We experienced one of the busiest days at Leek this Tuesday, with bumper entries throughout the market, and some excellent prices achieved!
A super entry of over 1700 sheep including 1338 Lambs and 373 Cull Sheep with the numbers easily absorbed, selling on a fast trade with lambs to 284p/kg to average 234p/kg overall or £100.11 per head. Cull ewes still a strong trade to average £95.49 up to £157.
An excellent number of barren and clean cattle forward selling well, up to 188p/kg for Black & white’s with Charolais’ to 175p/kg. Clean cattle topped at 272p/kg for a 535kg Limousin heifer.
229 Calves forward today selling on a strong trade, with British Blue bulls to £425 twice, and numerous others over £360, with heifers to £270 for Blues.
A large entry of dairies with a mixture of everything for sale. Heifers led the day up to £1980 for A & B Weston.
More pigs about selling on a decent trade, with cutters up to 145p/kg and bacon pigs up to 143p/kg.
BARREN COWS (69);
Selling time – 10:00am
Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894)
A bumper entry which is good to see and plenty of trade for the cattle on offer. Top price of 188p/kg for a 525kg Friesian cow from J E Archer & Sons, Hilton with other black and whites to 159p/kg for a 530kg Friesian from G J Tideswell, Marchington and 156p/kg for a 735kg Holstein from D & J Moseley, Caverswall.
Charolais cows sold up to 175p/kg for a 690kg cow from Steve Proctor, Longnor, who sold another 550kg Charolais at 164p/kg
Other top prices include;
150p 485kg Friesian – J E Archer & Sons, Hilton
145p 730kg Holstein – P G Beswick & Sons Rudyard
144p 800kg Fleckveih – W S Farm Holdings, Stapleton
142p 695kg Limousin – D & A Stonier, Eaton
142p 660kg Holstein – KI & EL Matkin, Idridgehay
139p 755kg Holstein – P T Beswick, Cauldon
137p 775kg Fleckvieh – RG & AS Williamson
137p 795kg Friesian – RG & AS Williamson
135p 670kg Limousin – M R Kidd, North Rode
134p 645kg Hereford – J Robotham, Swinscoe
Overall average of 117.47p/kg or £736 per head.
Top headage price of £1207.50 for a Charolais Cow with Fleckvieh’s to £1152, Holsteins to £1146.60 and Friesians to £1089.15.
One overage Simmental steer at 595kg sold for 210p/kg.
A 1050kg Shorthorn bull sold to 126p/kg for G G Hall & Son, Croxden.
CLEAN CATTLE (16);
Selling time – 10:45am approx.
Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894)
A good entry and some quality about this week. A very smart Limousin heifer at 535kg realised 272p/kg for David Williams, Basford selling to Pete Lymer of J W Ash Butchers, Leek.
Other heifers sold to 238p/kg for a 510kg Limousin from C Barnsley, Morridge, also to J W Ash Butchers.
A 675kg Aberdeen Angus heifer realised 217p/kg and British Blue heifers at 625kg to 190p/kg and 730kg at 188p/kg for Reg Critchlow, Grindon.
Steers sold up to 206p/kg for a 555kg Aberdeen Angus and another 575kg Angus at 197p/kg.
Young bulls sold to 203p/kg twice for a 556kg Friesian, and a 595kg Angus from J E Archer who also sold other bulls at 198p/kg for a 535kg Friesian, 196p/kg for a 625kg Angus and 191p/kg for a 525kg Friesian.
Top headage prices today of £1464.75 for Angus Heifers, Limousin to £1455.20 and £1213.80. Steers topped at £1143.30 and bulls to £1225.
DAIRIES (95);
Selling time – 11:30am
Auctioneers – Meg Elliott (07967 007049) & Mark Elliott (07973 673092);
Big numbers forward at Leek on a very warm day, saw 52 Milkers, 4 In-calf Heifers, 32 Youngstock and 2 Calves.
Quality was a little lacking however trade was bouncy from start to finish with a heifer from Andrew Weston of Litton topping the day at £1980.
Montbeliarde X Youngstock from Messrs Sharman reached £740 with 3 month old calves to £490. A very pretty Shorthorn X heifer calf from Messrs Moss was much sought after reaching £455.
Don’t forget Thursday’s dispersal of the Inkersall Herd. This is a really good herd of milky cows that should appeal to both Pedigree and Commercial producers.
PIGS (122);
Selling time – 9:15am
Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894)
More pigs about this week and trade still buoyant, albeit less than last weeks flyer. Cutting pigs sold up to 145p/kg for a 69kg pig from P J Barker, Shepshed, who also sold a pair of 82kg pigs at 143p/kg and 80kg pigs at 136p/kg for J & B Fentem, Alsop en le Dale.
Bacon pigs sold up to 143p/kg for a pair of 101kg pigs from J & B Fentem, who sold other bacon pigs at 142p/kg for a 86kg pig. 94kg pigs realised 138p/kg for PF & PD Parsons, Whitchurch, who also sold a pair of 100kg pigs at 132p/kg, 98kg pigs at 130p/kg and two pens at 126p/kg. A trio of 101kg pigs made 129p/kg for Bernard Minshull.
Heavy pigs sold well today up to 134p/kg for new vendor W Rigby & Son, Buxworth, who also sold 112kg pigs at 125p/kg. A 110kg pig realised 130p/kg for Bernard Minshull, and the Fentems sold 111kg pigs at 120p/kg and 118kg pigs at 118p/kg.
