Sedgemoor auction report Saturday 3 August

A superb dairy trade. Five over £2000! Store Cattle also dearer driven by the shortage and improved demand for flesh.

86 Dairy Cattle. Auctioneers comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report what a trade! 5 over £2000. A super August entry to include 62 milkers saw an electric trade for all types, when the real first quality looked value for money against the rest. Non pedigree heifers to £2080 from M & K Churchill & Son. Others £2020 from PA Cleave; £2020 from Deptford Farm; £2010 and £1920 from AR Edwards & Son from Newport, Wales; £2000 and £1920 from RC Taylor; £1980 for a red and white Holstein from W & EA Tratt; £1960 from ET Summerfield & Son; £1960 from R & M Lougher & Son, Bridgend and £1920 from Ham Farm Partners. Pedigree Ayrshire heifer £1790 from AP Ractliffe. Crossbred heifers to £1480 from M & K Churchill. Jersey cross £1340 from RH Webb.

Fewer cows forward to £1760 from AR & NJ Branton. Others £1740 for a red and white from RH Webb; £1680 from PA Cleave; £1620 from Arrijan Farming. Crossbred 2nd calver £1500 from PA Cleave.

Incalf heifers to £1300 x2 from RFP Plank, Reading. Bulling heifers to £740 x3 from Parsons Partners Ltd.

673 Store cattle, sucklers and stirks.

498 Store cattle and grazing cows. Auctioneers comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a good entry of 498 store cattle, part of 673 with the stirks, sucklers and grazing cows, met a much brighter trade for the meat cattle, which then cascaded down through the better feeding and grazing types.

The trade may well have turned on the slaughter stock following a 10ppk improvement last Monday, a very fast TB orange market on Wednesday and today’s very keen and competitive bidding for any stores carrying flesh.

Top was £1140 for six forward Blue steers (24/28m & FA) from MJ & RE Searle, Axminster, who sold others £1085 (24/27m & FA). Further good feeding Blue steers at £1060 (24/25m & FA) £1050 (27m & FA) and £1035 (24m & FA) from JR Payne, Brompton Regis; £1040 (23m) JC Burge, East Harptree; £1035 again (20 x 23m & FA) A & J Davies, St Hilary and £1020 (4x 19/20m & FA) PD & SA Godfrey, Lopen. Forward Saler at £1090 (27m but not assured) from G Webster, Chittlehampton, who also sold further Charolais steers (27m) at £1035 and £1005. Charolais peaked at £1075 for some good dairy bred grazing types (4x 19/22m & FA) from RE & AM Pearse, Sidbury, who sold others at £1005 (4x 17/23m & FA). Limousin steers rose to £1020 (29m & FA) from WVJ Green & Co, Wick St Lawrence.

Native steers in demand to £1135 for very good suckler bred Angus (21/22m & sires) from GT White & Son, Broadoak, who sold others at £1030 (3x 15/26m & sires). Further best bred Angus stores at £1130 (2x only 15m, FA & sire) P & G Ford, Blagdon, who sold another at £1100 (15m, FA & sire). Further better bred Angus at £1000 (6x 26/30m & sires) from Cornwall. Fleshed Hereford steers to £1045 (24/26m, FA & sires) from MJ & RE Searle, Axminster, who sold others at £1025 (2x 27m, FA & sires). Further Herefords at £995 (2x 21m & sires) R & K Dorpman, Ashbrittle.

Dairy bred steers to £940 (19/22m & FA) from AW Kingston & Son, Babcary. Big framed Friesian types at £920 (21m & FA) GNB Farm Ltd, South Molton; £900 (3x 32/33m & FA) BA & L Male, Fivehead. Fleckvieh at £850 (22m) BW Fisher, Burtle. Fleshed Holsteins to £820 (4x 17/23m & FA) G Pople & Sons, Walton.

