Market Report Tuesday 23rd April

It’s starting to feel like Spring at last!

The Calves were in demand today with nowhere near enough to fulfil the buyers demands. British Blue and Limousin Bulls topped at £400 and Limousin Heifers topped at £285.

Good numbers in the sheep this week with the number of Spring Lambs increasing each week, topping at 480p/kg and seeing the best big Lambs to £205.80/head. A large entry of Hoggs this week, seeing a slight dip in price with the best up to 435p/kg.

A smaller entry in the Dairy section this week, following the Pedigree sale last week, seeing a top price of £1900.

BARREN COWS (19)

Selling time – 10:00am

Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894)

A very firm trade seeing a top price of 205p/kg for a 630kg Holstein from Nottingham, a 680kg Limousin, from John Beech, at 202p/kg and a 615kg Holstein from Nottingham at 192p/kg.

Others included:

745kg  Hols     – 180p/kg        WE Turnock

595kg   Here    – 178p/kg       A Bennison

690kg  Hols     – 175p/kg       Nottingham

675kg  Fri        – 161p/kg       MM&CJ Sutton

Top headage price was £1373.60 for John Beech’s Limousin and £1341. For Holsteins.

CLEAN CATTLE

A 530kg Hereford Bull sold for 183p/kg to gross £969.90.

PIGS (79);

Selling time – 9:15am

Auctioneer – Ed Groves (07964 510145)

An increase in trade with fats topping at 200p. Sows topped at 100p twice.

Porkers topped 190p from J&B Fentem who had others to 175p.

Cutters topped at 196p twice from PF+PD Parsons who had others to 195p, 180p. S Bailey had pigs to 195p. J&B Fentem to 192p, 190p.

Bacon Pigs topped at 200p from Chris Hine. Bernard Minshull saw 196p, 193p, 190p. J&B Fentem saw 195p, 193p. PF+PD Parsons saw 193p.

Heavies topped at 148p from LR Jones, Conwy. Good heavy pigs generally 130p+

Sows topped at 100p twice or £299 from G Tomlinson, Abbots Bromley, who had another to 60p.

Pig Averages. Porkers(3);          av. 185.14p/kg or £133.30/head

Cutting Pigs (22)av 176.50.14p/kg or £143.75/head

Bacon Pigs (47) av 174.45p/kg or £164.85/head

Heavy Pigs (8); av 125.66p/kg or £142.78/head

Sow (5);            av; 86.73pp/kg or £235.33head

DAIRIES

Selling time – 11:30am

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

DAIRIES TO £1900

Regular vendor Andrew Mills of Ratcliffe on Wreake topped the day at £1900 for a 27kg Heifer with David Brailsford of Chesterfield seeing his 29kg Heifer reach £1740.

SHEEP SECTION

Selling time 11:00am

Auctioneer – Robert Watkins (07929 946652)

SPRING LAMBS (129)

The biggest entry of the season so far, selling on a solid trade.

Best Lambs to 480p/kg and better sorts 450p/kg and above. Best big Lambs £205.80/head.

Overall average at 442p/kg.

Please keep numbers coming as processors start to make the switch.

Sample Prices:

470p    35.6kg CG Buckston, Sutton on the Hill

478p    37.3kg CG Buckston, Sutton on the Hill

480kg  40.5kg RWM&PM Barnett, Holmes Chapel

475p    40.8kg J&GJ Fryer, Horton

460p    41kg    IE,M&A Wilson, Hollington

468p    41.2kg RG&AS Williamson, Wetley Rocks

468p    42kg    J&GJ Fryer, Horton

440p    44kg    D Williams, Basford

425p    46kg    CG Buckston, Sutton on the Hill

HOGGETS (937)

A big entry, selling on a solid trade, albeit at lower price levels than last week, inline with the National threshold.

Best Hoggs to 435p/kg and best shaped generally at 400p and better.

Big Hoggs adding up to £190 plus to top at £213.40.

Second quality selling at lower prices and very lean sorts at less than 300p/kg.

Overall average at 368p or 381p SQQ. £168/head average.

Sample Prices: –

400p    34.5kg WJ Sessions & Son, Hilton

410p    35.6kg AL Challinor, Farley

408p    37kg    JB Wright, Hartington

428p    39.8kg R Challinor, Dilhorne

430p    40.4kg J Tavernor & Co, Farley

435p    40.8kg J Tavernor & Co, Farley

424p    41.9kg A Shaw, Ashbourne

430p    42.2kg J Tavernor & Co, Farley

420p    44.8kg SJ Pace & Co, Congleton

432p    45.5kg D Machin, Rudyard

430p    45.6kg D Machin, Rudyard

407p    47kg    A Shaw, Ashbourne

388p    55kg    RG Hall, Congleton

CULL EWES (197)

Similar numbers forward trade picked up a gear. Top price £210 for Texel ewes from D Williams, Basford. Top 15 Pens all over £160.

Continental types £150+

Meated Mules £110-£140

Plain mules £95-£110

Hill types £75-£85

Overall average £126.53head

Tups topped at £220 from James Swindells.

Overall average £157.67

CALVES (84)

Selling time – 10:00am

Auctioneer – Oliver Hiles (07801 530899)

Spring is in the air and the buyers come out in droves to purchase Calves. Perhaps more buyers than Calves today and what a superb trade they were. Only one
disappointment and that was that we didn’t have double the number because they could certainly have sold well today.

20 CONTINENTAL BULLS

Look at the averages with three levelling at £400 and the second quality looking unbelievable. Messrs Tomlinson of Ford and Messrs Gilman of Thorncliffe both had Calves at £400 as did the Gould Family with a shapy alimousin. Mediums £270-£350 with a couple of smaller Limousins under £200.

7 Blues av £348 to £400            PF Gilman

                                                  J,CA&DN Tomlinson

2 Sims   av £267 to £280          CV Whilock & Sons

8 Lims    av £287 to £400          FJ Gould & Son

11 CONTINENTAL HEIFERS

Nowhere near enough for the buyers to fill any orders. Limousins won the day for Jim & Carol Hudson at £285 with the top five over £230.

1 Blue                  to £260         Foker Grange Farm

1 Sim                    to £260         PN Holdcroft

9 Lims   av £169 to £285           JC&D Hudson

37 NATIVES