Livestock & Dairy: Bakewell Market

We expected a busy day after the Bank Holiday week, but maybe not the 921 cattle and 1,890 sheep that actually arrived.

Trade solid in all departments, but some commodities say prices blunted by the prevailing dry conditions.

The were 568 head in the store & breeding cattle department.  Buyers were out in force after a ‘missing’ week and trade was strong for all types.

There were definitely some cattle forward showing signs of the shortage of keep and this is probably the first week that this has been noticeable.

There were, however, buyers operating who were looking for such cattle and they all found a new home at appropriate prices.

At the other end of the spectrum quality cattle in forward order were as dear as ever with steers to £2,530 ave £1,663 and heifers £2,500 ave £1,349.

Feeding bulls averaged £1,052 and peaked at £2,520.

In the breeding section cows and calves sold to £3,100 with stock bulls to £3,650.

Finished cattle numbers looked good at 154 with top figures 438p and £3,050.

The average for the 75 heifers was 370p/kg and £2,217 per head.

The average was close to recent levels at 249.6 pence and £1,591 per head.

The calf entry was a useful 98 with bulls to a remarkable £730 and heifers £590.

Over in the sheep section things were also busy.

The 1,207 lambs sold on a solid trade with top figures 354p and £180/head.

The SQQ average was 293.9 pence making a typical lamb in the 39-45kg range worth £125.22.

A particularly large entry of cull sheep with 667 in total, top price for ewes £234 to average £123.17 for a very mixed selection.

Forthcoming Fixtures

Thursday 4^th September: Thursday Lunchtime Sheep Sale & Store Lamb Sale

Friday 5^th September: Theaves & Ewes

DISEASE PRECAUTIONS

The authorities have asked us to pass on the message to everyone to be vigilant with regard to Bio Security.

May we respectfully ask that you use the footbaths and boot wash in order to reduce the risk

104 BARREN, OTM AND FEEDING COWS overall ave 249.7p/kg or £1591

(Auctioneer Oliver Hiles)

Trade remains strong and very similar to a fortnight ago with all the regular operators at ringside.  8 over £3/kg and a high of 324p/kg £2604 for a young 33 month old Blond from Steven Rhodees, Fulwood with the high priced cow at 322p (£2608) for a smart blue from Matthew & Chippy Elliott, Little Hucklow.  Grazing buyers were again very active and looking for cows with feeding potential to go to their feeding units.

Results:

Gross Prices:

46 Black & White and ex dairy cows ave 212.7p

Strong money but a lot of leaner sorts about today.

Best sorts 240-289p

Big Holsteins 220-235p

Leaner Cows 205-215p

Plainest end under £2/kg

The best today:

4 OTM Bulls

1 OTM Steer

154 FINISHED CATTLE ave 363.7p/kg

(Auctioneer Oliver Hiles)

Bigger and better numbers and a full line up of buyers who all wanted numbers with strong competitive bidding.

35 Young Bulls ave 361.9p/kg

A strong trade for all with the best particularly good to sell, David Goddard representing the Fearn family won the race to the top at 426p for a B/W blue (£3050) with Steven Jones close behind at 425p and 424p with suckler bred blues.

Results:

Gross Prices:

44 Steers ave 354.9p

All shapes and sizes represented with some excellent suckler bred quality at the top end and a lot of well fed dairy cross cattle in the mix.  Top of 430p for a John Grummett special with the top 10 over 390p, Angus to 400p.

Results:

Gross Prices:

75 Heifers ave 370.1p/kg

A good line up today and well fed cattle certainly commanded a premium.  Frank Kunica t/a Belper Skip Hire was pulled out in the ballot and topped the day at 438p with a special suckler bred blue that sold to Meakin Bros Butchers in Leek.  17 best over £4 with 10 Natives seeing Herefords to 378p.

Results:

Gross Prices:

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

A bumper entry for the Monday market after the Bank Holiday with 565 head on offer.

Lack of grass and concerns about Winter straw or fodder are the subject matter of many conversations, but have yet to make any impact on prices as this report reveals.

The sale started with 70 Breeding Stock these included a special entry of 20 Limousin suckler cows with calves from Robert Rowlinson of Ilam.

29 Feeding Bulls

Sample Results:

293 Steers ave £1663

Despite a good many very small and young cattle in the entry the average still came out at £1,663 indicating the strength of trade.

Top notch cattle attracted fierce bidding with prices to match.  Plainer sorts found a new home, but at lower figures.

Sample Results:

173 Heifers ave £1349

A good selection with buyers present to cover all sizes, ages and qualities, overall, an excellent trade from start to finish.

Sample Results:

98 CALVES (Auctioneer Ivor Lowe)

All calves looking extremely dear from the best to the smallest, a packed ringside of buyers throughout the sale.

Stronger bulls regularly upwards of £600 to a top of £730, heifers upwards of £500 to a top of £590.

Native breeds of both sex a similar story with Angus seeing bulls to £495 and heifers to £350.

Keep the numbers coming!

Bulls

B Blue                 £720     J & J Walton & Sons, Tideswell

B Blue                 £705     S & LM Kirby, Eastmoor

B Blue                 £700     E Morten & Sons, Barmoor Clough

Char                    £595     PL Boam, Monyash

Lim                      £650     H Hodgkinson, Earl Sterndale

Lim                      £635     D Fotherby & Sons, Wormhill

Sim                      £495     G Matkin, Idridgehay

Angus                 £495     WB & DE Gyte, Barmoor Clough

Hfrs

B Blue                 £530     J & J Walton & Sons, Tideswell

B Blue                 £520     JE & CM Fletcher, Peak Forest

Lim                      £520     D Fotherby & Sons, Wormhill

Hfd                       £490     D Fotherby & Sons, Wormhill

1207 SPRING LAMBS, 667 EWES & RAMS & 16 STORE SHEEP

(Auctioneer Peter Oven)

A very good entry of 1890 sheep included 1207 lambs.  Best finished lambs still in demand to a top of 354p/kg and £180/head.  A larger proportion of leaner and grass fed lambs within the entry was reflected in the overall average of 293.96p/kg.

Leading Prices:

Averages

667 Ewes and Rams

(Auctioneers Mark Elliott & Holly Swift)

A really good entry with buyers for everything.

Best ewes regularly £200 plus with the top 3 pens averaging £223 and Maurice Gregory topping the day at £234.

The Mules in general saw a full range of qualities, weights and finish, with the best slaughter types over £180 at heavy weights and some strong framed grazers towards £100/head at the other end of the scale.  Plenty of strong crossbred continental meated ewes £170 and above with the meated horned types around £100 for best (but in fairness not as heavy as recent weeks)

14 slaughter rams to a top of £220 for Furness & Taylor with others at £210 and £188.

Ewes ave £123.17       

Tups ave £144.43