A sunny Tuesday and a very busy market this week, including the highly anticipated dairy herd dispersal on behalf of A & JM Bunting, Bakewell. The herd dispersal sold up to 2,820gns and the commercial entry topped at £2900.
An improved trade for lambs this week and more forward to keep the orders at Leek fulfilled. The best up to 280p/kg and overall average of 252p/kg. Cull ewes a little less but the best to £225.
Barrens topped at 201p/kg & £1467.30 for Limousins with clean cattle to 220p/kg.
Pigs in strong demand with some good prices achieved up to 182p/kg for both cutters and bacon pigs.
Calves sold well with the best to £440 for British Blue bulls and heifers to £305.
BARREN COWS (31);
Selling time – 10:00am
Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894)
A good trade for barrens again this week with an excellent 730kg Limousin cow realising 201p/kg for P Brook, Upper Mayfield who also sold a 605kg Limousin for 178p/kg. A 745kg Angus sold for 181p/kg for A E Allcock, Waterhouses.
Dairy types sold up to 175p/kg for Downing-Booth Farms, Billington, with a 775kg Friesian at 169p/kg for J & W Knight, Horton.
Other top prices;
167p 440kg Hereford Downing-Booth Farms, Billington
165p 865kg Brown Swiss – D & G Tudor, Kingsley
163p 495kg Hereford Downing-Booth Farms, Billington
160p 675kg Holstein – Foker Grange Farm Ltd, Leek
159p 670kg Dairy Shorthorn – D & G Tudor, Kingsley
Overall average of 146.77p/kg or £982.65 per head.
Top headage price of £1467.30 for the 730kg Limousin from Paul Brook, with Brown Swiss to £1427.25; angus to £1348.45 and Friesians to £1309.75.
CLEAN CATTLE;
Fat cattle sold to 220p/kg twice for 585kg Angus heifer and 610kg Angus heifer both from Home Farm, Rushton Spencer.
DAIRIES (255);
Selling time – 11:30am
Auctioneers – Meg Elliott (07967 007049) & Mark Elliott (07973 673092)
DAIRIES TO £2900
Herd Tops at £2820gns – Milkers Average £1992
It was a very busy day in the dairy shed on Tuesday which included the sale of the Alsopdale Herd on behalf of Andrew and Joanne Bunting.
The ring was packed from the start with trade setting off at a pace within the commercial section. Regular vendors Michael Wainwright and Andrew Weston each showed three powerful heifers that were very keenly sort after.
Michael topped the day at £2900 for a 28kg heifer heading to Andrew Hulme of Basford who took a second from the same home at £2420. The third reached £2600 to J Bayley of Nuneaton.
Andrew Weston saw his top at £2380 with the other two making £2340 and £2280.
Cows peaked at £2160 from Brian Needham of Rushton for a fresh second calver.
A strong crowd was in attendance for the herd sale no doubt because of the exceptional reputation Andrew Bunting had established at Leek over many years.
Trade for production animals was swift throughout topping at 2820gns for a June calved third calver by Westenrade Jethro to Messrs Bayley of Nuneaton.
A June calved heifer by Attico reached 2700gns to Messrs Dakin of Matlock. A fresh fourth calver by Carnhill Iota Acer giving 38kg went to Messrs Evans of Shrewsbury.
Young calves were keenly sort after topping at 700gns with In-calf heifers up to 2080gn.
Cows averaged a superb £1992 without calves, £2156 with calves.
PIGS (126);
Selling time – 9:15am
Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894).
Another excellent entry of pigs and some excellent prices achieved.
Pork pigs sold up to 175p/kg for a 68kg pig from J & B Fentem, with a pair of 73kg pigs at 173p/kg from P J Barker, who also sold 72kg pigs at 144p/kg.
Cutters sold up to 182p/kg for a 84kg pig from Bernard Minshull, with Massie Farms selling 80kg pigs at 175p & 173p/kg and 84kg pigs at 171p/kg,.
Bacon pigs sold up to 182p/kg for 93kg pigs from Ray Rowlinson, Ramshorn with 176p/kg for 89kg pigs from P J Barker and 176p/kg for 91kg pigs from PF & PD Parsons. Massie farms sold bacon pigs for 175p/kg, 174p/kg, 173p/kg & 171p/kg.
Cull sows topped at 78p/kg for a 220kg sow from ray Rowlinson and other sows generally 64 – 70p/kg.
Averages;
Pork Pigs (6); av 152.47p/kg or £109.27/head
Cutting Pigs (29); av 161.73p/kg or £131.33/head
Bacon Pigs (71); av 161.92p/kg or £146.34/head
Heavy Pigs (7); av 114.13p/kg or £122.45/head
Cull Sows (12); av 66.02p/kg or £222.42/head
SHEEP SECTION;
Selling time 11:00am
Auctioneer – Robert Watkins (07929 946652)
LAMBS (885);
Nice to see more numbers and an improved trade with competitive bidding on every pen from 10 bidders representing 16 different accounts. Trade much firmer than expected with an average at 252p/kg topping at 280p/kg.