Heifers much improved to £1145 for a well grown and fleshed Charolais (29m) from G Webster again, who sold similar Simmentals at £1080 (2x 27m) Limousins to £1075 (27m) and another Charolais at £1030 (27m). Limousin heifers topped at £1100 for a cracking suckler bred feeding type (26m & FA) from Lane Bros, Dinnington. Fit Limousin at £1085 (only 16m & FA) from SER Hunt, Kilve. Good grazing Limousin at £1050 (22m & FA) from L Burston, Washfield. Further better type Limousins at £1030 (25m & FA) from CM Parker & IF Burnett, Templeton and £1000 (21m) R & K Dorpman, Ashbrittle. Blonde at £1085 (22m & FA) CM Parker & IF Burnett again. Store Blue heifers peaked at £1055 (27m & FA) TE Pocock & Co, Stringston. Others £1025 (21m & FA) P & G Ford, Blagdon, who sold others at £970 (5x 21/23m & FA). Further fleshed Blues £1015 (2x 26m) J Keedwell, Chew Stoke; £995 (16m & FA) and £975 (13m & FA) SER Hunt, Kilve again and £995 again (25m & FA) TE Pocock & Co again. Further Charolais at £1050 (26m & FA) and £1000 (25m & FA) CM Parker & IF Burnett again.

Native heifers dearer also to £1025 for an Angus (28m) from L Wallis, Wambrook. Further Angus at £980 (3x 26/27m & sires) from Cornwall.

24 Suckler cows, calves and stock bulls. Auctioneers comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a larger weekly entry of 24 suckler cows, ahead of next week’s catalogued entry of 200 cows, met a brisk trade to £1100 for an Angus cow with Parthenaise steer calf (3m) from P Webber, Axbridge.

10 Grazing cows (pre-movement tested). Auctioneers comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report 10 grazing cows before a keen ring of buyers looking for grazing cows peaked at £860 for a Limousin from RW Biss, Yarley.

151 Busk calves and stirks. Auctioneers comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a very small Summer entry when some excellent stirks were forward, which sold to another good trade. Quality types met with competitive bidding whilst those that were small for age or lacked shape continue to be met with resistance.

Top price of £825 (10m) for a Limousin steer from S & P Boyer, who also sold others at £800 (9m) x2 and £785 (10m). Other Limousins to £810 (11m) and £790 (11m) x2 from J & S Creed & Doyle and £695 (12m) from Tor Farm Partnership. British Blues to £820 (10m) from RSR White. Others to £625 from MEJ & PJ White. Angus with sires to £745 x6 (9m) from CA & DA Ellis, when another sold to £725 (16m & sires) from Tor Farm Partnership. Herefords to £680 from W Ham (sires) when others sold to £630 x5 (11m & sires) from BH Chapman & Sons. Simmentals to £620 (11m) from BW Fisher.

Heifers to £720 (11m) for a Limousin from J & S Creed & Doyle, who also sold another at £645 (11m). Others to £660 (11m) from S & P Boyer. British Blues to £610 x2 (16m) from JC Burdge. Others to £608 x2 (15m) from GG & D Gribble; £595 x2 (13m) from MEJ & PJ White and £470 x7 (10m) from SJ Taylor. Simmentals to £600 (8m) from BW Fisher. Charolais to £598 x7 (15m) from JC Burdge. Angus to £520 (16m) from D & LM Hobbs. Herefords to £465 x3 (11m) from BH Chapman & Sons.

402 Non-export calves. Auctioneers comments:

Beef Breeds (326) – not able to be exported from market

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a reasonable entry of 326 calves, which lacked quality and generally met a continued selective trade, when the best continentals still saw reduced demand. Top of the day was £412 for a suckler bred reared Blue from EA & DA Ellis. Others from the same Vendor to £300. Younger Blues to £295 from GH Cavill & Sons; £285 from DH & C Bennett. Fleckvieh £330 from Ireosa Ltd. Limousin £320 from P Coombes; £310 from HT & ME Quick. Simmentals to £300 from DC Bartlett and £260 from Ireosa Ltd. Only one Charolais forward to £170 from CE Veysey. Best continentals £250 plus, mediums £200-£240 and plainer types around £150.

Heifers to £342 for a suckler bred Limousin from EA & DA Ellis. Others from the same Vendor to £250; £160 from Baker & Son. Blonde to £298 from EA & DA Ellis. Blues to £285 and £270 from EA & DA Ellis. Younger Blues to £232 from CR House & Sons and £230 from HE Durman & Son. Charolais to £215 and £200 from SM & DM Turner Ltd. Simmentals to £200 from Ireosa Ltd. Best continental heifers to £200 plus, mediums £150-£180 and plainer types around £120.

