Livestock & Dairy: Bakewell Market

A good solid market with decent entries in all sections and outstanding prices achieved.

Strict ‘Drop & Go’ measures still in place with livestreaming of sales from both cattle rings allowing vendors to view from home.

Another useful entry of 359 Store Cattle with trade hotter than ever.  The young cattle in particular seem to be exceptionally dear as grazers and finishers work very hard to secure stock to replace those sold in the other ring.  Steers peaked at £1,325 with heifers £1,350 and feeding bulls to £945.

A contributory factor must be the returns being received for finished cattle.

There were 122 forward this week with top figures 262p and £1,601.

As an indication of price levels, the 48 heifers averaged 219.0 pence.

A few less OTM animals forward this week with just 83 on offer.  Prices up yet another notch with top figures £1,486 and 189 pence.  The average was a remarkable 142p/kg and an even more surprising £977 per head for all comers.

Calves in short supply at present.  25 forward with bulls to £435 and heifers £245.

The statistics were just as pleasing in the sheep section which featured the first new season lambs of the year selling at 290p to gross £130.50.

There was a good attendance of 967 old season lambs and another hike in trade to some very heady heights.

Top figures 358p and £155.27 per head and whilst the highlights look remarkable the averages are even more so.

The SQQ was 307.6p and the average price per head of 39 – 45kg hoggs was £134.33.

Needless to say, if you have sheep to sell now might be the time, any questions speak to Peter Oven on 07973 982443

Cull sheep seem to be scarce and as a consequence valuable, there were only 274 in the market with ewes to £192 and the average £91.18 enough said.

Forthcoming Fixtures

Thursday 11^th March: Lunchtime Sheep Sale, See our Facebook page for special entries.

Friday 19^th March: HPLS Catalogued Suckler Bred Store Cattle Sale. 448 entered

83 Barren, OTM and Feeding Cows Overall Average 142.9p or £987.43

(Auctioneer Oliver Hiles).

Just when you think they have reached the peak, boom! They get dearer still.  They surely can’t get any dearer than this as this was the most I have sold cows for to average just short of £1000/head.  Please remember around half the cows I sell are ex dairy cows and some in very lean ‘feeding condition’.  Prices peaked at 189p for Alex & David Thorp, Baslow with the top 10 over 170p.  14 native cows today had Angus to 188p and Hereford to 179p.

46 Black & White and ex-dairy cows Ave 130.4p/kg

Up 10 pence on the week and a quite remarkable trade for each and every cow on offer.  5 best fed sorts topped 154p to a high of 158p or £1352 for a big, well fed Holstein from Springfield Farm, Ambergate.  8 more sold over 140p with Holsteins generally 120-140p, leaner sorts 100-120p with only 2 plain cows under £1.

Sample Results:

And Gross Prices:

1 OTM Bull

 2 OTM Steers

 122 FINISHED CATTLE – overall average 209.4p (Auctioneer Oliver Hiles)

The trade keeps marching on with 40 vendors selling cattle today to 15 different buyers at ringside to create 25 different accounts.  Competition at its very finest and the only way to market cattle when there is shortage and cattle are scarce.  If you want any advice on cattle marketing, please give me a call on 07801 530899.

25 Finished Bulls ave 193.9p/kg

A superb trade with a high of 225p for Messrs Edge, Minninglow to gross £1597.  Herefords to 210p

Sample Results:

And Gross Prices:

49 Steers – overall average 208.23p/kg including 7 OTM’s

Like all cattle at present, very, very dear and some remarkable prices.  Stuart Wainwright returned to Bakewell to get the top price of 260p or £1596 with his other at 240p.  Nigel Birch had 250p with Messrs Edge big Lim at 239p or £1601.  10 Natives saw Angus to 206p and Hereford to 204p and Red Poll (OTM 32 mnths) at 205p

Sample Results:

And Gross Prices:

48 Finished Heifers – overall average 219.1p/kg

Exactly the same average as last week with mid-range cattle possibly dearer on the week.  Best bred and fed heifers topped at 262p for a superb Blonde from Peter Gaunt and selling to RW Walmsley, Quality Butchers at Catterton, York.  Keith Harrop and Mark Hadfield both had 258p with Stuart Wainwright at 256p.  6 Hereford to 204p and Angus to 205p.

Sample Results:

And Gross Prices:

STORE & BREEDING CATTLE – (Auctioneer Alastair Sneddon)

A rattling good trade for the 359 Store Cattle on offer this week with many commentators suggesting they were the dearest they have been in a very long time.

The young cattle in particular looked very well sold especially those which looked hardy enough for an early turnout.

The sale started with a selection of 38 Feeding Bulls with sample prices as follows:

179 Steers ave £894

Not so many short finish animals and more younger ones this week, hence the lower average despite the sharper trade.

All types of cattle eagerly bid for by Bakewell buyers.  If you have cattle in test and are minded to sell speak to Alastair Sneddon on 07973 982441.

Today’s figures speak for themselves.

Sample results:

138 Heifers ave £830

Some fine bunches of well-matched cattle attracting a distinct premium.

Trade very fast from the off.  Angus & Hereford crosses proving popular.  Cattle ready for turning out very keenly sought.

Sample Results:

CALVES (Auctioneer Ivor Lowe)

Numbers short of requirements with best calves in particular in short supply.  B Blue bulls to £435 and £425 with Herefords to £265.

A limited entry of heifers, but those forward again well sold with continentals to £245.

Black & Whites a similar trade to the last few weeks with better sorts to a top of £80.

1,246 Sheep including 969 Finished Lambs, 274 Ewes & Rams & 3 Store Sheep

(Auctioneer Peter Oven)

A total entry of 1246 sheep included 969 lambs.  Demand very brisk for all types with 9 pens grossing over £150/head.  Best export spec lambs peaked at 358p/kg with 5 pens 350p/kg plus.  Best home market lambs sold to 354p/kg.  The overall average was 307.65p/kg

Leading Prices: –

Averages:

New Season Lambs to 290p/kg

 274 Cull Sheep (Auctioneer Mark Elliott)

A really good trade from start to finish with all categories very well bid for, but the best, biggest Texels and Charolais have lifted to another level.  The top price from Hayden Fletcher saw 3 superb Texels at £192 with other Texels from the Whites at Repton at £165.  The best 6 pens averaged £158.67.

Best Mules over £100/head to the top around £106 with a strong trade for the thick meated horned breeds which topped just over £80/head.

Generally, good bidding for all types with plenty of crossbred Suffolks and Texels £100 to £115.

The cull Tups good to sell to a top of £164 for Mark Sweetmores Texels with others £148 and £130.

Cast Ewes        Ave: £91.18

Cast Rams       Ave: £103.00