Heavy lambs in a notable demand from all sides with 447 – 52kg sorts in particular demand, averaging 258p/kg or £127/head.
Best lambs generally 265p plus with 10 pens breaking the 270p barrier from 9 different vendors.
More numbers required each week to satisfy our strong buyers support.
Sample prices;
280p 37.6kg Renshaw & Brassington, Church
Broughton
275p 37.3kg F Potter & Son, Yeaveley
276p 42.8kg DJ & P Smith, Rushton Spencer
275p 40.3kg Renshaw & Brassington, Church
Broughton
275p 41.2kg F Potter & Son, Yeaveley
272p 43kg Mosley & Son, Wormhill
269p 44.2kg H D Simmonds, Longford
268p 47kg E A Sessions & Sons, Dalbury Lees
267p 50.8kg E J Baskerville, Curborough
264p 56kg B Ditchfield, Calwich
CULL SHEEP (162);
Trade easing a little nationally seeing some buyers today unable to get started with another solid trade throughout.
Top price of £225/head for an outstanding pen of heavy Charollais ewes from Robert Wood, Bradnop. Heavy ewes generally £130 – £150. Best Mules £85 – £110 depending on weight but a large proportion of plainer ewes in the entry, no doubt suffering from the grass shortage and being sold to make space for other stock.
Overall average of £91/head.
CALVES (140);
Selling time – 10:00am
Auctioneer – Oliver Hiles (07801 530899)
A good entry again and plenty of trade for all qualities on offer.
43 Continental Bulls
Bidders for all shapes, sizes, breeds and ages with the quality good to sell with numerous potential purchases. Strong blues topped at £440 for Messrs Cooper with better bulls generally top side of £300. Medium bulls £240 – £290 with smaller bulls around £200.
24 Blues av£279 – £440 – R Cooper & Son
7 Sims av £256 to £370 – TD & DA Higginson
8 Lims £240 to £315 – K W Twemlow & Co
31 Continental Heifers
Blues good to sell today with a couple of specialist bidders for smart heifers. 7 best over £255 with P J Davies at £305 and Woodward Partners at £295. Medium heifers £200 – £240 with smaller sorts under £200.
20 Blues av £218 to £305 – P J Davies
5 Sims av £184 to £202 – TD & DA Higginson
4 Lims av £140 to £235 – J Kirkham
32 Natives
Always good to sell.
6 Hereford Bulls to £300 – H W Heath & Son
8 AA Bulls to £310 – K W Twemlow & Co
11 Hereford Heifers to £165 – P J Davies
7 AA Heifers to £145 – P E Holmes & Son
14 Black & White Bulls
A stronger Holstein rearer to £120 with the majority £30 – £50 today.
20 Reared Calves
£395 – Sim (x4) Bulls – 10wks – S J Hooley
£300 – Sim (x2) Heifers – 10wks – S J Hooley
£325 AA Bull – 3mths – AN & C Sread
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TUESDAY 16TH AUGUST 2022
Monthly Pedigree Sale. Entries Invited.
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TUESDAY 23RD AUGUST 2022
Dispersal sale of the Entire Herd of approx. 120 mainly Montbeliardes on behalf of F & E M Buxton & Partners, Woodeaves Farm, Barlaston, Staffs.
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SATURDAY 27TH AUGUST
Sale of Store & Breeding Cattle
Entries Close Friday 19th August
Next Sale: Saturday 10th September
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News from the Peak Farmers Group(PFG)
Farm Walk with expert speakers: Is it all in the genes?
Our next event will look at understanding how genetics, nutrition and effective husbandry contribute to a successful livestock system.
The venue will be land and buildings between Tideswell and Litton (SK17 8QN) on Friday 12th August from 11am -2.30pm, by kind permission of Richard Baker, lunch included.
Farmer and host Richard will lead the walk and give an insight into his farming practices which comprises of a mainly grass-based, paddock system with herbal leys and stubble turnips. He breeds Stabiliser cattle and ‘easy care’ Exlana sheep and has carried out research into genetics and selection.
The PFG also welcomes Dr Claire Whittle and Charlie Mays from LLM Farm Vets. Charlie will be speaking on techniques for improving young stock survival and housing/ventilation while Claire will be talking on how healthy ecosystems mean healthy livestock, on parasite control and how dung beetles are the farmers’ friend!
Please contact us to find out more about becoming a member or to join one of our free events by calling 07483 373 435 or email info@peakfarmersgroup.co.uk.
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