Livestock & Dairy: Bakewell Market

A good solid day’s business with 750 cattle and 1,738 sheep on offer consigned by a total of 235 vendors.

A reminder that next week on 6^th May it is business as usual on Monday despite the fact that it is a Bank Holiday.

The Store & Breeding Cattle section attracted a total of 504 head of stock, very varied in size, age and quality, but buyers were operating for all types and commentators reported trade up on the week which Is reflected in the facts.  Steers hit a maximum of £2000 with heifers to £1750 and feeding bulls.

In the breeding section a 3-year-old Charolais bull made £2600 and Simmental Cows with calves reached £1,950.

A useful turnout of 120 finished cattle saw the average for the 63 heifers at 285.0 pence.  Bulls grossed up to £2,504.

Top figures of the day were for a beast sold for charity at 430p/kg grossing £2,820, full details in Olivers report.

OTM cattle in short supply with only 70 on offer.  Trade was outstanding with top figures 245p/kg and £1,936.

The overall average was 188.7p making an average gross price for a cow a remarkable £1,261.

44 calves forward with bulls to £440 and heifers £270.

Over in the sheep section there was plenty going on.

117 Spring lambs sold on a great trade with top figures 562p and an astonishing £244.64 per head.

The SQQ average was 493.9p and the average gross price for a lamb in the 39-45kg weight range was a hefty 204.64p.

We are still finding a few hoggs with 1,090 on parade.  Top figures 438p/kg and £211.51 per head.

The SQQ average was 353.6p.

There were 528 cull sheep entered with ewes to £246 to average £124.05

FORTHCOMING FIXTURES

Friday 3^rd May: Farm Sale at Church Cottage Farm, Hulland Ward

Thursday 2^nd May: Thursday Lunchtime Sheep Sale

70 BARREN, OTM AND FEEDING COWS overall ave 188.7p/kg or £1290

(Auctioneer Oliver Hiles)     

Less numbers and consequently a lot more trade.

As I said last week, the cow numbers are light Nationally and when that is the case, the only way to get the best value out of your cows is to market them in front of a big ring of buyer who want to own your cows.  Just 16 continental suckler cows today and these rose to 245p for a young Blue from John Etches, Tissington with older cows up to 238p for a Limmy.  As a flavour 9 Lims ave 209p, 4 Blues ave 211p and 2 Simmys ave 211p.

Results:

Gross Prices:

44 Black & White and ex dairy cows ave 183.1p/kg

Way up on the week – some 14 pence dearer with the best back over £2/kg.

3 OTM clean heifers 217-228p

9 big fed cows 191-212p

Big Holsteins with meat 180-190p

Parlour cows 170-180p

Plainer cows under 160p

The best today:

2 OTM Bulls

2 OTM Steers

120 FINISHED CATTLE ave 270.1p/kg

(Auctioneer Oliver Hiles)

Similar numbers to last week as cattle have become harder to find.  Trade very much up to par with cattle still a fast trade.

Today, The Bacon Family from Hallcliffe Farm, Wadshelf donated at tremendous Limousin Heifer (656kg) to be sold on behalf of 2 charities.

1. The British Heart Foundation
2. The Stroke Association

This was following the death of their father, Mr Bob Bacon at 96 years old who had been coming to Bakewell Market longer than anyone can remember.  The heifer sold after a strong tussle between 4 interested parties for 430p/kg to gross £2820.80.  The heifer was purchased by Dovecote Park, who continue to be wonderful supporters of the finished cattle section at Bakewell.

26 Young Bulls ave 254.5p/kg

A few extras on offer and a real classy bull at the top of the list with a posh Limmy at 318p (£2111) from Messrs Dukes Drive Farm Shop with 2 good Lims from David Goddard at 303p and 302p and a big boy from John Ottewell at 288p (£2471).

