Tuesday saw the Spring Lamb Easter Show & Sale ahead of the Easter Weekend. The Champion pair of lambs shown by C S Buckston, Sutton on the Hill sold for 655p/kg for the pair of 36kg lambs, purchased by the judge Lee Machin of Manifold Valley Meats. The Reserve Champion being a single 38kg lamb shown by R Brough & Son, Monyash sold for 525p/kg.
Dairies sold well, topping at £2130 for a heifer from Andrew Mills with cows to £2050.
Barrens cows still a strong trade with the best to 200p/kg for a 625kg Holstein, and Simmentals to 188p/kg. Clean cattle topped at 240p/kg for a Charolais heifer.
An improved trade for pigs this week, with the best pens to 158p/kg and numerous others 140p/kg and above.
A good entry of calves this week, and topping at £420 for a British Blue bull and heifers to £275.
BARREN COWS (35);
Selling time – 10:00am
Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894)
Another superb trade for barrens with a top price of 200p/kg for a 625kg Holstein from AA, WA & A Fallows, Congleton. A 900kg Simmental realised 188p/kg for D & A Stonier, Eaton. Other black & white’s sold for 181p/kg for a 895kg Holstein from W E Turnock & Sons, Onecote, a 755kg Friesian at 180p/kg for J W Brandrick, Fole and a 715kg Friesian at 175p/kg for Messrs Fallows.
Other top prices include;
175p 715kg Holstein – J R Johnson & Sons, Ipstones
175p 940kg Holstein – D & G Tudor, Kingsley Moor
170p 725kg Hereford – T E H Bold & Sons, Cotton
170p 725kg Holstein – DG & JA Ball, Fulford
169p 725kg Friesian – J Kirkham, Sutton
167p 705kg Holstein – Woodward Partners, Rudyard
167p 805kg Friesian – RG & AS Williamson
Overall average of 149.19p/kg or £986.59 per head.
Top headage price of £1692 for the 900kg Simmental from D & A Stonier; Holsteins to £1619.55 and £1470.
CLEAN CATTLE;
Top price of 240p/kg for a 615kg Charolais heifer from R P Hall, Heaton.
Bulls sold at 217p/kg for a 610kg Aberdeen Angus from J E Archer & Sons, Hilton.
Steers sold up to 201p/kg for a 585kg Montbeliarde Steer from AN & C Sread, Repton.
DAIRIES;
Selling time – 11:30am
Auctioneers – Meg Elliott (07967 007049) & Mark Elliott (07973 673092)
A more buoyant trade on Tuesday saw a top price in the commercials of £2130 for a 26kg heifer from Andrew Mills of Ratcliffe on Wreake with others from Messrs Peach of Warslow at £2020.
The herd sale on behalf of the Baskerville family of Lichfield topped at £2050 for a January calved third calver giving 43kg. Next in-line was a fresh fourth calver at £1980.
Next week is the April Pedigree sale with a good entry forward to date including another big group of well bred youngstock from Hankin Heys Farm Ltd.
PIGS (101);
Selling time – 9:15am
Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894).
A much improved trade this Tuesday with prices up by 30 pence on the averages. Cutting pigs topped at 158p/kg for 76kg pigs from Bernard Minshull, Buxton, with a 81kg pig at 156p/kg for J & B Fentem, 155p/kg for 81kg pigs from David Goldstraw, other from the Fentems at 153p/kg x2 and 151p/kg x2.
Bacon pigs topped at 158p/kg for a pair of 95kg pigs from S Bailey, Biddulph, and 154p/kg for 99kg pigs from B Minshull; 152p/kg for 88kg pigs from J & B Fentem, who also had 151p/kg. 151p/kg for 101kg pigs from David Goldstraw.
Heavies topped at 148p/kg for 105kg pigs from Bernard Minshull, and 135p/kg for 105kg pigs from S Bailey.
Sows sold up to 86p/kg for a 240kg sow from S J Thompson who had others at 62p/kg.
Averages;
Pork Pigs (2); av 100p/kg or £71/head
Cutting Pigs (54); av 142.1p/kg or £116.31/head
Bacon Pigs (36); av 142.23p/kg or £132.27/head
Heavy Pigs (5) ; av 139.53p/kg or £147.90/head
Cull Sows (3); av 62.44p/kg or £119.05/head
SHEEP SECTION;
Selling time 11:00am
Auctioneer – Robert Watkins (07929 946652)
SPRING LAMBS (108);
A good show forward for the Easter Show & Sale with some excellent quality in the line up.
Champion lambs on the day were shown by Messrs Buckston of Sutton on the Hill and sold at 655p/kg to Lee Machin (the Judge) of Manifold Valley Meats. Reserve Champions from R Brough & Sons, Monyash sold to 525p/kg, also selling to the judge. Excellent run of lambs also from RG & AS Williamson and I E & M Wilson, Hollington also received prizes and sold very well.
Away from the prizes, lambs sold very well throughout with most at 370 – 410p/kg with the overall average coming in at 390p/kg.
