Farming and pets

Leek market TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15

A BUSY Tuesday for the monthly Pedigree dairy sale attracting a large crowd of buyers leading to a tremendous trade for milkers, with the whole entry averaging £1804.

Top prices of £2380 for a second calver and heifers to £2240.

An improved trade for barren cows with the best to 180p/ kg with an overall average of 125.8p/kg or £845.47/head.

Clean also sold well to top at 237p/kg for a Saler heifer.

Less sheep forward but trade still holding up with the best selling very well to top at 340p/ kg for 41.8kg lambs with an SQQ average of 273p/kg.

Cull ewes were a blistering trade selling up to £171 to average £113.53!! Good to see calf numbers back on track, meeting a strong enquiry with the best Blue bulls to £418 with heifers up to £325.

A very large entry of pigs this week, and prices back on the week.

The best selling to 102p/kg.

BARREN COWS (31); Selling time – 10:00am Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894) A good entry of barren cattle and some good quality forward to satisfy the demand on offer.

Top price of 180p/kg for a 560kg Hereford from D & EA Jeffrey, Roton.

A 710kg Limousin realised 164p/kg for R & M Green &

Sons, Whiston and a 685kg Beef Shorthorn cow sold for 150p/ kg from MJ C & PM Reeves, Ipstones.

A 740kg Charolais from the same home sold for 147p/kg.

Top headage price of £1164.40 for the Limousin from R & M Green & Sons, Whiston, with Angus’ to £1109.60.

Friesians to £1102.50 & £1102.30, Charolais to £1087.80 and Holsteins to £1028.10.

CLEAN CATTLE; Selling time – 10:45am approx.

Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894) A mixed entry forward with the best selling up to 237p/kg for a 435kg Saler heifer from R Hall, Buxton, who also sold a 580kg Hereford for 225p/kg.

A 585kg Limousin bull sold for 224p/kg from Chris Barnsley, Morridge.

Top headage prices of

£1310.40 for bulls and heifers to £1305 & 1030.95.

DAIRIES (72); Selling time – 11:30am Auctioneers –

Meg Elliott (07967 007049) & Mark Elliott (07973 673092) SCORCHING TRADE AT FEBRUARY PEDIGREE SALE 15 OVER £2000 - TOP OF £2380 PEDIGREES AV £1873 * ALL MILKERS AVERAGE £1804 Another super trade at Leeks February Pedigree Sale saw 15 smash the £2000 barrier and every single milker including the commercials average £1803 which also included those with detriments.

A super second calver from the Meldamar Herd of Messrs Shepherd topped the day at £2380.

Meldamar Caviar Triuna 49, by Gillette Caviar was sold giving 42kg and went to John Moss of Rushton Spencer.

The same family also saw their Westcoast Alcove heifer reach £2240 with their entry of 7 which include 3 cows average an excellent £2091.

Close behind the top spot at £2320 was a tremendous heifer by TW Goodwhone from the Alsopdale herd of Messrs Bunting.

Giving 32kg she went to Messrs Neville of Rushley.

John Stone of Onecote presented a lovely run of 6 heifers which saw the best to £2240 and two others reach £2100 to average £2010.

Regular vendor David Brailsford of Alton Chesterfield saw his milky 31kg heifer reach £2100.

Within the commercials first time vendors Messrs Williams of Middlewich saw two of their Norwegian Red X heifers both reach £1900.

Calves were keenly sought after with a very pretty red and whites from the Timberlane Herd of Messrs Hayes reaching £500 with another from the same home at £485.

A lovely run of 6 Fleckvieh heifer calves from Messrs Bailey of Biddulph Park topped at £400 to average £370.

PIGS (227); Selling time – 9:15am Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894) A large entry of pigs this week, more than ever, and trade difficult to get going.

Pork pigs sold up to 85p/kg for 72kg pigs from J & B Fentem.

Cutters topped at 100p/kg for 82kg pigs from D J Pope, Thame, with 73kg pigs selling for 97p/kg from J & B Fentem, 96p/kg for 77kg pigs from D H Poulson, Llangadog, 95p/kg for 85kg pigs from Massie Farms.

Bacon pigs sold up to 102p/ kg for 95kg pigs from D J Pope, who also sold 87kg pigs for 98p/ kg. Massie Farms sold 88kg and 87kg pigs for 97p/kg and others at 95p/kg and 92p/kg.

97p/kg for 92kg pigs from the Fentems and 96p/kg for 89kg pigs from David Goldstraw, Meerbrook.

Heavy pigs topped at 92p/ kg for 108kg pigs from Massie Farms, 85p/kg for 114kg pig from PF & PD Parsons, 84p/ kg and 83p/kg for 105kg pigs from D J Pope, Thame, 75p/ kg for 107kg pigs from Bernard Minshull and 75p/kg for 112kg pigs from PF & PD Parsons.

Cull sows sold up to 56p/kg for a 231kg sow from AW & RA Mycock, Flagg, with others at 98p/kg for 211kg and 242kg sows from Simon Ruff, and 34p/ kg for a 206kg sow from the same home.

Averages; Pork Pigs (9); av 80.12p/kg or £55.64/head Cutting Pigs (39); av 77.69p/ kg or £62.93/head Bacon Pigs (122); av 82.90p/kg or £76.08/ head Heavy Pigs (40); av 68.42p/ kg or £77.05/head Cull Sows (14); av 28.33p/kg or £63.15/ head

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

BUTCHERS HOGGETS (687); A slightly reduced entry selling to a strong trade on the week, given some very mixed reports elsewhere.

It must be said there was a two-tier trade, with best sorts and handy weights just as dear as last week or dearer in places but 45kg and over struggling to attract competitive bidding for commercial types.

That said, 100% clearance was achieved and more best types could be sold to the vendors advantage.

SQQ average of 273p/kg and overall 258p/kg, demonstrating the discount for heavier lambs.

Sample prices; 328p 36kg M Jones, Rudyard 322p 34kg J M Robinson, Swythamley 319p 36.6kg S Rushton, Freehay 316p 38.6kg B W Vernon, Rocester 315p 38.3kg M Lancaster, Congleton 340p 41.8kg R & S Bailey, Cloudside 337p 43.8kg R & S Bailey, Cloudside 323p 44.3kg M & M Heath, Heaton 323p 40.3kg GH & M Torr, Bradnop 309p 45.6kg R & S Bailey, Cloudside 283p 49.8kg D Machin, Rudyard 280p 50.5kg J Plant, Onecote 278p 57kg M & M Heath, Heaton

CULL SHEEP (226); Many many more needed!! Can you help?? 6 Bidders all very keen to secure stock and many more could have been sold