Livestock & Dairy: Bakewell Market

It was busy in the market with many families out in force because of half-term.

We are very happy to see childrenin the market so long as they are under control and kept away from the cattle shed.

It was a day for monitoring and checks with a team of specialist nurses on site drawing awareness to testicular cancer.

We also had a vist from VOSA and the police who were inspecting trailers.

It was very much the same message from both parties “check your balls”

From the nurses recommending you to monitor any changes or lumps in that region and from the vehicle inspectors make sure your ball hitch is safe and the emergency cable is properly fitted.

There have been several disasters recently when trailers have detached themselves on a journey.

The changing of the clocks always catches out a few customers, but eventually everything arrived  and there were 703 cattle and 1,686 sheep in the market.

The Blue Tongue boundary on the Nottinghamshire border prevented a few vendors from selling at Bakewell and numbers are down on expectations for this time of year.

The store & breeding cattle section had a reasonable entry of 429 head and last week’s level of trade has been maintained.

Steers hit £1,880 to average £1,072 with heifers to £1,750 averaging £988.

Feeding bulls also looked well sold reaching £1,680 to average £759.

In the breeding section cows and calves reached £1,500, in calf cows £1,880 and Angus stock bulls £2,700.

Finished cattle numbers were down largely due to Blue Tongue problems with only 87 forward.  Those cattle that could attend sold on a tremendous trade with top figures 364p and £2,562 per head.

The 43 heifers averaged a cracking 293.2 pence and £1,722 per head.

If you have finished cattle eligible to come to Bakewell, please speak to Oliver Hiles.

OTM cattle were out in better numbers with 140 on offer.  Top figures 253p/kg and £2,279 per head.  The average much as last week at 172.2 pence.

47 calves this week with bulls to £465 and heifers £370.

In the sheep department there were 1,301 lambs forward with trade a shade firmer.  Top figures 328p/kg and £168 per head.  The SQQ average settled at 272.1 pence with the overall at 272.9 pence.

In the cull sheep department the entry totalled 385 with ewes selling to £184 to average

140 BARREN, OTM AND FEEDING COWS overall ave 172.2p/kg or £1133

(Auctioneer Oliver Hiles)     

Good numbers again with the Autumn rush of cows coming forward now.  The overall average is up about 1 penny on the week.  Meat if anything a penny or two less, but the leaner, plain B/W’s looking even dearer this week.  Best shaped and meated Limmys to 253p (£1629) for P Evans, Werrington, Stoke on Trent with plenty of better cows 270p plus.  The numbers keep coming to Bakewell because we have a big ring of buyers looking to buy your cows.  Surely the 60 vendors who sold cows today can’t be wrong.

Results:

Gross Prices:

52 Black & White and ex dairy cows

The leaner they are, the dearer they look.

No OTM heifers today

Better cows 165-193p

Better Holsteins 155-165p

Parlour types 145-150p

Plainest end under 140p

The best today:

6 OTM Bulls ave 195p

5 OTM Steers

87 FINISHED CATTLE ave 280.6p/kg

(Auctioneer Oliver Hiles)

Half the numbers but trade as strong as ever.

What a shame that there were not more to sell with the Christmas spirit very evident in the buyers’ minds.

28 Young Bulls ave 271.2p

Very strong again with the famous five over 307 pence to a top of 328p (£2112) for a posh Blond from Charles & Sue Jeffery with John Ottewell close behind at 322p (£2234).  9 best bulls over £2100.

Results:

Gross Prices:

16 Steers ave 265.7p/kg

Only 16 today, but what a trade. 7 continentals topped at 353p (£2562) for a Christmas show steer for 1^st time vendor RAO Johnson, Breadsall, Derby.  7 Natives had Herefords to 290p and Devons to 270p and 2 B/W’s sold at 258p and 242p.

Results:

Gross Prices:

43 Heifers ave 293.2/kg

Even after the trade last week they are dearer still and an improved average also.  Best black Limmys to 364p (£2373) for Clive Bacon, Wadshelf being chased hard by Keith Harrop, Alport at 362p (£2331).  10 heifers in total over 340p and 15 north of £2000.  15 Natives had Devons to 266p and Angus to 340p.

Results:

Gross Prices:

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

A decent turnout with a total of 429 head on offer.  Plenty of buying power in evidence and several operators failing to fulfil their orders because of fierce competition.

The sale started with an assortment of breeding cattle which included the special entry from FJ Adams & Son from Aldridge.

Breeding Cattle

Also

29 Feeding Bulls

Prices as follows:

212 Steers ave £1072

Plenty of demand for the mixed sample of cattle on offer with some tremendous prices achieved.

Hereford and Angus crossed very much wanted as with Beef Shorthorn.  Some excellent prices made of Black & Whites both Friesian and Holstein.

Sample Results:

163 Heifers ave £988.90

A good selection with some very smart cattle on offer, and also some of the other kind.  All found a ready market at appropriate prices.

Trade very strong with numbers dropping and buyers working hard to secure a load.

Sample Results:

47 CALVES (Auctioneer Ivor Lowe)

Trade possibly a little easier than of late, but that said all types still strongly bid for with a top price for bulls at £465 and heifers at £370, both for B Blues.

Bulls

B Blue                 £465     TN Palfreyman & Son, Flagg

B Blue                 £335     W Watts, Thurgoland

Lim                      £260     D Fotherby & Sons, Wormhill

AA                        £185     WJ Adams & Son, Mackworth

Friesian              £195     D Fotherby & Sons, Wormhill

Hfrs

B Blue                 £370     W Watts, Thurgoland

B Blue                 £340     W Watts, Thurgoland

1301 LAMBS & 385 EWES & RAMS

(Auctioneer Peter Oven)

A total entry of 1686 sheep included 1301 lambs.  Demand still very good for best meated sorts with heavy weights to 328p/kg and overweights to 318p/kg, with top gross of £168/head.  A larger proportion of plainer sorts within the entry was reflected in the overall average of 272.96p/kg.

Leading Prices: –

Averages:

342 Cull Sheep

(Auctioneer M Elliott)

Another excellent entry of 385 cull sheep saw best meated sorts in demand, but plain sorts harder to sell.  Best shaped Texels topped at £184 for Maurice Gregory with big Suffolks to £154, Mules to £120 and Swales to £80.

Ewes to £184                Ave £79.33

Rams to £172                Ave £135.20