Farming and pets
Leek market TUESDAY, APRIL 5
A RATHER soggy Tuesday didn’t dampen the trade today last Tuesday! Barren cattle sold up to 192p/kg and £1449.60 with clean heifers to 230p/kg.
Spring lambs sold up to 386p/ kg or £163.40 per head with hoggs still in fine demand selling up to 335p/kg and the best still strong money. Cull ewes sold up o £177 with many more required.
Dairies sold up to £2080 for heifers and Shorthorns to £1870.
More calves about this week, with the best to £430 for Blue bull calf from A Hulme, and heifers selling up to £285.
Pigs were less money this week, but a good entry forward topping at 118p/kg.
BARREN COWS (27);
Selling time – 10:00am Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894)
Another excellent trade with cows averaging over £1000 per head! Top price of 192p/kg for a 755kg Hereford cow from E T Simpson, Winkhill and a 725kg Hereford at 185p/kg for Hambleton Bros, Calton.
Black & whites sold up to 185p/ kg for a 770kg Holstein from Foker Grange Farm and a 680kg Holstein at 177p/kg from G R Spink, Grindon.
Overall average of 154.90p/kg or £1009.74.
Top headage price of £1449.60 for the 755kg Hereford from E T Simpson, with other Herefords at £1341.25. Holsteins up to £1424.50 and £1394.45.
CLEAN CATTLE;
Two top prices of 230p/kg for a 490kg Hereford heifer, and a 500kg British Blue heifer, both from Rob Hall, Heaton.
DAIRIES (103);
Selling time – 11:30am Auctioneers – Meg Elliott (07967 007049) & Mark Elliott (07973 673092)
An easier trade for milkers which was perhaps a reflection on the quality forward saw the best to £2080 for a heifer from Andy and Jane Brookes of Field, Uttoxeter with another from Andrew Mills of Ratcliffe on Wreake to £1960.
A very pretty Shorthorn heifer from Shirley Kirkham reached £1870.
The special entry of In-calf heifers from the Hall Bros of Somerford Booth met a brisk trade peaking at £1680.
Next week we have the herd dispersal on behalf of Adrian Baskerville of Fradley, Lichfield. Take a look at the catalogue online at www.leekauctions.co.uk
PIGS (156);
Selling time – 9:15am Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894).
A larger entry and trade back on last week, with averages down around 15-20p/kg.
Pork pigs sold up to 107p/kg for a pen of 72kg pigs from J & B Fentem, with a pair of 68kg pigs at 94p/kg from David Goldstraw.
Cutting pigs sold up to 118p/ kg twice for 80kg and 81kg pigs from Massie Farms, Stafford who had a run at 117p/kg and 116p/ kg four times. 110p/kg for 85kg pigs from J & B Fentem and PF & PD Parsons selling pigs at 108p/ kg twice.
Bacon pigs topped at 118p/ kg for a pen of 92kg pigs from Massie Farms who also sold 88kg pigs at 114p/kg. 108p/ kg for 92.5kg pigs from J & B Fentem, who also sold 88kg pigs for 104p/kg and 102p/kg for a pair of 94kg pigs from the Parsons.
Heavies topped at 93p/kg for a 106kg pig from JA & B Minshull, Buxton who also sold a 106kg pig for 83p/kg and 108kg pigs for 82p/kg.
Sows not in good of a demand today selling up to 50p/kg for a 170kg sow from MC & EA Beattie, Allostock. Sows generally 35 - 48p/kg.
Store pigs sold at £36 per head for 44kg stores from P J Barker, Shepshed.
SHEEP SECTION;
Selling time 11:00am Auctioneer – Robert Watkins (07929 946652)
SPRING LAMBS (21);
Another modest entry seeing a fast trade for best Texels up to 386p/kg or £163.40/head from Rob & Andy Williamson, whose run average £158/head.
*Easter Show & Sale on 12th April 2022*
BUTCHERS HOGGETS (479);
Numbers reducing and trade improved, being very fast for all types on offer. Best shaped lambs in extreme demand up to 335p/kg and numerous pens to 310 - 330p/kg.
Big lambs also a keener trade, with new bidders in attendance. Best big lambs to 331p/kg for heavies and 295p/kg for overweight’s. Top headage of £166.14/head.
SQQ average of 290p/kg and 268p/kg overall.
CULL SHEEP (155);
Desperately short of numbers with trade exceptional and a couple of orders unable to get started.
Best ewes to £177 per head, to average £114 per head!
CALVES (109);
Selling time – 10:00am Auctioneer - Oliver Hiles (07801 530899)
More calves about and more trade with seasonal buyers out in force looking for numbers.
22 Continental Bulls
Plenty of trade for all qualities. Best Blues from Andrew Hulme topped at £430 with 9 over £300 and only four under £230.
16 Blues av £275 to £430 - DW & P Hulme
4 Sims av £309 to £375 - EM & BM Sutton
23 Continental Heifers
Good Blues a super price. Top 8 over £240 with a high of £285 for Giles Clark. Mediums £170 - £220 with a few smalls under £160.
18 Blues av £208 to £285 - WG & J Clark
4 Sims av £247 to £260 - PF Hulse
1 Lim to £180 - NG, JMH & H Mellor
37 Natives
More trade for all commodities. 16 AA Bulls av £154 to £310 - S & J Ryder
4 Here Bulls av £141 to £202 T Swinson & Ptns
6 Here Heifers av £104 to £165 - Foker Grange Farm
11 AA Heifers av £92 to £145 R Wilkinson & Son
11 Black & White Bulls &
Heifers
Friesians to £102; Holsteins to £100; Brown Swiss to £88 and a Monty at £115.
16 Reared Calves from Four Vendors
Richard Toon, Mayfield had Angus bulls at £415 twice; Angus heifers at £385 (x4) and Blue Heifers at £405 twice.
Next Week
9 Blonde x Steers & Heifers (4-6 mths). Out of Friesian cows; fully weaned on dry creep and well reared.
TUESDAY, APRIL 19: Monthly Pedigree Dairy Sale - Entries Invited
Coming up with the Farming Life Centre;
Bacon Butty Project - We will be taking our Bacon Butty Project to Mole Country Store at Darley Dale on Thursday
28th April.
Call in to see us between 10am and midday for a cuppa and a bacon bap.