Sedgemoor Livestock Market report, Saturday December 14

A cracking store cattle trade to £1250. First couples of the year to £185.

63 Dairy cattle. Auctioneer's comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report an improved entry saw a good trade for the best whilst anything off grade proved more difficult to sell. Heifers sold to £2070 from DW & CE Jones, Chepstow. Others to £2020 and £1940 from AR Edwards & Son, Newport; £1960, £1920, £1900 and £1720 all from R Maskell & Partners from Carmarthen; £1910 DJ Cheacker, Bristol; £1840 FG Summerhayes & Son, Honiton; £1700 R C Taylor also Adrian P Ractliffe and Deptford Farm and £1680 DW, EG & PW Jones.

Best cows to £2040 and £1820 AR Edwards & Son. Others £1700 Deptford Farm; £1700 and £1680 DWT, EG & PW Jones.

Shorthorn calves to £100 x2 BS & SG Kingston.

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

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report an excellent December entry of 589 strong stores, an incredible 63 per cent up on the year and part of 833 with the stirks. Another cracking trade, very similar to last week and £30 up on the year on average.

Top was £1250 for a well grown warm feeding Charolais steer (only 19m & FA) from JC & PA Chapple, Musbury. Further good Charolais store steers at £1115 (26m & FA) from ET Summerfield, Oxford; £1090 (19m & FA) SJ Williams, North Newton; £1030 (3x 21/24m & FA) RF Tucker & Son, Butleigh; £1030 again (2x 25m & FA) ME Sampson & Son, Upottery; £1025 (4x 17/21m) JF Biffen, Wellington, who sold others at £1010 (22m). Limousin steers rose to £1210 (19m & FA) for a red feeder from JC & PA Chapple again, who sold others at £1145 (21m & FA) and £1125, red (19m & FA). Further well bred Limousin steers at £1155 (only 16m & FA) SJ Williams again; £1115 (26m & FA) and £1050 (24m & FA) ET Summerfield, Oxford; £1105 (only 17m) J Wakely, Widworthy; £1070 (23m & FA) K Milverton & Son, North Petherton; £1060 (2x 18m & FA) SJ Williams again; £1025 (28m & FA) Stowell Bros, Churchstanton and £1010 (22m) JF Biffen again. Simmental steers rose to £1195 for two smart pure breds (14/20m & FA) from ME Snell & Son, Knowstone, who sold others at £1140 (19/20m & FA). Further Simmentals to £1010 (2x 20m & FA) RF Tucker & Son again. Blue steers topped at £1100 for quality types (20/21m & FA) from PA Strawbridge, Offwell. Well grown Blue feeders £1095 (3x 25/26m & FA) SJ Reed, Uplowman; £1050 (28m & FA) SJ & EH Coles, Lympsham and £1000 (22m & FA) PD & SA Godfrey, Lopen.

Native steers continue in a rich vein to £1045 for a fit Angus (25m & named sire) from N Woodman, Huish Episcopi. Others £1015 (19m, FA & sire) CJ Mear & Son, Chard and £1000 (3x 26/28m & sires) J White, Cleeve.

Dairy bred steers peaked at £850 for Montbeliardes (18/19m & FA) from TR Paull, Merriott. Holsteins to £780 (24/25m & FA) from J & T Webber, Clapworthy Mill. Friesians to £750 (3x 27m) AG Chaplin & Sons, Langford.

Heifers topped at £1100 for very shapely feeding Limousins (2x 20m & FA) from AM Doble, Hemyock, who also sold a very shapely Blue (only 19m & FA) at £1020. Fit Limousin at £1060 (25m & FA) from PA Strawbridge, Offwell. Well grown Blue (24m & FA) at £1035 from ET Summerhayes, Oxford, who sold a suckler Limousin at £1030 (28m & FA). Further Limousin feeding heifers £1020 (27m & FA) and £985 (27m & FA) BC Knapp, Pilning; £975 (28m & FA) Stowell Bros again; £920 (3x 18/23m & FA) AG Ludwell & Son, Holsworthy and £880 (3x 24/25m & FA) SJ & EH Coles, Lympsham. Charolais to £970 (24m) GA & HA Venn, Stoke St Gregory. Others £920 (31m & FA) RC & K Wright & Son, Dunkeswell and £860 (26m & FA) ME Sampson & Son. Further Blues £940 (23m & FA) ET Summerfield & Son; £905 (25m & FA) F & S Aplin, Chard; £890 (2x 18m) LM & V Haskell, Wareham; £880 (5x 15/20m & FA) Quick & Sons, West Monkton and £870 (3x 17/19m & FA) AG Ludwell & Son again. Simmentals to £920 (31m & FA) RC & K Wright & Son again. Others £900 (3x 22/23m & FA) B & P Horsey & Son, West Hatch and £870 (23m & FA) RH & AM Turner, Stockland.

