Leek market

A BUSIER market and a very good show of dairies forward with a run of heifers from the Johnson family, Longnor selling to a top of £2130.

More barren cattle about this week and a decent trade for the quality on offer. A top price of 139p/kg today with clean cattle just short of the best quality butchers cattle with a top price of 177p/kg.

Lambs were a touch steadier on the week, but a solid trade for the entry with a top of 191p/kg and quality continuing to sell well at Leek! Ewes topped at £112 with a large entry of plainer sorts on offer.

A similar trade for pigs on the week with more numbers coming forward, and a top of 124p/kg for bacon pigs or £138 for heavy pigs.

Quality calves continue to sell very well, with lesser qualities just that bit harder to place. Top price however of £410 for an excellent Blue bull.

BARREN COWS (53);

Selling time – 10:00am

Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894)

More cattle about today with trade slightly steadier on the week but still comparing well with other outlets.

Top price of 139p/kg for a 720kg Limousin from A Turnock & Sons, Horton. A run of Herefords from G W Mycock & Son, Alstonefield sold well with a 580kg Hereford at 135p/kg, 720kg Hereford at 133p/kg, 685kg Hereford at 128p/kg, 685kg Hereford at 127.5p/kg and a 675kg Hereford at 127p/ kg.

Overall average of 99.5p/kg or £645.75 per head.

Top headage price of £1045.80 for the Simmental from the Ede family with others at £1000.80 for Limousins and £997.10 for Friesians.

CLEAN CATTLE (16);

Selling time – 10:45am approx.

Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894)

A good trade for the cattle forward today with a top price of 177p/kg for a 685kg British Blue from J R Hall, Endon with a 640gk Angus from the same home at 176p/ kg.

A run of Angus’ from Reg Bould, Brown Lees sold at 160p/kg for a 675kg steer, 157p/kg twice, for a 645kg and 690kg Angus.

A 635kg young Simmental bull from JH & RH Ede, Checkley sold well at 175p/kg.

Heifers sold to 159p/kg for a 555kg Angus from Beryl Kirkham, Leek.

A top headage price of £1212.45 for J R Hall’s steer with another at £1126.40, with bulls to £1111.25 and heifers to £882.45.

DAIRIES (59);

Selling time – 11am

Auctioneers – Meg Elliott (07967 007049) & Mark Elliott (07973 673092)

A fantastic entry of cows today with something for everybody on offer with all breeds and classes selling well.

A tremendous run of heifers from the Johnson family of Longnor drew plenty of interest topping at £2130 for a Laurelhill Classic daughter giving 7gls. She went to Andrew Hulme of Basford. They also had two others to £1840 and £1810 with the entry of six averaging £1803.

Messrs Eason had a sweet heifer to £1770.

Cows from Steve Walker of Sheffield reached £1310 with fresh grazing system heifers to £1240.

First Quality Heifers to £2130 av £1868 Second Quality Heifers to £1630 av £1495 Second Quality Cows to £1310 av £1305

PIGS (118);

Selling time – 9:15am

Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894)

More pigs about this week with trade similar to last week. Pork pigs sold up to 118p/kg for 74.5kg pigs from J & B Fentem & Sons.

Cutting pigs topped 120p/kg twice for 82.5kg and 79kg pigs from J & B Fentem & Sons with 84.5kg pigs from S Bailey at 118p/kg and 78.8kg pigs from J & B Fentem also at 118p/kg.

Bacon pigs sold to 124p/kg for 95kg pigs from MC & EA Beattie with others at 122p/ kg for 87kg pigs from J & B Fentem and 120p/kg for a 102kg pigs from Chris Hine.

Heavier pigs sold to 120p/kg for a 115kg pig from Chris Hine who also sold a pair of 109kg pig at 110p/kg.

Cull sows sold to 55p/kg twice for 268kg and 339kg sows from MC & EA Beattie, Allostock who also sold a 234kg sow at 49p/kg. Boars topped at 40p/kg for a 400kg boar from Chris Hine.

A lot more store pigs this week with a top of £46 for a pen of four 35kg pigs from B Rugg, Mayfield with five from P Yates, Rugeley at £28 and five 58kg pigs from T H Leese, Eccleshall at £25.

SHEEP SECTION;

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

LAMBS (679);

A reasonable entry of lambs sold on a slightly steadier trade, following last weeks flyer, but still a solid trade compared to other outlets.

Best lambs a firm enquiry throughout being regularly over 180p, up to 191p. In general there were more poorer quality lambs which told as they were sold at lower levels and impacted on the overall average.

Bigger lambs generally a steadier trade, but best big lambs still selling to 186p or £90.65.

SQQ average of 167.36p.

CULL SHEEP (328);

A strong entry saw a firm trade for best heavy ewes selling to £112 (twice) and a number of lots over £100. Best mules selling to £70 but leaner sorts £30 - £50 and very lean ewes still difficult to place although slightly more demand than last week. More best ewes could be sold each week to vendors advantage.

Overall average of £52.07 including plenty of very lean ewes at £25 and below.

CALVES (146);

Selling time – 10am

Auctioneer – Oliver Hiles (07801 530899) Same numbers as last week and little change in trade with smaller calves looking good value.

33 Continental Bulls av £201.09 Best calves remain very competitive with the top 10 over £315 and a high of £410 for Brian Wainwright, Meerbrook. 5 medium bulls £230 - £290 with 10 smaller bulls £100 £200 and 8 very small bulls under £100. Its certainly a buyer’s market, are you ready to rear a batch?

19 Blues av£227to£410-BH

Wainwright

5 Sims av £185 to £328 - D Hawkins

8 Lims av £132 to £352 - RG & AS Williamson

1 Char to £350- D& G Tudor 28 Continental Heifers av £133.10

Very little life about trade. A superb Blue from Brian Wainwright (last vendor in the ring) sold at £292 therefore topping both the heifers and bulls, well done! Generally better sorts over £200, Mediums £100 - £180 and smalls under £100.

13 Blues av£135to£292-BH

Wainwright

9 Sims av £170 to £225 - JJ & PN Holdcroft

6 Lims av£73to£120-FE Whittaker& Sons

47 Native Hereford & Angus

Hereford bulls were trade of the day with 19 averaging £143 and 8 over £170 and a top of £230 for J Cresswell, Ashbourne. Best of the Angus’ saw Steve Ryder with a pair of Angus’ at £140 and £132.

32 Black & White Bulls £35.25

A big Fries ian topped at £122 for R& D Hall, Congleton with the majority selling for processing between £20 and £50.