Livestock & Dairy: Bakewell Market

BAKEWELL MARKET

Monday 24^th January 2022

The snowdrops are out, but there is still plenty of Winter to go.

A busier day than anticipated with 515 Cattle and £1,691 Sheep on offer despite some vendors being excluded after buying store stock last Thursday and Friday.

The entry of 265 Store & Breeding Cattle was reasonable when you consider the 700+ cattle sold last Friday.  Trade was well up to snuff with Steers to £1,500, Heifers £1,255 and Feeding Bulls £1,160.

Amongst the Breeding Cattle was an entry of in calf heifers which sold to £1,570 and a Lim Stock Bull 45mnths, £2,200.

Another excellent entry of 122 Finished Cattle saw the best on offer to 284p and £1,901 per head.  The 52 Heifers averaged a remarkable 241.9p.

99 OTM and Feeding Cows this week with top figures 178p/kg and £1538 per head.

The average emerged at a healthy 136.0 pence.

29 Calves on offer selling well with bulls to £345 and heifers £245.

In the sheep section numbers were up with 1,280 lambs on offer.  Top figure 319p/kg and £156 per head.

The SQQ average settled at 269.2p with a mixed sample which included several bunches of hillbred lambs.

There were 411 cull sheep, clearly in great demand with ewes to £192 to average £109.51.

FORTHCOMING FIXTURES

Thursday 27^th January: Regular Lunchtime Sheep Market

Friday 11^th February: Orange Sale for TB restricted cattle

Friday 18^th February: Store Cattle Sale – Entries being taken

FARM SALE

Friday 11^th February – Gallard Farm, Newport Pagnell

OTHER NEWS

The Farming Life Centre

Our Hartington Rural Social Group will meet this Tuesday 25^th January from 2pm-4pm at Hartington Village Hall.  There will be a talk from Linda Woodroffe on Lip Reading.

We will be hosting a Business Workshop with Ed Lawley of Bagshaws LLP on Thursday 3^rd February at 7pm at The George at Tideswell.  The event is free to attend, supper provided.  Please get in touch if you would like to join us.

Call us on 01629 810 903 or 07483 373435 or email: info@thefarminglifecentre.org.uk.  For more information about The Farming Life Centre visit our website: thefarminglifecentre.org.uk or find us on Facebook or Instagram.

99 Barren, OTM and Feeding Cows Overall Average 136.1p

(Auctioneer Oliver Hiles)

Good numbers this week, but nearly no dairy cows about due to the rise in milk price and farms trying to get every last drop out of the older girls.  Smart suckler cows lead the way as always with pure Limousin and Blue x cows from Messrs Bennett, Threaphurst topping at 178p (£1530 and £1370).  Better cows generally 160p plus with good feeding cows 130-150p.

Sample Results:

And Gross Prices:

45 Black & White and ex-dairy cows Ave 128p/kg

Obviously less about but a fast trade.

OTM Heifers               167p

Better Cows                143 – 148p

Fed Holsteins              127 – 140p

Small Parlour Cows     100 – 115p

Plainer Older Cows     under 110p

The best today:

3 OTM Bulls

1 OTM Steer

122 FINISHED CATTLE – overall average 226.3p (Auctioneer Oliver Hiles)

Very much a similar trade to last week with plenty of weight on offer which appears to be no problem to the Bakewell buyers.

29 Finished Bulls ave 194.1p

Good numbers but a poorer entry in terms of quality with some well-fed big bulls on offer and a number of plainer sorts including 4 OTM’s.  Ian Redfern (A Sims) had 252p for a smart Blue x Fries bull with weight from Messrs Walker at 243 and 236p.  Friesian to 203p.

Sample Results:

And Gross Prices:

40 Steers – overall average 229.4p

Clean cattle a pleasure to sell today with weight being the order of the day.  Best Limousin sold to 274p for the Edge Family Minninglow with the top 9 over 260p.  20 Natives today had Angus to 256p, Hereford to 238p and Lincoln to 220p.

Sample Results:

And Gross Prices:

53 Heifers – overall average 241.98p/kg

One of the best averages ever with plenty of weight about again.  The few best posh butchers cattle are less than they were 3 months ago but the in spec good weighted cattle are as dear if not better than they were at their peak in Oct/Nov.  Best today sold at 284p for a lovely Lim x from Bernard Perkins, Oughtibridge, just pipping local man Keith Harrop at 282p (£1799).  Natives had Angus to 265p and Hereford to 258p.

Sample Results:

Averages:

STORE & BREEDING CATTLE – (Auctioneer Alastair Sneddon)

A decent turnout of 265 Store & Breeding cattle failed to match supply with demand and resulted in another outstanding trade.

All categories looked very dear and many more cattle could have been sold without denting demand.

If you have Store Cattle to sell, do not hesitate to give Alastair Sneddon a call on 07973 982441.

The sale commenced with 19 Breeding Stock, which included a special commission from CPR & JM Mycock of Friden.

Their entry comprised of 9 in calf heifers with results as follows:

Plus, a further 5 selling from £1,280 to £1,460, other Breeding stock included:

14 Feeding Bulls

Sample prices as follows:

117 Steers ave £1001

A great trade and some strong cattle in the entry pushed the average over the £1000 mark.

All types selling well with Angus and Hereford in demand and some remarkable figures for Black & White.

Sample Results:

115 Heifers ave £829

After several weeks when Steers greatly outnumbered the heifers, we are back with matching numbers.  All types well sold with some level bunches attracting very keen competition.

Angus and Hereford clearly wanted, but continental crosses making the highlights.

Sample prices as follows:

53 CALVES (Auctioneer Ivor Lowe)

A smaller entry of calves saw an excellent trade with many potential purchasers returning home short of requirements.

Top call was a Simmental Bull at £345 with B Blue to £290 on two separate occasions.

A similar story in the heifers with B Blues to £245 and Angus to £200.

A sharper trade for the B/W to a top of £65 for a small sample.

Sim Bull           £345    CH Gregory, Sheldon

B Blue Bull      £290    Pidcock & Matkin, Teversal

Lim Bull           £200    JE Seals & Son, Shirland

B Blue Hfr        £245    Pidcock & Matkin, Teversal

AA Hfr             £200    GPK Trickett, Rowsley

Lim Hfr            £145    JE Seals & Son, Shirland

1280 Lambs & 411 Ewes & Rams (Auctioneers Peter Oven & Mark Elliott)

A very good entry of 1691 head of sheep included 1280 lambs.  Demand improved from other local centres at the end of last week with butchers lambs to 310p/kg, heavy weight butchers lambs to 319p/kg and overweight cutting lambs to 296p/kg seeing a top gross of £156/head and the market averaging £118/head.  The overall market average 269.26p/kg.

Leading Prices: –

411 Cull Sheep

A very good entry of 411 cull ewes and rams saw demand very brisk for all types.  Best Texel ewes peaked at £192 with the top 10 pens averaging £155.  Best Mules sold in the £100-£120 bracket with Suffolks to £146.  Strong Texel rams peaked at £173 (twice)

Ewes   To: £192          Ave: £109.51

Rams   To: £173          Ave: £126.95              

Goats  To: £53