MONMOUTSHIRE, AUGUST 8, MONMOUTHSHIRE LIVESTOCK AUCTIONEERS
Finished lambs
1,225 lambs to a sharp clearance as trade continues to improve across the board, but especially on stronger well-fleshed lambs as a number of pens exceeded £2.
Top price on the day again from S Gamble, whose pen of Texels made 209p/kg (£85.50-41kg), followed by 207p/kg (£93-45kg) from SJ Gait, 204p/kg (£89.80-44kg) from G Walters, 203p/kg (£88.50-43.5kg) from JL Williams.
A number of heavy pens well over £95 to a top of £98 (53.5kg) from DO & JJO Stephens, who also sold top-price pence per kilo lambs at 204p/kg (£94-46kg). G Walters selling 50.5kg at £97.70 and P Jenkins (52.7kg-£97). Standardweights to 195p/kg (£76-39kg) WGB Miles and 195p/kg (£74-38kg) B Chilton. Lights also improving, with well-fleshed 31kg from HT Stephens to 190p/kg (£58.80). Leaner sorts need to be sold separately and lambs must be evenly drawn to achieve best price.
Cull Sheep
ANOTHER good entry of 765 cull sheep sold to a sharper trade all round.
The strongest ewes were a tremendous trade, Suffolk X to £132 and £120.50 from LH Attewell & Partners; £122 DO & JJO Stephens; £122 & £119 from PC Jenkins. All of the strongest ewes well in excess of £100. Second-quality also well up on the week. Hill-breds to £74 from GB & FE Ralph, £77 for Cheviots from EB Hughes. Strong Welsh £55-£65, mediums £45-£50 if meated. Small plain ewes also a bit sharper, not too much under £30. Rams to £115 from DA & WA Stone and £110 from DT Richards. Wethers to £75 from RJ Davies.
Store Sheep
THE entry of store lambs looked very well-sold against the finished trade. Welsh ram lambs to £55 from H Williams, Welsh X to the same money from DRL Williams. Speckled ram lambs to £52 from C Williams. Smaller Welsh £40-£50.
Rearing Calves
A VERY big entry of 92 calves – however, sadly, the quality did not match the quantity. Possibly the poorest show of calves we have seen in the market met one of the slowest trades, with demand well down as even the regular buyers struggled to find homes for decent calves.
The top 10 Continental bulls made between £240-£280 led by a Limousin from WL & A Windsor & Son. Another Limousin from Mrs N Williams & Son sold at £270, which was the same price as the best Blue bull from D & A Jones. Heifers were better in comparison, with one Blue making £300 and another £290 for Price & Co Farming Ltd. A strong two-month-old Hereford bull made £250 for DW Bevan & Son, with HG Robinson & Sons second-best at £228; Angus bulls to £145 and heifers to £120. Dairy bulls also slacker, with the best mostly £90-£100, and just two over this mark peaking at £121 for Price & Co Farming Ltd. Secondquality £50-£60. Smalls, including a drove of Jersey crosses, £10-£30.
Strong Calves
26 strong calves were again a poor sample, with a good many Jersey crosses. Best sellers on the day were a nice pen of three-month-old Limousin bulls from D Bevan & Son, which still looked to be good value, whilst their butty heifers were better sold at £290 apiece.
Breeding Cattle
AN ABERDEEN Angus bull (88m) from GD Owen sold at £1,000.
Store Cattle
A VERY small entry of 39 store cattle forward. Well-fleshed cattle were easily sold, while the plainer and younger sorts continue to be difficult to place.
Well-bred grazing steers sold to £995 (515kg-18m) for Charolais crosses from SG Morgan, Talybonton-Usk, with further well-bred steers to £950 (470kg-17m) and £935 (470kg-17m) for Aberdeen Angus crosses. Feeding steers to £995 (555kg-27m) for Blue cross Friesians from GT Goldsworthy, Bettws; AJ Cowling sold Blue crosses to £975 (536kg-24m). Well-fleshed heifers were more keenly bid for today and selling to £1,065 (640kg-27m) for Aberdeen Angus crosses from GR Parry, Llandenny, with further heifers to £1,025 (585kg-23m). Charolais cross heifers to £990 (507kg-25m) from the same home. Grazing heifers sold to £880 (460kg-18m for Charolais crosses from SG Morgan, with further well-bred sorts to £835 (430kg-16m) and £810 (430kg-18m).
Cull Cattle
JUST 18 cows again meeting some resistance and limited demand, except for a few well-fleshed Grade 1 Beef. These peaking at £1,030 from BJ & LA Pritchard, with others at £995 and £915 from the same home. Herefords to £915 from Mrs M Clayton; Angus bulls to £1,015 from JG Thomas.