Livestock & Dairy: Bakewell Market

Decent numbers for the week before the next Bank Holiday and a Tuesday market on the 27^th May.

Conditions still desperately dry, but with the prospect of a wet weekend there is rain on the horizon.

Entries strong in all sections with 758 cattle and 1,318 sheep on offer.

The store & breeding cattle section was well supported with a total of 435 on offer and trade very similar to last week.

Steers reached £2,500 to average a tremendous £1,542 and heifers topped at £2,260 to average £1,355.

Feeding bulls sold to £1,600 with a pedigree Lim bull in the breeding section making £4,300.

Finished cattle out in force with 146 forward, trade still looking good with top figures 450p/kg and £3,268 per head.

Our regular barometer of trade the heifer average saw 62 head at 374.4p/kg and £2,256 per head.

The OTM department was well subsidised with a useful entry of 130 forward top figures 400p/kg and £3,060 per head.

The average looking solid at 274.8 pence with the cows averaging £1,712 per head.

47 calves this week with demand just as strong, bulls sold to £640 and heifers a remarkable £605.

In the sheep section numbers of Spring lambs are building up with 218 this week.

The best on offer reached 424p/kg and £197.71 with the SQQ average 364.0 pence.  This made a typical lamb in the 39-45kg bracket worth £163.31.

Still a few Hoggs coming in with 631 on offer.

The best to 340p/kg and £185.63 and the SQQ average emerging at 291.7 pence.

Finally, there were 469 cull sheep with ewes selling to £268 to average £162.83

FORTHCOMING FIXTURES

TUESDAY 27^TH MAY – BAKEWELL MARKET

Thursday 22^nd  May: Thursday Lunchtime Sheep Sale

130 BARREN, OTM AND FEEDING COWS overall ave 274.8p/kg or £1744

(Auctioneer Oliver Hiles)     

A few extras than last week and the average a little less but don’t be fooled.  Trade is no less and possibly even dearer but more small and lean cows in the entry pulled the averages back a little.  Best cows today sold to £4/kg for a 1 calf, 3 ½ year old Limmy from Messrs Nichols, Stone with the very next lot in the ring at 398p being a Blue x from Ken Elliott, Eyam with both cows sold in lean condition and going for feeding.  All the better sorts easily over 300 pence.

Results:

Gross Prices:

60 Black & White and ex dairy cows ave 274.8p or £1744

A ‘stand on’ trade.

2 OTM clean 306 & 314p

Better fed cows 270-287p (10 over £2000)

Holsteins 250-265p

Plainer sorts 230-250p

Small or Jersey – under 220p

And more on offer

The best today:

8 OTM Bulls

5 OTM Steers

146 FINISHED CATTLE ave 364.6p/kg

(Auctioneer Oliver Hiles)

A big turnout ahead of next week’s Bank Holiday Tuesday market from 49 vendors from the Peak District and surrounding counties.  Trade for the best is excellent and no less than 6 weeks ago, but the second quality do look a little easier in line with national trends.

30 Young Bulls ave 350.4p/kg

The best are excellent to sell and as dear as ever.  Two top prices of 439p each for a Limmy from Dukes Drive Farm Shop and David Goddard, with other suckler sorts over 400p.  Angus to 390p and Hereford to 372p.

Results:

Gross Prices:

50 Steers ave 362.8p

Trade excellent for the best with a high of 447p (£2887) for a tremendous Lim x BB from Peter Gaunt with other good sorts over 400p.  Angus to 390p and Hereford to 372p.

Results:

Gross Prices:

62 Heifers ave 374.5p/kg

The best amazing to sell with the top two in particular worthy of a special mention, Peter Gaunt won the day and raced to 450p (£2952) for a tremendous shapey Blue with Keith Harrop close behind at 447p (£3039) with his favourite Blue.  Better sorts generally 400-420p.  24 Natives saw Angus to 390p and Herefords to 381p.

Results:

Gross Prices:

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

Another big show of 435 head maintained recent levels of trade.

There were some superb cattle on offer both individuals and well matched bunches which tempted buyers to push the boat out as the following results will show.

The sale commenced with a handful of Breeding Cattle to include:

29 Feeding Bulls

Sample Results:

215 Steers ave £1542

A good selection of buyers present for all types and a solid trade from start to finish.

Despite dry conditions the promise of rain seems to averted any reduction in price and values remain strong.

Sample Results:

177 Heifers  Ave £1355

Plenty of interest at all levels of price, age and quality.  Sample results demonstrate the strength of trade.

Sample Results:

47 CALVES (Auctioneer Natasha Hall)

A total of 47 calves on offer, slightly less than last week.

Still a very good trade for all that were on offer.

A Hereford bull topped today achieving £640 from Walker Farms Ltd closely followed by a Lim bull at £632 from S & LM Kirby.

A Lim Heifer topped at £605 and £602 for D Fotherby & Sons.

Bulls

Hfd                       £640     Walker Farms Ltd

Lim                      £632     S & LM Kirby

Lim                      £580     D Fotherby & Sons

AA                        £475     JW Brandrick & Son

Sim                      £440     JR Hallam

B Blue                 £430     JH & D Shepherd

Hfrs

Lim                     £605     D Fotherby & Sons

Lim                      £602     D Fotherby & Sons

AA                        £400     JW Brandrick & Son

B Blue                 £390     WJ Adams & Son

849 LAMBS & 469 EWES & RAMS

(Auctioneer Peter Oven)

A very good entry of 1318 sheep included 218 Spring lambs and 631 old season lambs.  The demand for Spring lambs was very good with them looking dearer as they day went on with most butchers now on the Spring lambs.  Best sorts peaked at 424p/kg with 6 pens over 410p/kg and an overall average of 367.38p/kg which included several pens of smaller plainer sorts.  The best big lambs grossed £198/head.

Leading Prices:

Averages:

Old Season Lambs

Still plenty of old season lambs forward with the best still in demand to peak 340p/kg (twice) and top gross of £185/head, overall average 291.72p/kg

Leading Prices:

Averages:

407 Ewes and  Rams

(Auctioneers Mark Elliott & Holly Swift)

An excellent entry towards 500 head and a strong trade but the secondary sorts probably in relative terms a little dearer.

Best ewes regularly £240 and above with a top price of £268 for the Brough Family and the top 6 pens averaging nearly £250 per head.

Better end crossbreds and Suffolks £230 and above with Mules to £168 for the biggest.

Medium framed Swales to over £100/head.

The tups a fast trade and virtually all were presented with decent flesh.

Top call £260 for a big Texel from Jackie Trueman with other Continentals at £250 and £242.

A very strong average for the ewes at £162.83

Ewes to £268 ave £162.83

Tups to £260 ave £205