Livestock & Dairy: Bakewell Market

This week’s Monday market included the deliberately low-key sale of show quality stock.

These measures were unfortunately necessary in order to keep everyone safe.  Let us hope that we can revert to our usual formula in 2021.

Sincere thanks to all those who would have loved to have come to Bakewell, but very respectfully kept away.

With the vaccine on the horizon, we need to keep up all precautions for the time being.  Your co-operation is appreciated.

Entries were good for the time of year with 537 cattle and 1,510 sheep on offer.

Please see later in this report for the show results and prices.

Numbers are slipping away in the Store Cattle section with only 261 this week.

Trade however, was stronger than ever with excellent prices achieved.

Steers reached £1,260, heifers £1,090 and feeding bulls £860.

The 147 Finished Cattle, which included the show quality stock with the champion making 570p/kg and £3,454.  Taking the sale right through the 64 heifers averaged 227.7p and the 58 steers 216.2p an indication of both level of trade and the general quality of stock on offer.

A decent turnout of 89 OTM and Feeding Cows attracted plenty of competition with top prices 200p and 1,548.

The average was nicely improved at 119.8p.

Only 40 calves with bulls to £360 and heifers £255.

Turning to the sheep section, there were 1,022 lambs which included the show section.  The champion pen made 425 pence and £160.65 per head, but trade was good right through and the overall SQQ average was a creditable 226p.

Cull sheep were out in force with ewes to £150 and a very decent average of £81.08 was achieved.

Forthcoming Events

• Thursday 10^th December: Regular Lunchtime Sheep Sale
• Friday 11^th December: Final Round Up of Store Sheep to include 600 Ewes
• Monday 14^th December: Normal Market
• Monday 21^st December: Last market before Christmas
• Monday 28^th December: NO MARKET
• Monday 4^th January: Back to business as normal

A DATE FOR YOUR DIARY

Friday 22^nd January 2021: HPLS Store Cattle Sale

89 Barren, OTM and Feeding Cows Overall Average 121.1p (Auctioneer Oliver Hiles)
A slightly reduced number and some lovely quality amongst the entry.  The entry today included a number of smart ‘Christmas’ Cows with some fantastic prices.  Prices peaked at £2 for a superb Limousin cow (7yrs) from Robert Hardy at Waterhouses to gross £1548.  5 other cows topped 178p with numerous more 160p plus. Angus to 138, Hereford to 123p and Longhorns to 113p.

43 Black & White and ex-dairy cows Ave 106.5p

Equally as dear as we have seen with the best to 138p for a Fleck cow for Messrs Melland, Pomeroy with Friesians to £137 for Richard Emmott, Lyme Park.  Better nicely over 120p, bog Holsteins 108-120p with smaller cows 95-105p and only a few plain under 95p

Sample Results:

And Gross Prices:

2 OTM Steers

 3 OTM Bulls

147 FINISHED CATTLE – overall average 215.43p (Auctioneer Oliver Hiles)

 CHRISTMAS PRIMESTOCK

Today we witnessed the Bakewell Annual Christmas Primestock Show & Sale.

Of course, today was very different with virtually every other show in 2020 cancelled it was never going to be the carnival that we have had in recent years.  However, today we had 30 show cattle on parade for the judge, Mr Robert Bowring of Mansfield who has been a very good supporter of the finished cattle at Bakewell and has purchased many cattle for use in his shops.

Today he selected a superb heifer to be champion, a 606kg Blue x heifer that had all the quality to be an outstanding butcher’s heifer from Michael and Ellie Wynne and sold for 570p/kg after spirited bidding from several parties with the victorious winner being Mr Brian Woolley on behalf of Woolley Bros (wholesale Meats) of Sheffield who was a superb supporter of the sale and bid on some of the best cattle.  The reserve champion was the steer from the same stable of Michael & Ellie Wynne, a heavy weight at 694kg it made 320p/kg to gross £2220 and was purchased by Tom Deakin, Butchers in Tibshelf.  The top 10 cattle sold over £3/kilo with the 30 show cattle averaging a superb 284p.

