Farming and pets

Leek market TUESDAY, APRIL 12

TUESDAY saw the Spring Lamb Easter Show & Sale ahead of the Easter Weekend.

The Champion pair of lambs shown by C S Buckston,

Sutton on the Hill sold for 655p/ kg for the pair of 36kg lambs, purchased by the judge Lee Machin of Manifold Valley Meats. The Reserve Champion being a single 38kg lamb shown by R Brough & Son, Monyash sold for 525p/kg.

Dairies sold well, topping at £2130 for a heifer from Andrew Mills with cows to £2050.

Barrens cows still a strong trade with the best to 200p/kg for a 625kg Holstein, and Simmentals to 188p/kg. Clean cattle topped at 240p/kg for a Charolais heifer.

An improved trade for pigs this week, with the best pens to 158p/kg and numerous others 140p/kg and above.

A good entry of calves this week, and topping at £420 for a British Blue bull and heifers to £275.

BARREN COWS (35);

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

Another superb trade for barrens with a top price of 200p/ kg for a 625kg Holstein from AA, WA & A Fallows, Congleton. A 900kg Simmental realised 188p/ kg for D & A Stonier, Eaton. Other black & white’s sold for 181p/ kg for a 895kg Holstein from W E Turnock & Sons, Onecote, a 755kg Friesian at 180p/kg for J W Brandrick, Fole and a 715kg Friesian at 175p/kg for Messrs Fallows.

Overall average of 149.19p/kg or £986.59 per head.

Top headage price of £1692 for the 900kg Simmental from D & A Stonier; Holsteins to £1619.55 and £1470.

CLEAN CATTLE;

Top price of 240p/kg for a 615kg Charolais heifer from R P Hall, Heaton.

Bulls sold at 217p/kg for a 610kg Aberdeen Angus from J E Archer & Sons, Hilton.

Steers sold up to 201p/kg for a 585kg Montbeliarde Steer from AN & C Sread, Repton.

DAIRIES;

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

A more buoyant trade on

Tuesday saw a top price in the commercials of £2130 for a

26kg heifer from Andrew Mills of Ratcliffe on Wreake with others from Messrs Peach of Warslow at £2020.

The herd sale on behalf of the Baskerville family of Lichfield topped at £2050 for a January calved third calver giving 43kg. Next in-line was a fresh fourth calver at £1980.

Next week is the April Pedigree sale with a good entry forward to date including another big group of well bred youngstock from Hankin Heys Farm Ltd.

PIGS (101);

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

A much improved trade this Tuesday with prices up by 30 pence on the averages. Cutting pigs topped at 158p/kg for 76kg pigs from Bernard Minshull, Buxton, with a 81kg pig at 156p/ kg for J & B Fentem, 155p/kg for 81kg pigs from David Goldstraw, other from the Fentems at 153p/ kg x2 and 151p/kg x2.

Bacon pigs topped at 158p/ kg for a pair of 95kg pigs from S Bailey, Biddulph, and 154p/kg for 99kg pigs from B Minshull; 152p/kg for 88kg pigs from J & B Fentem, who also had 151p/ kg. 151p/kg for 101kg pigs from David Goldstraw.

Heavies topped at 148p/kg for 105kg pigs from Bernard Minshull, and 135p/kg for 105kg pigs from S Bailey.

Sows sold up to 86p/kg for a 240kg sow from S J Thompson who had others at 62p/kg.

SHEEP SECTION;

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

SPRING LAMBS (108);

A good show forward for the Easter Show & Sale with some excellent quality in the line up.

Champion lambs on the day were shown by Messrs Buckston of Sutton on the Hill and sold at 655p/kg to Lee Machin (the Judge) of Manifold Valley Meats. Reserve Champions from R Brough & Sons, Monyash sold to 525p/kg, also selling to the judge. Excellent run of lambs also from RG & AS Williamson and I E & M Wilson, Hollington also received prizes and sold very well.

Away from the prizes, lambs sold very well throughout with most at 370 - 410p/kg with the overall average coming in at 390p/kg.

Good entry required next week for a full line up of buyers.

BUTCHERS HOGGETS (645);

A good entry selling very well up to 346p/kg for handy weights, 336p for heavies and 266p for overweight’s.

Best hoggs sold very well indeed, regularly at 305 - 325p/ kg and a lot grossing £135 £150/head.

Heavy lambs still more difficult to sell but generally adding up well with 52kg plus averaged £130/head. Op headage at £176/ head.

CULL SHEEP (184);

A few more on offer, topping at £154/head for Charollais. Texel’s to £152 and Mules to £118/head.

Overall average at £96.40 including a number of lean lambing mis-fits.

CALVES (132);

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

A good turnout of calves before Easter and a bigger line up of buyers looking for numbers. 48 Continental Bulls

Good calves are excellent to sell but a gap between the best and the third quality in price. 11 better sorts topped £325 and selling to £420 for a Blue from Andrew Hulme and Limousins to £410 for Richard Emmott sired by a Threaphurst bull. 20 good mediums £280 - £320, 11 plainer calves harder work under £170.

29 Blues av £267 to £420 - DW & P Hulme

12 Sims av £255 to £350 - GR & D Hawkins

6 Lims av £263 to £410 - R G Emmott

35 Continental Heifers

A similar story to the bulls.

Best good to sell with plenty of bidders but the smaller calves harder to place. 8 better sorts over £220 and up to £275 for a flashy Blue from Messrs Turnock. Mediums £170 - £200 with smallest heifers under £100.

21 Blues av £165 to £275 - W E Turnock & Sons

5 Sims av £191 to £230 - S Bailey

6 Lims av £176 to £220 - F Yates & Son

3 Cha/blo av £235 to £245 - S Bailey

31 Natives

4 Hereford Bulls to £180 - B E Wain

15 AA Bulls to £235 - AJ & T Myatt

4 Hereford Heifers to £175 - H W Heath & Son

8 AA Heifers to £245 - J S Harrison

18 Black & White Bulls