Market Report Tuesday 20th February

A tremendous day in the Dairy ring today for the monthly Pedigree Sale with 133 head on offer seeing some excellent quality and a top price of the day reaching the £3000 mark.

Once again, a strong entry of Sheep in Leek with over 1,000 head on offer achieving a top price of 354p/kg or £193.20/head.

Top price of 190p/kg in the Barrens for a 650kg Shorthorn.

Calf prices are reaching great heights with a top of £395 achieved four times for Bulls and Heifers up to £350.

BARREN COWS & BULLS (23)

Selling time – 10:00am

Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894)

Another firm trade with vendors well pleased with the prices achieved.

Top price was 190p/kg for a 650kg Shorthorn from Emma Trueman of Quarnford to gross £1235.

Friesian cows sold up to 179p/kg for a 615kg cow from JH & HG Garratt of Derby and 170p/kg for a 695kg cow from KW Minshull of Bosley.

Other top prices included: –

168p/kg Holstein 480kg            R,E&DR Bennett

167p/kg B/Blue   485kg            GR Weston

165p/kg Freisian 770kg             JT&JW Woodfine

163p/kg Friesian 670kg             JT&JW Woodfine

Top headage price was £1270.50 for a Friesian for JT & JW Woodfine and £1235 for a Shorthorn.

CLEAN CATTLE

A small entry but plenty of interest and trade up to 220p/kg for a 690kg Shorthorn Steer for NA Bonsall and 216p/kg for a 770kg Shorthorn Steer.

Top headage price was £1663.20 with others at £1518.

PIGS (63)

Selling time – 9:15am

Auctioneer – Ed Groves (07964 510145)

Less numbers forward with trade similar to last week.

Cutters sold to 166p from J&B Fentem.

Baconers sold to 170p from PF+PD Parsons

Heavies sold to 165p from C Hine.

Sows sold to 39p from C Hine.

DAIRIES (133)

Selling time – 11:30am

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

LEEK PEDIGREES TO £3000

ALL MILKERS AV £1882

An exceptional day at the office with 133 passing through the ring on a 100% clearance rate with trade strong for all classes and qualities. Thank you to both vendors and purchasers for their continued support.

Quality was in ample supply with some of the best heifers on offer for quite some time. An exceptional run of 12 heifers from the Needham family of Rushton drew a great deal of attention with some fantastic stature and milk yields up for grabs. All 12 passed the £2000 mark with the best to £3000 for an Applejax daughter giving 34kg clinched by June Baskerville of Lichfield.

Hot in pursuit at £2950 was a 31kg Augustus daughter who caught the eye of Angela Bailey who secured her, to take her home to Brown Edge. Another Applejax daughter reached £2700 to Andrew Hulme of Basford. Two Pursuit daughters reached £2650 again to Andrew Hulme. The 12 averaged a superb £2515.

Numerous other heifers passed the £2000 mark including a Westcoast Almamater daughter from the Braemarhouse Herd of Messrs Mellor. She went to a local purchaser.

Cows reached £2360 for a 12 generation VG/EX third calver from David Brailsford of Chesterfield.

All milkers including the commercial entry averaged a superb £1882.

A great entry of In-calf heifers and youngstock from various vendors sold on a bouyant trade with the first peaking at £1500 from R Lomas and Bullers to £950

SHEEP SECTION

Selling time 11:00am

Auctioneer – Robert Watkins (07929 946652)

LAMBS (803)

Once again, a good seasonal entry with trade remaining strong.

Best Hoggets reaching 354p/kg with best heavies achieving £193.20/head from the Wood Family of Bradnop.

Overall average of 320p/kg or £140.88/head.

Sample Prices: –

338p    27kg    K&M Ede & Son, Checkley

338p    30kg    PJ Bowers, Mowcop

347p    36kg    PJ Bowers, Mowcop

348p    37kg    IL&GA Travers, Ashbourne

345p    40.5kg GH&M Torr, Bradnop

339p    42.3kg D Goldstraw, Meerbrook

341p    43kg    AW Wilshaw, Meerbrook

343p    43kg    D Machin, Rudyard

349p    43.5kg J&JA Venables & Son, Macclesfield

354p    44kg    T&L Allen, Foxt

354p    46.4kg FS&MJ Heath, Pipe Gate

345p    46.7kg GW Myatt & Partners, Endon

340p    47.2kg FS&MJ Heath, Pipe Gate

351p    54kg    D Machin, Rudyard

CULL SHEEP (268)

Good numbers once again in the Ewes seeing a top price of £168/head for D Goldstraw of Meerbrook with the top eight pens all achieving over £150/head.

Overall average at £101/head including a number of smaller sorts.

Best Rams to £160/head.

CALVES (80)

Selling time – 10:00am

Auctioneer – Oliver Hiles (07801 530899)

Calves were as dear as we have ever seen them with a fantastic price for all. When they are going up, the only way to achieve the maximum value is to present them to a very large audience of bidders in the calf ring in Leek.

12 CONTINENTAL BULLS

Just unreal but such a small entry, it is a shame. Joint top price of £395 was achieved for four calves in the main breeds. Mediums £330-£370 with only two selling under £330.

5 Blues av.   £340-£395    PF Gilman

2 Sims    av  £377-£395    RG&AS Williamson

4 Lim     av  £341-£395    RJ&KA Salt

1 Blo      to         -£335    Woodward Partners

20 CONTINENTAL HEIFERS

Just like the Bulls with all calves in strong demand. Two best, both British Blues, sold at £330 and £350 with mediums £230-£285 and only a couple failing to make £200.

14 Blues av. £265-£350      PF Gilman

1 Sim      to           -£260      TD&DA Higginson

5 Lim     av  £233-£285     F Yates & Son

34 NATIVES

As dear as ever.

17 Ang Bulls  av    £161- £265  RJ&KJ Neville

1 Here Bull     to    £198            DI Ball & Son

13 Angus Heifs av  £79 -£222  S&J Ryder

1 Here Heif      to           £100  K&M Ede & Son

8 BLACK & WHITE BULLS

Two Monbeliarde made £138 and £140 with Holstein to £100 to average £63.

6 REARED CALVES

Aberdeen Angus Steers (12mths)           £580

Aberdeen Angus Bull   (8mths)            £600

Aberdeen Angus Heifers (7-8mths)        £500