The market report from Sedgemoor Auction Centre for Saturday, 31 August, is as follows. The total stock was 5157 head.

Another remarkable fresh in milk dairy cow trade to £2210.

125 Dairy cattle. Auctioneer's comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a remarkable entry for August saw a remarkable trade for all 77 milkers on offer. Some good consignments from Bideford to Chippenham saw prices rise to £2210 one of 11 heifers and cows from E & V Kidner of Chippenham, who averaged £1895 to include other heifers to £2040, £1940 and £1860. Their cows sold to £2020 and £1900 x2 to include a pedigree Ayrshire and £1810 and £1720 x3 including another Ayrshire.

Other heifers to £2040 AR Edwards & Son from Newport; £2040 from DW & CE Jones, Chepstow; £2000 and £1980 from Deptford Farm; £2000 x2, £1960, £1940, £1910, £1890 and £1880 x2 all from Cleave Farm Partners, Bideford and their 13 heifers averaged £1850. Other heifers to £1940, £1880 x2 and £1850 from Snook Ltd; £1810 Arrijan Farming and £1800 from R Taylor.

A good show of cows to £2020 as above. Others £1910 from Deptford Farm; £1680 from M & K Churchill & Son and £1640 for a pedigree Shorthorn 2nd calver.

A run of incalf heifers from R Plank of Reading saw prices at £1250 x3 and £1210 to average £1203. Others to £1250 from L Tidball.

British Friesian yearling plus heifers to £470 x4 from MJ & JN Dowding.

Calves to £190 x3 for the same Vendors .

935 Store cattle, sucklers and stirks.

610 Store cattle and grazing cows. Auctioneer's comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report an excellent late August entry of 610 store cattle, part of 935 with the stirks, met a trade very similar to last year, despite the deadweight slaughter price being 70ppk lower. Finished cattle are £240 to £280 per head down on the year, yet stores currently are in line with last year’s monies. The difference this year being the availability of grass. This time last year we were in a drought and this year’s season has been much kinder so cattle are coming forward in much better condition.

Top was £1245 for an absolute best type feeding Charolais (19m & FA) from JC & PA Chapple, Musbury, who sold fit red Limousin steers (2x 21m & FA) at £1230, fit Charolais steers (2x 25m & FA) at £1200, feeding Limousin steer (19m and FA) at £1145, feeding Simmental (18m & FA) at £1140, Charolais (21m & FA) at £1125 and further Simmentals (2x 18m & FA) at £1100. Superb show. Another best type feeding red Limousin at £1140 (27m & FA) from ME Sampson & Son, Upottery. A good run of Blues from KA & HJ Sparks & Sons, Churchinford met calls of £1110 (5x 22/23m & FA) £995 (8x 22/23m & FA) and £975 (7x 22m/23m & FA). Further Blue steers £1095 (21/22m & FA) TE & SJ Popham, Cannington; £1060 (2x 25m & FA) R Withers, Probus; £1055 (21m & FA) NL Reeves & Sons, Backwell and £1045 (only 17m & FA) A & J Davies, St Hilary. Further good store Charolais £1095 (23m) and £1010 (3x 23m) G Webster, Chittlehampton; £1035 (only 13/17m & FA) GE & EJ Nicholls, West Anstey; £1025 (only 17m) RJ & SJ Dare, Dalwood and £1010 again (3x 21/22m & FA) S & KA Hamlin, Templeton. Blonde steers at £1090 (23m & FA) from GE & EJ Nichol, West Anstey again and £1080 (26m) MA Butler, Huish Episcopi. Further Limousin £1015 (23m & FA) S & KA Hamlin again.

Native steers topped at £1175 for a grand Angus (23m, FA & sire) from CT Spiller, Hemyock. Further Angus £1120 (16m & FA) R Withers again; £1090 (3x 21m & sire) RH Beaty, Walton; £1050 (5x 22/23m, FA & sire) LJ, CA & RDJ Soloman, Truro and £1000 (3x 21m, FA & sire) S & KA Hamlin, again. Well fleshed Devon steers at £1145 (2x 27m & FA) ME Sampson & Son again. South Devons to £1090 (3x 23/26m & FA) CT Spiller again, who sold others at £1060 (24/25m & FA). Herefords rose to £1075 (4x 24/26m, FA & sire) RJ Willcox, Kenn. Further Herefords at £1020 (7x 20/21m, FA & sire) JF Norman, Shirwell.