Results:

Gross Prices:

31 Steers ave 255.7p/kg

Less numbers and quality today and a near absence of smart suckler bred bullocks on offer.  There was however one very smart big Limmy from first time vendor Ian Brown, Werrington who sold a 728kg Limmy at 308p or £2242.  Dairy bred and big Lims for NI Naylor made 294p and Dairy bred blues at 290p for Messrs Easom.  15 Natives saw Angus to 280p and Herefords to 256p with 6 B/W’s to 238p.

Results:

Gross Prices:

63 Heifers ave 285.1p/kg

Good numbers and quality throughout with shape and meat being the order of the day.  The obvious sale leader was the charity heifer at 430p as detailed above, with a posh Blue from Nigel Birch at 348p (£2025) to Meakin Bros, Leek and a smart run from Peter Gaunt at 334,330,329p etc.  14 Natives to £3/kg for Angus.

Results:

Gross Prices:

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

A decent entry of 504 head kept buyers busy and an excellent trade prevailed from start to finish.  The cattle were a very mixed sample, but purchasers were operating at all price levels and everything made its money.

The sale commenced with a few Breeding Cattle.

Sample Prices:

46 Feeding Bulls

It is now 3 weeks since we started putting the TB Parish Testing Intervals on the Early Warning List.

This change has met with general approval and had also demonstrated how many 48 month testing cattle are now being sold at Bakewell.

If you have any other suggestions that would improve the service we give. Please tell us.

225 Steers ave £1,063

A sharp trade right through the sale with all types in great demand.

Angus and Hereford crosses selling very well and Black & White steers also dear as they generally are at Bakewell.

Ground conditions still far from ideal after recent rain, but things must improve soon.

Sample Results:

233 Heifers ave £935

Plenty of interest at all price levels with new buyers operating at the stronger end.

Angus & Herefords keenly sought as usual.

Sample Results:

44 CALVES (Auctioneer Ivor Lowe)

A string trade for all with a full ring of prospective purchasers and a number going home short of requirements.

Better continental bulls saw Limousin to £440, B Blue to £330, Saler to £345 and Herefords to £185.

Heifers lighter on numbers but those forward were well rewarded with Limousin to £270 and B Blue to £265.

Plenty of interest in the dairy bred calves of all types with Friesians to a top of £158.

Bulls

Lim                      £440     WJ & DM Madin, Holymoorside

B Blue                 £330     JW Lynam, Matlock

B Blue                 £290     WJ Adams & Son, Mackworth

Saler                    £345     JF Hayes, Shottle

Hfd                       £185     RS Hall, Peak Forest

Fries                    £158     D Fotherby & Sons, Wormhill

Hfrs

Lim                      £270     JF Hayes, Shottle

B Blue                 £265     WJ Adams & Son, Mackworth

AA                        £160     WR & W Hayes, Pilsley

1207 LAMBS, 528 EWES & RAMS & 3 STORE SHEEP

(Auctioneers Peter Oven & Mark Elliott)

An excellent entry of 1738 sheep included 117 new season lambs, bidding very brisk for best butchers types top price of 562p/kg and £244/head the lambs average £192/head with SQQ of 493.39p/kg.

Leading Prices: –

Averages:

Old Season Lambs

Still over 1000 old season lambs forward which saw meated sorts well bid for with the best to 438p/kg twice.  The best 4 pens all over 418p/kg.  Best butchers lambs peaked at £211.51 with big sorts to £206.35.  The overall average 353.6p/kg.

Leading Prices: –

Averages:

528 Cull Sheep

A wonderful entry of 528 cull sheep saw demand very good for all types with several grazing buyers trying to get fitted up, but trade behind their wallets.  Best pure Texels £246 and Texel x to £185, Char to £206, Suffolks to £185, best big Mules in the £140-£150 bracket and best horned ewes in the £80-£100 bracket.

Ewes to £246                Ave £124.05

Rams to £216                Ave £144.25

Just 3 store sheep sold to £210/head.