No sign of Summer yet with another cold week forecast and a couple of vendors reporting sleet on the windscreen as they travelled to Bakewell.

Stock numbers holding up with 791 cattle and 1,254 sheep on offer.

Finished cattle prices down on the week, but finishers seem keen to keep their yards topped up and demand for store cattle still good.

It was capacity entry of store & breeding cattle with a total of 530 on offer.

The young and smaller cattle were particularly dear with plenty of farmer buyers operating very aware of the grass available assisted by recent rain.  Steers sold to £2,300 ave £1,587, heifers to £2,260 ave £1,382 and feeding bulls to £1,920.

In the breeding section cows & calves sold to £2,750 with stock bulls to £2,520.

111 finished cattle on offer with trade a little easier than last week.

Top figures 430p/kg and £2,896.

The average for the 59 heifers was 347.5p about 10p less than last week, although the per head average was virtually identical at £2,272 actually £2 more than last Monday.  The steer average was identical to last week so it is difficult to see a clear picture.

OTM cattle in short supply with only 88 on offer.

Top prices 330p/kg and £3,123 per head.  The average was up a shade at 253.8 pence and £1,665 per head.

A better show of 62 calves with prices still through the roof.  Bulls to £800 and heifers £655.

In the sheep section Spring lamb numbers are slow to build with 191 on offer.

Prices peaked at 529p/kg and £250.25.

The SQQ average was a solid 501.3p making a typical lamb in the 39-45kg bracket worth £210.25.

554 Hoggs – a reasonable number for the time of year.  Top figures 454p/kg and £229.40 per head.

The SQQ was 418.5p making an average hogg in the 39-45kg range worth £184.30.

A larger entry of 500 cull sheep sold on a decent trade with the best ewes to £320 and the average for a very mixed sample £165.43

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

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Forthcoming Fixtures

Thursday 14^th May – Thursday Lunchtime Sheep Sale

We have been asked to inform you that

The Funeral for

David Abbott

Will be held at

All Saints Church,

Ashover

on

Wednesday 13^th May

At 10.30am

Afterwards at Ashover Village Hall

88 BARREN, OTM AND FEEDING COWS overall ave 253.8p/kg or £1665

(Auctioneer Oliver Hiles)

No great numbers about and with cow meat very much in vogue, prices remain buoyant and actually up 4 pence on the week.  13 best end over 300p/kilo and up to 330p for a smart red Limmy cow from Eddy Beech, Cellarhead, while this level of trade remains the best way to market your cows is on their legs in Bakewell where every kilo is weighed and paid for.

Results:

Gross Prices:

40 Black & White and ex dairy cows ave 223p

Very similar to the last couple of weeks.

The best 240-260p

Holstiens with meat 230-240p

Parlour types 220-230p

Leaner cows 200-220p

Only the plainest under 200p

The best today:

3 OTM Bulls

8 OTM Steers 

111 FINISHED CATTLE ave 337.2p/kg

(Auctioneer Oliver Hiles)

Last weeks good trade seems an age ago now with the trade realistic today and similar to a fortnight ago.

22 Young Bulls ave 318p/kg

No fancy average but trade generally good although not at the levels of March.  David Goddard secured the top price of 392p (£2963) for his heavyweights with the best Friesians to 327p for SG Potter.

Results:

Gross Prices:

30 Steers ave 331.1p/kg

Trade is very tricky at present but with good buying support at ringside, trade would be on par with other outlets.  2 over 400p from Mark Froggatt with the better end generally 360p+.  10 Native and Angus to 375p.

Results:

Gross Prices:

59 Heifers ave 347.6p/kg

A good line up of heifers with something for everyone, with heifers from 500kg to 848kg and the best shaped sucklers to B/W’s.  The very best topped at 425p (twice) for wonderful Limousins from Don Lownds.  Josh hall had 417p and Clive Bacon 412p.  The biggest and best weighted heifers generally over £2500.

Results:

Gross Prices:

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

Another capacity entry with 530 head on offer.

Trade remarkably good despite news of lower returns in the finished cattle world.

Some sensational consignments which allowed well matched bunches of up to 10 cattle to be sold at one time.

These cattle certainly attracted a premium and allowed the sale to proceed in a timely fashion.

Just a few Breeding Cattle to start the sale including:

28 Feeding Bulls

Sample Prices:

251 Steers ave £1587

Some excellent runs of cattle making some question how many might there still be to come over the next few weeks – Time will tell!

Plenty of farmer interest in the younger cattle and prices remaining much the same.

At the older end prices slightly tempered by current returns in the finished cattle world, but still decent prices right to the end of the sale.

Sample Results:

236 Heifers ave £1382

A good selection well bid for from start to finish as the following examples demonstrate.

Sample Results:

61 CALVES (Auctioneers Ivor Lowe & Natasha Hall)

Trade very similar for the best and the smaller types with the best bull calves at £800 for a British Blue from J & J Walton & Sons.  Heifer calves to £655 for a Blond from SG Potter.

Black & White’s seem particularly dear at £360.

3 month old British Blues from SG Salt & Son up to £1020!

Bulls

B Blue                 £800     J & J Walton & Sons

Char                    £745     Wager & Son

Lim                      £685     D Fotherby & Sons

B Blue                 £680     J & J Walton & Sons

AA                        £585     G & R Waller Ltd

Hfrs

Blond                  £655     SG Potter

B Blue                £640     TN Palfreyman & Son

B Blue                 £640     TN Palfreyman & Son

Lim                      £475     D Fotherby & Sons

745 Lambs, 500 Ewes & Rams & 9 Ewes & Lambs

(Auctioneer Peter Oven)

A total entry of 1254 sheep included a very good show if 191 new season lambs.  Demand very brisk throughout with best butchers lambs to 529p/kg and best big lambs grossing over £250/head.

Overall average 501.38p/kg.

Leading Prices

In the Old Season Lambs 554 on offer getting end of season, but demand very brisk throughout, best sorts peaked at 454p with 14 pens over 441p/kg.  Overall average 418.55p/kg.

Leading Prices

Averages

9 Ewes & Lambs

These attracted brisk bidding with plenty of prospective buyers.

Mule triplets to £302

Suffolk doubles to £298

Blue Texel single to £288

500 Ewes, Rams & Goats

Auctioneers Mark Elliott & Holly Swift

A very good entry with overall average £171.55, well up on the last few weeks with demand up and spirited bidding in all sections.

Purchasers for all categories with the best Texels regularly £250 and above.

Top price for Andrew & Jill Gagie at £320 with John Kunica and family at £300.

Mules a strong trade particularly for power and flesh with several lots £168 plus and then towards £190’s for the very biggest.

The best 8 pens (all Texel crosses) averaged £266.38, top 10 pens £260.90.

In the hill breeds the better finished types good to sell with some medium weight Swales well finished at £120.

All the rams a good trade to a top of £228 and £242 with over 70% of the entry over £180/head.

Small goats to £116

468 ewes to average £164.63

30 rams to average £178.47