Sedgemoor Livestock Market report, Saturday January 4

Very encouraging trades all round to start the new decade.

Store Cattle to £1330, calves to £428, lambs to £98.50 & Cull Ewes to £170.

98 Dairy cattle. Auctioneer's comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report an excellent entry for the first dairy market of the new decade, when heifers sold over £2000 (3x) from 90 milkers.

Top of the day £2040 for a heifer from R Maskell & Partners of Carmarthen. Others to £2010 and £1950 from M & K Churchill & Co; £2000 and £1980 from FG Summerhayes; £1980 from R Maskell & Partners; £1920 from R & M Lougher & Son, Bridgend and £1900 from JG Morgan.

A small number of cows forward sold to a good trade for exceptional 3rd and 2nd calvers from EC & LK Parker of Minehead at £1820 and £1720 respectively. Others to £1700 from Snook Ltd.

352 Store Cattle and Grazing Cows. Auctioneer's comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a near identical entry of 352 stores, part of 557 with the stirks, suckler and grazers, met a near identical trade to last year’s equivalent week entry. A really encouraging trade to start the year off, when the best were well up on pre Christmas levels. The overall average was the highest since May last year and the £1300 barrier was broken for the first time for a long while.

Top was £1330 for a white feeding Charolais (20m & FA) from JC & PA Chapple, Musbury, who sold another at £1285 (only 17m & FA) and forward Limousins at £1240 (24m & FA) and £1220 (21m & FA). Further well grown Limousin steers at £1195 (26m & FA) £1175 (28m & FA) and £1140 (29m & FA) all dairy bred, Stowell Bros, Churchstanton; £1190 (23/25m & FA) and £1075 (20/23m & FA) suckler bred, RW Tapp & Son, South Molton and £1000 (24/26m & FA) GN Langley, East Compton. Further Charolais steers at £1170 (23m & FA) suckler bred, J Ridd, Alverdiscott; £1145 (24m & FA) suckler bred, DP & MG White, Dalwood; £1085 (3x 20/21m & FA) and £1040 (7x 17/21m & FA) suckler bred, JR, RA & RD Stanbury, East Knowstone. Simmental steers rose to £1045 (22/23m & FA) from GN Langley again, who also sold a Blue at £1045 (24m & FA). Further Blue at £1000 (27m & FA) RJ Ware, Skilgate. Blonde steer at £1010 (27m) R Keenor, Lapford.

Native steers peaked at a tremendous £1215 for a fit Hereford (27m, FA & sire) from Stowell Bros again, who sold others at £1165 (2x 26m, FA & sire) and £975 (26m, FA & sire). Further best Herefords £1205 (25/26m, FA & sires) D Barnes, Yarcombe and £995 (30m) D Powell, Thelbridge. Angus sold to £1100 for a big frame, plain steer (20m, FA & sire) from A Ingram, Fordingbridge. Well reared and brought on dairy Angus at £1085 (6x 22m, FA & sire) £1075 (8x 22m, FA & sire) and £1050 (8x 22/23m, FA & sire) from P & M Chudley, Romansleigh. More good Angus £1080 (25m, FA & sire) Arscott Bros, Upottery; £1020 (2x 24m & sire) H McLean & Partners, Hemyock; £1010 (3x 22/25m, FA & sire) GN Langley, East Compton and £995 (3x 22/23m, FA & sire) NJ & CL Parker, Ilchester. Pure bred South Devons at £1055 (3x 18/19m & FA) DP & MG White, Dalwood.

Dairy breeds sold to £900 for a warm Danish Red (29m & FA) from NJ & CL Parker again, who also sold big, lean Holsteins at £880 (24/27m & FA) fleshed Holstein at £795 (27m & FA) red Fleckvieh at £880 (26m & FA) and red and white Norwegians at £840 (2x 24m & FA). Big frame Holsteins at £790 (4x 23/25m) R Keenor again and £680 (3x 18/19m) CF & JE Snell, Crewkerne.

