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.
Other top prices include;
147p 750kg Friesian – W & A & PW Carbutt, Siddington
146p 760kg Angus – MJ, C & PM Reeves, Ipstones
146p 755kg Friesian – W H Townsend & Son, Sudbury
140p 600kg Friesian – K W Twemlow, Swinscoe
139p 720kg Holstein – J & L Macpherson Ltd, Yoxall
138p 745kg Holstein – BP & JR Needham, Heaton
135p 690kg Norwegian Red – D & PW Kirkman
133p 725kg Holstein – Woodward Partners, Rudyard
An excellent average of 125.8p/kg or £845.47 per head. 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 to the vendors advantage.
Shortage of best quality ewes also, with perhaps the worst overall show in terms of quality for some time. The overall average at £113.53 demonstrating the level of demand!
Best Texels to £171 from Roger & Simon Bailey, with other Texels to £163. Best Suffolks to £151 and very good Mules to £124.
Best rams to £146 from Rosie Watson to average £102.
CALVES (124);
Selling time – 10:00am
Auctioneer – Oliver Hiles (07801 530899)
Back to a regular entry with more expected over the next few weeks as spring calving herds start to calve.
38 Continental Bulls
Good money for all calves today with the best strong money but the second and third quality also looking well sold today. 4 best over £405 with a lovely fresh Blue from Messrs Myatt, Blythe Bridge at £418. 13 better bulls over £300. Mediums £220 – £280 with a few plainer or younger bulls under £200.
26 Blues av £285 to £418 – AJ & T Myatt
8 Sims av £265 to £310 – C A Day & Sons
3 Lims av £191 to £230 – BJ & BW Brunt & Sons
34 Continental Heifers
Like the bulls, strong money with a good line up of buyers. 2 Blues over £300 with Andrew Hulmes at £325 and Messrs cotton at £315. 12 better heifers £230 – £265 with mediums £170 – £220 and smalls a little less.
23 Blues av £212 to £325 – DW & P Hulme
5 Sims av £223 to £265 – TD & DA Higginson
6 Lims av £215 to £265 – P J Davies
33 Natives
As good as we have come to expect.
8 Hereford Bulls av £211 to £250 – J & W Knight
7 AA Bulls av £170 to £230 – Harehill Farms
3 Hereford Heifers av £130 to £145 – M & K Rowarth
13 AA Heifers av £129 to £240 – S & M Huxley & Son
17 Black & White Bulls
Stronger rearer’s sold up to £98 with the majority £36 – £50 today.
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SATURDAY 26TH FEBRUARY
Sale of Store & Breeding Cattle – 10am
Entries Close Friday 18th February
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