Livestock & Dairy: Bakewell Market

It was a relief to have a cooler market day than last week’s heat wave.

This Monday it was 5 degrees at 5am compared with 16.5 degrees last week a change much appreciated by man and beast.

Another very busy day in advance of the Bank Holiday next week with 788 cattle and 1,274 sheep on offer consigned by a total of 212 vendors.

The store & breeding cattle section was the centre of attraction with 2 special entries of breeding cattle and a total of 487 head on offer.

The entry of pedigree Longhorns from Mr EA Backhouse of Uttoxeter drew buyers and bidders from far and wide and the dispersal of breeding & store cattle from FR J & D Charlesworth of Bradbourne including some outstanding outfits with prices to match.

The Longhorn cows & calves made up to £2,480 per outfit with the continental cattle from Charlesworths selling to £3,300 for a Lim x Cow & Calf.

In the store section steers hit £1,820, heifers to £1,750 and bulls to £1,590 and trade retained recent high levels.

There were 127 finished cattle with trade remaining extremely strong.  Top figures 346p/kg and £2,477 per head.

The average for the 50 heifers was a creditable 284.5 pence.

Another decent show of 103 cull cows with top figures 245p and £2,193 per head.

The average looked good at 177.8 pence.

71 calves this week with bulls to £495 and heifers £365.

Over in the sheep department there were 886 lambs with trade a shade sharper.

Top figures 336p/kg and £174.51 with the SQQ average at 292.2p and the overall average 294.5p demonstrating that there is an excellent demand for the heavier well fleshed lambs.

365 cull ewes selling on a good solid trade with the best on offer to £184 and the average £103.12

FORTHCOMING FIXTURES

Thursday 22nd August: Thursday Lunchtime Sheep Sale

103 BARREN, OTM AND FEEDING COWS overall ave 177.8p/kg or £1195

(Auctioneer Oliver Hiles)     

Another good day in the cow ring with the cows looking dearer on the week with the average unchanged.  Interestingly, if we look back to the equivalent week last year we had 100 cows to average 156p.  The cows are definitely wanted and meat is the biggest desire.  OTM clean topped at 245p for a Hereford heifer, 33 mnths with best cows to 232p for Lea Partners.  All the best easily over 210p and plenty more 190-205p.

Results:

Gross Prices:

46 Black & White and ex dairy cows ave 154.7p

Just as dear but more lean and parlour cows on offer.

No OTM clean

Best fed cows 178-189p

Parlour Holsteins 160-175p

Leaner cows 150-160p

The plainest end under 150p

The best today:

3 OTM Bulls

1 OTM Steer

127 FINISHED CATTLE ave 276.6p/kg

(Auctioneer Oliver Hiles)

Trade off the clock for all shapes and sizes with a full line up of buyers and 2 extra butchers at ringside.

22 Young Bulls ave 273.9p

Trade fierce from start to finish with nowhere near enough to go around.  Nigel & Julie Birch won the race to the top with their B Blue x at 324p (£2008) with a big boy from Charlie Boden at 316p (£2477) with 2 from Mark Sweetmore at 315 and 314p.

Results:

Gross Prices:

55 Steers ave 271.1p/kg

Wow, what a cracking day and trade for all the clean today. 31 continentals, 13 native and 11 B/W’s on offer and plenty of weight throughout.  Quality suckler bred Limmys topped at 330 and 324p for John Grummett, all the best cattle nicely over 300p and 18 bigger fleshed sorts over £2000.  Angus to 279p for Mark Hambleton with dairy steers to 252p for Neil Massey.

Results:

Gross Prices:

50 Heifers ave 284.6p/kg

An improved average and a different trade with the butchers and wholesalers coming with a different price structure and setting in to the cattle and wanting numbers. John Grummett had a red letter day and topped both the steers and heifers at 346p (£1930).  Micheal Wynne had 337p and Clive Bacon 328p, but not enough good sorts to go around.  12 natives saw Hereford to 290p for Mark Walker, Angus to 284p and a Longhorn at 314p.

Results:

Gross Prices:

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

A superb entry of 487 store & breeding cattle with numbers boosted by 2 special entries.

It first comprised a reduction sale of the Dodsley Fields herd of pedigree Longhorns the property of Mr EA Backhouse.

The 6 cow and calf outfits included examples at £2,250, £2,230 and £1,920.  A pure bred Longhorn bull, 28 mnths made £1,820.

Next came the dispersal of commercial cattle from FR J & D Charlesworth of Bradbourne, these included some fantastic cow and calf outfits mostly Limousin crosses topping at £3,300 with 14 realising over £2,000 and the top 10 averaging £2,430.

i/c B Blue x heifers sold at £2,050, £1,900 and £1,850.

The 76 mnth old Limousin stock bull from the same farm made £2,650.

36 Feeding Bulls

Notable prices as follows:

204 Steers ave £1204

A wonderful selection with some superb animals on offer.  Plenty of buying power in operation and prices very strong indeed.

Sample Results:

161 Heifers ave £1,015

Some great bunches and a tremendous trade from start finish.

Sample Results:

71 CALVES (Auctioneer Ivor Lowe)

Another respectable entry meeting a flying trade for all on offer, but perhaps the very best calves a little easier than last weeks exceptional trade.

Bulls peaked at £495 (3 times) each for B Blues with Herefords to £388 and Limousin to £350.

Heifers a similar picture with B Blues to £365 and Limousin to £310, whilst second quality would look exceptionally dear all the way through.

Only a small entry of B/W, but those forwards keenly bid for to a top of £100.

Bulls

B Blue                 £495     G Matkin, Idridgehay

B Blue                 £495     RE Poyser & Son, Onecote

Hfd                       £388     Meadow Place Farms, Youlgreave

Lim                      £350     WJ & DM Madin, Holymoorside

Sim                      £282     G Matkin, Idridgehay

Mont                   £188     J & J Walton & Sons, Tideswell

AA                        £165     E & MJ Bradbury, Pike Hall

Holst                   £100     K Trickett, Rowsley

Hfrs

B Blue                 £365     TN Palfreyman & Son, Flagg

B Blue                 £360     J & J Walton & Sons, Tideswell

Lim                      £310     WJ & DM Madin, Holymoorside

Reared Limousin Str calf to £445, AJ Parker & Sons, Ticknall

1274 SHEEP INCLUDING 888 LAMBS, 365 EWES & RAMS & 21 STORE RAMS

(Auctioneers Peter Oven & Mark Elliott)

A total entry of 1274 sheep included 888 lambs, heavy weight lambs continued to attract more demand with these peaking at 336p/kg and overweights to 324p/kg with a top gross of over £175/head.

Overall average 294.54p/kg

Leading Prices: –

Averages:

Cull Sheep

In the cull section a total of 365 on offer saw several grazing buyers in operation.  The best pure Texel ewes peaked at £184/head with Suffolks to £154 and Mules to £128.

Ewes to £184                Ave £103.12

Rams to £148               Ave £132.88

A special entry of 21 breeding rams attracted brisk bidding to peak at £380 ave £217.14.