Leek market

TUESDAY, MAY 12

A QUIETER Tuesday with a shortage of numbers, but trade continues to be buoyant in every section. Dairy cattle sold to £1860 for fresh heifers from two vendors. Next week is the Monthly Pedigree Sale so keep a look out for the catalogue online at the weekend.

Barren cattle topped at 134p/kg for an Angus, with clean cattle to 190p/kg.

Spring lambs saw an uplift in trade, selling to 305p/kg, and the same for hogget’s selling to 230p/kg.

Calves are dearer as they have been in a long time, with averages well up and bull calves to £380, and heifer calves to £240.

Pigs sold on a similar trade to top at 146p/ kg for bacon pigs.

BARREN COWS (18);

Selling time – 10:00am

Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894)

Sadly, not enough cattle for the demand, with some good prices given. Top price of 134p/kg for a 700kg Angus cow from NG & P Sidebottom, Marple, with a 690kg Stabiliser cow at 129p/kg from R Belfield, Upper and a 630kg British Blue cow at 126p/kg for H G Nutter, Grindon.

Overall average of 112.57p/kg or £713.81

Top headage price of £938 for the Angus, £890.10 for Stabilisers and £822.25 for Holsteins.

CLEAN CATTLE (9);

Selling time – 10:45am approx.

Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894)

Only a handful forward selling on a decent trade to 190p/kg for a 560kg Stabiliser heifer, with a 490kg Limousin heifer at 180p/ kg from the same home. A 485kg Limousin heifer sold at 181p/kg for CH Barnsley, Morridge.

Steers sold to 160p/kg for a 660kg Hereford from MJ Day, Upper Hulme.

DAIRIES (45);

Selling time – 11:30am

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

Another buoyant trade for all qualities in the dairy section saw a top price of £1860 twice over with crossbreds to £1710 and Friesians to £1680.

The two heifers at £1860 came from Andrew Mills of Ratcliffe on Wreake and Messrs Boffey of Burton Hastings.

Two heifers from John Hollingworth of Ockbrook reached £1770 and £1760.

Three Norwegian cross heifers from Messrs Lownds topped at £1710 to average £1503.

A pure Friesian heifer from the Howe family of Litton reached £1680.

A busy Pedigree sale next week includes 10 fresh 2nd calvers and heifers from the

renowned Sandford Ayrshire herd of Messrs Oulton. We also have a fantastic special entry of 62 in-calf heifers and youngstock from Messrs Brittlebank. These are real quality and well worth a look.

PIGS (105);

Selling time – 9:15am

Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894)

Trade very similar to last week, with a good number forward being all fat pigs.

Pork pigs sold to 146p/kg for a pair of 75kg pigs from D H Poulson, Llangadog, with a 74kg pig at 140p/kg for Bernard Minshull, Buxton, and 67kg pigs at 136p/kg for DH Poulson and a 74kg pig at 124p/kg for MR Banham, Bromsgrove.

Cutting pigs topped at 142p/kg for a 85kg pigs for PF & PD Parsons, and for 85kg pigs from MR Banham, Bromsgrove who also sold 83kg pigs at 138p/kg and 134p/kg for 85kg pigs from J & B Fentem,

SHEEP SECTION;

Selling time 11:00am

Auctioneer – Robert Watkins (07929 946652)

SPRING LAMBS (264);

A slight increase in numbers, but not as many as might have been expected given the level of trade we have been experiencing. Best on offer seeing very competitive bidding and more could have been sold to vendors advantage. Best on offer still over 300p and top headage of

£126.13

Note - we have a large proportion of buyers looking for 35-39kg Lambs, which can often gross as much as heavier lambs at this time of year. If you have Lambs to sell please call Robert Watkins on 07929946652

BUTCHERS HOGGETS (272);

A few more than last week but numbers generally drying up locally and nationally. A competitive trade but many outlets now more keen to secure new season lambs, but the overall average still coming in at just below £2/kg for very much a tail end show. Best on offer to 230p and top headage of £112.80.

CULL SHEEP (227);

A useful increased entry saw a firmer trade overall, to an overall average of £74. Best ewes on offer to £121 for Texels. Heavy ewes generally £80-110 provided they are not over fat. Best mules to £85 and horned ewes to £50 for the best. Rams saw a better demand to top at £122 for a strong Texel.

CALVES (82);

Selling time – 10:00am

Auctioneer – Oliver Hiles (07801 530899) Well, we thought they were dear last week but way dearer this week.

I could have sold twice as many at this price and anyone unsure about selling calves with the current regulations need not worry with calves at prices unseen for years.