Livestock & Dairy: Bakewell Market

Decent entries in all sections with 689 cattle and 1,855 sheep on offer.

The cattle trade remains extremely strong and it is pleasing to report that sheep prices have lifted considerably.

There were 406 store & breeding cattle forward, a useful number, bearing in mind that there were 392 sold last Friday at the HPLS sale.

All types in strong demand with steers to £1,750, heifers £1,800 and feeding bulls £900.

Fewer finished cattle this week with various vendors grounded after buying last Friday.

Of the 91 that were on parade top figures were 330p/kg and £2,197 per head.

Our old friend the heifer average did not disappoint with 287.8p for 31 animals and a gross average of £1,777 per head.

The 154 OTM cattle did nothing to dent the trade.  Top figures 245p/kilo and £2,256/head.  The average was well up to snuff at 187.3p.

38 calves this week with bulls to £228 and heifers £175.

In the sheep department 1,280 hoggs were out in force with top figures 322p and £156.51.

The SQQ average looked improved at 256.3p.

There were 553 cull sheep with ewes to an astonishing £234 to average £96.12.

FORTHCOMING FIXTURES

Thursday 23rd March: Thursday Lunchtime Sheep Sale

154 Barren, OTM and Feeding Cows overall average 201.86p /kg or (£1,332.00)

(Auctioneer Oliver Hiles)                    

I called for more and they duly came and the trade was certainly ready for them.  A very big entry of B/W cows in the entry,  If you have cows to sell we have proved once again that numbers have no adverse effect on the trade.  B Blue x sucklers today peaked at 232p for a 1 calf cow from Roger Barlow, Retford.  51 cows today over £2.  If you would like any information give me a call on 07801 530899 and I would be happy to give you a confidential, no obligation opinion of your cows value.

Results:

Gross Prices:

108 Black & White and ex dairy cows at 184.6p (up 10 pence)

A stirling price for the big entry today with the average 10 pence better.

26 cows over 200p

Big Holsteins 185-195p

Leaner Parlour cows 170-180p

Plainer sorts 160-170p

Only a few smaller cows under 150p

The best today:

3 OTM Bulls

91 FINISHED CATTLE – overall average 278.7p/kg

(Auctioneer Oliver Hiles)

Less cattle on offer after the suckler sale on Friday but a remarkable trade once again.

21 Young Bulls ave 268.9p/kg

Some better bulls on offer including a lovely run of 9 pure Lims from Charlie Smithem that saw 4 over £3 and 2 over £2000 including a top of 310p and 307p (£2075).  A big Lim x from Malcolm Bennett made 299p to gross £2392.

6 B/W topped at 237p with a bottom of 227p.

Results:

Gross Prices:

39 Steers ave 276.5p/kg

A remarkable trade for the best with the top 10 over 300p including a stunner from Jack Blackshaw at 330p (£2158).  6 natives saw Hereford to 260p, Angus to 280p and Lincolns to 258p with 6 B/W to 233p.

Results:

Gross Prices:

31 Heifers ave 287.8p/kg

A similar trade to the steers with the top 12 over 300p and all stronger sorts over £2000.  Rob Hall topped the pile at 328p/kg for a handy weight Limmy with weight from Jack at 327p x2.  8 Native and Hereford to 273p and Angus to 274p.

Results:

Gross Prices:

STORE & BREEDING CATTLE – (Auctioneer Alastair Sneddon)

A good show of 406 head with some fine specimens together with well-matched bunches which allowed the sale to proceed at a lively pace.

Outwintered cattle and those with a decent length of coat sold at a premium to those purchasers eager to turn out to grass.

The sale started with a few Breeding Cattle which included:

Feeding Bulls

Only a small selection of feeding bulls.

Sample results as follows:

219 Steers ave £1040

A solid trade with plenty of farmer buyers operating.

Angus very much the flavour of the month with Herefords also selling well.

No too many Black & Whites, but those that were on offer sold very well.

Tremendous trade for the short keep sorts with plenty over £1,500.

Sample Results:

159 Heifers ave £885

All sizes and shapes in great demand as the following results will demonstrate.

Sample Results:

38 CALVES (Auctioneer Mark Elliott)

A few more calves for sale and trade steady, unfortunately no real power and quality forward.

Bulls were sold to £228 for a Hereford from Messrs Pidcock and Matkin at Teversal with Bill Bradbury at Earl Sterndale receiving £218 for a Limousin.

Better square Friesians to a top of £79 for Messrs Tideswell at Marchington.  Continental Heifers good to sell but again a few better sorts would have readily have found buyers.

Bulls

Hfd                       £228     Pidcock & Matkin, Teversal

Lim                      £218     W Bradbury, Earl Sterndale

W Blk                   £170     Pidcock & Matkin, Teversal

Lim                      £154     A & DJ Gregory, Litton

Fries                    £79        GJ Tideswell, Marchington

Heifers

B Blue                 £175     Pidcock & Matkin, Teversal

Hfd                       £142     GJ Tideswell, Marchington

B Blue                 £132     MK Rowarth, Etwall

Angus                 £86        A & DJ Gregory, Litton

1280 Lambs, 554 Ewes & Rams & 18 Store Sheep (Auctioneer Peter Oven)

A very good entry of 1852 sheep included 1280 lambs.  Demand very brisk from start to finish with 11 pens over 300p/kg and a top of 328p/kg.  The best butchers lambs sold to 328p/kg with heavy weight butchers lambs to 322p/kg and overweight lambs to 277p/kg.  Top gross price of £156.51.  The overall average 265.36p/kg up almost 10p/kg on last week.  60 Texel x Beltex from out of Nottinghamshire sold to 316p/kg average 298p/kg.

Leading Prices: –

Averages:

Cull Sheep

Once again ewe numbers very good with 554 on offer.  First pen to be sold topped the market with 8 big Texels from Furness & Taylor realising £234/head, Suffolk ewes sold to £164, Char to £158.  Heavy Mules sold in the £100-£125 bracket with horned ewes in the £50-£68 range.

6 Goats on offer today attracted brisk bidding to £100.

Ewes to £234                Ave £96.12

Rams to £178               Ave £116.38  

Goats to £100              Ave £85.33

Store Sheep

A small show of 18 store sheep attracted keen interest with a Southdown ewe and lamb to £154, Continental ewes with singles to £150 and doubles to £165.