Livestock & Dairy: Bakewell Market

We have always held a market on the May Day Bank Holiday, but we have never previously been as busy as we were this time with 642 Cattle and 964 Sheep.

Nearly all the regular buyers were present together with a number of ‘wild card’ purchasers who found themselves able to attend perhaps because it was a Bank Holiday.

It was good to see rain at long last and the miserable day undoubtably kept the roads free of tourist traffic.

There was an outstanding entry of 465 Store & Breeding cattle which included some that were carried over from the previous weeks capacity crowd.

Trade was strong from start to finish with steers to £1360, heifers £1450 and feeding bulls £1000.  In the breeding section in calf cows sold up to £1440 and cows with calves £1200.

The 76 finished cattle maintained recent price levels with the best on offer to 268p and £1928.

The 33 heifers averaged a respectable 208.5p.

OTM Cull & feeding cows were out in good numbers with 85 in total.  Top figures 186p and £1600.  The average looked good at 141.1p.

Only 16 Calves on offer with bulls to £400 and heifers £265.

In the Sheep section Spring Lambs are beginning to appear in larger numbers with 194 forward.  Top figures 402p and £164.56 with the SQQ average 358.9p.

Old Season Lambs – Hoggs becoming a rarity with only 363 on sale.  Top figures 348p and £180.39 with the SQQ at 315.7p

A total of 104 Cull Sheep sold on another fierce trade with ewes to £171 and the average £110.56.

Forthcoming Market Fixtures

Thursday 6^th May: Lunchtime Sheep Sale, last week there were 761 sheep on offer, See our Facebook page for special entries.

Friday 21^st May: Orange Sale, all enquiries speak to Oliver Hiles on 07801 530899.

FARM DISPERSALS

Friday 7^th May – Hill Farm, Teversal

Friday 14^th May – Home Farm, Middleton by Youlgreave

Friday 21^st May – Elnor Lane Farm, Whaley Bridge

85 Barren, OTM and Feeding Cows Overall Average 141.1p

(Auctioneer Oliver Hiles).

A few less on offer for the Bank Holiday Sale and generally a little less quality overall, but still a very healthy average and some superb top prices.  Top today was 186 and 181p for Blue OTM heifers from Messrs Locker, Boylestone with top cow at 178p also a Blue from Sam Wright, Hartington.  26 Native today had Hereford to 157p, Angus to 167p, Dexter to 165p and Longhorns to 150p

Sample Results:

And Gross Prices:

36 Black & White and ex-dairy cows Ave 129p/kg

Equally as dear as last week, if not better, an odd heifer sold at 178p with best cows generally upwards of 150p.

Best fed sorts: 150p

Big Holsteins: 130-145p

Leaner Cows: 110-125p

Plain Sorts: under 110p

76 FINISHED CATTLE – overall average 206.1p (Auctioneer Oliver Hiles)

Obviously a few less about and trade similar for the best, but maybe a shade less for the second and third quality cattle.

14 Finished Bulls ave 184.2p/kg

Three tremendous Limmy’s from the Edge family at Minninglow sold exceptionally well to 244p, 230p and 229p to gross a record high of £1928.

Sample Results:

And Gross Prices:

29 Steers – overall average 214.p/kg or £1342

Trade is still exceptionally hot for the quality fed and bred cattle.  Best steers to 256p (£1561) for Keith Harrop who had another at 249p.  Messrs Edge had 254p (£1701), David Hadfield 248p (£1612) and Jack Blackshaw 247p to gross the days top at £1773.  Angus to 203p, Hereford to 190p and Shorthorn to 195p.

Sample Results:

And Gross Prices:

33 Finished Heifers – overall average 208.5p/kg

Yes, the average is a little less but you need to see the cattle to see why.  No problem with the better sorts up to 268p or £1683 for a tremendous heifer from Keith & Brenda Harrop, with a pair from Michael Wynne at 258p selling to Joe Kemp Butchers, Hayfield.  Hereford to 200p and Angus to 193p

Sample Results:

And Gross Prices:

STORE & BREEDING CATTLE – (Auctioneer Alastair Sneddon)

A remarkable turnout of 465 Store & Breeding Cattle sold on a great trade with demand good at all levels.

The sale commenced with a few Breeding Cattle which included:

£1200  Sim x Cow, 60 mnths & Bull Calf        Marchwood Farming, Uttoxeter

There was a herd reduction of 6 in-calf suckler cows from R Toon of Mayfield, which included:

£1140  B Blue x Cow, 60 mnths

£1320  B Blue x Cow, 61 mnths

£1310  Lim x Cow, 70 mnths

£1300  Lim x Cow, 98 mnths

£1120  Lim x Cow, 132 mnths

There were only a handful of Feeding Bulls with examples as follows:

257 Steers ave £860

A wonderful show of cattle with a good mix to sort buyers at age and quality levels.

Angus and Hereford crosses still keenly sought and any outside cattle attracting particular interest.

Sample prices include:

190 Heifers ave £874

A good show of heifers with plenty of interest in all ages, breeds and qualities.  The prices tell their own story.

Sample Results:

CALVES (Auctioneer Ivor Lowe)

A small Bank Holiday entry with abundance of prospective purchasers and trade on fire.

Better continental bulls regularly over £300 to a top of £400 and just as stronger trade for the heifers with Salers to £265 and B Blue to £260.

Black & White a similar story for a small entry and topping at £160 on 2 occasions.

 961 Sheep including 194 Spring Lambs, 363 Old Season Lambs, 398 Ewes & Rams & 6 Store Sheep

(Auctioneer Peter Oven)

A total entry of 961 head of sheep included 194 Spring lambs and 363 Old Season lambs.  Demand very good throughout with best butchers’ lambs to 402p/kg and £164.56/head.  Overall average 358.93p/kg

Leading Prices: –

Averages:

In the Old Season Lambs a total of 363 on offer of all types with best meated sorts still in demand for the home market wholesales and butchers.  Best farm shop types peaked at 348p/kg with big restaurant selling to gross just over £180/head.

The overall average 315.76p/kg

Leading Prices: –

Averages:

Cull Sheep

A very good entry of 398 cull sheep saw bidding very brisk for all types and prices look even dearer than recent high levels.  Best Texel’s peaked at £171, Char to £168, Suffolk to £146 and Mules to £110.

Cast Ewes       To: £171          Ave: £110.59

Cast Rams       To: £146          Ave: £112.00

Just 6 Ewes & Lambs saw doubles to £180