Dairy steers generally stronger and sold to £1030 for Friesians (5x 33/34m & FA) and £1010 (5x 32/34m & FA) from HD Wilkins, Henley. Holstein £1000 (24m & FA) KJ & CP Dunn, Dinder, who sold others at £905 (5x 22/28m & FA) £900 twice (32m & FA) and (6x 23/26m & FA) and £830 (7x 23/24m & FA). Further Holsteins £955 (4x 27/30m & FA) £925 (28/29m & FA) and £920 (2x 28m & FA) RJ Willcox again and £925, Friesian (24m) RH Beaty again, who also sold Norwegian steers at £905 (3x 21/22m).

Heifers sold to a massive £1155 for two outstanding Angus (2x 23m, FA & sire) from CT Spiller again, who sold others at £1035 (4x 23m, FA & sire). Further Angus £915 (3x 25/29m, FA & sire) RJ Willcox again and £895 (19m, FA & sire) Blackmore & Son, Feniton. South Devon heifers to £1020 (4x 23/27m & FA) from CT Spiller again. Others £895 (19m & FA) R Withers. Hereford heifers to £925 (2x 21m & sire) RH Beaty again and £870 (4x 26/29m, FA & sires) from RJ Willcox again.

Continental heifers peaked at £1050 for a Limousin (24m) from EA & DA Ellis, St Ives who sold others at £975 (16/17m & FA). Further Limousin heifers at £1020 (only 16m & FA) Holsworthy; £980 (17m) and £880 (3x 16/17m) FJ & CN Burrough, Wambrook and £880 again (24m & FA) R Withers again. Blue heifers to £1035 (22m & FA) LJ, CA & RDJ Soloman again. Others £1000 (only 16m) FJ & CN Burrough again; £950 (only 12m & FA) Holsworthy and £935 (2x 24m & FA) TE & SJ Popham, Cannington. Simmental heifers at £930 (25m) G Webster again and £925 (20m) RH Mabbett & Sons, Winscombe. Charolais at £930 (25m) and £920 (23m) G Webster again.

3 Grazing cows (pre-movement tested). Auctioneer's comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report top was £725 for a BRBx May 2012 born cow from J Popham.

325 Busk calves and stirks. Auctioneer's comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a larger entry forward saw a continuation of the good trade for well bred suckled stirks. Top price of £970 (13m) for a British Blue steer from EA & DA Ellis. Other British Blue steers to £795 x2 (10m) £795 x2 (9m) RW & BA Bellamy; £710 x2 (8m) Westcott Farms and £700 R & J White & Son. Limousins to £900 (15m) for an excellent steer from R Withers. Further Limousins to £885 (10m) £855 (10m) B Williams; £860 (8m) KJ Dallyn; £840 (9m) £770 x2 (9m) and £690 x2 (9m) Westcott Farms; £830 (8m) J Popham; £755 (8m) GRA Miller; £750 (11m) D & P Pengelly; £730 (11m) EA & DA Ellis; £730 (9m) RW & BA Bellamy again and £725 x2 J Blake. Charolais to £810 (9m) J Saunders and £810 (9m) Westcott Farms who sold others to £710 (9m). Other Charolais to £680 (8m) KJ Dallyn. Blonde to £795 (9m) D & P Pengelly. Angus to £715 x2 (11m) KJ Dallyn, when others sold to £645 AD & SKA Darley and £620 CR Hardwick. Simmentals to £645 (10m) SR Davis who sold others to £635 and £630. Saler to £770 (8m) Westcott Farms. Herefords to £630 (10m) KJ Dallyn, when others sold to £585 SR Davis.

Heifers sold to top price of £800 (14m) for a Limousin from R Withers. Further Limousins to £685 x3 (9m) £645 x3 (9m) Westcott Farms; £620 x3 (10m) £590 (9m) £515 (10m) C Jones; £565 (8m) GRA Miller who sold others to £520 x2 (8m).

British Blues to £760 (14m) R Withers, when others sold to £695 (9m) and £655 x3 (9m) RW & BA Bellamy and £500 x3 (10m) AM Deptford. Charolais to £685 x2 (8m) £610 x2 (8m) KJ Dallyn; £635 (9m) Westcott Farms and £560 (10m) C Jones. Shorthorn to £595 R Withers. Simmentals to £585 x3 (10m) and £515 x2 (10m) SR Davis, when others sold to £575 (11m) C Jones. Herefords to £535 (10m) SR Davies and £495 (13m) AW Hewlett & Son. Angus to £485 x6 (11m) SJ Webber.

