Farming and pets

Leek market TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8

A BUSY sheep shed but quieter elsewhere this week. 1131

Sheep forward with lambs selling well up to 322p/kg or £150.78 per head, to average 278p/kg SQQ. Ewes sold on a solid trade again with the best to £170 to average £107 which was a mixed sample.

Dairy heifers sold up to £2120 for Andrew Mills with cows just as in demand to £2080.

Barren cows were a good trade but numbers thin on the ground, selling up to 146p/kg and £1159.20. Clean cattle sold up to 210p/kg.

A shortage of calves this week considering the buyers we have at Leek ready for numbers. Top price of £410 for a Limousin bull calf.

Improved prices for pigs with the best to 129p/kg.

BARREN COWS (18);

Selling time – 10:00am Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894)

A quiet day in the barren section with only 18 forward.

Top price of 146p/kg for a 580kg Hereford from J S Hine, Biddulph Park. A 615kg Galloway sold for 140p/kg from J A Bilsborrow, Chelford.

Black & whites topped at 138p/ kg for a 840kg Holstein from J Bailey & Sons, Greenway

Bank. A 585kg Holstein sold for 135p/kg from Graham Turnock, 125p for a 575kg Friesian from D S Harrison, Kingsley. 122p/ kg for a 705kg Friesian from B H Wainwright, Meerbrook and 119p/kg for a 675kg Friesian from Ed Clowes, Kingsley.

Overall average of 112.87p/kg or £726.15 per head.

Top headage price of £1159.20 for the 840kg Holstein from J Bailey & Sons, with Galloway to £861, Friesians £860.10 and £803.25 with Hereford to £846.80.

CLEAN CATTLE;

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

Only a small entry sold to 210p/ kg for a 535kg Limousin bull from Chris Barnsley, Morridge to gross £1123.50.

A 680kg Brown Swiss bull realised 189p/kg for DR & A Shuker & Sons, Bosley.

DAIRIES;

Selling time – 11:30am Auctioneers – Meg Elliott

(07967 007049) & Mark Elliott (07973 673092) Top of £2120.

More Needed to Satisfy Demand!!

Another swift trade for the milkers on Tuesday saw all classes and breeds well sought after.

Topping the day was a 28kg heifer from regular vendor Andrew Mills of Ratcliffe on Wreake at £2120. He also saw his British Friesian heifer reach £1840.

Cows were equally in demand with a second calver from Brian Needham reaching £2080 and a third calver from the same home at £2040.

All milkers averaged a very healthy £1591.

A powerful Limousin stock bull from the Hardy family of Cauldon Lowe created great interest with the hammer eventually dropping at £2780.

PIGS (123);

Selling time – 9:15am Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894)

A much improved trade this Tuesday with an additional buyer in operation. Cutting pigs topped at 120p/kg for 84.5kg pigs from Massie Farms, Stafford, with 82kg pigs at 102p/kg for & B Fentem, who sold others at 88p/ kg and 84p/kg.

Bacon pigs were much better sold on the week, to 129p/kg for a pair of 90kg pigs from David Goldstraw, Meerbrook and 127p/ kg for 88kg pigs from Laura Smith, Basford. Massie Farms sold a run of pigs at 121p, 120p, 116p, 114p and 110p, with a pair of 96kg pigs at 109p/kg for S Bailey, Knypersley.

Heavy pigs topped at 101p/ kg for 108kg pigs from Bernard Minshull, Buxton and 99p/kg for 109kg pigs from the same home. 72p/kg for others from J & B Fentem.

Cull sows topped at 81p/kg for a 240kg sow from AJ & ME Minshall ltd, Tean who also sold a 273kg sow for 78p/kg and a 320kg sow for 72p/kg and a 205kg sow at 66p/kg for A Worth, Marton.

SHEEP SECTION;

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

BUTCHERS HOGGETS (771); An increased entry which is pleasing given the level of buying support we have currently.

Trade not as brisk yesterday nationwide which was reflected today generally but overall a solid trade to average 278p SQQ and 268p overall. Handy weight lambs very dear but 44kg and above more difficult to sell and looking best value for buyers. Very big lambs 52kg plus are better to sell with a good number grossing £140 plus.

Thank you to the vendors for their support, it is appreciated and please keep the numbers coming.

CULL SHEEP (357);

A good entry but mixed quality sold on a blistering trade with a further new buyer in attendance.

Best ewes to £170 for Texel x from Roger Bailey and Philip Richardson, with other vendors achieving £169, £167 etc. Best Beltex to £159 and best Suffolks to £142.

Mules lacking power today but best on offer to £112.

Overall average of £107.

Rams selling to £156 for Texel’s to average £110.

CALVES (55);

Selling time – 10:00am Auctioneer - Oliver Hiles (07801 530899)

What a change a week makes with a full packed ring of buyers looking to buy numbers that unfortunately, they were not there. Good calves always a tremendous trade but the second and third quality today would be miles dearer. 19 Continental Bulls

Half the numbers and almost as many buyers as calves. Best good to sell with the best 5 over £370. Medium bulls £230 - £300 with only 1 under £220. 15 Continental Heifers

No where ear enough for the volume of buyers who were looking to buy calves today. Strong Limousins (6-7 weeks) from Andrew Hulme sold at £290 & £260. No best young calves but good mediums £215 - £250 with 5 smaller sorts under £175.

7 Blues av £184 to £225 - W E Turnock & Sons

2 Sims av £202 to £215 - DG & JA Ball

6 Lims av £223 to £290 - D W & P Hulme

15 Natives

1 Hereford Bull to £220 - C S & J Prince

5 AA Bulls av £143 to £215 - R Wilkinson & Son

6 Hereford Heifers av £140 to £170 - A R Jackson

3 AA Heifers av £171 to £210 C Jackson & Sons

1 Reared Blue Bull

3 ½ months old and well done sold very well at £510 from Andrew Hulme, Basford.