Heifers also in great demand to £1165 for 4 superb Charolais (20/25m & FA) from J Ridd, Alverdiscott, who sold other best Charolais at £1115 (10x 19/25m & FA). Further better type Charolais £1020 (only 12/18m & FA) J Phillips, Longbridge Deverill, who sold others at £950 (18/19m & FA). Further fleshed Charolais at £980 (28m & FA) BC Knapp, Pilning. Well bred Limousins at £1040 (20/25m & FA) from RW Tapp & Son, South Molton, who sold others at £940 (3x 20/23m & FA). Plummy Limousins at £935 (6x 24/27m & FA) from GI Ware. Blue heifers rose to £1030 (27/28m & FA) from SJ & AM Reed, Uplowman, who sold others at £970 (2x 26m & FA). Further Blue £1010 (26m & FA) Arscott Partners again. Simmental £935 (20m) ER Dascombe & Son, Wotton Courtenay. Others £930 (3x 28/29m & FA) RC & K Wright & Son, Dunkeswell.

Native heifers topped at £1005 for Angus (4x 29/30m, FA & sire) from TJ Jakins, Plymouth. Further fleshed Angus £950 (8x 22m & sire) P & M Chudley again, who sold others at £850 (10x 22m & sire); £910 (19/21m, FA & sire) R Barrow, Bratton Fleming; £910 (25/26m, FA & sire) RMG & RG Salter, Buckland St Mary; £900 (2x 25m, FA & sire) GN Langley again and £900 (24m, FA & sire) and £890 (21m, FA & sire) from Arscott Partners again. Herefords to £985 for fleshed types from Stowell Bros again.

Holstein heifer at £935 (28m & FA) Huntham Farm Ltd, Stoke St Gregory. Further Holstein heifers at £880 (32m & FA) and £865 (27/29m & FA) from AJ & WL Turner Ltd, Holditch.

1 Grazing Cow (pre-movement tested). Auctioneer's comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report just the one grazing cow sold at £875 for a 2011 born South Devon cow from J Popham.

203 Busk Calves and stirks. Auctioneer's comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a respectable entry of stirks sold to an excellent trade throughout.

Top price £740 (8m) for a Limousin steer from LG Bagg & Partners. Other Limousins to £730 (2x 12m) TW & SM Stevens; £725 (2x 14m) CJ & J Lang; £720 (5x 8m) £715 (2x 8m) £655 (3x 9m) KJ & LC Popham; £655 (12m) £640 (8m) £610 (10m) GRA Miller and £600 (8m) RJ & GJ Tucker. Charolais to £710 (9m) KJ & LC Popham, who sold others to £670 (2x 9m) and £660 (3x 8m). Further Charolais to £660 (4x 6m) D Brice; £592 (10m) CJ & J Lang and £580 (8m) PR & EA Matthews. Herefords to £690 (2x) and £675 (2x) SJ Warren. British Blues to £635 (14m) Twose Farms Ltd, when younger types sold to £625 (9m) AW & AS Meikle; £565 B Watts and £535 (6x 7m) RJ & GJ Tucker. A price of note was £585 (5x 10m) for Devons from AW & SA Meikle, who sold further good Devons to £565 (5x 10m). Sussex to £555 (2x 12m) PJ Masters, who also sold an Angus to £525 (12m).

Bulls sold to a top price of £620 (8m) for a Limousin from S & P Boyer.

Heifers sold to a top of £660 (2x 6m) for Charolais from D Brice, who sold another to £555. Further Charolais to £590 (12m) R Maskell & Partners; £575 (4x 9m) KJ & LC Popham, who also sold Limousins to £590 (9m) and £555 (3x 9m). Further Limousin to £575 (12m) R Maskell & Partners and £530 (12m) and £510 (10m) GRA Miller. British Blues to £550 (6x 12m) R Maskell & Partners.

400 Non-export Calves. Auctioneer's comments:

Beef Breeds (346) – not able to be exported from market

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a good entry in terms of numbers for the first market of 2020, saw a continuation of last week’s trade. Plenty of competition for second quality and older reared calves but slightly less enthusiasm for the middle range rearing types.

Top of the day was £428 for a strong Blue bull from PEJ & LA Cottey. Others £358 Higher Farm (Manston) Ltd; £328 from RW & SL Berry. Young Charolais to £392 from SM & DM Turner Ltd; £335 JA & K Ladd and £315 PD & JL Biss. Simmentals to £275 from R Hares; £175 CD Griffin & Partners. Limousins to £230 and £190 A Pratt; £185 KF & LW Mitcham.