526 Non-export calves. Auctioneer's comments:

Beef Breeds (403) – not able to be exported from market

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a larger entry forward with an improved quality on past weeks met a similar yet selective trade. Best continental bulls to £352 for a young Blue from Arrijan Farming, when other good Blues sold to £348 from EA & DA Ellis and £340 from GH Cavill & Sons and LHJE & SJ Lyons. A small entry of Charolais bulls to £285 from CE Veysey. Others £275 from SM & DM Turner. Limousin bulls to £345 from RF & BA Larcombe. Other shapey Limousins to £330 from Brookfield Farm and £310 from Baker & Son.

Native bulls topped the day at £370 (x2) for a pair of Angus from Brookfield Farm. Younger Angus to £335 from HG Tincknell and £295 from CJ Mear & Son.

Continental heifers topped at £315 for reared Blue (12 weeks) from East Avercombe Farm. Other younger Blues to £280 from RJ & JM Dobson and £260 from DW Rowe & Son. Charolais heifers to £300 from CE Veysey, others to £195 and £170 from SM & DM Turner. Limousin heifers to £310 (12 weeks) from EA & DA Ellis, younger Limousins to £270 from HT & ME Quick and £240 from GF & DV Bussell.

Native heifers to £265 for reared Herefords from R Withers, who sold another to £240. Angus heifers to £260 (x2) for a reared pair from Cleave Farm. Younger Angus to £162 from RJ & MA Curtis.

Friesians (123) – not able to be exported from market

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a large entry of dairy sired bull calves sold to a continuing decent trade. Best reared black and whites to £140 (x2) for Twose Farms. Others £136 from RD Willcox and £110 from BA Coombes. Norwegian Red to £90 from Brue Farm. Guernsey to £84 from Hill Partners. Dairy Shorthorn to £100 from BS & SG Kingston. Best rearing calves £70 plus, mediums £40-£60. Plainer types £20 plus.

3362 Sheep. Auctioneer's comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report the following sheep trades:-

Store Lambs (1728)

A similar entry of 1728 store lambs sold to another strong trade when a large contingent of buyers were present. Top price went to GW King at £78.50. Others to £77.50 from AFC Atyeo; £77 from LM & V Haskell; £76 from LJ Thorne; £75.50 from P Tully and RC Lewis; £75 from A Westcott and CJ David; £73.50 from J Turney; £73 from S & C Fry; £72 from NH Julian and £70 from MR Swain, CR Fox and GW King. Overall average £55.85.

Cull Ewes & Rams (1243)

A slightly smaller entry of 1243 cull ewes and rams sold to a firmer trade for all forward. Best of the continental ewes sold to £130 from I Andrews. Other best cull ewes to £119 from L Habberfield & Son; £112 from CHJ Atwell & Sons; £110 from S & A Bevan; £109 from J Hoskin & Son; £104 from GW King; £98 from PH & ME Buckingham & Sons and £97.50 from MT & MRS Jackson. Cull rams sold to £155 from S & A Bevan, when others sold to £132 from AJ Wales; £126 from GW King; £119 from KJ Seymour and £115 from P Tully. Medium ewes £55-£75, plainer types £30-£55 and boners generally £15 plus. Overall average £60.20.

Breeding Ewes (326)

Another large entry of 326 breeding ewes sold to a steady trade. Suffolk Mule shearlings to £115 (x3) from RJ Taylor. Older ewes to £96 for a pen of continental crosses from NF Clothier & Sons. Flock age North Country Mules to £95 from P Parker. Plenty of mixed age, mixed breed pens between £70-£85. Overall average £82.93.

Stock Rams (24)

An increased entry this week when a good quality entry was forward. Top price went to NF Clothier & Sons who had a cracking run of Charollais rams which sold to £225 for 2 x 2T rams. P Parker also had a cracking 4T which achieved £215. Same again next week.

Goats (37)

An average entry of 37 goats sold to £83 for large nannies from MO Holbrook. Others to £78 from DCW & DA Verney & Sons and £52 from T Davies. Overall average £49.43.

209 Pigs. Auctioneer's comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a very pleasing entry in all sections which sold to a “stand on” trade in all classes. Demand strong when the entry sold to 24 different purchasers.

Weaners (60)

Large entry when the best 8 w/o white weaners sold to £40 from CJ Love. Other 8 w/o sold to £30 from KJ Prettejohn and B Stoddart.

Cull Sows & Boars (19)

Similar trade when the best sold to £250 for a good sow from LE Miller & Son. Others £180 from RJ Compton & Son and £170 from J Burrough. Cull boars to £148 from AP & PC Rose.

Forward Stores (130)

Large entry. Top of the day £129 from J & R Hopkins. A good run of 12 from LE Miller & Son to which sold to £122. Porker weights to £95 from K Lye and £94 from J Baker.

Read more: Annual South Molton Sheep Fair auction report 

Three farm auctions in a fortnight generate nearly £500,000