25 Finished Bulls ave 186p/kg

Better bulls upwards of £2 with a high of 217p and 211p for Blue x Shorthorns from James Hole, Eddlestow.  A lovely run of heavyweight Charolais (although not F/A) sold well to a top of £1626 or 195p.  Friesians sold to 187p and Montys to 193p.

Sample Results:

And Gross Prices:

58 Steers – overall average 216.2p/kg

A superb day throughout.  The Reserve Champion at 320p and a lovely handyweight Blue x from Steven and Owen Wells at 300p.  A tremendous trade for all cattle with the top 11 over 250p with 10 Native seeing Longhorns to 268p, Angus to 218p and Herefords to 210p.  9 B/W today also had Shorthorn x at 190p and Friesians to 165p.

Sample Results:

And Gross Prices:

64 Finished Heifers – overall average 227.7p/kg

Possibly the best average ever at Bakewell for heifers and a stunning shed full of cattle. The champion from Michael & Ellie Wynne made 570p or £3454 with the second prize heifer at 410p (£2361) for Alan Dickinson, Bradbourne.  14 Natives saw Longhorns to 245p and Angus 180p.

Sample Results:

And Gross Prices:

STORE & BREEDING CATTLE – (Auctioneer Alastair Sneddon)

Numbers easing as expected at this time of year but still a useful entry of 261 head which included some quality cattle and ensured that the regular buyers had something to get their teeth into.  Competition was fierce with some notable tussles and excellent prices achieved.

There was only a handful of Breeding Cattle which included:

40 Feeding Bulls

All well bid for to include:

174 Steers ave £816

A good selection and a strong average price indicating quality and trade.

Angus and Herefords well supported and Black & Whites keenly sought.

All in all, a solid trade sufficient to give confidence to anyone thinking of selling cattle this side of the new year.

with sample results as follows:

 99 Heifers ave £730

Plenty of interest in the varied selection on offer with prices generally exceeding expectations.  More cattle could readily have been sold.

Sample Results:

 40 CALVES (Auctioneer Ivor Lowe)

A reduced entry but trade strong for all types.  Continental bulls to £360 and heifers to £255.

A number of smaller calves in today’s entry but still attracting competitive bidding.

Not much size or shape In the Black & Whites forward but these also selling well as has been the case in previous weeks.

1,510 Sheep including 1,031 Finished Lambs & 479 Cull Sheep

 (Auctioneer Peter Oven)

A very good entry of 1510 head of sheep included 1031 lambs, within the entry today was a small entry of Christmas Prime Show lambs.  The judge Andrew Wright kindly undertook the judging and selected a pen of 37.8kg Beltex lambs shown by Messrs Madders & Johnson of Stafford, these later went on to be sold to Geoff Mycock Butchers of Buxton for 425p/kg grossing £160/head.  The overall market average 226.06p/kg.

 Show Results

Light

1^st        37.8kg @425p/kg        Madders & Johnson

2^nd       40.2kg @260p/kg        J Trueman & Partner

3^rd        43kg @270p/kg           Madders & Johnson

Heavy

1^st        45.6kg @280p/kg        J Trueman & Partner

2^nd       49kg @ 250p/kg          MJ Wells & Son

3^rd        45.6kg @ 240p/kg       JW Blackshaw

Leading Prices: –

Averages:

Old Season Lambs to 158p/kg Ave 143.46p/kg

479 Cull Sheep (Auctioneer Mark Elliott)

A few more than last week and vendors well rewarded again.

Top call £150 for very strong Texels from Stuart Johnson & Mary Madders at £147 for their best and Jill and Andrew Gagie at £145.

Generally best Mules £74.80 with purchasers on form for all customers.

The top 8 pens averaged £131.50.

Texel rams to £140 with others at £100 and £114, but condition is critical at this day of the year and very lean used tups harder to place.

Cast Ewes        To: £150          Ave: £81.11     Cast Rams       To: £140          Ave: £85.37