Continental heifers to £260 for a Charolais from SM & DM Turner Ltd. Others £255 from DJ Spratt and £240 from PD & JL Biss. Blues to £210 from JWO Marsh & Partners; £200 Short Bros & Son; £185 from Dolau Ltd. Simmentals to £188 from R Hares and £175 from P Frost. Limousins to £185, £182 (2x) and £150 from A Pratt.

Native bulls to £325 for a reared Hereford from ME & J Best, same Vendor £258 (2x) and £235. Younger Herefords to £215 Higher Farm (Manston) Ltd. Reared Angus to £288 (2x) from RW & SL Berry; £282 (3x) FE Hill & Son. Younger Angus to £215 LS, KM & CJ Davies and £210 from Short Bros & Son.

Native heifers to £235 (3x) for reared Herefords from RA Plowright. Younger to £102 from JN Wyatt. Angus to £180 (2x) from FE Hill & Son and £148 from MA & NR Bowditch.

Friesians (54) – not able to be exported from market

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a small entry of 54 dairy sired bull calves met a similar trade to previous weeks, to top at £120 from RD Willcox. Others £95 Huntham Farm and £84 Twose Farms Ltd. Best calves £70 plus, mediums £30-£50 and plain types around £15. Fleckvieh to £130 from JW & P Marsh. Norwegian Reds to £112 RJ Tucker & Sons. Guernsey to £80 from Hill Partners. Montbeliardes to £60 from Whistledown Farm.

3739 Sheep. Auctioneer's comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report the following sheep trades:-

Store Lambs (1796)

A much larger new year entry of 1796 store lambs sold to another very strong trade for all forward. Top price of £98.50 was shared by JB & B Hobbs and CA Churchill. Others to £97 from JB & B Hobbs; £95.50 from GJ Cottrell; £93.50 from BG & TW Randall; £93 from DH & KM Edwards and FA Ford and RW & TH Franklin; £91.50 from SL King; £90.50 from TL Attwell; £90 and £89 from BG & TW Randall; £89.50 from PJ Holloway and R Goodman; £87.50 from JH Davey; £87 from Hanchard Farming and GF & DV Bussell; £87, £86.50 and £85 (2x) from BG & TW Randall. Overall average up to £72.80.

Cull Ewes and Rams (1850)

A massive entry of 1850 cull ewes and rams sold to an equally strong trade for the best and medium types, although the leaner and hill types were less money. The best continental ewes again sold exceptionally well to a top of £170 for a pen of 12 smart Texels from EW Quick & Son, who sold others to £155 and £129. Other best ewes to £164 from MA Milton; £149, £132 and £128 (2x) from AG Hinks & Sons; £149 and £138 from AJ & WJ Reed; £138 from JB & B Hobbs; £129 from J Tomlinson; £120 from S & A Bevan and £119.50 from MP & DM Hine. Cull rams sold to £128 from PJ Holloway and EW Quick & Son, when others to £120 from MD & KE Lanfear and AGF Lockyer. Medium ewes £55-£80, plain £25-£55 and boners generally £20 plus. Overall average £72.48.

Couples (26 Ewes & 34 Lambs)

A slightly larger entry of 26 ewes with 34 lambs at foot sold to another good trade, when doubles sold to £188 (£62.67/life) from R Payne. Other doubles to £166 (£55.33/life) from L Habberfield & Son. Singles to £148 (£74/life) £142 (£71/life) and £138 (£69/life) from L Habberfield & Son. Overall average £58.08/life.

Goats (30)

A similar entry of 30 goats sold to £90 from Habberfield Farming, when others sold to £80 from RG, AJ & JA Habberfield. Overall average £74.07.

110 Pigs. Auctioneer's comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report smaller entry for our first sale of the year. All cull and fat pigs sold to a powerful trade.

Weaners (42)

Indifferent trade when the best sold to £45 from J Westlake and £43 from AP & PC Rose.

Cull Sows and Boars (8)

Much improved trade when the best sold to £208 and £182 for medium weights from RJ Maltby. Overall average well up on the pre Christmas trade.

Breeders (5)

9 month old Large White boar from FH Chave & Son sold to £175. Duroc boar from AP & PC Rose sold to £122. Young gilts to £115.

Forward Stores (55)

Many more could have been sold to advantage. Trade strong overall averaged £114. The best sold to £150 and £148 for a good run from FH Chave & Son. £140 from J & R Hopkins and £132 from JP Stone.

READ MORE: Sedgemoor Livestock Market report, Saturday December 28