Leek market

A full dairy shed today at Leek with the Leabarn herd dispersal drawing in a ring full of buyers. The dispersal peaked at £200 for a fresh second calver.

A strong entry of lambs again this week, and trade notably better, especially for the heavier sorts. Prices peaked at 221p/kg and ewes to £116.

Barrens again are a good trade with a run of cattle from E C Stoddard, Kingsley selling well to 156p/kg. More barren and clean cattle required each week!

A nice show of pigs today, with 92 forward and trade perhaps slightly back on the last week or so, but a top of 121p/kg and £116.28 per head.

155 calves on offer today with the best selling well, and the younger, smaller sorts harder to place. A top price of £418 for a fab Blue bull from Norman Mellor, with heifers to £295.

BARREN COWS (57)

A good trade for the cattle on offer with a run of OTM heifers from E C Stoddard, Kingsley selling to 156p/kg for a 605kg Saler, 150p/ kg for a 610kg Saler, 139p/kg for a 625kg South Devon, 137p/kg for a 670kg South Devon, 133p/kg for a 695kg Angus and 690kg South Devon.

Other top prices:

130p 590kg Angus - E C Stoddard, Kingsley; 130p 585kg Angus - E C Stoddard; 123p 710kg Saler - E C Stoddard; 122p 670kg Saler - E C Stoddard; 104p 735kg Charolais - M R Beardmore, Ipstones;102p 750kg Simmental - M R Beardmore; 102p 695kg Holstein - Rushton Spencer; 100p 680kg Limousin - Y Sigley, Meerbrook. Overall average of 88.49p/kg or ££576.54. Top headage price of £943.80, £924.35 and £917.90 for E C Stoddard.

CLEAN CATTLE

A small selection forward with no best quality sorts. Top price of 176p/kg for a 565kg Angus heifer from Rushton Spencer who also sold a 520kg Angus heifer at 168p/ kg. Steers sold to 148p/kg for a 425kg Belted Galloway from Rushton Spencer. Top headage price of £994.40 for heifers and £945.3 for steers.

DAIRIES (203)

An absolutely packed dairy shed on Tuesday with every last standing and pen occupied saw 203 pass through the ring on a buoyant trade.

65 commercials saw a top price of £1820 for the first animal through the ring from William Bunting of Alsop en le Dale. A heifer giving 31kg, she was clinched by

Messrs Tudor of Kingsley. Rob Parker of Ticknall had a heifer to £1800 to Messrs Wilson. A beautiful Montbeliarde 2 nd calver from Steve Walker of Sheffield reached £1780 to Messrs Davenport with another second calver, this time a Shorthorn from Edward and Diane Bennett to £1730.

The Leabarn herd dispersal on behalf of the Glover family of Lutterworth drew a strong crowd despite the loose housed status and peaked at £2000 for a fresh second calver by Navarro to the Shaw family of Netherseal.

Close behind at £1960 was an October calved heifer by Wiltor Drummer. Numerous others hit the £1700-£1900 price range. Excitement is building for next week’s Christmas Pedigree Show and Sale with mince pies ordered and the carol singers booked. A smashing entry of more than 80 forward so far which does not include the commercials so milkers on offer should be in excess of 100.

Catalogues will be available on-line shortly. We look forward to welcoming vendors and purchasers for a festive drink.

1st Quality Heifers to £1820 av £1780

2nd Quality Heifers to £1660 av £1293

1st Quality Cows to £1780 av £1755

2nd Quality Cows to £1500 av £1500

PIGS (92)

A slightly reduced trade for pigs this week, but a good show in numbers.

Pork pigs topped at 112p/kg for 71.3kg pigs from J & B

Fentem.

Cutting pigs sold to 121p/kg for a 84kg pigs from J & B Fentem with others at 108p/kg for 77kg pigs from PF & PD Parsons, Maelor and also for 81.3kg pigs from J & B Fentem.

Bacon pigs sold to 116p/kg for 95kg pigs from P Nadin, Meerbrook with others at 110p/ kg twice for 104kg and 94.6kg pigs from Chris Hine.

Heavy pigs sold to 108p/kg for 107.6kg pigs from J Wheawall, Leigh and 98p/kg twice for 106kg pigs from Chris Hine and 106kg pigs from J Wheawall.

Sows sold to 51p/kg for a 281kg sow from MC & EA

Beattie, Allostock who also sold a 269kg sow at 50p/kg, 48p/kg for a 286kg sow and 46p/kg for a 339kg sow.

Averages:

Pork Pigs (12) av 63.55p/kg or £39.29/head

Cutting Pigs (30) av 100.55p/kg or £80.37/head

Bacon Pigs (26) av 104.48p/kg or £99.29/head

Heavy Pigs (15) av 83.14p/kg or £93.28/head

Cull Sows (9) av 44.39p/kg or £105.03/head

SHEEP SECTION BUTCHERS LAMBS (863)

Nice to see a strong entry again and trade notably better to average 185p/kg. Big lambs particularly better at 15p and better than two weeks ago. Top headage price of £100.15.

Best lambs also an improved trade to top at 221p/kg and plenty of pens 200p and above. Top 10 pens averaged

213.1p/kg and plenty more could have been sold.

Normal sale next week and normal sale again on New Year’s Day!

Sample prices: 213p 38.8kg Robinson Partners, Tatenhill; 212p 38kg Smith & Wardman, Longnor; 221p 41kg D M Elliott & Son, Tideswell; 220p 39.8kg H Hodgkinson & Son, Earl Sterndale; 215p 42kg D Williams, Basford; 211p 40kg Mosley &

Son, Wormhill; 192p 47kg M & C Hall, Sheen; 190p 52.7kg D H & J Lovatt, Rushton.

CULL SHEEP (161)

Another strong entry sold on a fast trade. Top prices of £116 for Texel’s from Roger & Simon Bailey with others at £114 twice at £106 from Tong Gilman. More could have been sold to vendors advantage.

Overall average of £57.04.

CALVES (155)

A grand show of 155 on offer with seasonal buyers returning to Leek keeping prices buoyant.

39 CONTINENTAL BULLS AVE £236.66

Good money for the bulls on offer this week with a couple of fresh buyers bidding well. Topping the day was a tremendous Blue bull (26 days) from Norman Mellor, Earl Sterndale at £418. 13 best bulls over £315.

13 mediums £215 - £300 with smaller sorts either side of

£100.

15 Blues av £267 to £418 - N, J & H Mellor

8 Sims av £239 to £340 - H & E Bailey.

16 Lims av £206 to £385 - AJ, P & CP Beresford

49 CONTINENTAL HEIFERS AV £118.89

Harder work to sell with all but the best looking very good value to rear.

Best Blue heifers at £295 and £280 for N E Goodwin, Upper Hulme and another at £276 for

M H Bailey. Generally better sorts £170 - £200, medium heifers £100-£150 with smalls under £100.

21 Blues av £152 to £295 - N E Goodwin &a Son

6 Sims av £90 to £180 - D Hawkins 20 Lims av £93 to £190 - P I R Sales 38 Native Hereford & Angus

Bulls a fantastic trade to average £178 with Herefords at

£285 and £275 for D & A Okill, Siddington and £272 for S M Mccleavy and Angus to £280 for M N Bailey.

Best heifers generally over £100. 29 Black & White Bulls £35.67

One very best Friesian sold at

£124 for J & W Knight, Horton. with the majority for processing at £20-£50.