Sample prices;
655p 36kg C G Buckston, Sutton on the Hill
525p 38kg R Brough & Son, Monyash
440p 33kg IE, M & A Wilson, Hollington
438p 35.5kg RG & AS Williamson, Wetley Rocks
418p 35.4kg R Brough & Son, Monyash
405p 36.5kg IE, M & A Wilson, Hollington
460p 41kg RG & AS Williamson, Wetley Rocks
450p 43kg RG & AS Williamson, Wetley Rocks
435p 42kg RG & AS Williamson, Wetley Rocks
415p 40kg IE, M & A Wilson, Hollington
Good entry required next week for a full line up of buyers.
BUTCHERS HOGGETS (645);
A good entry selling very well up to 346p/kg for handy weights, 336p for heavies and 266p for overweight’s.
Best hoggs sold very well indeed, regularly at 305 – 325p/kg and a lot grossing £135 – £150/head.
Heavy lambs still more difficult to sell but generally adding up well with 52kg plus averaged £130/head. Op headage at £176/head.
Sample prices;
326p 35kg G M Brown, Leigh
319p 37kg G M Brown, Leigh
346p 44kg R D Machin, Rudyard
337p 43.5kg H & J Smith & Sons, Biddulph Moor
332p 44.6kg D Machin, Rudyard
325p 44kg T J Bloor & Son, Endon
322p 41kg P D Brittain-Cartlidge
336p 46.3kg FS & HJ Heath, Pipe Gate
306p 52kg J E Swindells, Elkstones
303p 45.7kg D Wiliams, Basford
242p 73kg D Machin, Rudyard
CULL SHEEP (184);
A few more on offer, topping at £154/head for Charollais. Texel’s to £152 and Mules to £118/head.
Overall average at £96.40 including a number of lean lambing mis-fits.
CALVES (132);
Selling time – 10:00am
Auctioneer – Oliver Hiles (07801 530899)
A good turnout of calves before Easter and a bigger line up of buyers looking for numbers.
48 Continental Bulls
Good calves are excellent to sell but a gap between the best and the third quality in price. 11 better sorts topped £325 and selling to £420 for a Blue from Andrew Hulme and Limousins to £410 for Richard Emmott sired by a Threaphurst bull. 20 good mediums £280 – £320, 11 plainer calves harder work under £170.
29 Blues av £267 to £420 – DW & P Hulme
12 Sims av £255 to £350 – GR & D Hawkins
6 Lims av £263 to £410 – R G Emmott
35 Continental Heifers
A similar story to the bulls. Best good to sell with plenty of bidders but the smaller calves harder to place. 8 better sorts over £220 and up to £275 for a flashy Blue from Messrs Turnock. Mediums £170 – £200 with smallest heifers under £100.
21 Blues av £165 to £275 – W E Turnock & Sons
5 Sims av £191 to £230 – S Bailey
6 Lims av £176 to £220 – F Yates & Son
3 Cha/Blo av £235 to £245 – S Bailey
31 Natives
4 Hereford Bulls to £180 – B E Wain
15 AA Bulls to £235 – AJ & T Myatt
4 Hereford Heifers to £175 – H W Heath & Son
8 AA Heifers to £245 – J S Harrison
18 Black & White Bulls
Stronger sorts sold up to £155 for J & R Maydew with the smallest calves less money today.
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TUESDAY 19TH APRIL
Monthly Pedigree Dairy Sale – Entries Invited
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SATURDAY 23RD APRIL
Sale of Store & Breeding Cattle – 10am
Entries Close Friday 15th April
Also, Fortnightly Sale of Ewes with Lambs at Foot – Please advise of Entries
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Coming up with the Farming Life Centre;
Bacon Butty Project – We will be taking our Bacon Butty Project to Mole Country Store at Darley Dale on Thursday 28th April. Call in to see us between 10am and midday for a cuppa and a bacon bap!
Farm Diversification workshop – Nick and Julie from Growing Rural Enterprise will be delivering a workshop on Wednesday 18th May, 10am-3pm, from the conference room at the ABC. Helping farm businesses to refresh and reflect on diversification enterprises, look into marketing and promotion and develop a personalised action plan. Lunch included. Contact info@thefarminglifecentre.org.uk or call 07483 373435 to book a place. All welcome.
The Peak Farmers Group – Please get in touch if you would like to join the group or to book a place at either of the following events:
Farm Walk: How to grow grass for less – Tuesday 26th April, 11am – 2.30pm, Flagg Hall Farm, Buxton – Farm Walk: How to grow grass for less – Looking at improving grazing efficiency and grassland management. Explore the benefits of herbal leys and Spring whole crop. Hear from Rusty Mycock and Kate Phillips on improving grazing efficiency and optimising output across dairy, beef and sheep systems. Learn about current opportunities for farmers looking to reduce inputs and costs from Catchment Sensitive Farming Officer Mark Taylor. Pie and pea lunch included, all welcome.
Massey Feeds Mill Tour – Tuesday 7th June, 7.30pm – 9pm, Massey Feeds Holmes Chapel Mill – Mill Tour: Gain a glimpse into the world of animal feed manufacture. Hear about Massey’s sustainable ruminant feeds with no palm kernel or soya products – a UK 1st! Supper and transport included. All welcome.
