Leek market
A QUIETER Tuesday sale following the sunny bank holiday weekend, and the usual clash with local markets.
Pigs were a better trade again this week, with additional buyers forward and selling to 150p/kg or £186/head.
Shortage of Dairies this Tuesday, with plenty of customers wanting fresh milk! Top of £1880 twice for fresh heifers.
Fewer butchers lambs about this week, but trade a little less, but being well in line with the national lamb market. Top price of 196p/kg and best sorts over 185p/kg. Barrens still a good trade, topping at 129p/kg for a Hereford, with Holsteins to 128p/kg, and clean selling to 187p/kg. Calves again, a similar trade with heifers selling particularly well, with a top of £370 for a Blue bull calf.
BARREN COWS (38)
Selling time – 10:00am
Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894)
A few less about this week, with trade remaining firm for cull cows. Top price of the day of 129p/kg for a 580kg Hereford from Mrs M Beswick, Fairfield, with a 730kg Shorthorn at 128p/kg from Ian Barks, Blackshaw Moor, and a 730kg Norwegian Red sold for 123p/kg for George Wise, Audley.
Other top prices:
122p 870kg Holstein - JP & SR Slack, Taxal
121p 710kg Holstein - P Bennett & Son, Macclesfield
121p 820kg Holstein - Red Earth Farms Ltd, Leek
120p 720kg Ayrshire - J Brough & Son, Rudyard
118p 605kg Hereford - S Beswick, Fairfield
118p 655kg Friesian - JP & SR Slack, Taxal
118p 640kg Holstein - Red Earth Farms, Leek
Overall average of 104.37p/kg or £682.68 per head.
Top headage price of £1061.40 for JP & SM Slack, with other Holsteins at £992.20, and Shorthorns to £934.40.
CLEAN CATTLE
Selling time – 10:45am approx.
Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894)
Shortage of numbers this Tuesday and trade pretty similar to last week. Top price of 187p/kg for a 630kg Angus steer, with a 490kg Simmental steer selling at 184p/kg. Heifers sold to 178p/kg for a 620kg Angus.
Top headage price of £1178.10 for steers, and £1103.60 for heifers.
DAIRIES (26)
Selling time – 11:00am
Auctioneers – Meg Elliott (07967 007049) & Mark Elliott (07973 673092)
A nice little show of milkers today and a large crowd around the ring led to a solid trade throughout. Heifers let the way with the top 4 over £1800 for a high of £1880 (twice) for fresh calved young heifers from E Docksey & Sons, Bagnall, and JRA & S Steeples, Warwick.
Cows peaked at £1790 for a second calf Shorthorn x cow from A Howe, Cressbrook.
Buyers around the ring want fresh milk and more could have been sold today.
PIGS (93)
Selling time – 9:15am
Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894)
Fewer pigs about but a strong trade again this week, with additional buyers forward. Pork pigs sold to 124p/kg for a pair of 65kg pigs from G & I Middleton, Dereham, with 63kg pigs at 118p/kg from the same home and 118p/kg for 73kg pigs from J & B Fentem.
Cutting pigs sold to 144p/kg for 85kg pigs from J & B Fentem, with 84.5kg pigs at 124p/kg for PF & PD Parsons, Redbrook and 122p/kg for a trio of 76kg pigs from J & B Fentem.
Bacon pigs topped at 150p/kg for a 102kg pigs from Chris Hine, who also sold at 95kg pigs at 148p/kg with a 97kg pigs from D H Poulson, Llangadog at 148p/kg. Heavy pigs sold to 120p/kg for 107kg pigs from D H Poulson, who sold 110kg pigs at 114p/kg.
Cull sows sold to 97p/kg for a 206kg sow from Chris Hine, with two sows from AJ & ME Minshall, Tean at 78p/kg and 74p/kg. Averages:
Pork Pigs (7) av 119.64p/kg or £81.19/ head
Cutting Pigs (20) av 119.74p/kg or £96.21/ head
Bacon Pigs (51) av 123.88p/kg or £115.96/ head
Heavy Pigs (11) av 106.43p/kg or £127.62/ head
Cull Sows & Boars (4) av 82.61p/kg or £181.74/head
SHEEP SECTION
Selling time 11:00am
Auctioneer – Robert Watkins (07929 946652)
BUTCHERS LAMBS (583)
Light on numbers due to the Bank Holiday clash and a depleted number of buyers for the same reason but still competitive bidding and a solid trade all things considered.
Best on offer to 196p/kg from M Daniels of Macclesfield. Plenty other best sorts at 190p and above. Big lambs also in keen demand with 48kg topping at 188p/kg. Sample prices:
196p 38kg M Daniels, Macclesfield