Leek market

TUESDAY, JUNE 1

FINALLY some sunshine with many farmers in the harvest and making the most of the weather over the Bank Holiday weekend.

Spring lambs are a solid trade, with quality selling extremely well up to 382p/kg and £162.92p/ head with the whole entry averaging £130/head. Ewes were a exceptional price with a small entry forward with prices reaching £168 and £162.

Barrens sold on a strong trade up to 176p/kg for Holsteins, with clean cattle topping at 243p/kg for a Limousin heifer.

Demand for calves improves week on week, with more about this week, topping at £444 for Simmental bulls and Blue heifers to £342.

A shortage of dairies, making room for the dispersal next Tuesday.

Pigs were in good demand once again with bacon pigs to 172p/kg.

BARREN COWS (42);

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

More cattle about this Tuesday and trade just continues at a pace with some excellent prices for the stock on offer, topping at 176p/kg for a 730kg Holstein from J Bailey & Sons, Greenway Bank, with a 570kg Swedish Red at 169p/kg for B & D Cooper, Hollingworth. A 725kg Simmental cow made 161p/kg.

Overall average of 125.74p/kg or £795.86 per head.

Top headage price of £1284.80 for the 730kg Holstein from J Bailey & Sons, with Herefords up to £1202.40, Simmentals to £1167.25 and Shorthorns to £1095.

Three overage steers topped at 157p/kg for a 665kg Hereford from N A Bonsall, who also sold a 675kg Hereford at 148p/kg and

a 655kg Hereford at 143p/kg. CLEAN CATTLE;

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

A good trade for what was on offer, selling to 243p/kg for a smart 505kg Limousin heifer from C Barnsley, Morridge to gross £1227.15.

A lightweight 415kg British

Blue made 216p/kg for Shaun Beswick, Buxton, with a 580kg Limousin heifer realising 200p/kg for F Swindells. Bosley.

Steers sold to 206p/kg for a 520kg Limousin from FW & RC Hodgkinson, Gawsworth.

DAIRIES;

Selling time – 11:30am Auctioneers – Meg Elliott (07967 007049) & Mark Elliott (07973 673092)

With the sun shining, it was a very quiet day in the dairy shed with anybody with any sense silaging.

Next week however we have the dispersal of Holsteins & Shorthorns on behalf of Martin Tidmarsh that are well worth a look. Catalogues can be viewed online at www.leekauctions. co.uk.

PIGS (112);

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

A strong trade again this week, and some good quality sorts forward selling up to 172p/kg for bacon pigs.

Pork pigs topped at 144p/kg for 59kg pigs from Alan Worth, Marton who also sold a 72kg pig at 134p/kg.

Cutters topped at 144p/kg for a 77kg pig from J & B Fentem. A pair of 77kg pigs sold to 142p/ kg for C Wardle, Sandbach, who also sold 78kg pigs at 121p/kg. a single 80kg pig from J G Belfield, Sheen realised 132p/kg.

A bumper show of bacon pigs topped at 172p/kg for an excellent pen of 4 pigs from David Goldstraw, Meerbrook, with others to 146p/kg for 91kg pigs from PF & PD Parsons who sold others at 146p/kg, 144pkg and 138p/kg. 86kg pigs made 144p/kg for KJC Dipple, Studley who also sold 86kg pigs at 143p/ kg. Bernard Minshull sold bacon pigs to 139p/kg and 138p/kg.

Heavy pigs sold well on the day up to 148p/kg for a trio of 106kg pigs from J & B Fentem, who also had a pair of 104kg pigs at 112p/kg. a pair of 97kg pigs made 106p/kg for Bernard Minshull.

Cull sows topped at 81p/kg for a 203kg sow from Chris Hine, Biddulph, with a 240kg sow at 63p/kg for Abbotsholme School.

SHEEP SECTION;

Selling time 11:00am Auctioneer – Robert Watkins (07929 946652)

SPRING LAMBS (303);

Numbers on the rise and trade very solid, looking firmer on the week. The whole entry averaged £130/head including a number of lightweight sorts. Better types 350p and above to top at 382p/ kg. Best headage at £162.92 and overall average of 334p/kg.

Many more could be sold to the vendors advantage each week!!

BUTCHERS HOGGET’S (26);

A drastically reduced entry selling on a solid trade with meated sorts at 322p/kg for handy weights at 280p for heavy weights. Top headage of £140.62.

CULL SHEEP (51); Disappointing number with vendors clearly prioritising harvesting. Trade absolutely sensational. Best ewes to £168 from Ron Darlington, closely followed by Nicola Beardsley at £162. Best Mules over £120!!

Overall average of £126.80!! More required each week!

CALVES (118);

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

A bigger entry than expected for a Bank Holiday sale and there were customers for everything.