Livestock & Dairy: Bakewell Market

A very busy market with 747 cattle and 2,032 sheep with the added excitement that the BBC Countryfile film crew were operating in the market.  We will confirm in due course when the programme is being shown.

The cattle trade remained extremely brisk and the sheep prices were distinctly better than expected.

There were 388 head on offer in the Store & Breeding Cattle section where recent exceptional price levels were maintained or exceeded.  Steers reached £1,700, heifer £1,680 and feeding bulls £1,060.  In the breeding section cows with young calves sold at £1,270 and in calvers £1,340.

The were was an outstanding entry of 180 finished cattle the largest number for a very long time.  Top figures 318p and £2,156 per head.

Our regular barometer of trade –  the average for the 100 heifers was a fantastic 266.2p.

There was excitement too in the OTM department where 137 head sold to 279p and £2,090 the average was an astonishing 186.5p that the makes the average OTM animal come to £1,223.

41 calves this week with bulls to £340 and heifers £275.

In the sheep shed there were more hoggs on offer than expected and the trade was much better than anticipated.

The 1,253 hoggs reached 295p and £155.19 with the SQQ average at 234.7p.

There was also an abundance of cull sheep – 765 to be precise with ewes to £176 to average £77.87 for a very mixed selection.

FORTHCOMING FIXTURES

Thursday 2^nd February: Thursday Lunchtime Sheep Sale

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We have been asked to inform you

The Funeral of

David Elder

Formerly of Wheatcroft, Near Crich

will take place on

Friday 10^th February

at 10.15am

St Mary’s Church

Crich

The Funeral of

William George Astell (known as George)

Formerly of Whitehall Farm, Pilsley

will take place on

Thursday 9th February

at 11.30am

Ashover Church

137 Barren, OTM and Feeding Cows overall average 186.5p /kg or (£1,235)

(Auctioneer Oliver Hiles)                    

Record Prices – averages up 10 pence on the week

Very good numbers again at Bakewell and a full line up of buyers working hard to secure a good load.  Bakewell attracts the cattle and the numbers attract the buyers which leads to a stunning trade with cows simply the dearest we have ever seen them.  43 cattle topped £2 with 19 over 220p.  Top price was a 1 calf (29 mnth old cow) from Messrs Hodgkinson, Sterndale.  Jonathon Salisbury had 250p for his 31 mnth old Limmy with the best cow at 242p (£2090) for Messrs Bennett, Threaphurst.

Results:

Gross Prices:

53 Black & White and ex dairy cows at 167p

The best ever – Unbelievable trade!

15 best fed cows 188-206p

Big Holstein 170-180p

Parlour cows 160-170p

Very plain cows under 150p

The best today:

1 OTM Bull

3 OTM Steers

181 FINISHED CATTLE – overall average 255.8p/kg

(Auctioneer Oliver Hiles)

A massive entry of cattle today and some remarkable prices throughout with cattle as dear at the end as the start.  60 vendors today sold cattle to 24 different accounts at ringside.  Good competition at Bakewell.

27 Young Bulls ave 237.8p

All shapes and sizes included some special bulls at the top end to make the lists.  Steven and Steff Wells won the day at 290p (£1722) with a couple of monsters from Messrs Fearn at 287p (£2175) and 275p (£2106).  10 B/W’s topped at 225p for Messrs Mason with a big Holstein at £1713 (207p).

Results:

Gross Prices:

54 Steers ave 246.9p/kg

Some super shapey big steers about today and an army of buyers looking to fill the shelves.  Keith Harrop had a showy blue at 301p (£1932) with a giant from Charles Otttewell at 290p (£2134).  Plenty 260-280p.  16 Natives today had Hereford to 240p, Angus to 261p and Lincoln to 230p with 3 B/W up to 219p.

Results:

Gross Prices:

100 Heifers ave 266.2p/kg (up on last week’s record)

Exactly 100 heifers today and what a fabulous show it was with some tremendous meat and shape on show.  7 best heifers topped £3/kg with the winning beast being a handy weight 464kg Limmy at 318p from Michael Wynne that sold to Rachel Henshall, Quality Butchers at Chinley in the High Peak.  Steven & Steff Well had 315 and 308p for their pair of heifers and Keith Harrop had 311, 308, 305 and 298p for his run of 4.  21 Natives saw Hereford to 249p and Angus to 254p.

Results:

Gross Prices:

STORE & BREEDING CATTLE – (Auctioneer Alastair Sneddon)

A very good entry of 388 store & breeding cattle sold on a monumental trade with the top priced steer at £1700 and heifer to £1680.

There were some excellent cattle forward many of which were sold in bunches where possible with a few outstanding ‘specimens’ selected by those in search of the very best.

A few Breeding Stock to start which included:

30 Feeding Bulls

To include:

178 Steers ave £993

Plenty of competition for all types.  Angus & Hereford selling well and Black & White in great demand.

Once again, the overall price seems to have moved up another notch, the following results will confirm it.

Sample Results:

161 Heifers ave £911

A wonderful trade for all comers with the average at £911 giving am indication of the strength of demand.

The following sample results tell their own story.

Sample Results:

40 CALVES (Auctioneer Ivor Lowe)

Another strong trade for all types with plenty of potential purchasers around the ring.

Best quality with continental bulls met plenty of interest, but with limited numbers available.  B Blue to £340, Limousin to £290 and Char to £220.

Heifer trade again similar to last week with B Blue to £275 and a competitive trade for the Black & White to a top of £145.

Bulls

B Blue                 £340     TN Palfreyman & Son, Flagg

B Blue                 £320     Pidcock & Matkin, Teversal

Lim                      £290     JW Lynam, The Common

Char                    £220     PL Boam, Monyash

Fries                    £145     JW Brandrick & Son, Beamhurst

Heifers

B Blue                 £275     TN Palfreyman & Son, Flagg

B Blue                 £250     J & L MacPherson, Yoxall

Lim                      £270     SG Potter, Bonsall

Hfd                       £170     GJ Tideswell, Marchington

1253 Lambs, 765 Ewes & Rams & 14 Store Sheep (Auctioneer Peter Oven)

A total entry of 2032 sheep included 1253 lambs.  Numbers up on last week with demand good throughout considering trade at the end of last week.  Best shaped Texel x to 295p/kg for lighter-weight sorts with heavy butchers lambs to 287p/kg.  Best overweight lambs sold to 258p/kg and £155/head.  The overall average 235.5p/kg.

Leading Prices: –

Averages:

765 Cull Sheep

A very big entry of ewes detailed above and buyers for all categories with the plainer types a better trade than last week.

Overall, there were less long and heavy pure Texels in the entry than recent weeks.

Top call £176 for the Salisbury Family at Abney with smart Texels with others from the Longs and Buckleys at £165 and £161 respectively.

Strong fleshed Mules to low £80 mark with the meated horned ewes £4 to £8 head dearer than last week.

Better type and meated Texel tups to £123 and £119.

Ewes to £176                Ave £77.77

Rams to £123               Ave £86.50

Store Sheep

Just 14 ewes and lambs created brisk bidding with Mule doubles to £185, Suffolk singles £145 and Mule singles £140.