Farming and pets

Leek market TUESDAY, MAY 17

A BUSY Tuesday market with the Monthly Pedigree Dairy with a top price of £2820 for a fresh second calver from P K Brocklehurst.

Barrns topped at 200p/kg and £1540 as they continue to sell on a strong trade. Clean heifers topped at 268p/kg.

A good number of lambs, hoggs and cull ewes forward this week, which met a solid trade as demand stays put for hogg’s. Best Spring Lambs up to 390p/ kg, hogg’s to 326p/kg and cull ewes to £186.

Pigs a better trade but no real highlights. Top price of 134p/ kg for cutters and bacon pigs to 132p/kg.

Good to see more calves forward this Tuesday with bulls up to £425 and heifers to £315.

BARREN COWS (58);

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

Another excellent entry selling up to 200p/kg for a 770kg Simmental from Home Farm, Rushton Spencer. A 700kg Holstein sold up to 193p/kg for Foker Grange Farm Ltd, Leek and a 765kg Charolais cow realised 189p/kg for MJ, C & PM Reeves, Ipstones.

Overall average of 155.12p/kg or £1001 per head.

Top price of £1540 for a Simmental from Home Farm, Rushton, Holsteins to £1486.30 & £1468.50 and Charolais to £1445.85.

CLEAN CATTLE;

A shortage of cattle today with a top price of 268p/kg for a 475kg Charolais heifer from D Williams, Basford and a 545kg Charolais heifer selling for 260p/ kg from R P Hall, Heaton.

DAIRIES (82);

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

There was some tremendous quality on offer in the May Pedigree Sale at Leek which included the first consignment of 21 Milkers from Phillip & Jean Brocklehurst of Mobberley, commencing his herd dispersal. Trade was on fire from start to finish for all qualities.

The Brocklehursts run of cows were much admired by all purchasers who really came out fighting. Of the 21, 8 passed the £2000 mark peaking at £2820 to average out at a superb £1938 (Pictured Below)

Topping the entry was a ABS Eldridge daughter, Woolrow Eldridge Baby. Fresh with her second she was giving a massive 51.6kg and went to a local purchaser.

Another fresh second calver by Cal-roy-al Yoda, Woolrow Yoda Kit reached £2400. Giving 51.5kg she went to J Moss of Rushton Spencer. Three further second calvers all went on to make £2340.

A very pretty heifer from the Sutton family of Astbury reached £2340. By Our-favourite Vc

Mafia ET, she was giving 35kg.

A fantastic pedigree Limousin stock bull from the Saltbrook Herd of Messrs Harris reached £4000.

PIGS (120);

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

A good entry and an improvement in trade compared to last week with the averages up. Top price of 134p/kg for

78kg pigs from Massie Farms and also for a pair of 83kg pigs from PF & PD Parsons who also sold another pair for 130p/kg. 130p/kg for 80kg pigs from J & B Fentem and also for 79kg pigs from Massie Farms.

Bacon pigs sold up to 132p/kg for 86kg pigs from Massie Farms, who also sold 87kg pigs for 128p/kg and others at 127p/kg, 126p/kg, 124p/kg. J & B Fentem sold bacon pigs for 129p/kg, 128p/kg twice and 126p/kg.

Heavy pigs sold up to 103p/ kg for a 108kg pig from Bernard Minshull. A 110kg pig realised 98p/kg for J & B Fentem.

A lot of sows about this week, selling up to 69p/kg for a 256kg cull sow from J E Critchlow, Hollinsclough. 68p/kg for a

177kg sow from MC & EA Beattie, 62p/kg for a 299kg sow and 60p/kg for a 320kg sow from J E Critchlow.

SHEEP SECTION;

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

SPRING LAMBS (217);

A modest but growing entry, sold on a better trade tan expected. A number of regular buyers not wanting spring lambs with slow sales in the shop and some price resistance from consumers.

That said, best sorts selling well to top at 390p/kg and plenty of others at 350p/kg and better.

Heavy lambs topping 348p/kg or £169.60/head.

BUTCHERS HOGGETS (540);

A good entry for the time of year topping at 326p/kg and competitive bidding throughout, particularly for the best fed lambs. More tail end good forward which impacted on the averages with 266p/kg SQQ and 246p/kg overall.

CULL SHEEP (231);

Another good entry selling on a strong trade topping at £186 for Texel ewes and best Suffolk’s to £150.

Overall average of £105/head.

CALVES (146);

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

A jump in numbers with 3 bigger lots of 10 + calves boosting the entry. Trade remains good throughout.

43 Continental Bulls

All bulls a good price again although a lot of smaller and younger calves about. A stunning Limousin bull from Richard Emmott, Lyme Park won the day and selling at £425 to a regular Yorkshire purchaser. 6 smart calves over £375; 12 more better sorts over £300; mediums £240 £300 with only smaller sorts less.

18 Blues av £253 to £390 – P J Davies

13 Sims av £279 to £390 – TD & DA Higginson

12 Lims av £233 to £425 – R G Emmott

42 Continental Heifers

Not just as strong as the bulls but still plenty of life to the trade. A lovely Limousin was top call at £315 for E Moss, Cloudside with the top 15 over £200; mediums look good to buy at £120 - £170 with only plainer calves less.

17 Blues av £181 to £300 – J Bailey & Sons

11 Sims av £134 to £245 – D S Harrison

14 Lims av £170 to £315 - E Moss & Son

30 Natives

A little easier to buy this week. 3 Hereford Bulls av £149 to £170 – G & E Critchlow

12 AA Bulls av £165 to £200 – P E Holmes & Son

13 AA Heifers av £104 to £180 – DR & A Shuker

21 Black & White Bulls

Proper British Friesian bulls sold at £185 for Messrs Whittaker, Bosley, and £128 for Messrs Shuker. Mostly smaller sorts today from £10 - £58. 10 Reared Calves

A Blue heifer (4mths) sold at £400 from Andrew Hulme