Leek market

TUESDAY, JANUARY 8

BACK in full swing following the New Year sale and a good show of entries in each section.

Dairies were a strong trade with a lovely heifer from Ray Turner, Rownall at £1950 and others to £1900. Don’t forget the monthly Pedigree sale next week with a good number of entries forward.

Barrens were in better demand this week, with a top of 119p/kg and a good average of 95.98p/kg. A shortage of clean cattle but a top of 180p/kg.

Pigs were very much in demand today with a smaller entry forward and strong prices throughout with a top of 146p/kg for cutters and weaners to £58.

A solid trade for lambs today with a top of 231p/kg and a very creditable average of 189.75p/kg. Ewes sold to £114/head.

Plenty of seasonal buyers for calves today with a nice trade throughout. Bulls sold to £440.

BARREN COWS (36);

Selling time – 10am

Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894)

A much sharper trade for barren cattle with a good entry forward and plenty of buying power around the ring today.

Top price of 119p/kg for a 680kg Hereford from T Beswick, Fairfield with Angus’ to 116p/kg for a 745kg cow from D & S Rogers, Chinley.

Dairy types sold to 112p/kg for an 890kg Holstein from W G & J Clark, Bradnop and a 705kg Montbeliarde from Harrison Partners at 112p/kg.

Other top prices;

110p 775kg Holstein – WG & J Clark, Bradnop

109p 730kg Friesian – WG & J Clark, Bradnop

108p 740kg Swedish Red – J & R

Maydew, Consall

107p 755kg Holstein – W E Turnock & Sons, Onecote

105p 745kg MRI – J W Handford & Sons, Apenshaw

104p 590kg Hereford – J Bailey, Stanley 104p 705kg Holstein – WG & J Clark, Bradnop

A pleasing average of 95.98p/kg and £643.48/head.

Top headage price of £996.80 for

Holsteins from Wes Clark, with Angus’ to £864.20.

CLEAN CATTLE;

Selling time – 10:45am approx. Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894)

A small entry of clean cattle and a top of 180p/kg for a 495kg Limousin heifer from E E Connor, Bagnall who also sold a 590kg Limousin heifer at 174p/kg. Steers sold up to 160p/kg for a 495kg Hereford steer from David Gee, Rudyard.

Top headage price of £1026.60 for heifers and £978.75 for steers.

DAIRIES (26);

Selling time – 11am

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

A swift trade for dairies saw numerous heifers pass the £1700 mark with a top of £1950 for a Burlane Tennyson daughter from Ray Turner, Rownall.

Close behind at £1,900 was another heifer from Messrs Ball of Sandbach.

Two more traditional type heifers from Messrs Bennett of Bamford made £1830 and £1800 respectively.

A good entry of over 60 already forward

for next weeks pedigree sale. Catalogues will be online shortly.

First Quality Heifers to £1950 av £1834 Second Quality Heifers to £1540 av £1540 Second Quality Cows to £1500 av £1500

PIGS (75);

Selling time – 9:15am

Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894)

Less numbers about this week, but with more buyers about and leading to a strong trade throughout.

Only one pen of pork pigs today selling well to 120p/kg for 74.3kg pigs from J & B Fentem & Sons.

Cutting pigs sold to 146p/kg for a pair of neat 85kg pigs from S Bailey, Knypersley with others at 136p/kg and 132p/kg for pigs from J & B Fentem & Sons.

Bacon pigs sold to 138p/kg for a 95kg pig from Chris Hine, Biddulph Park with others from the Fentem family at 134p/kg for 91kg, 130p/kg for 88.6kg, 129p/kg for a 92kg pig and 128p/kg twice for 90kg and 94kg pigs.

Heavy pigs sold to 124p/kg for 107kg pigs from Chris Hine and a pair of 111kg pigs from B & G Barlow, Meerbrook sold well to 112p/kg.

