Livestock & Dairy: Bakewell Market

After a few days that gave the impression that Spring was really here, it was back to Winter again with a really foul Monday morning with torrential rain and temperatures not much above freezing.

Nevertheless, there were 768 cattle and 1,378 sheep on offer and plenty of demand for all.

There was another excellent entry of store and breeding cattle with buyers operating from near and a very strong trade from start to finish.

Steers sold to £1,780 and heifers £1,675.

In the breeding section 12-month-old pedigree Limousin stock bulls reached £2,350.

The Finished cattle section was well supported with a total of 159 head on offer.

Top figures 347p/kg and £2,376 per head.

104 OTM cattle this week with demand very strong indeed.  Top figures 271p and £2,422 per head.  The average was well up at 189.0p and the per head average was an impressive £1,267.

There were 54 calves forward with bulls to £40 and heifers £360.

In the sheep shed operations commenced with 64 Spring lambs selling to remarkable 610p/kg and £246.68 per head.

The SQQ average was 487p/kg and lambs in the 39-45kg weight range averaged £192.13.

974 Hoggs forward with top figures 460p/kg and £272.58 per head.

The SQQ average 391.2p with the overall average 394.6p.

334 cull sheep with ewes to £237 to average a hefty £128.88.

Looking ahead we need to remind you that there will be a normal market on Monday 6^th May (May Day Bank Holiday)

FORTHCOMING FIXTURES

Thursday 18^th April: Thursday Lunchtime Sheep Sale

Friday 19^th April:  Darley Moor Collective Machinery Sale

We have been asked to inform you

The Funeral of

John Dyson

will take place on

 Tuesday 23^rd April 

at 1pm

 at North Chapel,

Grenoside Crematorium

Afterwards at The Rose & Crown, Stannington at 2.30pm

104 BARREN, OTM AND FEEDING COWS overall average 189.1p/kg or £1267

(Auctioneer Oliver Hiles)     

Another stunning trade for the cows this week with the averages up again with some good cattle for the wholesalers to get their teeth in to, but as always, a number of plainer suckler cows on offer for the feeding buyers to improve their value.  Top price today was an amazing 271p for a pure Limousin from well fed cow from Charlie Boden, Mellor to gross a fantastic £2422 with his other at 249p (£2091).  Messrs Richardson had 255p (£2157) for a Blue and Mark Shenton had 245 (£2160) Mark Shenton had 245p (£2160) for a Blond.  4 best pure cows over £2000.  Well done to all concerned.  Best all £2 and more.

Results:

Gross Prices:

48 Black & White and ex dairy cows ave 169.5p/kg

Even dearer than last week.

Best fed Friesians 186-199p

Big Holsteins 175-185p

Parlour Cows   150-170p

Smaller Cows 140-150p

Plainest end under 135p

The best today:

1 OTM Bull

10 OTM Steers

159 FINISHED CATTLE ave 279.3p/kg

(Auctioneer Oliver Hiles)

Even bigger numbers of cattle this week with some excellent sorts on offer from the 51 vendors who showed cattle today.

16 Young Bulls ave 248.8p/kg

Reduced numbers at present but trade still good for the goods on offer.  Best pure Limmy at 300p (£2346) for the Bennett family, Stockport with John Ottewell leading the gross values at £2376.

Results:

Gross Prices:

54 Steers ave 276.1p/kg

Big numbers of clean cattle this week with quality in abundance and some excellent prices for the best.  Messrs Hazledine Farms, Watnall and James Wardman had a joint top call of 321p both for Limmys with Peter Gaunt at 318 and a host of others over 310p.  Angus to 278p, Hereford to 270p and 4 B/W’s to 237p.

Results:

Gross Prices:

88 Heifers ave 287.1p/kg

Bumper numbers for heifers with the average showing a 2 pence reduction in price which I think is a fair reflection on trade.  All the best cattle 310p and above with a top price of 347p for a Nigel Birch special and selling to Ian Meakin, Quality butchers in Leek, Staffordshire.  Hazledine Farms had 338p for their only heifer £2176) with a run from Peter Gaunt up to 333p (£2137), Angus to 249p and Herefords to 250p.

Results:

Gross Prices:

STORE & BREEDING CATTLE – (Auctioneer Alastair Sneddon)

Another decent entry of 451 store & breeding cattle sold on another outstanding trade with prices well up to snuff.

Any hardy cattle that had been out wintered attracted a considerable premium over those that enjoyed a more comfortable time.

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

16 Feeding Bulls with sample prices as follows:

186 Steers ave £1,040

Plenty of interest in all types from the smallest reared calves to the short finish animals.  Well matched bunches sold particularly well with bidders ‘pushing the boat out’ to secure a pat load at one hit.

Sample Results:

238 Heifers ave £892

Rather unusual having so many more heifers than steers in this week’s entry, but they were all wanted and found their level according to breed, age or quality.

Angus and Hereford selling well as the results below will demonstrate.

Sample Results:

54 CALVES (Auctioneer Ivor Lowe)

Another excellent trade for all types with a packed ring and many more could have been sold to vendors’ advantage.

Bulls saw B Blues to £400, £380 and £370 and a nice run of Simmentals off one farm peaking at £290.

Only a small entry of B/W’s but those farmers were well rewarded to a top of £90.

Bulls

B Blue                 £400     BD Hudson, Ipstones

B Blue                 £380     TN Palfreyman & Son, Flagg

B Blue                 £370     D Ball, Fulford

Lim                      £390     JF Hayes, Shottle

Sim                      £290     D Ball, Fulford

Mont                   £285     J & J Walton, Castleton

AA                        £185     WR & W Hayes, Pilsley

Hfrs

B Blue                 £295     J & J Walton, Tideswell

Sim                      £280     D Ball, Fulford

1039 LAMBS, 334 EWES & RAMS & 3 STORE SHEEP

(Auctioneers Peter Oven & Mark Elliott)

A total entry of 1376 sheep included 64 Spring lambs and 975 old season lambs.  Demand for the best shaped Spring lambs very brisk to a top of 610p/kg for the lighter weights with medium weights to 598p/kg with a top gross of £246/head and an overall average of £190/head.  Spring lambs averaged 487p/kg

Leading Prices: –

Averages:

Old Season Lambs

In the old season lambs 975 on offer, demand very brisk for all types with best shaped sorts peaking at 460p/kg, heavy weight butchers lambs to 456p/kg and overweights to 396p/kg.  The best big lambs grossed over £272/head with an average of £183/head.

The overall average 394.61p/kg.

Leading Prices: –

Averages:

Just 3 store sheep saw a Texel single to £180 and Cade lambs to £22

334 Cull Sheep

A slightly smaller entry of 334 cull sheep attracted very brisk bidding for all types.  Best Texels peaked at £237, fat heavy Texels to £227, heavy Mules sold in the £120 – £135 bracket with best horned ewes in the £70 – £90 bracket.

Ewes to £237                Ave £128.88

Rams to £186                Ave £167.63