Native heifers peaked at £870 for feeding Devons (27m & FA) from RF Tucker & Son. Angus at £850 (20m, FA & sire) from CJ Mear & Son and (4x 23/26m, FA & sire) from SR Bishop & Son, South Perrot; £840 (7x 10/16m, FA & sires) A & J Davies, Cowbridge and £835 (19/20m, FA & sire) AG Ludwell & Son again.

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

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report small entry which topped at £800 for a 2012 born Hereford cross cow from R & G Baker.

244 Busk calves and stirks. Auctioneer's comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a good entry of 244 stirks forward saw a continuation of the fast trade.

Top price of £940 (9m) for an outstanding Limousin steer from M Harrison Partners, who sold another at £865 (7m). Further Limousins to £825 (11m) K & J Heard; £790 (3x 9m) and £742 (2x 9m) WJ & RA Alford; £780 (14m) PR Nicholls; £755 (3x 9m) and £735 (8m) RF, SR & RG Rawle; £735 (9m) £725 (9m) and £710 (9m) SJ Williams and £705 (9m) C Jones. British Blue to £830 (16m) PR Nicholls, who sold others to £705, £700 and £690. Further British Blues to £725 (10m) M Harrison Partners and £715 (8m) SJ Williams. Charolais to £765 (4x 9m) PR Rawle and £725 (9m) SJ Williams. Simmentals to £700 (9m) ASE Bradford, who sold others to £630 (2x 9m). Further Simmentals to £615 (2x 8m) R Hares. Herefords to £640 (3x 15m) MR Boobyer, when others sold to £575 (7m) D Willis. Angus to £550 (11m) DH & H Mildon, when others sold to £500 (4x) RJ Willcox.

Heifers sold to a top price of £855 (11m) for a Limousin from K & J Heard, who sold others to £660 (2x 8m) £615 (3x 8m) and £575 (2x 8m). Other Limousins to £700 (9m) M Forward; £700 (10m) £695 (2x1 0m) £665 (2x 9m) RF, SR & RG Rawle; £660 (2x) and £640 PR Nicholls; £660 (9m) and £655 (8m) LC & AD Hoare; £650 (2x 10m) and £630 (9m) SJ Williams; £620 (11m) GJ Cottrell, who sold another to £590 (4x 10m). British Blues to £795 (9m) and £715 (8m) M Forward, when others sold to £670 and £600 PR Nicholls. Charolais to £705 (11m) SJ Williams, when others sold to £665 (3x 8m) £660 (5x 8m) and £655 (8m) K & J Heard and £580 (11m) PR Rawle. Angus to £680 (14m) and £530 (2x 12m) GW & RI Parsons. Herefords to £445 (8m) SJ Williams.

Beef Breeds (332) – not able to be exported from market. Auctioneer's comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report another decent December entry sold to an improved trade for the beef sired calves, in particular for the very best, when a number of month old bulls sold well in excess of the £300 mark. Top of the day was £390 for a month old Simmental bull from Ireosa, who sold another to £340. Others to £310 from CR House & Sons. Young Blue bulls to £350 (2x) from CG, GR & MS Spiller. Others to £340 from Seaborough Manor Ltd. Charolais bulls to £305 from CE Veysey, who sold others to £195. Young Limousin bulls to £345 from Ireosa. Other strong Limousins from H & NM Wall to £260 and £250 (2x).

Continental heifers to £260 for a smart Blue from WL Ogborne & Sons. Other young Blues to £245 from RJ & JM Dobson and £240 from D Blanch and JWO Marsh & Partners. Simmental heifers to £250 from CR House & Sons and Charolais heifers to £220 from TC & DS Bright. Others to £165 from RJ & CA Down. Limousins to £170 from H & NM Wall and £165 for The Colgrove Partnership and RJ Edwards.

