Livestock & Dairy: Bakewell Market

The penultimate market before Christmas turned out to be a busy one with 544 Cattle and 2,048 Sheep on offer.

For the avoidance of doubt the market will be on as normal next Monday 21^st December, however, there is NO MARKET on Monday 28^th December.

We make no apology for having a break which means staff & customers will have a clear week after mingling with friends and family before coming to market again.  We hope you understand.

There was a decent turnout of store & breeding cattle and sufficient on the ‘Early Warning List’ to ensure buyers attended and the journey was worth their while.

There was plenty of interest and a very strong trade throughout the sale with steers to £1,240, heifers £1,190 and feeding bulls £620.  In the breeding section Cows with Calves sold to £1,280 and in-calvers to £1,070.

The finished cattle trade is holding up very well and demand was good for the 127 on offer.  Top prices 265p and £1,743.  The 65 heifers averaged a very encouraging 203.2p.

There was a good turnout of 106 OTM & Feeding Cows with top figures 192p and £1,509.  The average was up again at 124.7p.

Only a modest show of 51 Calves with bulls to £285 and Heifers £215.

In the sheep department both numbers and prices were good.

There were 1,605 lambs, peaking at 253p and £127.30 per head.  The SQQ average was very satisfactory at 219.9p.

It is no use speculating what will happen to the sheep trade over coming weeks and months, but for the time being demand remains good.

A fair turnout of 433 Cull Sheep with plenty of interest and a cracking trade right through.

Ewes sold to £168 to average a substantial £84.99.

If you not seen the on-line Bakewell Market Carol Service it is well worth a watch and can be found on the link below.

https://www.ruralactionderbyshire.org.uk/farmers-online-carol-service-2020

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmwgm77rOik

Forthcoming Events

• Thursday 17^th December: Regular Lunchtime Sheep Market
• Monday 21^st December: Last market before Christmas
• Monday 28^th December: NO MARKET
• Monday 4^th January: Back to business as normal
• Friday 22^nd January: HPLS Cattle Sale

106 Barren, OTM and Feeding Cows Overall Average 124.7p (Auctioneer Oliver Hiles).

More on offer and back over 100 cows with an improved average on the week, up 3 pence.  All firms going well today with the cow buyers still looking for cattle to process before the Christmas break.  Top cow today was a superb Red Limousin 8 ½ yrs from David Hancock, Sandbach, Cheshire at 192p or £1509.  Top 14 over 150p with feeding men still having plenty of confidence in trade in the New Year and bidding hard for cows with potential to grow.

45 Black & White and ex-dairy cows Ave 114.2p

Certainly dearer with buyers working hard to secure cows.  OTM heifers topped at 154p with better cows being generally upwards of 130p.  Big Holsteins 108-118p with smaller cows 95-105p and only a few plain under 90p.

Sample Results:

And Gross Prices:

 3 OTM Bulls

127 FINISHED CATTLE – overall average 195.7p (Auctioneer Oliver Hiles)

Better numbers than expected after last weeks bumper entry that included the show stock.  Trade up about 17 pence on the equivalent week last year.

Next week – Monday 21^st December

Cattle will be wanted but please speak to me to advise of your entries, 07801 530899

12 Finished Bulls ave 180.1p/kg

Best bulls to 219p for Messrs Fearn to gross £1743 with John Ottewells pair at 208 and 200p.  Dairy Bulls sold to 196p for a Monty for Messrs Austin, Burnaston.

Sample Results:

And Gross Prices:

50 Steers – overall average 190.5p/kg

Bumper numbers and trade with something for everybody including, 12 Native Hereford & Angus, 3 Dexter (2 OTM), 10 Black & White as well as 25 Continentals.  Prices sold to 261p for a pureish Limousin from Don Lownds, Reapsmoor.  Ben Elkin had 248p for his posh Limmy with better cattle generally upwards of 220p.  Angus sold to 215p, Herefords to 190p, OTM Dexters to 88p with B/W to 181p.

Sample Results:

And Gross Prices:

65 Finished Heifers – overall average 203.2p/kg

Just as many as last week but without the highlight prices that show week creates.  Steven Wells topped the day with a best Limousin at 265p with a run of 5 from Stan Evans selling to 263p, 254 and 250p etc.

3 OTM Dexters, 9 Angus as well as 3 B/W non breeders all in the averages and looking very well sold on the day.

Sample Results:

And Gross Prices:

STORE & BREEDING CATTLE – (Auctioneer Alastair Sneddon)

We ended up with 260 head, a decent show for the time of year and the long range buyers were able to purchase enough to make their journeys worthwhile.

Trade was up a notch with outstanding prices achieved.

The sale started with 31 Breeding Cattle which included:

27 Feeding Bulls

Mainly younger types this week including:

101 Steers ave £843

A reasonable selection with buyers having to work very hard to secure a load.  The results speak for themselves:

101 Heifers ave £705

A strong trade right through with customers present or represented seeking both younger and older cattle

Sample Results:

51 CALVES (Auctioneer Ivor Lowe)

A sharper trade for all with Bulls to £285 and Heifers to £212.  No real highlights in terms of quality but with all types keenly bid for.

2,048 Sheep including 1,615 Finished Lambs & 433 Cull Sheep

 (Auctioneer Peter Oven)

A very good entry of 2048 head of sheep included 1615 lambs.  Demand very good throughout with the weather telling on some of the lambs on offer.  Best butchers lambs attracted very brisk bidding to peak at 253p/kg with heavy weight butchers lambs to 241p/kg and overweight sorts to 214p/kg, top gross price of £127.30/head. The overall lambs average 219.94p/kg

Leading Prices: –

Averages:

Old Season Lambs to 158p/kg Ave 143.94p/kg

433 Cull Sheep (Auctioneer Mark Elliott)

A strong entry with some good runs of well fleshed stylish Texels, Crossbreds and Mules.

The very best Mules well over £190 but the Texel trade was also as fiery with Jason Craddock taking top spot at £168.  The top 8 pens were also Texels and averaged just short of £141/head.

Strong crossbreds well bid for with the best £92-£103.  The better end of the Mules very good to sell with several pens between £88 and the mid 90’s.

Small but strong well fleshed horned ewes good to sell

Cast Ewes        To: £168          Ave: £84.99

Cast Rams       To: £128          Ave: £83.52