Farming and pets Leek market

TUESDAY, JUNE 21

A BRIGHT & sunny Tuesday with the monthly Pedigree Dairy sale being a particular highlight of the day with an Ayrshire cow to £3000 with heifers up to £2380.

Spring lambs were up on the week, seeing the best to 350p/ kg to average 311.27p/kg or £129.28 per head! Hoggs still see a good enquiry with the best up to 262p/kg and cull ewes in strong demand seeing the best to £197 and better ewes generally £150 and above.

Less barren cattle about this week saw the best to 182p/kg or £1520.40, and clean cattle to 210p/kg.

A strong enquiry for pigs again this Tuesday seeing the best top at 200p/kg and plenty others 180p/kg and above!

More calves about but trade a little less seeing British Blue bulls up to £370 and heifers to £310.

BARREN COWS (27);

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

A small entry this week with a shortage of best beef bred types forward. Top price of 182p/kg for a 710kg Holstein from AN & C Sread, Repton, with Simmentals up to 181p/kg for a 840kg cow from A J Peach, Warslow and a 745kg Simmental at 179p/kg for D & A Stonier, Eaton. 179p/ kg also achieved for a 650kg Shorthorn from G G Hall & Son, Croxden who also sold a 755kg Shorthorn for 177p/kg.

Overall average of 153.36p/kg or £996.42 per head.

Top headage price of £1520.40 for the 840kg Simmental from

A J Peach, with Shorthorns to £1336.35 and £1331.10, other Simmentals at £1333.10 and Holsteins up to £1292.20.

CLEAN CATTLE;

A small entry and no best quality cattle forward. A

540kg Hereford realised 210p/ kg for Home Farm, Rushton Spencer with other Hereford steers a 195p/kg and 192p/kg. Montbeliarde steers sold up to 196p/kg for a 600kg steer and a 645kg Montbeliarde realised 186p/kg, both from Woodward Partners, Rudyard.

DAIRIES (78);

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

Dairy trade continues to soar with an Ayrshire cow fresh with her third topping the day from Messrs Weston of Roston. By Kid Red PP POS, she was sold giving 48kg and went to Messrs Minshall of Tean at £3000.

Heifers peaked at £2380 from Messrs Shepherd of Bakewell for an ABS Barrett daughter with another from the same home by Claynook Denim daughter at £2360. The 5 heifers from this home averaged £2232.

Numerous others passed the £2000 mark with all milkers averaging £1963.

PIGS (102);

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

Another excellent trade for pigs this week with the best to 200p/ kg for 65kg and 77kg pigs from David Goldstraw, Meerbrook, who also sold 71kg pigs at 190p/ kg. Other porkers sold at 168p/ kg for 74kg pigs from R & L Vernon, Rocester.

Cutters up to 196p/kg 6 times for pens of gilts from Massie Farms, Wood Eaton, who also sold a pen at 195p/kg and 194p/ kg for 76kg pigs from J & B Fentem and also for 82kg pigs from JA & B Minshull, Buxton.

Bacon pigs topped at 195p/kg for 87kg pigs from Massie Farms, who hp/kg. 192p/kg for 94kg pigs from Bernard Minshull who also achieved 182p/kg for 99kg pigs and 180p/kg for a 99kg pig. 170p/kg for 87kg pigs from J & B Fentem, and 165p/kg for 86kg pigs from the same home.

Heavies up to 152p/kg for a 113kg pig from J & B Fentem who also had a 128kg pig at 142p/kg.

Culls topped at 86p/kg for a 194kg sow from R A Watson, Fenny Bentley; 84p/kg for a 150kg sow from C Wright, Irlam, 78p/kg twice for 245kg and 230kg sows from Steve Bailey and 78p/kg for a 250kg sow from R A Watson.

SHEEP SECTION;

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

SPRING LAMBS (552);

An increase in numbers again, with trade generally improved in the previous week as the last remaining outlets look to change over from old season lambs to new season.

Trade generally 10 - 20p/kg up on the previous week, with the average coming in at 311p/ kg which reflects a proportion of under finished lambs in the entry. Best to 350p with better lambs generally 325p and above.

Best big lambs very well bid for topping at £179.76.

BUTCHERS HOGGETS (106);

Still a decent number forward and good demand for the best up to 262p/kg or £170.30 from Frank Heath. Meated sorts generally 220p - 250p, leaner 170p - 200p and 2 tooth hoggs at 140p - 170p.

CULL SHEEP (233);

A better entry selling on a fast trade with best ewes dearer on the week, topping at £197 for Texels from Ben Vernon, and £196 from Messrs Sessions.

Best ewes generally £150 plus, best Mules to £132 and very good Swales to £93. Best Texel Rams to £163 for Fran Taylor, Etwall.

Overall average of £118/head.

CALVES (141);

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

A bigger turnout including 23 weanlings on a warm Cheshire Show day.

44 Continental Bulls

Good numbers and some good calves on offer but a little less money than the last couple of weeks. 10 best topped £300 with a high of £370 for a Blue from Andrew Hulme. Mediums bulls £230 - £280 with a few smalls under £200.

24 Blues av £235 to £370 - DW & P Hulme

12 Sims av £152 to £255 - JA & HE Warrington

7 Lims av £286 to £340 - J Kirkham

27 Continental Heifers

Same story as the bulls with buyers tending to hay and shows rather than buying calves. A smart Limmy made £310 for F E Whittaker & Sons, Bosley with the better sorts generally £220 £250, mediums £150 - £200 with a few smaller calves less.

14 Blues av £159 to £250 - R & T Clowes & Son

5 Sims av £153 to £195 - G B Millington

7 Lims av £214 to £310 - F E Whittaker & Sons

34 Natives

Trade of the day!

14 Angus Bulls av £209 to £330 - K W Twemlow & Co

12 Angus Heifers av £110 to £200 - C Jackson & Sons

1 Welsh Black Heifer to £150 A J Webb

14 Black & White Bulls

A trio of strong Guernsey’s made £100 each with better Holsteins to £105 and smaller calves generally £15 - £40 today