Livestock & Dairy: Bakewell Market

A welcome improvement in the weather ensured decent stock numbers with 727 cattle and 1,469 sheep on offer from a total of 243 vendors.

Trade was strong in all sections with price increases for finished cattle, OTM’s and finished hoggs in particular.

The store & breeding cattle remain at very high prices with plenty of highlights.  It was good to see the section well supported with 413 head on offer.

Steers sold to £2,380 ave £1,684, heifers to £2,580 ave £1,565, feeding bulls to £2,400 ave £1,353.

In the breeding section cows and calves sold to £2,300 with in calvers to £2,200.

There were 124 finished cattle with trade noticeably better than last week.  Top figures 478p and £3,080.

The overall average for the 71 heifers was a hefty 385.0 pence and the per head figure £2,406.

Another good show of 134 OTM cattle also saw improved returns with top figures 352p and £3,242 with the average looking good at 256.9 pence and £1,653 per head.

It was better weather for selling calves and there were more about with 56 on offer.

Bulls sold to £650 and heifers £560.

In the sheep section there was more good news, the 1,038 hoggs were in strong demand with top figures 440p/kg and £204.12 per head.

The SQQ average was a tremendous 376.9 pence making a typical lamb in the 39-45 range bracket worth £160.84.

There were 415 cull sheep with ewes to £224 average £112.11 for a sample that included a good many hill breeds.

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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Forthcoming Fixtures

Thursday 19^th February – Thursday Lunchtime Sheep Sale

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We have been asked to inform you that

The Funeral of

Mick Lilley

Will be held at

St Mary’s Church, Greasley

on

Tuesday 3^rd March at 2pm

134 BARREN, OTM AND FEEDING COWS overall ave 256.9p/kg or £1653

(Auctioneer Oliver Hiles)

UP 7 PENCE ON THE WEEK

Trade is getting better and was very fast from start to finish.  Feeding buyers out in force and a lot of cows today, once again these were purchased for further feeding.  Top price was 352p and 350p for 2 overage blue heifers from Graham Locker, both selling to ‘go on’ to 2 different AFU men. Best cow was 334p (£2217) for a Limmy from Lillian Hallam with the better end all over £3.

Results:

Gross Prices:

72 Black & White and ex dairy cows ave 234p

Excellent to sell again.

3 OTM clean 289-320p

Best end cows 255-274p

Big Holsteins 240-250p

Leaner cows for feeding 215-235p

Smaller older cows 200-220p

The best today:

4 OTM Bulls

2 OTM Steers 

124 FINISHED CATTLE ave 376.3p/kg

(Auctioneer Oliver Hiles)

UP 16 PENCE ON THE WEEK

Are numbers starting to tighten up as trade takes a leap forward with some astonishing returns.

13 Young Bulls ave 343.7p/kg

Only a few but David Goodard returned to the top at 388p (twice) with Herefords (£3072 and £2910).

Results:

Gross Prices:

40 Steers ave 371.7p/kg

Some better sorts about but more trade from the best to the feeding end.  Nigel Birch found a couple of superstars today with his bullock at 419p (£2597) with big Blonds from Sue Jeffery at 409p (£2928).

Results:

Gross Prices

71 Heifers ave 385.1p/kg (Up 19 pence)

Wow, what a trade and prices to make the vendors (and auctioneer) smile.  Last week’s record price of 478p was equalled today with a smart red Limousin from David Goddard and his other at 458p.  Nigel & Julie Birch also in the money again at 476p (£2779) with various other better sorts 420-440p, a total of 34 heifers (48% of the entry) over £4/kilo.

Results:

Gross Prices:

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

A pleasing entry of 413 on offer, but still not enough to dent demand.

Tremendous trade again with plenty of highlights and very fierce competition for well matched bunches.

The sale commenced with a variety of breeding cattle which included:

Sample prices:

Feeding Cows

49 Feeding Bulls

Feeding bull numbers seem good with 49 this week.

Sample Prices:

162 Steers ave £1684

A good selection of steers all well bid for.  The lift in finished prices should help maintain confidence amongst buyers of short keep cattle and that certainly seems to be the case at present.

170 Heifers ave £1565

Somer very fine specimens in the entry, but all shapes and sizes in great demand.

As ever well matched bunches attracted the strongest bidding with excellent results.

Sample Results:

56 CALVES (Auctioneers Natasha Hall & Ivor Lowe)

Another excellent trade for an increased entry with tops of £650 for B Blue bulls and £560 for heifers.

A packed ringside of potential purchasers ensured a competitive trade for all on offer with all looking well sold.

B/W’s particularly dear to a top of £260 and averaging £172.

Bulls

B Blue                 £650     W Bradbury, Earl Sterndale

B Blue                 £620     G & R Waller, Bollington

B Blue                 £560     WEJ & HJ Neville, Tansley

Angus                 £475     JE & CM Fletcher, Peak Forest

Hfd                       £410     SG Potter, Bonsall

Holst                   £260     W Bradbury, Earl Sterndale

Hfrs

B Blue                 £560     GW & WL Neville, Tansley

B Blue                 £560     G & R Waller, Bollington

Angus                 £430     G & R Waller, Bollington

Hfd                       £350     JP & SR Slack, Taxal

1038 LAMBS, 413 EWES & RAMS & 16 STORE SHEEP

(Auctioneer Peter Oven)

Another excellent entry of 1038 lambs.  The best butchers lambs sold to 440p/kg with 12 pens 400p/kg plus.  A run of 51 from Philip Langton averaged 400.75p/kg.  Demand in general very brisk throughout with all weights in demand, only the 51kg plus harder to place.

The overall average 376.95p/kg, up almost 25p on last week.  Top gross of £204.12.

Leading Prices

Averages

415 Ewes & Rams

Auctioneers Mark Elliott & Holly Swift)

A very good entry with a larger proportion of horned ewes forward.

Best ewes £190 plus with both Suffolks and Texels £220 and above.

Top price Texels from Paul Harrison at Priestcliffe with Philip & Alison Hill at £220 for pure Suffolks.

The best of the Mules £140-£150 and some smaller framed Gritstones towards £115,

Generally, bidders for all categories with a few feeding customers about this week.

A few more big strong Texels could have been well sold to the vendors advantage.

In the rams a very mixed run in line with the time of year, a Dutch spotted topped the day at £278 (2T) for the Allens at Taddington.  Suffolks to £170 with half meated Texels £139-£151.

Ewes to £224                Ave £112.11

Rams to £175                Ave £124.60