Livestock & Dairy: Leek Market

A busy Tuesday market with the Monthly Pedigree Dairy with a top price of £2820 for a fresh second calver from P K Brocklehurst.

Barrns topped at 200p/kg and £1540 as they continue to sell on a strong trade. Clean heifers topped at 268p/kg.

A good number of lambs, hoggs and cull ewes forward this week, which met a solid trade as
demand stays put for hogg’s. Best Spring Lambs up to 390p/kg, hogg’s to 326p/kg and cull ewes to £186.
Pigs a better trade but no real highlights. Top price of 134p/kg for cutters and bacon pigs to 132p/kg.
Good to see more calves forward this Tuesday with bulls up to £425 and heifers to £315.

BARREN COWS (58);
Selling time – 10:00am
Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894)
Another excellent entry selling up to 200p/kg for a 770kg Simmental from Home Farm, Rushton Spencer. A 700kg
Holstein sold up to 193p/kg for Foker Grange Farm Ltd, Leek and a 765kg Charolais cow realised 189p/kg for MJ, C & PM Reeves, Ipstones.

Other top prices include;
183p 740kg Holstein – W E Turnock & Sons, Onecote
180p 730kg Charolais – E Morten & Sons, Doveholes
178p 835kg Holstein – G E Brookes & Partners, Loxley
178p 760kg Hereford – S C Galimore, Harriseahead
178p 810kg Holstein – AN & C Sread, Repton
178p 825kg Holstein – E T Hanson & Sons, Alford
178p 735kg Norwegian Red – W E Turnock & Sons
177p 710kg Brown Swiss C W Pearce & Partners, Tean
177p 540kg Friesian – J W Brandrick & Son, Beamhurst

Overall average of 155.12p/kg or £1001 per head.

Top price of £1540 for a Simmental from Home Farm, Rushton, Holsteins to £1486.30 & £1468.50 and Charolais to £1445.85.

CLEAN CATTLE;
A shortage of cattle today with a top price of 268p/kg for a 475kg Charolais heifer from D Williams, Basford and a 545kg Charolais heifer selling for 260p/kg from R P Hall, Heaton.

DAIRIES (82);
Selling time – 11:30am
Auctioneers – Meg Elliott (07967 007049) & Mark Elliott (07973 673092)

There was some tremendous quality on offer in the May Pedigree Sale at Leek which included the first consignment of 21 Milkers from Phillip & Jean Brocklehurst of Mobberley, commencing his herd dispersal. Trade was on fire from start to finish for all qualities.

The Brocklehursts run of cows were much admired by all purchasers who really came out fighting. Of the 21, 8 passed the £2000 mark peaking at £2820 to average out at a superb £1938 (Pictured Below)

Topping the entry was a ABS Eldridge daughter, Woolrow Eldridge Baby. Fresh with her second she was
giving a massive 51.6kg and went to a local purchaser.

Another fresh second calver by Cal-Roy-Al Yoda, Woolrow Yoda Kit reached £2400. Giving 51.5kg she went to J Moss of Rushton Spencer. Three further second calvers all went on to make £2340.

A very pretty heifer from the Sutton family of Astbury reached £2340. By Our-Favourite Vc Mafia ET, she was
giving 35kg.

A fantastic pedigree Limousin stock bull from the Saltbrook Herd of Messrs Harris reached £4000.

PIGS (120);

Selling time – 9:15am

Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894).

A good entry and an improvement in trade compared to last week with the averages up. Top price of 134p/kg for 78kg pigs from Massie Farms and also for a pair of 83kg pigs from PF & PD Parsons who also sold another pair for 130p/kg. 130p/kg for 80kg pigs from J & B Fentem and also for 79kg pigs from Massie Farms.

Bacon pigs sold up to 132p/kg for 86kg pigs from Massie Farms, who also sold 87kg pigs for 128p/kg and others at 127p/kg, 126p/kg, 124p/kg. J & B Fentem sold bacon pigs for 129p/kg, 128p/kg twice and 126p/kg.

Heavy pigs sold up to 103p/kg for a 108kg pig from Bernard Minshull. A 110kg pig realised 98p/kg for J & B Fentem.

A lot of sows about this week, selling up to 69p/kg for a 256kg cull sow from J E Critchlow, Hollinsclough. 68p/kg for a 177kg sow from MC & EA Beattie, 62p/kg for a 299kg sow and 60p/kg for a 320kg sow from J E Critchlow.

Averages;

Pork Pigs (7);                av 71.83p/kg or £48.12/head

Cutting Pigs (29);         av 118.45p/kg or £96.19/head

Bacon Pigs (50);           av 113.45p/kg or £105.73/head

Heavy Pigs (9)  ;           av 92.18p/kg or £101.71/head

Cull Sows (24);            av 51.88p/kg or £121.63/head

SHEEP SECTION;

Selling time 11:00am

Auctioneer – Robert  Watkins (07929 946652)

SPRING LAMBS (217);

A modest but growing entry, sold on a better trade tan expected. A number of regular buyers not wanting spring lambs with slow sales in the shop and some price resistance from consumers.

That said, best sorts selling well to top at 390p/kg and plenty of others at 350p/kg and better.

Heavy lambs topping 348p/kg or £169.60/head.

Overall average pf 335p/kg.

