Livestock & Dairy: Bakewell Market

With heavy snow fall affecting roads in Derbyshire and Staffordshire it is a wonder that 389 cattle and 663 sheep managed to make it to Bakewell.

There was a number of cancellations most of which have been rebooked for next week.

Although stock numbers were well down on expectations, virtually all the regular buyers attended as normal, resulting in a very strong trade for all commodities.

Some 216 store cattle eventually arrived and sold on a monumental trade.  There were a good proportion of stronger cattle in the entry which sold extremely well.  Steers reached £1,350 with a remarkable £958 average and heifers to £1,270 with another impressive average of £858.  Feeding Bulls topped at £920 with cows and calves to £1,120 in in-calvers £920.

We managed to muster 67 finished cattle which met a strong demand.  Top figures 263p and £1,609.  The average for the 32 heifers was a healthy 214.2p.

Some 73 OTM and feeding cows assembled and sold on an outstanding trade with top figures of 189p and £1,636.

The overall average at 135.9p was the highest in recent memory and the average price per head of £937 must also deserve a place in the record books.

Not surprisingly the calves were a modest entry of 33, but those that did arrive sold well with bulls to £352 and heifers £255.

With many of Bakewell’s sheep vendors coming from the south of Derbyshire and Staffordshire at this time of year the snow took its toll and numbers were well down.

Just 416 old season lambs on offer with the shortage reflected in the trade. Top prices 298p and £137.94 per head.

The SQQ ended up at a substantial 256.8p.

Only 248 Cull sheep this week with ewes to £168 to average £90.73.

Forthcoming Fixtures

Thursday 28^th January: Lunchtime Sheep Sale, See our Facebook page for special entries

 A date for you Diary

Friday 19^th February: Catalogued Cattle Sale, entries now being taken, call the Bakewell office on 01629 812777

73 Barren, OTM and Feeding Cows Overall Average 135.97p (Auctioneer Oliver Hiles).

They are getting dearer and dearer and we could have sold double the number today without any affect on trade.  Best fed and F/A cows a pleasure to sell today with a high of 189p on 2 occasions from Nigel Birch £1636 and Mark Sweetmore £1455.  Top 8 over 170p (all cows) with plenty more over 160p.  Natives had Herefords to 133p, Angus to 167p, Longhorns to 124p and Dexters to 109p.

31 Black & White and ex-dairy cows Ave 128p

Very good to sell, a trio of best Friesians sold to 156p (£1260), 150p (£1183) and 144p (£1160) from RW Walker, Ashgate.  Also, at 150p were Messrs Lomas, Griffe with Chris Beever at 148p and 146p.  Big lean Holsteins 110-125p with only a few less than £1.

Sample Results:

And Gross Prices:

 67 FINISHED CATTLE – overall average 203.2p (Auctioneer Oliver Hiles)

Snow affected numbers but trade still the top of the tree with all buyers operating and bidding hard.

5 Finished Bulls ave 170.8p/kg

Only a few but trade remarkable.

Sample Results:

30 Steers – overall average 197.9p/kg

Very good to sell with Nigel & Julie Birch at the top of the list with a super lim at 240p to gross £1454.  John Morris had 234p for his Limousin as did Don Lownds for a heavyweight to gross a superb £1609.

Sample Results:

And Gross Prices:

32 Finished Heifers – overall average 214.2p/kg

A remarkable average, akin to Christmas with some very good box fed cattle in the entry, In the gold medal spot was Don Lownds at 263p (£1620) with others at 246 and 244p.  Keith Harrop had a lovely run of cattle to 256p (twice) (£1699) and (£1484) with the Ponsonby’s at 254p and 246p.  Herefords, Angus and even a Dexter at 100p all in the entry and averages.

Sample Results:

And Gross Prices:

STORE & BREEDING CATTLE – (Auctioneer Alastair Sneddon)

There were some gaps in the sale as wintry conditions prevented some vendors from making the trip to Bakewell.  Most regular buyers were present or represented and there were no concerns about the level of prices.

Store cattle of all ages and descriptions are in demand.  Last Friday’s sale on behalf of the High Peak Livestock Society confirmed the strength of prices for the young quality cattle.  This Monday’s demonstrated how much how much the stronger cattle are worth.  If you have cattle in test do not hesitate to enter them, Bakewell buyers would like the chance to bid for them.  Please speak to Alastair Sneddon on 07973 982441 if you want an update on trade.

Only a handful of Feeding Bulls on offer with examples as follows:

 11 Breeding Cattle

 115 Steers ave £958

A good sample with plenty of short finish types in the entry, an outstanding average reflecting the number of quality animals forward.

Angus and Hereford crosses keenly sought, but top honours this week to the continental crosses.

Sample results:

 80 Heifers ave £858

Very strong trade from start to finish with feeders working hard to secure replacements for finished cattle sold.  The prices below tell their own story:

 33 CALVES (Auctioneer Ivor Lowe)

The adverse weather affecting calf numbers, but those forward rewarded by a good trade for all.

Charolais bulls to £352, B Blue to £340 and Shorthorn to £330.

Heifers would not be quite as dear but still very respectable with B Blue to £255 and Blonde to £250.

Black and White trade aa little more selective but the best well sold to a top of £160.

664 Sheep including 416 Finished Lambs & 248 Ewes & Rams

 (Auctioneer Peter Oven)

A small show of 664 head of sheep on a cold wintry Monday saw 416 lambs on offer.  Trade very brisk right from the start with the very first pen selling at 296p/kg and the first six pens selling to average 285p/kg.  Heavy butchers lambs sold to 298p/kg with a top gross of £137.94.

The overall average of 256.86p/kg.

Leading Prices: –

Averages:

 298 Cull Sheep

A total of 298 Cull Sheep saw very brisk bidding for all types.  Best heavy Suffolk ewes peaked at £168 with Char to £161, Texel to £158 and Mule ewes were in the £90-£100 bracket,

Cast Ewes & Rams      To: £168          Ave: £90.73