Farming and pets
Leek market
TUESDAY, MAY 10
A QUIETER market this Tuesday at Leek. Barren cattle continue to sell at a pace with the best to 208p/kg and averaging £1025.20 per head!!
Spring Lambs sold up to 371p/ kg (£151/head) and Hogget’s still in demand up to 330p/kg (£171.60). Cull ewes sold well, topping at £177.
A small entry of dairies sold up to £1830. Next week is the Monthly Pedigree sale so look out for the Catalogue online.
Pigs sold on a steadier trade with the best fat pigs up to 137p/ kg.
A very strong trade in the calf section with plenty of buyers at the ringside, with Blue bull calves up to £390 twice, and heifers to £280.
BARREN COWS (50);
Selling time – 10:00am Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894)
An super entry of barrens this Tuesday and trade is on fire! Top price of 208p/kg for a 735kg Simmental from Home Farm, Rushton Spencer who also sold another 735kg Simmental for 206p/kg.
A 705kg Limousin realised 199p/kg for G Mitchell & E Murray, Wilmcote. Black & white’s up to 197p/kg for a 715kg Holstein from W E Turnock & Sons, Onecote, and a 680kg Friesian at 184p/kg for C W Pearce, Tean.
An overall average of 157.82p/ kg or £1025.20.
Top headage price of £1557.60 for the 885kg Holstein from W E Turnock & Sons, Onecote with others to £1531.05, Simmentals at £1528.80 and £1514.10 and Herefords to £1486.10.
CLEAN CATTLE;
A small entry sold up to 220p/ kg for a 545kg Limousin heifer from RG & AS Williamson. Bulls topped at 212p/kg for a 630kg British Blue and Black & white bulls to 209p/kg.
DAIRIES;
Selling time – 11:30am Auctioneers – Meg Elliott
(07967 007049) & Mark Elliott (07973 673092)
A small entry of dairies and youngstock after last weeks entry of nearly 200 but customers for all breeds and qualities and trade for the better sorts till very good.
With Pedigree day next week including Shorthorns and the
Brocklehurst entry the 17th looks another busy week to run onto the Weston dispersal on the last Tuesday of the month.
Black & white heifers this week to £1830 for Michael Wainwright sold giving 30kg. others to £1800 and £1690 for Derek Davenport and Andrew & Marcus Callwood.
Maiden black & white heifers sold warranted (September
20) to £820 for Andrew Mills, Ratcliffe on Wreake.
PIGS (155);
Selling time – 9:15am Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894).
A good entry in terms of numbers but trade back on the day. Porkers topped at 122p/kg for a pair of 67kg pigs from Fay Russell, Eggington.
Cutters topped at 137p/kg for 81kg pigs from Massie Farms, Stafford who also sold 84kg pigs at 136p/kg, 82kg pigs for 134p/ kg twice and 132p/kg. 135p/kg for 82kg pigs from P J Saunders. Others 120 – 130p/kg.
Bacon pigs sold up to 136p/ kg for 87kg pigs from Massie Farms who sold others for 134p/ kg twice. 128p/kg for 91kg pigs from P J Saunders, Lichfield, and 128p/kg for 93kg pigs from R T Wilson, Oldham.
Heavier pigs not as sought after, with 108kg pigs to 87p/kg.
Cull sows sold up to 70p/kg for a 310kg sow from RAO Johnson, and also a 278kg sow from R T Wilson. A run of sows 63p/kg – 68p/kg.
SHEEP SECTION;
Selling time 11:00am Auctioneer – Robert Watkins (07929 946652)
SPRING LAMBS (165); A quieter day than expected, no doubt in response to trade generally being slow to take off with many abattoirs reluctant to make the switch.
Trade faster than expected and good bidding throughout. Best lambs very well bid for to top at 371p/kg and plenty of the better sorts at 350p/kg and better. Top headage price of £151/head.
Overall average 331p/kg for a generally poorer quality entry.
BUTCHERS HOGGETS (356);
Numbers starting to dry up but trade remains strong for all types except the very lean. Best sorts selling well to 330p/kg and plenty at 300p/kg plus. Top headage price of £171.60.
Overall average of 273p/kg with all pens looking well sold on the day.
CULL SHEEP (273);
Another strong entry topping at £177 for a Texel ram and £161 for Texel ewes. Trade generally not quite as fierce but still very strong and competitive bidding throughout.
Better Texel’s generally £150 plus and Mules toping at £128. Overall average of £109/head.
CALVES (96);
Selling time – 10:00am Auctioneer - Oliver Hiles (07801 530899)
Spring is in the air and calf buyers come out to play and trey to secure calves but no where near enough in the market for the buyer power at the ringside. 28 Continental Bulls
Buyers looking for calves but not enough on offer. Half of the bulls (14) sold over £325 topping at £390 for a month of Blue from Andrew Huxley , Talke an also at £290 was a 3 month old Blue from Alex Townsend, Sudbury. Medium bulls £250 - £310 and a few smaller sorts around £200.
16 Blues av £274 to £390 – S & M Huxley & Son
5 Sims av £323 to £375 – GR & D Hawkins
6 Lims av £300 to £365 – NG, JMH & H Mellor
1 Blonde to £345 – B E Wain 30 Continental Heifers
More heifers than bulls this week and some smart calves were well rewarded. Best heifers sold to £280 for a Blue from Messrs Heath, Stone. 9 best over £245; mediums £170 - £230 with smalls a little less.
22 Blues av £199 to £280 – H W Heath & Son
5 Sims av £197 to £265 – G B Millington
24 Natives
As strong as ever!!
9 Hereford Bulls av £187 to £300 – P T Beswick
8 AA Bulls av £158 to £235 – K W Twemlow
6 Hereford Heifers av £122 to £125 – G R Spink
12 Black & White Bulls
Mostly smaller today for £10 £50.
4 Reared Calves
Hereford steers to £265 and heifers to £335 (5mths) for S E Howe with Black & White bulls (3mths) up to £290 for a Friesian from G J Tideswell.
SATURDAY, MAY 21: Sale of Store & Breeding Cattle – 10am Entries Close Friday 13th May Also, Fortnightly Sale of Ewes with Lambs at Foot – Please advise of Entries
TUESDAY, MAY 31:
Dispersal Sale of the Entire Milking Herd (111 Head) of the Shieldhouse Herd of Holsteins & A-sheildhouse Herd of Ayrshires.