Farming and pets
Leek market TUESDAY, APRIL 26
ANOTHER busy Tuesday market with excellent entries in every section.
A full sheep shed this week which is good to see and buyers out in force for stock. A highlight is the cull ewe trade with the whole entry averaging a staggering £135.52 and plenty over £200 to top at £222. Spring lambs sold very well, topping at 402p/kg or £157.08 and still plenty of hoggs coming forward with 745 on offer topping at 346p/kg or £157.44.
Another superb trade in the barren section and dear as we have ever seen, topping at 200p/ kg, averaging 160.97p/kg or £1070.91 per head. Clean cattle in good demand with heifers up to 256p/kg.
Dairies topped at £2440 and £2340 for heifers from Brian Needham and the Cross-bred youngstock dispersal topping at £740.
A large entry of pigs sold on a good trade, with the best pork pigs to 146p/kg and numerous 130p plus.
Some super quality calves about this Tuesday and a very smart Blue bull sold for £490 from R S Gray, Sheffield. Heifers topped at £290.
BARREN COWS (37);
Selling time – 10:00am Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894)
Trade goes from strength to strength in the barren section with a top price of 200p/kg for a 740kg Simmental cow from Home Farm, Rushton Spencer and Limousin’s to 189p/kg for a 705kg cow.
Black & white’s sold up to 187p/kg for a 600kg Holstein from WSW Mills, Ratcliffe on Wreake and a 880kg Friesian at 185p/kg from B Hudson, Ipstones and 185p/kg for a
735kg Holstein from E Morten & Sons, Barmoor Clough.
The average improves every week at 160.97p/kg or £1070.91 per head!!
Top price of £1628 for the Friesian from B Hudson, Ipstones with British Blues to £1521, Simmentals to £1480 and other Holsteins to £1400 & £1359.75.
CLEAN CATTLE;
A good entry forward selling up to 256p/kg for a 525kg Charolais heifer from R Hall, Heaton who also sold a 530kg Limousin for 247p/kg. An 675kg Angus heifer realised 226p/kg and a 675kg Saler for 222p/kg from Home Farm, Rushton and a 570kg Simmental heifer sold for 220p/ kg from David Williams, Basford.
Top headage price of £1525.50 for Angus’, Sales to £1498.50 and Charolais to £1344.
DAIRIES;
Selling time – 11:30am Auctioneers – Meg Elliott (07967 007049) & Mark Elliott (07973 673092)
Another bouncy trade for milkers saw Brian Needham top the day for a second week in a row at £2440 for a 30kg heifer with a second from the same home at £2340.
Cross bred dairy youngstock from Rowe Farms peaked at £495 with bulling heifers from other homes up to £740.
Next week we have the most genuine herd dispersal on behalf of the Oakes family of Lach Dennis, Northwich. Catalogues are out now!
PIGS (175);
Selling time – 9:15am Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894).
A large entry this week and trade on par with last Tuesday. Pork pigs sold up to 146p/kg for a 73kg pig from J Davenport, Gawsworth. Cutters sold up to 143p/kg three times for 79.7kg, 81.5kg and 84kg pigs from Massie Farms who also sold others for 141p/kg twice, 140p/ kg x4 and 138p/kg.
Bacon pigs sold up to 137p/kg for 96kg pigs from J & B Fentem, Alsop en le Dale and 132p/kg for 87kg pigs from Massie Farms. 128p/kg for a 90kg pig from M R Banham, Bromsgrove who also sold 86kg pigs for 126p/kg and 88kg pigs for 125p/kg. Bernard Minshull sold bacon pigs at 127p/kg and 125p/kg.
Heavy pigs sold up to 110p/kg for a pen of 105kg pigs from RT Wilson, Oldham and 99p/kg for a 114kg pig from Phil Kelsall.
A good trade for cull sows with the best to 80p/kg twice for a 356kg sow from PF & PD Parsons, and for a 254kg sow from D J Pope, Thame. A 245kg Sow realised 79p/kg for S J Thompson, Belper, 78p/kg for a 291kg sow from the parsons and D J Pope selling others at 77p/ kg, 75p/kg, 73p/kg etc.
SHEEP SECTION;
Selling time 11:00am Auctioneer – Robert Watkins (07929 946652)
SPRING LAMBS (215);
A good entry of lambs saw princes back on the week but still very solid and well in line with other outlets. Best lambs peaking at 402p/kg and an SQQ average of 358p/kg.
Heavier weights more difficult to place and only topping at 315p/kg or £157.08.
Consistent numbers required each week please!
BUTCHERS HOGGETS (745);
A good entry for the time of year with excellent demand throughout. Best sorts seeing a very solid enquiry with plenty at 320p/kg and better topping at 346p/kg for an excellent pen of fed lambs from Rob Hall, Rushton Spencer.
More plainer types forward generally which are heavily discounted. To achieve decent returns hoggs must be well fed.
SQQ average at 298.4p/kg and an overall average of £128/head.
CULL SHEEP (390);
A bumper entry seeing an exceptional trade, with new bidders forward. Best ewes on fire, topping at £222 for Charolais’; £219 for Texel’s and £204 for Suffolk’s. Top 10 pens all sold for £200 or more. Best Mules to £138 and best horned ewes to £84.
Overall average an eye watering £135.52!!
CALVES (94);
Selling time – 10:00am Auctioneer - Oliver Hiles (07801 530899)
Some super quality about today and a big ring of buyers looking for numbers.
30 Continental Bulls
Trade very fast for the bulls this week with numerous potential buyers looking for numbers but they all had to fight hard to secure calves. 4 best Blue calves topped £400 and sold to a high of £490 for a big (50 day old) shapey sort from Robert Gray, Sheffield. Andrew Hulme had £415; Rob Lawley £410 and Phillip Heath sold at £400
(All Blues). 9 best over £340; Mediums £250 - £300 with smaller sorts a little less but look well sold.
24 Continental Heifers
Perhaps not as dear as the bulls but still better sold than we have seen of late. Blues sold to £290 & £280 for Phillip Heath. Best heifers £230 plus. Mediums £180 - £220 with a few smalls a little less.
12 Blues av £226 to £290 – Foker Grange Farm
9 Sims av £190 to £230 – D S Harrison