Sample prices;

390p    37kg    C G Buckston, Sutton on the Hill

378p    40.3kg C G Buckston, Sutton on the Hill

374p    41kg    C G Buckston, Sutton on the Hill

370p    35kg    G G Burton, Repton

366p    40.3kg IE, M & A Wilson, Hollington

348p    47.5kg IE, M & A Wilson, Hollington

320p    53kg    RG & GC Moss, Abbots Bromley

BUTCHERS HOGGETS (540);

A good entry for the time of year topping at 326p/kg and competitive bidding throughout, particularly for the best fed lambs. More tail end good forward which impacted on the averages with 266p/kg SQQ and 246p/kg overall.

Sample prices;

326p    39.1kg RA & KD Day, Cheddleton

312p    42kg    J Fernyhough, Swythamley

312p    41kg    I Forrester, Trent Vale

303p    45kg    D Machin, Rudyard

311p    46.5kg D Williams, Basford

255p    53.4kg JM & ADJ Hayes, Alstonefield

254p    55kg    D Machin, Rudyard

252p    57.6kg D Williams, Basford

CULL SHEEP (231);

Another good entry selling on a strong trade topping at £186 for Texel ewes and best Suffolk’s to £150.

Overall average of £105/head.

CALVES (146);

Selling time – 10:00am

Auctioneer – Oliver Hiles (07801 530899)

A jump in numbers with 3 bigger lots of 10 + calves boosting the entry. Trade remains good throughout.

43 Continental Bulls

All bulls a good price again although a lot of smaller and younger calves about. A stunning Limousin bull from Richard Emmott, Lyme Park won the day and selling at £425 to a regular Yorkshire purchaser. 6 smart calves over £375; 12 more better sorts over £300; mediums £240 – £300 with only smaller sorts less.

18 Blues av £253 to £390 – P J Davies

13 Sims av £279 to £390 – TD & DA Higginson

12 Lims av £233 to £425 – R G Emmott

42 Continental Heifers

Not just as strong as the bulls but still plenty of life to the trade. A lovely Limousin was top call at £315 for E Moss, Cloudside with the top 15 over £200; mediums look good to buy at £120 – £170 with only plainer calves less.

17 Blues av £181 to £300 – J Bailey & Sons

11 Sims av £134 to £245 – D S Harrison

14 Lims av £170 to £315  – E Moss & Son

30 Natives

A little easier to buy this week.

3 Hereford Bulls av £149 to £170 – G & E Critchlow

12 AA Bulls av £165 to £200 – P E Holmes & Son

13 AA Heifers av £104 to £180 – DR & A Shuker

21 Black & White Bulls

Proper British Friesian bulls sold at £185 for Messrs Whittaker, Bosley, and £128 for Messrs Shuker. Mostly smaller sorts today from £10 – £58.

10 Reared Calves

A Blue heifer (4mths) sold at £400 from Andrew Hulme with a good run from A & C Sread, Repton all 4mths seeing a trio of Angus bulls at £400 and a pair of Holstein bulls at £250 with 2 more at £170.

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SATURDAY 21ST MAY   

Sale of 682 Store & Breeding Cattle – 10am

Entries Close Friday 13th May

Also, Fortnightly Sale of Ewes with Lambs at Foot – Please advise of Entries

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TUESDAY 24TH MAY

On behalf of J S Harrison, New Close Fields Farm, Cheadle, S-O-T, Staffs

47 HOLSTEINS

Being the Dispersal of the Entire Newclose Herd, Comp 42 Cows & Heifers In-milk & In-calf 7 5 Calves. Cubicles & Herringbone, Herd Av: 7578kg 4.12%F 3.43%P cc56.

Big strong milky cows averaging 29.3kg daily. Well worth a look!

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TUESDAY 31ST MAY 2022

Dispersal Sale of the Entire Milking Herd (111 Head) of the Shieldhouse Herd of Holsteins & A-Sheildhouse Herd of Ayrshires on behalf of Messrs Weston, Shield House Farm, Roston, Ashbourne, Derbys. (A hidden Gem of a Herd, one not to miss!)

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News from The Farming Life Centre

The Farming Life Centre team will be having a stand at the ABC on the first Monday of every month.  Please stop to say hello or pop across if you’d like to find out more about what we do.

Coming up:

Bacon Butty Project – We will be taking our Bacon Butty Project to Harden Clough Farm, Edale on Friday 27^th May by kind permission of the Metcalfe family.  Call in at the farm between 10am and midday for a cuppa and a bacon bap!

Farm Diversification workshop – Nick and Julie from Growing Rural Enterprise will be delivering a workshop on Wednesday 18^th May, 10am-3pm, from the conference room at the ABC.  Helping farm businesses to refresh and reflect on diversification enterprises, look into marketing and promotion and develop a personalised action plan.  Lunch included.  Contact info@thefarminglifecentre.org.uk or call 07483 373435 to book a place.  All welcome.

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The Peak Farmers Group –  Please get in touch if you would like to join the group or to book a place at either of the following events:

‘Down To Earth’ Farm Walk: Soil health and crop management – Understand soil and nutrient health, seed selection and crop management.  Hear from our expert speakers: Agronomist Ross Dilks, Soil Health Advisor Charlotte Allen, Seed Species Specialist Helen Mathieu.  Join us on Monday 23^rd May 11am – 2.30pm at Simply Milk, Home farm, Hassop Rd, Hassop, DE45 1NU by kind permission of the Dilks family.  Lunch included. Massey Feeds Mill Tour – Tuesday 7^th June, 7.30pm – 9pm, Massey Feeds Holmes Chapel Mill – Mill Tour: Gain a glimpse into the world of animal feed manufacture.  Hear about Massey’s sustainable ruminant feeds with no palm kernel or soya products – a UK 1^st!  Supper and transport included. 

Contact info@peakfarmersgroup.co.uk or call 07483 373435 to book a place.  All welcome *****************************************