Leek market

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16

A BUSY Tuesday holding the monthly Pedigree Dairy Sale which saw Pedigree heifers top at £2280 and cows to £1900, with commercial heifers up to £2400.

Hogget’s even more money this Tuesday with averages up again by 5p/kg and £3 per head! Leading prices of 338p/ kg and £152.81 per head. Cull ewes were a strong demand also averaging at £86/head.

More Barren cattle about this week, and an excellent trade selling to 146p/kg for black & whites, and average of 116.34p/ kg or £776.95/head. Clean cattle also in good demand up to 218p/ kg.

A bumper entry of pigs and trade a little less on the week, with heavy quality pigs up to 129p/kg and bacon pigs at 126p/ kg.

Better numbers of calves forward and a mixed quality entry forward, however leading price of £370 for a Limousin bull and Blue heifers to £320.

BARREN COWS (39);

Selling time – 10:00am Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894)

Twice as many cattle this Tuesday and a very strong trade for all types selling up to 146p/ kg for a 780kg Friesian from S & J Ryder, with a 635kg Simmental cow realising 142p/kg for R Parker, Upper Hulme.

Overall average of 116.34p/kg or £776.95/head.

Top headage price of £1165.80 for the 870kg Holstein from A Povey & Sons, with other black & whites to £1138.80, £1131.60 and £1057.

CLEAN CATTLE;

Selling time – 10:45am approx. Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894)

Strong trade for the cattle on offer with a 565kg Limousin

bull at 218p/kg for C Barnsley, Morridge. A 495kg Limousin heifer realised 202p/kg for Mark Butler, Bagnall.

A run on well-finished Friesian bulls weighing 575-600kg sold at 174p/kg, 173p/kg, 166p/ kg, 164p/kg etc from JE Archer & Sons, Hilton, to gross up to £1000.50 and £977.45.

Bulls topped at £1231.70/head and heifers to £999.90.

DAIRIES (67);

Selling time – 11:30am Auctioneers – Meg Elliott

(07967 007049) & Mark Elliott (07973 673092)

A very buoyant trade for dairies on Tuesday saw an outstanding commercial heifer from Brian Needham of Heaton top the day at £2400.

The Pedigree section saw

John Stone of Onecote top for a second month in a row at £2280 for a 34kg heifer from Ekkel Singstar. Suttons of Astbury saw their 32kg Masterful heifer reach £2160. Andrew Bunting of Bakewell was close behind at £2120.

Cows peaked at £1900 for a third calver from the Mellor’s of Braemarhouse with a second calver from Richard Thompson of Sudbury at £1840.

Young calves were a lovely trade topping at £390.

PIGS (147);

Selling time – 9:15am Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894)

A larger entry forward, however trade back on the week as seen in the change in averages.

Light weight pigs sold to 107p/kg for 72kg pigs from DH Poulson and 105p/kg for 82kg pigs from J & B Fentem.

Bacon pigs sold up to 126p/ kg twice for 85kg and 89kg pigs from J & B Fentem, who sold others at 125p/kg and 122p/kg, with 122p/kg for 88kg pigs from J W Bailey, Cloudside and 118p/ kg for a 98kg pig from Bernard Minshull.

Heavier pigs topped at 129p/kg for a trio of 111kg pigs from JG

Belfield, Sheen and also 129p/ kg for a pair of 111kg pigs from David Goldstraw, Meerbrook. 125p/kg was paid for a 105kg pig from Bernard Minshull who sold others at 123p/kg and 120p/ kg, with RT Wilson selling 110kg pigs at 125p/kg.

Cull sows sold to 67p/kg for a 300kg sow from NS Burgin, Dronfield and 66p/kg for a 235kg sow from RA Watson, Fenny Bentley and a 233kg sow at 61p/ kg for S Bailey, Biddulph.

Store pigs sold to £32 for a pen of 11 from F Sharpley & Son, Twemlow and £21 for a pen of 11 from S Hawes, Leek.

SHEEP SECTION;

Selling time 11:00am

Auctioneer – Robert Watkins (07929 946652)

BUTCHERS HOGGET’S (643);

A similar entry selling on a fast trade throughout with plenty at £140/head and better or 320p and better.

Generally a shortage of handy weight meated sorts on offer, reflected in the average of 286p/ kg. best handy weights selling at 335p/kg and best butchers lambs selling at 338p/kg and top headage price of £152.81.

CULL SHEEP (137);

A seasonal entry sold on a fast trade topping at £139 for best Texel’s and others at £129, £126 etc.

No best big Mules forward, but those on offer sold to £82/head. Overall average of £86/head.

CALVES (150);

Selling time – 10:00am Auctioneer – Oliver Hiles (07801 530899);

Better numbers with 150 on offer and a good ring of buyers looking for numbers. 42 Continental Bulls av £236.23 Buyers for all shapes and sizes but a good number of second and third quality on offer. Better sorts, although few and far between, easy to place with a top of £370 for a super Limousin from Andrew Hulme, Basford. Medium bulls £220 - £290 with smalls around £200.