom at £2160 and a BB Toy Missile daughter from Messrs Bunting at £2080.

The trade for the commercial entry was just as swift with a second calver from first time vendor S Brown of Burton Overy reaching £2050 and heifers from Skinner

Bros to £2030.

The herd dispersal attracted purchasers from far and wide including Oxfordshire and Norfolk. Trade peaked at £1980 for a GoFarm Zeber milking heifer due in March with her second to Grazie with her heifer calf by Battlecry making £430. In-calf heifers due in the spring topped at £1410.

Plenty coming up in the dairy shed over the next few weeks including 2 herd dispersals, the details of which are listed below. We still hope to have some sort of Christmas Show and Sale on the 15th December subject to covid restrictions, albeit in a much simpler format but we will find some Christmas cheer.

If you have stock to sell don’t hesitate to contact Meg Elliott on 07967 007049.

PIGS (124);

Selling time – 9:15am

Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894)

A very good trade again this week for fat pigs, with numerous pens over 125p/kg.

Pork pigs sold to 127p/kg for 75kg pigs from J & B Fentem, who sold others at 120p/kg and 108p/kg.

Cutting pigs topped at 136p/kg for a pair of 82.5kg pigs from J & B Fentem, who sold other cutters at 135p/kg, 134p/kg, 130p/kg and 122p/kg. Bernard Minshull sold 79kg pigs at 130p/kg and also 83kg pig at 126p/ kg.

Bacon pigs were the most sought after weights, topping at 139p/kg for a pair of

94kg pigs from PF & PD Parsons, who also sold 103kg pigs at 137p/kg , 82kg pigs at 135p/kg and 100kg pigs at 132p/kg. Bernard Minshull realised 135p/kg for 88kg pigs and 132p/kg for 95kg pigs and 130p/kg for 98 kg pigs.

Heavy pigs topped at 120p/kg for 106kg pigs from PF & PD Parsons, with a 119kg pig at 112p/ kg for J & B Fentem.

Cull sows topped at 84p/kg for a 324kg sow from AD Thomas, Kimcote and A I Grace, High Bradfield sold sows at 73p/kg, 70p/kg and 68p/ kg twice.

SHEEP SECTION;

Selling time 11:00am

Auctioneer – Robert Watkins (07929 946652) BUTCHERS LAMBS (673);

A reduced entry saw an improved trade with a full line up of buyers keen to secure lambs. Best lambs a solid trade but the commercial quality lambs would be most improved on the week being 200p +, opposed to 185p-190p last week. Big lambs easier to sell being 15p better on the week.

Best lambs sold on a solid trade topping at 238p/ kg and plenty at 225p - 235p. big lambs seeing a top of 234p or £113.82.

Overall average of 209p/kg.

CULL SHEEP (229);

A seasonal entry sold on a similar trade, topping at £109 for smart but not big Texel ewes. Best Mules to £72 but generally £60 - £68/head for strong but not fat Mules. Overall average of £61/ head representing a very mixed sample.

CALVES (139);

Selling time – 10:00am

Auctioneer – Oliver Hiles (07801 530899);

Similar numbers and a ring of different buyers looking for all qualities and breeds with calves looking well sold once again.

38 Continental Bulls av £231

Less good calves on offer but a similar average with the second and third quality looking well sold. 10 best topped £270 with a couple from Andrew Hulme at £350 and £345. Mediums £220 - £260 with smaller bulls under £200.

20 Blues av £239 to £350 - DW & P Hulme

6 Sims av £163 to £262 - H & J Smith & Sons 12 Lims av £252 to £328 - I Gregson

33 Continental Heifers av £155

More interest in the best and many more could have been sold today. Buyers also looking for smaller calves but very price conscious. 7 best topped £240 with 2 Blues at £290 for Messrs Hulme & Messrs Goodwin. Mediums £140 - £200 with smalls a little less.

37 Natives

Best bulls good to sell but we need more good calves to suffice demand. Angus’ to £255 for Charles Sherwin and Herefords to £245 for F J Gould & Son, Longnor.

Hereford heifers topped to day at £155 for Middle Cliffe Dairies, Bradnop.

31 Black & White Bulls av £58.25

A trio of stronger Holstein bulls sold at £165/ head from P & M Critchlow, Cubley with the majority of smaller bulls at £24 - £40.