Market Report Tuesday 16th January

A wintry start to the day but this didn’t deter the trade in Leek with over 1,200 head of sheep, 118 pigs, 103 calves, 49 dairies and 33 barren cattle on offer.

The Dairy shed was booming with the first Pedigree sale of the year achieving a top price of £2420 with plenty of quality on offer.

Increased trade in the Barren shed today seeing a top price of 170p/kg for a 670kg cow and a top headage price of £1460.80.

A very busy sheep shed seeing a steadier trade with a top price of 314p/kg for Lambs and £168/head for Ewes.

Another good entry of Pigs on offer and a top price of 208p.

Less calves on offer but a better trade with plenty of buyers around the ring seeing a British Blue Bull top at £400.

BARREN COWS (33)

Selling time – 10:00am

Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894)

A sharp increase in trade seeing strong meated black & white cows up to 170p/kg for a 670kg beast from S J Hooley.

An 880kg Holstein, from GE Brookes & Partners, exchanged hands at 166p/kg with a 675kg Simmental X cow, from E B & B M Sutton of Moreton, achieving 166p/kg also.

A 580kg Holstein, from Nottingham, realised 169p/kg with other top prices as follows:

760kg Holstein             164p/kg/£1246.40/head W Salt & Son, Denstone

750kg Holstein            164p/kg/£1230.00/head W Salt & Son, Denstone

690kg Montbeliarde      163p/kg/£1124.70/head SC, FE, JA Harvey, Waterfall

675kg Montbeliarde      162p/kg/£1093.50/head SC, FE, JA Harvey, Waterfall

555kg Montbeliarde      158p/kg/£876.90/head SC, FE, JA Harvey, Waterfall

Top headage price of the day was £1460.80 for Holsteins, Shorthorns to £1139.00 and Montbeliarde to £1124.70.

CLEAN CATTLE

Only a small entry with a 495kg Aberdeen Angus Heifer, in need of further finishing, realising 194p/kg for B W Swindells

PIGS (118);

Selling time – 9:15am

Auctioneer – Ed Groves (07964 510145)

A solid entry with 118 head forward. Best fats similar trade to last week, topping at 208p, a lot more plainer, leaner types in today which are reflected in averages, a few
sows in today topping at 88p.

Porkers topped at 201p from distant travellers DH&J Poulson, Llangadog, who had others at 190p, 187p, 185p & 182p. S Bailey had porkers to 199p.

Cutters topped at 208p from J&B Fentem, who had others to 206p, 200p, 199p and boars to 184p. MR Banham, Bromsgrove had pigs to194p.

Baconers topped at 207p from PF+PD Parsons and 207p for R Rowlinson, J&B Fentem to 206p, 203p. JA&B Minshull to 202p.

Heavies to 142p from R Rowlinson for a 119kg boar. 

Sows to 88p from J&B Fentem who had another to 40p. and 50p for John Lockett.

Pig Averages.

Porkers (18)         av.154p/kg or £106.34/head

Cutting Pigs (29); av 192.62p/kg or £157.15/head

Bacon Pigs (64);   av 172.73p/kg or £166.31/head

Heavy Pigs (3)      av 90.33p/kg or £121.34/head

Sows (4)               av 55.70p/kg or £125.60/head

DAIRIES (49)

Selling time – 11:30am

Auctioneers – Meg Elliott (07967 007049) & Mark Elliott (07973 673092)

Leek Pedigrees to £2420

9 Over £2000

A lovely trade for milkers on Tuesday for the first Pedigree Sale of 2024 seeing the best to £2420 and 9 pass the £2000 mark.

Regular vendors Phillip and Marilyn Critchlow of Cubley topped the day with two of their four entries reaching £2420 and the total four averaging an excellent £2290.

The first an impressive Flevo Genetics Whatsapp heifer was giving 30kg whilst maintaining a great milk quality of 4.58% Fat and 3.25% protein. She went to a regular
purchaser. At the same money was a Delta Rosebud Red daughter giving 28kg. She went to Martin Evans Farming Ltd at Llangedwyn who went on to make some other
choice purchases.

The Easom family of Oakerthorpe, whose reputation for showing quality goods has established them a very loyal following of purchasers, saw their best to £2320 for a Kenmore heifer with a PLI+£548. They had a second to £2260.

They also took the top spot in the cows at £2060 for a second calver by Bomaz Fynn that had given just short of 9300kg as a heifer.

Next week, we have the most
genuine Herd Dispersal on behalf of the Waller family. A really nice herd of
cows that have been managed well that will certainly go and do good.

SHEEP SECTION

Selling time 11:00am

Auctioneer – Robert Watkins (07929 946652)

HOGGETS (972)

An increased entry met a steadier trade for commercial Hoggs generally, but best fed sorts were still commanding a solid trade.

Best on offer to 314p and numerous pens at 300p plus.

Best big Lambs to £160.23

Overall average, a very pleasing 274p/kg.

Sample Prices: –

280p    32kg    A Shaw, Sturston

299p    37.3kg J Wheawall, Leigh

310p    37.5kg RG & AS Williamson, Wetley Rocks

310p    42kg    JB Wright, Hartington

308p    43.2kg R & S Bailey, Rushton Spencer

312p    44kg    R & S Bailey, Rushton Spencer

314p    44.1kg F Hudson, New Mills

290p    46kg    JM Robinson, Swythamley

294p    46kg    DB Goldstraw, Meerbrook

308p    48.5kg B Wardlaw, Astbury

291p    54.7kg RG & AS Williamson, Wetley Rocks

CULL SHEEP (265)

A seasonal entry seeing a firmer trade generally, topping at £168 for best shaped Texels with the top ten lots averaging £152/head. Second quality white faced
Ewes looking dearer on the day at £100-£120/head.

Overall average at £100.50/head.

CALVES (103)

Selling time – 10:00am

Auctioneer – Oliver Hiles (07801 530899)       

Less on offer and a better trade for all with a good line up of buyers looking to purchase.

31 CONTINENTAL BULLS

The good, bad and the ugly were all represented but there were buyers for all at appropriate prices.

Best British Blues topped at £400 for Messrs Gould of Longnor with the best generally £330 plus.

Medium £210-£290 with a few smaller calves under £200

23 Blues av. £237-£400    FJ Gould & Son

4 Sims   av  £231-£285    SJ Hooley

3 Lims    av  £229-£288    J Kirkham

31 CONTINENTAL HEIFERS

Same number as the Bulls and more trade for the better sorts. Ten best over £240 and up to £308 for Andrew Hulme and £270 & £278 for P Gilman, all with British
Blues.

Medium £170-£230 with smaller sorts £120 -£150.

Only one under £100.

25 Blues av. £195-£308      DW & P Hulme

4 Sims    av  £158-£240      SJ Hooley

1 Lim      to  £210          WH Townsend

1 Char     to £295              D & G Tudor

28 NATIVES

Like all, dearer today with some good prices throughout.

7 Here Bulls     £147-£175       SJ Hooley

10 Angus Bulls £121-£192       KW Twemlow

7 Angus Heifs  to £160           KW Twemlow

4 Here Heifs     to £112           SJ Hooley

9 BLACK & WHITE BULLS

Looking better sold this week with a Montbeliarde at £108 and Friesian to £84.