Livestock & Dairy: Leek Market

Dairies are continuing to sell well at Leek with a top of £2080 for heifers, and cows to £1920.

Some better quality cattle forward with barrens an improved trade topping at 130p/kg.

A strong trade again for finished pigs, with averages similar to last week and a top of 150p/kg for baconers.

Calves continue to be a steadier trade, with demand for best quality types but mediums and smalls harder to sell. Top of £335 for Blue bulls and heifers to £212.

BARREN COWS (62);

Selling time – 10:00am

Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894)

A lot more about this Tuesday and a better trade with the average up 10 pence on the week albeit some stronger cattle forward.

Top price of 130p/kg for a 710kg Blonde cow from CH Ede & Son, Somersal Herbert, with an 605kg Angus at 126p/kg from G W Mycock & Son.

Hereford cows sold to 117p/kg for a 690kg cow from A Turnock & Sons, with a 645kg Limousin at 115p/kg from P Ritter & Sons, Peak Forest.

Other top prices;

114p 755kg Hereford – GW Mycock & Sons, Alstonefield

114p 765kg Hereford – GW Mycock & Sons, Alstonefield

114p 845kg Angus – A Turnock & Sons, Horton

114p 770kg Shorthorn – GW Mycock & Sons

112p 725kg Angus – P Ritter & Sons, Peak Forest

109p 595kg Hereford – FW & RC Hodgkinson, Macc

108p 755kg Friesian – J Brough & Son, Rudyard

108p 515kg Limousin – S Allcock, Waterhouses

108p 790kg Hereford – GW Mycock & Sons, Alstonefield

Overall average of 95.21p/kg or £651.54.

Top headage price of £963.30 for the Angus from A Turnock & Sons, with Blondes to £923 and a 910kg Holstein at £910 from D J Wheeldon, Rudyard.

Overage steers from GW Mycock & Sons, Alstonefield sold to 116p/kg for a 845kg Angus, 114p/kg for a 895kg Montbeliarde, and 113p/kg twice for at 890kg Hereford at 775kg Norwegian Red. Top prices of £1020.30, £1005.70 and £980.20.

CLEAN CATTLE;

Selling time – 10:45am approx.

Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894)

A very small entry with 3 Friesian bulls from J E Archer & Sons, Hilton selling at 158p/kg (540kg), 151p/kg (565kg) and 144p/kg (560kg) to top at £853.20.

DAIRIES (96);

Selling time – 11:00am

Auctioneers – Meg Elliott (07967 007049) & Mark Elliott (07973 673092)

Another fantastic trade on Tuesday saw many new faces round the ring with the demand for first and second quality heifers certainly outstripping supply.

Topping the day at £2080 were regular vendors John & Tracey Chamberlain of Marston Montgomery. Their run of 4 milky heifers attracted great interest with the best to £2080 and others to £1900 (twice) & £1780 to average a superb £1915. Messrs Truman of Melton Mowbray and the Gleave family of Sproston took to two apiece.

Cows topped at £1920 for a lovely Swedish Red second calver from Malcolm Jones of Oswestry. She was clinched by the Critchlow Brothers of Sheen. The vendor had a further 2 Friesian type heifers to £1840 and £1710.

More numbers are definitely needed to satisfy the current demand so if you do have any dairies to sell please do not hesitate to ring Meg Elliott on 07967 007049.

PIGS (83);

Selling time – 9:15am

Auctioneer – Graham Watkins (07976 370894)

Less about but a very similar trade for pigs to last week, with some good prices seen for stock.

Cutting pigs sold to 146p/kg (trice) for 78.5kg and 81kg pigs from J & B Fentem and 80.5kg pigs from Bernard Minshull. Others sold to 136p/kg for 79kg pigs from the Fentem family and 136p/kg for an 82kg pig from Bernard Minshull.

Bacon pigs sold to 150p/kg for a pair of 91kg pigs from J & B Fentem, who sold a trio of 86.6kg pigs at 149p/kg and Mr R Wilson of Oldham sold a pair of 98kg pigs at 146p/kg with the Fentem family selling 91kg pigs at 144p/kg and C Blackshaw, Sheldon sold a pair of 99.5kg pigs at 143p/kg.

Heavy pigs sold to 130p/kg for a 116kg pig from Chris Hine, and a 110kg pig at 120p/kg from J & B Fentem with an 118p/kg pig from C Blackshaw, Sheldon at 118p/kg.

Only one cull sow forward sold at 82p/kg for an 190kg sow from Rosie Watson, Ashbourne.

A pen of 11 store pigs sold at £54/head for I G Foster & Son, Burton on Trent.

Averages;

Cutting Pigs (20) av 130.51p/kg or £106.50/head

Bacon Pigs (43) av 131.78p/kg or £122.77/head

Heavy Pigs (8) av 102.52p/kg or £133.14/head

Culls Sows (1) av 82p/kg or £155.80/head

SHEEP SECTION;

Selling time 11:00am

Auctioneer – Robert Watkins (07929 946652)

BUTCHERS LAMBS (843);

A fair entry saw a solid trade, in particular for handy weights which saw very competitive bidding from all sides. 32 – 39kg averaged 183p/kg and for a mixed sample at that.

Best on offer sold to 210p from J M Robinson of Swythamley and best big lambs to 193p/kg.

Many more handy weight types could be sold each week to vendors advantage! Don’t forget its £/head that counts and you get all your weight selling live at Leek.

Sample prices;

196p 38.1kg B Ainley, Mercaston

191p 37kg R J Critchlow, Grindon

210p 40kg J M Robinson, Swythamley

199p 43.4kg J & R Potts, Prestbury

193p 45.6kg B Ainley, Mercaston

180p 50.4kg RG & AS Williamson, Wetley Rocks

Overall SQQ average of 173.49p/kg or overall 166.45p/kg all in!!

CULL SHEEP (448);

Probably a record entry in terms of numbers which was easily absorbed by our buyers and a competitive trade throughout.

Best on offer from Reg Critchlow at £111/head with other strong Texel’s at £90 – £100/head. Best sold are consistently continental ewes which are not over fat, which have strong demand. Hardest sold are mules, with the best on offer today at around £70/head and looking good value for money next to lean continentals at the same or more.

Overall average of £53/head which is back on the week but is representative of a poorer entry rather than a poorer trade.