Livestock & Dairy: Bakewell Market

Another very busy Monday with 731 cattle and 1,746 sheep on offer.

Is this the last big Monday sale of 2025? We will find out next week.

Solid trade in all departments with store cattle definitely the hottest section.

There were 394 head of store and breeding cattle the numbers swelled by a special entry from C Smithem of Pilsley.

The entry of mostly pedigree Limousin cows in calf for Spring reached £2,300 to average exactly £2,000.  Breeding bulls were also in demand with Angus to £3,500.

In the regular stores steers reached £2,360 to average £1,532, heifers £2,080 to average £1,254 and feeding bulls to £2,180 to average £1,163.

A decent show of 136 finished cattle sold on an easier trade with top figures of 452p and £3,145.

The average for the 69 heifers was 364.1p and £2,207 per head.

A similar trade in the OTM department with prices a shade less for the large entry of 162 head.

Top figures 360p/kg and £3,252 with the average still looking good at 245.3p and £1,629 per head.

Only 36 calves this week with bulls to £445 and heifers £395.

In the sheep section there was a good turnout of 1,401 lambs although several vendors remarked that this was the last of the 2025 crop.

Top figures 389p/kg and £211.40 per head.

The SQQ average was a healthy 323.7p making a typical lamb in the 39-45kg weight range £139.65/head.

345 cull sheep on offer with ewes to £265 to average £140.54.

Forthcoming Fixtures

Thursday 11^th December – Thursday Lunchtime Sheep Sale

Friday 12^th December – Final Round Up of Store Sheep 2025

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DISEASE PRECAUTIONS

The authorities have asked us to pass on the message to everyone to be vigilant with regard to Bio Security.

May we respectfully ask that you use the footbaths and boot wash in order to reduce the risk

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The Funeral of

Alan Dickinson

Of

 Park Gate Farm, Bradbourne

Will be held at

Bradbourne Church

On

Monday 22^nd December

At 2pm

Refreshments afterwards at

The Sycamore Inn, Parwich

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Back Tor Hilary shown by Jack & Steph Simpson was sold by Auction in the Derbyshire Diamonds Pedigree Female Sale last Friday at Bakewell Market

She made £1,575 with all the proceeds being kindly donated to Ashgate Hospice

Further donations included

Simpson refractories £1000

The bucket collections raised £130

Totalling £2705

Bagshaws have rounded this up to make a total donation of £3000!

Sincere thanks to everyone involved

162 BARREN, OTM AND FEEDING COWS overall ave 245.3p/kg or £1629

(Auctioneer Oliver Hiles)

Massive numbers for mid-December and trade remains strong with good competitive bidding throughout with the average back 4 pence on the week which I think is a fair reflection.  Top call today was 336p (£2325) for an OTM heifer, 33 mnths from Ruth & Ruben Swift, Combs, with the best cow at 321p (£2324) for a red Limmy from Jack Simpson, Bradwell.  Better sorts generally 280-300p with a number of feeding cows selling to an army of farmers buyers at ringside.

Results:

Gross Prices:

54 Black & White and ex dairy cows ave 223.7p

OTM Clean 286-291p

Best fed cows 245-257p

Big Holsteins 230-240p

Parlour Cows 210-230p

Leanest end under £2

The best today:

5 OTM Bulls

12 OTM Steers 

136 FINISHED CATTLE ave 360.4p/kg

(Auctioneer Oliver Hiles)

Somewhat after the Lord mayors show with the razzmatazz of last week not being able to be matched today but a good solid trade throughout, although at slightly lower levels.

27 Young Bulls ave 352.5p/kg

Less on offer but solid prices for all.  Best end 370-411p for a shapey, showy Limmy from David Goddard and the Fearn family, Wardlow Mires that grossed £2959 with a heavy weight from John Ottewell just topping £3001.

Results:

Gross Prices:

40 Steers ave 359.8p

All shapes, sizes, breeds and grades on offer with the very best shaped Blue from Jack Simpson at 452p to gross £3145, who also had another at 416p.  John Grummett had 430p and Nigel Birch 414p.  10 Natives saw the best beef S Horns to 386p and Linc Reds to 328p.

Results:

Gross Prices:

69 Heifers ave 364.2p/kg

Trade just a little easier generally with none today at £11.60/kg, but plenty of well bred and fed cattle north of £4.  Ben Langton picked a few plumbs and rose to 444p/kg for a smart Limmy that sold to Rob Foster Butchers in Retford.  Josh Hall and Andy Williamson both had 428p at either end of the sale and Phil & Emma Watson at 424p.

Results:

Gross Prices:

STORE & BREEDING CATTLE – (Auctioneers Alastair Sneddon & Meg Elliott)

Another superb entry of 394 head included as usual a mixed sample.

However, there were more buyers present operating at all levels and a cracking trade prevailed from start to finish with many regulars commenting upon how dear they had been.

The sale commenced with some 34 breeding cattle mostly a consignment from C Smithem of Pilsley.

A change in plans resulted in the sale of a very genuine sample of Pedigree Limousin cows in calf for Spring.

The run started with a Lim cow, 96 mnths with steer calf at £2,600.  Then came 15 in calf cows selling to £2,300 to average £2,143 per head.

An in-calf heifer, 25mnths made £2,750.  Stock bulls were in demand with

16 Feeding Bulls

197 Steers ave £1532

Some wonderful cattle forward this week as both individuals and bunches.  All classes were well sold.

Sample Results:

150 Heifers ave £1254

A great trade right through with quite a few small and young cattle at the early part of the sale looking well sold and followed up by the older/stronger specimens where very keen bidding prevailed.

All in all, a good day’s business.

Sample Results:

36 CALVES (Auctioneer Ivor Lowe)

A steadier trade for a reduced entry which saw bulls to top at £445 and heifers at £320.

Second quality types possibly looking best sold today and just a small entry of B/W’s.

Bulls

B Blue                 £445     G & L Belfield, Quarnford

B Blue                 £400     Pidcock & Matkin, Teversal

Angus                 £385     JW Brandrick & Son, Beamhurst

Hfd                       £270     WT & P Fearn, Alfreton

Hfrs

Char                    £320     Pidcock & Matkin, Teversal

Angus                 £270     G & L Belfield, Quarnford

Hfd                       £270     D Fotherby & Sons, Tunstead Milton

B Blue                 £220     GK & E Robinson, Wheston

1401 LAMBS & 345 EWES & RAMS

(Auctioneer Peter Oven)

A very good entry of 1746 sheep included an increased show on 1401 lambs.  Best butchers lambs still very much in demand to peak at 389p/kg with heavy weight butchers lambs to 381p/kg and overweights to 341p/kg and top gross of £211.40/head.

Overall average 323.73p/kg.

Leading Prices:

Averages

345 Ewes and Rams

(Auctioneers Mark Elliott & Holly Swift)

A hundred percent clearance with trade strong in all sections.

The best with plenty of bidders and the grazers a better trade than recent weeks.

Top call £265 for a Texel from Boden & Davies with others at £240 for the Hadfield family at Chamber Farm.  The best 7 lots averaged a massive £219.86.

Plenty of strong and continental cross bred ewes £168-£188 per head.

Strong Mules £150 with lesser frames £138 plus.

Some hill ewes well past £110.

Averages all up.

A very varied selection of tups with continentals £165-£192 and the Wainwrights of Adlington taking top price.

Ewes ave £140.54

Rams ave £147.11