Cull sows were a little harder to sell today, with a top price of 48p/kg for a 320kg sow from W Rigby & Son, who sold others at 44p/kg and 40p/kg.
Averages;
Cutting Pigs (5); av 138.82p/kg or £112.17/head
Bacon Pigs (82); av 110.96p/kg or £104.58/head
Heavy Pigs (24); av 115.88p/kg or £136.70/head
Cull Sows (10); av 34.98p/kg or £102.99/head
SHEEP SECTION;
Selling time 11:00am
Auctioneer – Robert Watkins (07929 946652)
*OVER 1700 FORWARD*
BUTCHERS LAMBS (1338);
An excellent entry of lambs today with the increased number easily absorbed by the new and regular buyers. The buyers we have can handle this number every week.
Best lambs a brisk trade topping at 284p/kg and most better end lambs at 260p/kg and better. Light weight lambs generally not as brisk as the previous week, except for the very best.
Heavy lambs a strong trade topping at 264p/kg or £127.44. again the best sorts in very strong demand. Still very few 50kg plus lambs forward but these generally trading at 230 – 240p/kg so adding up very nicely.
Overall average of 234p/kg or £100.11 per head.
Sample prices;
284p 39kg J M Robinson, Swythamley
273p 35kg KI & EL Matkins, Alderwasley
271p 36.5kg S J Kirkham, Hartington
270p 41kg DJ & P Smith, Rushton Spencer
269p 42kg J M Robinson, Swythamley
266p 45.2kg J M Robinson, Swythamley
264p 46.4kg J M Robinson, Swythamley
260p 48.5kg T & T Goodwin, Wetley Rocks
240p 52.5kg D Williams, Basford
236p 54kg T Hall, Radbourne
CULL SHEEP (373);
A good entry selling on a fast trade but not surprisingly back from last weeks flyer. Best Continentals selling to £157 with the best ewes generally £130 – £150.
Mules continue to be well sold for the best end but back £10 on the week with the best to £112. Lean ewes heavily discounted but a new order operation for this grade of sheep.
Best Rams to £125 for Texel’s.
Overall average of £95.49.
CALVES (229);
Selling time – 10:00am
Auctioneer – Oliver Hiles (07801 530899);
The biggest show of calves for a long while including some lovely quality calves.
71 Continental Bulls av £278.45
A massive show of calves and a very firm trade throughout right to the end. Good calves as always sell at a premium with 24 best bulls selling over £340 and selling to £425 for a smart Blue from Brian Goodwin and also £425,£420 £420 and £395 for a smart run of stronger (8-10 week) old Blues for Giles Clark. Medium bulls £270 – £330 with smaller bulls under £250.
44 Blues av £296 to £425 – Two Vendor
9 Sims av £275 to £340 – Robinson Partners
12 Lims av £249 to £370 – M R Kidd
6 Blo/Char to £350 – D & G Tudor
56 Continental Heifers av £202.66
Just like the bulls ,the best easy to sell with a good following of buyers. 15 best heifers topped £250 with a high of £370 for a 2 month old Blue from Giles Clark closely followed by £350 for a very posh 22 day old Blue from G Matkin & Son, Idridgehay. Mediums £190 to £230 with smalls around £150.
36 Blues av £218 to £370 – WG & J Clark
7 Sims av £182 to £230 – Robinson Partners
7 Lims av £170 to £270 – F E Whittaker
6 Cha/Blo to £258 – D & G Tudor
69 Natives
Looking the best sold on the day with Angus bulls particularly dear.
23 AA Bulls av £204 to £315 – DR & A Shuker
15 Hereford Bulls av £163 to £310 – J & W Knight
22 AA Heifers av £100 to £200 – C Jackson & Sons
33 Black & White Bulls
Generally a bit dearer. Friesians to £112; Holsteins to £185; Monty’s to £90 and Brown Swiss to £72. Smaller bulls generally £30 – £50 today.
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FRIDAY 10TH SEPTEMBER
Catalogued Show and Sale of Pedigree Texel Sheep On Behalf of The Derbyshire Texel Club
Catalogues Available Shortly
*********************************************THIS SATURDAY 11TH SEPTEMBER – 10:30AM
Monthly Sale of Store & Breeding Pigs.
Please advise of entries.
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THIS SATURDAY 11TH SEPTEMBER – 10AM
Sale of 578 Store & Breeding Cattle
Catalogues Available Online
Next Sale Saturday 25th September
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SATURDAY 18TH SEPTEMBER – 10AM
Catalogued Sale of Store & Breeding Sheep to Include Special Show & Sale of Breeding Ewe Lambs
Sale to Commence 10am
Entries Close Friday 10th September
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UPCOMING EVENTS WITH THE FARMING LIFE CENTRE;
The Farming Life Centre will be working with DEFRA and the Prince’s Countryside Fund to deliver a FREE programme of support to help you prepare your farm for the upcoming changes. Sign up by calling 01629 810903 or email rachelmetcalfe@thefarminglifecentre.org.uk. Participants will receive one-to-one support, an environment workshop, a business workshop plus additional events and resources.
On Thursday 14th October at Bakewell Market (10am – 3pm, lunch provided) we will host a FREE workshop aimed at helping you build resilience into your farm business and plan for succession. Heather Wildman will help you plan for the future, identify visions and goals, work out where you want to be and how to get there. Open to individuals and groups. Participants will leave with a personalised action plan and template. Register by calling 07969951101 or email lorna@thefarminglifecentre.org.uk.
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