Livestock & Dairy: Bakewell Market

Another full house at Bakewell with 913 Cattle and 2,460 Sheep on offer.

Trade solid in all departments with the sheep trade looking good and store cattle exceeding expectations.

There were 556 head forward in the store and breeding cattle section, last week we reported that the longer-term cattle were harder to sell, no such problem this week with prices outstanding right through the age range.  Steers sold to £1,330, heifers £1,095 and feeding bulls £940.

In the breeding section cow and calf outfits made up to £1,900.

Finished cattle numbers were up at 148 with top prices 250p and £1,829.  The overall average for the mixed sample of 64 heifers was 194.1p.

OTM numbers are keeping up with 128 this week.  Top figures 175p and £1,445 with the overall average emerging at 120.7pence.

Rather more calves forward with 81 on offer and selling well, bulls to £420 and heifers £282.

In the sheep section things were busy again.

The 1,715 lambs sold on a cracking trade with top figures 230p and £119.10.

The SQQ average looked very healthy at 206.4 pence.

There was a substantial gathering of 670 cull sheep with ewes peaking at 129 to average a creditable £79.95.

Forthcoming Fixtures Bakewell Market

• Thursday 1^st October: Lunchtime Sheep Sale
• Friday 2^nd October: Theaves & Ewes, 3,081 entered, sale starts at 10.30am
• Saturday 3^rd October: Ram Fair, 505 Rams entered, sale starts at 10am (one ring)

128 Barren, OTM and Feeding Cows Overall Average 120.8p (Auctioneer Oliver Hiles) 

Just a few more again as numbers are building again with more B&W’s on offer as farms start to prepare for Winter housing.  Meat remains the order of the day with plenty of demand for the well fed and Farm Assured cows, but as is the time of year, some lean and very cold cows about now that do little to enhance the average.  Top price on the day was a Longhorn heifer F/A (34 mnths) from Ivan Carrington, Kniveton at 175p with the best cow at 170p or £1445 for a tremendous black Limousin from Andrew Bowler, Ashleyhay.  Better cows generally 150p plus.  Herefords to 168p, Angus to 163p and W Black to 165p.

68 Black & White and ex-dairy cows Ave 108p

Trade remains much as it has been cow for cow but a lot more lean and straight out of the parlour cows.  Best Friesian cows topped at 151p with the better cows still selling above 135p, big Holsteins 120-130 with leaner sorts 105-115p and small or plain cows under £1.

Sample Results:

And Gross Prices:

5 OTM Bulls

148 FINISHED CATTLE – overall average 185.8p (Auctioneer Oliver Hiles)  

More cattle on offer than last week and more than the equivalent week last year.  Today 53 vendors of finished cattle selling to 20 different accounts today.  Competition at its finest.

Trade today can be described at two tiered with a tremendous trade for the well-bred and corn-fed cattle 220-250p and then a drop to the grass fed or natives and the dairy bred continentals that would look a little less money today, but having said that a lot would be showing signs of the weather.

31 Finished Bulls ave 191.6p/kg

Sample Results:

And Gross Prices:

44 Steers – overall average 177.3p/kg

As already stated, a very 2 tier trade with the best a flying and fabulous trade (as good as anywhere) but 17 natives and some outside continentals certainly lacking finish.  James Hodgkinson had a Christmas steer at 254p or £1508 with Messrs Hazledine at 249p (£1479) and Mick Clowes, Cheadle at 242p (£1476) Herefords to 191p, Devons to 179p and Lincoln Red to 179p

Sample Results:

And Gross Prices:

64 Finished Heifers – overall average 194.1p/kg

Just like the Steers with no problem selling the best with the top 17 over 220p with the gold and silver medal going to Paul and Michael Hazledine at 250 and 246p with their third at 236p.  David Thorp and Michael Wynne both had 240p for their well fed Limousins.  19 Natives today with Angus to 232p, Lincolns to 177p with the 19 averaging 170p.

Sample Results:

And Gross Prices:

STORE & BREEDING CATTLE – (Auctioneer Alastair Sneddon)

Apologies for no live streaming which was due to a power cut which upset machinery.  Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible.

It was full steam ahead in the store section with 556 head of cattle on offer.

Buyers confidence seems to have been boosted by the strong trade for finished beef and demand was outstanding for all types.

The sale commenced with a selection of breeding cattle including:

There was also a selection of 18 Feeding Cows selling at up to £990.

These were followed by 31 Feeding Bulls

Sample prices as follows:

261 Steers ave £834

A wonderful selection of steers with several large consignments which allowed the sale of a good many well matched bunches.  These groups of cattle certainly attracted a premium and assisted the progress of the sale so that the auction was completed soon after 2pm.

Angus, Hereford and Shorthorns were all hard fought over by the respective specialists.  There were a couple of consignments of South Devons which attracted plenty of interest and of course the usual continental crosses hit the top figures.  As ever the Black & Whites looked very well sold at Bakewell.

Sample prices as follows:

238 Heifers ave £725

Plenty to choose from and plenty of buying power present or represented to ensure an outstanding trade from start to finish.

Angus and Hereford crosses selling well as the following results will indicate.

Typical Returns:

81 CALVES (Auctioneer Ivor Lowe)

An increased entry with a strong trade throughout.  Plenty of interest in the best bulls with these regularly £300 plus to a top of £400 for a B Blue.  Heifers of the same breed to £282 and second quality equally as well sold.

Dairy bred black & white calves just as well sold as recent weeks with the best of those to £155.

2,460 Sheep including 1,717 Finished Lambs, 692 Cull Sheep & 51 Store Ewes (Auctioneer Peter Oven)

A total entry of 2640 head of sheep included 1717 lambs.  Demand very keen from start to finish with the first pen sold selling at 230p/kg and the very last selling at 229p/kg and an overall average of 206.43p/kg.  Best big lambs grossed £119.10/head.

Leading Prices: –

Averages:

Old Season Lambs to 178p/kg Average 176p/kg

Cull Sheep

Another excellent entry of 692 cull sheep saw demand very good with best Dutch Texel to £129, Texel to £128, meated Mule ewes in the £35-82 bracket with heavy Suffolk x over £100/head.

Cast Ewes        To: £129          Ave: £79.95    

Cast Rams       To: £175          Ave: £99.45    

Store Sheep

A total of 51 store sheep saw breeding ewes to £97/head.