Leek market
TUESDAY, MAY 11
A WARMER week with plenty of rain, and grass finally starting to make an appearance for farmers leading onto a much busier Tuesday sale with more stock forward. Dairies sold on a sharper trade with a good entry forward selling to £2000 for a fresh heifer, and in-calf heifers to £1630.
Barren cows sold on a buoyant trade, with some quality forward selling up to 184p/kg for Hereford cows. Clean cattle topped at 216p/kg for steers.
Spring lamb numbers on the rise, and more about nationally leading in a slight drop in trade, albeit still very strong compared to the same time last year.
Lambs topped at 388p/kg for the best over 350p/kg and topping at £154.98 per head to average just shy of £125 per head overall. Less hogg’s about with the best quality up to 334p/kg and £174.15 with Cull ewes a strong trade selling up to £140.
Calves are once again as super trade, following suit on the excellent store & fat cattle prices with bull calves to £400 for Limousins and Blue heifers selling to £305.
A bumper entry of pigs once again, and trade for the best qualities still a good demand, but plenty of heavier types proving more difficult to place. Bacon pigs sold to 136p/kg.
BARREN COWS (39);
Selling time – 10:00am Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894)
Another good show of cattle, and trade just as strong this Tuesday. Top price of 184p/kg for a 635kg Hereford from WG & M Myatt, Gratton, with a 725kg Limousin at 170p/kg from G Mitchell & E Murray, Mobberley. Simmentals sold at 163p/kg for a 780kg cow, with another
710kg Limousin at 159p/kg for S Jackson, Garshall Green.
Black & white’s sold to 150p/kg for a 655kg Friesian from DR & A Shuker, Bosley and 148p/kg for a 725kg Friesian for E T Hanson & Sons, Hasthorpe.
Overall average of 126.24p/kg or £837.66 per head.
Top headage price of £1271.40 for the 780kg Simmental cow with Holsteins to £1234.80, Limousins to £1232.50 and £1128.90 and Herefords to £1168.40.
CLEAN CATTLE;
Selling time – 10:45am approx. Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894)
Good to see a few more about, with a top price of 216p/kg for a 585kg Hereford steer, with a 675kg Aberdeen Angus steer at 210p/kg and a 510kg Aberdeen Angus heifer at 206p/kg, all from G Mitchell & E Murray, Mobberley.
A 580kg Simmental steer realised 195p/kg for Robertson Partners, Lower Withington.
Black & white bulls sold up to 180p/kg with a 560kg Friesian from J E Archer & Sons who sold others at 178p/kg, 170p/kg and 163p/kg.
Top headage prices of £1417.50 and £1263.60 for steers, heifers to £1050.60 and bulls to £1008.
DAIRIES (62);
Selling time – 11:30am Auctioneers – Meg Elliott
(07967 007049) & Mark Elliott (07973 673092)
A buoyant trade throughout on Tuesday saw a very smart heifer from David Brailsford to £2000 with numerous more in the £1800 - £2000 bracket.
The stock of crossbred cows from Messrs Kennerley sold exceptionally well, topping at £1700 to average a superb £1378.
Numerous buyers were in attendance for the in-calf heifers from Ivydene herd of Messrs Cresswell. They topped at £1630 to average £1514.
Plenty of entries for next weeks sale include 50 plus milkers, three groups of genuine youngstock and three stock bulls. Catalogues will be out later in the week.
PIGS (147);
Selling time – 9:15am Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894)
Another bumper entry of pigs with trade stronger for the handier weight pigs this Tuesday with cutting pigs to 114p/kg for a pair of 84kg pigs from PF & PD Parsons, Whitchurch.
Bacon pigs topped at 136p/ kg for 97kg pigs from David Goldstraw, with others at 121p/ kg for 87kg pigs from PF & PD Parsons, who sold others at 119p/kg and 115p/kg. The Fentem family sold bacon pigs at 119p/kg, 118p/kg and 110p/kg.
Heavy pigs topped at 115p/ kg for a trio of 105kg pigs from J G Belfield, Sheen, with others at 97p/kg from S Bailey, 96p/kg for 118kg pigs from Phillip Kelsall who sold others at 86p/kg.
A good show of cull sows selling to 77p/kg for a 240kg
Sow from S Bailey, with a
320kg sow at 75p/kg for R Rowlinson, Ramshorn and a number of sows between 63p/kg and 75p/kg.
SHEEP SECTION;
Selling time 11:00am Auctioneer – Robert Watkins (07929 946652)
SPRING LAMBS (288);
Numbers continue to creep up and with weather improving hopefully lambs will finish more consistently.
Trade less on the week for a number of reasons, mainly due to the end of the festival and demand expecting to slip. Also on the day a couple of regular buyers missing - we expect to be back in full force next week!!
Best lambs to 388p/kg with a top headage price of £154.98. in reality trade seemed a big step back from previous weeks.