Just one cull sow forward selling at 63p/kg for a 178kg sow from A J Robinson, Foston. Averages: –

Pork Pigs (3) – av 120p/kg or £89.20/head Cutting Pigs (22) – av 123.64p/kg or £101.89/head

Bacon Pigs (28) – av 124.92p/kg or

£115.73/head

Heavy Pigs (4) – av 117.88p/kg or £128.78/head

Cull Sows (1) – av 63p/kg or £112.14/head Store pigs sold at £58/head for a pen of nine 52kg pigs from A Worth, Marton and a pen of eight 18kg pigs at £21/head from D J Shipton, Burton.

SHEEP SECTION;

Selling time 11:00am

Auctioneer – Robert Watkins (07929 946652)

BUTCHERS LAMBS (724);

A reasonable entry sold on a solid trade but reduced from the dizzy heights of New Years Day. The average till a very creditable 189.75p/kg and it has to be said more poorer quality lambs in the entry.

Best sorts would be as firm as ever selling to 231p/kg from Ron Tomkinson of Butterton with others at 230p/kg. numerous pens at 210p/kg and abetter. The poor quality lambs in the entry took the majority of the price hit as did the heavy lambs.

Top headage price of £102.21 with a very pleasing number over £90/head.

Sample Prices;

214p – 37kg – J W bailey, Cloudside

231p – 40kg – R Tomkinson & Son, Butterton

230p – 41.3kg – R Tomkinson & Son, Butterton

228p – 44.8kg – R & S Bailey, Rushton Spencer

223p – 44kg – J M Robinson, Swythamley

218p – 43.1kg – H Hodgkinson & Son, Earl Sterndale

206p – 49.2kg – R J Lowe & Partners, Rudyard

CULL SHEEP (279);

A fair entry sold on a similar trade, some would be dearer and some would be slightly easier.

Best Texel’s sold to £114/head from

Roger & Simon Bailey with Mark & Lynne Hodgkinson achieving £104. Heavy ewes generally £80 – £95/head. Best mules at upwards of £55 and plenty of light, small ewes at up to £25/head.

Overall average of £55/head.

CALVES (177);

Selling time – 10:00am

Auctioneer – Oliver Hiles (07801 530899) The first proper show of the year met a packed ring of buyers with seasonal buyers out in force to produce a wonderful trade throughout.

56 Continental Bulls av £232.44

A super show of bulls with the best a remarkable trade that saw the top over 10 over £330 including 3 over £400 to a high of £440 for a tremendous shapely Limousin from Fred Yates, Longford with Norman Mellor’s Limousin at £405. Medium calves £220 – £300 with smaller sorts under £200. 54 Continental Heifers av £139.24

A solid trade but medium calves look very buyable at present. The only Charolais of the day topped at £270 for D & G Tudor with the top 10 selling over £200. Medium

heifers £140 – £180 with smaller sorts either side of £100.

20 Blues av £140 to £225 – H Hodgkinson & Son 12 Sims av £181 to £230 – G W & C Brassington 17 Lims av £101 to £230 – F Yates & Son 5 Cha/blo to £270 – D & G Tudor

32 Natives

Better bulls over £200 with a Hereford to £220 for J & W Knight, Horton with Angus to £205 for R Wain & Sons, Siddington.

33 Black & White Bulls

Mostly processing bulls at £15 – £40 but a smart Shorthorn made £105.

3 Reared Limousin Heifers (5 – 6 mths) sold at £325 per head for J R Barker & Son, Findern.

Coming up at Leek

Thursday, January 17: Red market. Fortnightly sale of barren & clean cattle. Entries taken from 2pm onwards. Sale to Commence at 4pm. Next sales January 31

Saturday, January 19: Monthly Sale of Store and Breeding Pigs. To Include store pigs, weaners, in-pig gilts & sows, breeding boars, gilts and sows with litters. Entries invited.

Also, fortnightly store and breeding cattle sale. Next sale: February 2