Natives topped at £355 (4x) from DN Woollacott for 3 month Hereford bulls. Younger Hereford bulls to £245 from Ireosa Ltd and £220 from R & J Tibbs. Angus bulls to £262 (2x) from R Angell. Other young Angus to £250 from Short Bros and £212 (2x) from R Angell again.

Native heifers to £220 for a record Hereford from DN Woollacott, when other reared Herefords sold to £210 (2x) from RA Plowright. Younger Hereford heifers to £170 from House & Sons. Reared Angus heifers to £170 (4x) from O Kelway, when younger Angus sold to £155 from HB Green & Son and £140 from R Angell.

Friesians (78) – not able to be exported from market. Auctioneer's comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a good entry of dairy sired calves sold to another decent trade, when two reared Friesians reached £180 each from SE & TL Lye. Younger strong black and whites to £115 from ES Triggol. Montbeliardes to £130 and reared Brown Swiss to £130 both from SE & TL Lye. Best rearing calves £75-£80, mediums £50-£60 and plainer types around £20.

3243 Sheep. Auctioneer's comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report the following sheep trades:-

Store Lambs (2237)

A similar entry of 2237 store lambs sold to an easier trade, especially for the medium and smaller types. Top price of £96 went to CA Churchill. Others to £95 from RJ Lampard; £92 from EJ Gwyn; £87.50 from L Lloyd; £84 from FH Arscott & Son; £83.50 from BB Hooper and IM Mitchell Farming; £83 from CDT Sobey; £80.50 from JH Davey; £80 from Woodford Partnership, BB Hooper and CA Churchill; £78 from MJ & C Plowright & son; £77.50 from Somerset Lamb Ltd and DJ Coles & Son and £77 (2x) from T Trescher. Overall average £64.59.

Cull Ewes & Rams (889)

A slightly smaller entry of 888 cull ewes and rams sold to a stronger trade for all forward, when the best ewes were in particular demand. The best continental ewes topped at £160 for a smart pen from EJ Gwyn. Other ewes to £140 from RJ Lampard; £130 from CJ Sage; £122 from E Bright; £120 from CL Popham; £116 from EJ & RJ Mills; £105 from PW Chappell & Son; £103 from KC & JM Cooke and P Brooks; £102 from IM Mitchell; £101 from R Wentbrook; £100 and £99 from CJ Sage and £97 from RWG & M Dare & Son. Cull rams sold to £109 from K & N Crang, when others sold to £100 from A Tidcombe and PW Chappell & Son. Medium ewes £45-£70, plain £25-£45 and boners generally £15 plus. Overall average £69.16.

Breeding Ewes (35)

A small entry of 35 breeding ewes sold to £74 for FM’s running with a Charolais ram. Overall average £67.10.

Couples (8 Ewes & 11 Lambs)

An early season entry of 8 ewes with 11 lambs at foot sold to £185 (£61.67/life) for a Suffolk cross double from SE & TL Lye, when singles sold to £130 (£65/life) from the same Vendor. Other doubles to £170 (£56.67/life) from M Naish and £150 (£50/life) from J Headon & Son. Overall average £57.11/life.

Goats (63)

A similar sized entry of 63 goats sold to another very strong trade to a top of £128 for a large billy from RG, AJ & JA Habberfield, when nannies sold to £97 from the same Vendor. Bagborough Farm sold both billies and nannies to £110. Overall average £88.61.

78 Pigs. Auctioneer's comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report small entry for the extra pig market before Christmas. Trade back on the very good prices achieved last week with butchers having already filled their orders for Christmas.

Weaners (23)

Mainly stronger weaners forward which sold to an average of £39.13. The best sold to £56 from F Ward for Pietrain crosses.

Forward Stores (54)

Easier trade – the best sold to £118 from J & R Hopkins and £112 from JP Stone.

Fodder. Auctioneer's comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a modest entry for the December collective fodder sale with Vendors cautious to enter large amounts early in the season. Very selective trade in terms of fodder on farm when very little changed hands. Far more demand for delivered barley straw and particularly hay.

Hay

Quadrants £26/bale (ex farm)

£36/bale (delivered)

Silage/Haylage

Best quality to £21/bale for Quadrants.

Straw

Wheat £27/bale (delivered)

Barley £30/bale (delivered)

READ MORE: Sedgemoor Livestock Market report, Saturday December 7