Native bulls to £310 for an Angus from Ireosa Ltd. Others £275 from Cleave Farm Partnership and £260 x2 from HG Tincknell Ltd. Herefords to £250 from Ireosa Ltd and £230 from House & Sons.

Native heifers to £202 for a Hereford from Green Lanes Farming Ltd. Others from the same Vendor to £192 and £185. Younger Herefords £170 from NL Reeves & Son. Angus to £200 x2 from Cleave Farm Partnership and £185 from Green Lanes Farming Ltd.

Friesians (76) – not able to be exported from market

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a reasonable entry of 76 dairy sired bull calves met another good trade, which topped at £170 and £150 x3 from Ireosa Ltd. Others £142 from MG Frampton & Sons and £115 from DA Coombes. Best rearing types £80 plus, mediums £40-£60 and plainer types around £20. Shorthorn £185 from Ireosa Ltd. Ayrshire £63 from DH Sayer.

3947 Sheep. Auctioneers comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report the following sheep trades:-

Store Lambs (1961)

A much larger entry of 1961 store lambs sold to a more difficult trade, reflecting the ongoing uncertainty in the finished price. Top of the day went to IW & JR Sharland at £86. Others to £82 from SJ Taylor; £75 from SJ Blake and IW & JR Sharland; £73 from L Palmer; £72 from A Jenkins; £71.50 from BS Lang; £71 from AFC Atyeo and EM, JM & CL Wallbridge; £70 from RW Biss, PW & L Clist and NR Huxter; £69.50 from V & RA Hunt, NR Huxter and J Bomford. Overall average £49.72.

Cull Ewes & Rams (1689)

Another large entry of 1689 cull ewes and rams sold to a steady trade, similar to last week. Best of the continental ewes sold to £133 from MJ & AL Blakeney, who sold others to £108, £100 and £95. Other ewes to £119 from K Proctor; £108 from M Monkhouse; £100 from SG Yates; £90 from JM Cracknell and KN Groves; £89 from RM & FR Thorne and £88 from AW Selley & Son. Cull rams sold to £133 from MD & KE Lanfear, when others sold to £95.50 and £92 from MA Johnson Ltd and £88 from RW Biss. Medium ewes £50-£70, plainer types £30-£50 and boners generally £15 plus. Overall average £56.77.

Breeding Ewes (129)

A large entry of 129 breeding ewes sold to a limited level of interest in the commercial lines, however the pedigree ewes sold readily. Pedigree Beltex 4T’s sold to £275 and £265 from H Tibbs. Pedigree Texel shearlings to £240 from L Wallis. The commercials sold to £100 and £96 for 4T’s from SD Ives. Texel cross shearlings to £88 from J Peaster.

Stock Rams (103)

A good quality entry of stock rams for the first of our monthly sales sold to a mixed trade. Top price of the day went to GJ White for a quality Suffolk 2T which achieved £450. Sticking with the Suffolks PD Barnes Contracting had a good run of 2T’s, one made £360 and another £300. A good Blue Texel 2T forward from MD & K Lanfear achieved £270. Pedigree Beltex 2T sold to £250, when another sold to £200. Texels sold to £240.

Goats (20)

An entry of 30 goats sold to £91.50 and £79.50 from SD & HA Hooper. Others to £57 and £53 from DH Turner. Two nannies, each with two kids at foot sold to £71 from SD & HA Hooper. Overall average £62.32.

107 Pigs. Auctioneers comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report smaller entry – wonderful fat trade.

Weaners (26)

Reduced numbers forward when good 8 w/o sold to £34 from N Richards. 10 w/o Goucester Old Spots from R Hares to £32.

Cull Sows & Boars (12)

Smaller entry sold to a slightly improved trade. Top of the day £205 from RJ Compton. Others to £170 from J Evans and LE Miller & Son.

Overall sow average a very respectable £159.89.

Cull boars to £188 for a Saddleback from R Webber and £165 from J Evans.

Forward Stores (69)

Wonderful strong trade when buyers needed more to fulfil their orders. Top price £150 for a pen of 5 (100-110kg) from J & R Hopkins. A good run of 14 from LE Miller & Son all sold to £136 and T Stone’s best sold to £134. Lighter types all £90-£110.