Sedgemoor Livestock Market report, Saturday January 11

An excellent store cattle trade to £1315. Highest average since March.

64 Dairy cattle. Auctioneer's comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report another large January entry saw a good trade for the best but at lower levels than the previous week. Second quality and frail young heifers were more difficult to sell. Purchasers chased power and quantity of milk, which resulted in the top prices being allocated to cows at £1900 and £1840 from AR Edwards & Son, Newport; £1820 and £1560 from E & V Kidner, Chippenham.

Best heifers to £1800 twice from both FG Summerhayes & Sons also AR Edwards & Son. Others to £1780, £1700, £1640 and £1620 (2x) from E & V Kidner; £1760 and £1640 from M & K Churchill & Son; £1650 from A & W Vigus and £1640 from RJ, HA & MR Popham.

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

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report an excellent entry of 613 stores, part of 918 with the stirks and sucklers met a flier. The highest average since March, when the steer average was up near £80 on the week. Returned buyers from Newmarket to Haverfordwest, Rutland to Plymouth, Shrewsbury to Kilmington, all keen to secure supply in anticipation of tight numbers through 2020.

Top was £1315 for a best type feeding Limousin steer (red, 22m & FA) from JC & PA Chapple, Musbury, who sold more similar at £1290 (22m & FA) and £1280 (2x 22m & FA). Superb, lean, suckler bred Limousin steers at £1300 (19/21m & FA) from PA Strawbridge, Offwell. Well grown, warm Limousin steers at £1225 (3x 22/25m & FA) from EMC Bax, Wadebridge, who sold others at £1150 (23m & FA) and £1095. Smart Limousins (19/20m & FA) £1200, AM Doble, Hemyock. Further well grown, Limousin steers £1125 (26m & FA) PA, IA & GA Robertson, Wotton Under Edge; £1115 (2x 20m & FA) and £1090 (5x 18/20m & FA) RG & A Pearce, Alveston; £1105 (23m & FA) CA & MA Ralph, Taunton; £1100 (2x 26m & FA) H Miller & Son, West Buckland; £1095 (26m & FA) AW Selley & Son, Ash Mill and £1080 (24/25m & FA) RF Tucker & Son, Butleigh. Big framed leaner Blue steers sold to £1215 (2x 28m & FA) from WP Porter & Sons, East Lambrook. Further feeding Blues at £1140 (24m & FA) J, BJ & GJ Hawkins, Thorverton; £1120 (4x 20/24m) Arscott Partners, Upottery; £1115 (26/29m & FA) AC House & Son, Thornfalcon and £1100 (3x 22m & FA) RH & AM Turner, Stockland. Charolais steers rose to £1195 (17m & FA) for a red from EJ Collins & Son, Chard, who sold others (2x 20m & FA) at £1140. Young, grey, Charolais steers at £1155 (only 15m!) from MJ & AL Elston, who sold more even younger at £995 (4x 13/15m!); £1095 (3x 17/20m & FA) CA & MA Ralph again; £1095 (3x 15/17m) M & RSM Barrow, Arlington and £1070 (5x 16/20m) JF Biffen, Wellington. Simmental steers peaked at £1140 for a younger, shapely type (17m & FA) from AM Doble again. Further Simmentals £1095 (22m & FA) EJ Collins & Son again and £1050 (23m & FA) EMC Bax again.

READ MORE: Sedgemoor Livestock Market report, Saturday January 4

Native steers were an incredible trade to £1215 for an Angus (21m, FA & sire) from AW Selley & Son, Ash Mill. Further best Angus £1200 (4x 20/26m, FA & sire) from H Miller & Son again, who sold others at £1100 (27/28m, FA & sire); £1190 (25m, FA & sire) IJ & SA Bell & Son, Cossington; £1145 (7x 21/22m & sire) MJ & AL Elston again; £1110 (20m, FA & sire) The Mowlem Partnership, Chard; £1090 (3x 21m, FA & sire) M & R Vellacott, Greenham; £1085 (only 17m, FA & sire) Baker & Baker, Chew Stoke; £1075 (5x 20/22m, FA & sire) DF & VL Parris, Upottery; £1065 (3x 20/21m, FA & sire) C Elliott, Nailsea and £1050 (28/29m, FA & sire) from AC House & Son, Thornfalcon. Hereford steers sold to £1195 (4x reds, 25/26m, FA & sires) from ME Sampson & Son, Upottery. Further well grown Herefords £1150 (2x 25m, FA & sire) AW Selley & Son again; £1115 (3x 22/23m, FA & sires) AD Lee, West Buckland; £1100 (20/22m, FA & sire) and £1090 (21m, FA & sire) EMC Bax again and £1060 (5x 17/18m, FA & sire) PA, IA & SA Robertson again.

Dairy bred steers topped at £1050 for a fleshed Fleckvieh (23m & FA) from The Mowlem Partnership again. Forward Brown Swiss at £960 (27m) AG Chaplin & Sons, Langford. Big, warm Holsteins at £955 (5x 21/24m & FA) from PA, IA & GA Robertson again; who sold others at £870 (4x 19/23m & FA) and £820 (4x 19/26m & FA). Good Friesian steers at £905 (22/23m & FA) and Holsteins at £815 (2x 24m & FA) from RG & A Pearce again; Holsteins £905 (26m & FA) £860 (30m & FA) and £825 (33m & FA) IJ & SA Bell & Son again; £900 (23m & FA) and £895 (3x 20/24m & FA) The Mowlem Partnership again and £860 (25m) AG Chaplin & Son again.

Heifers sold to an incredible £1285 for a fleshed and shapely Charolais (33m & FA) from EW Clarke & Son, Martock, who sold another at £1000 (29m & FA). Further smart, very young Charolais at £945 (5x 15m) from MJ & AL Elston. Others £935 (5x 17/18m) and £930 (18m) ML & KA Ousley, Chard and £905 J, BJ & GJ Hawkins again.

Simmental heifers rose to £1190 for a quality forward type (18m & FA) from AM Doble again. Further Simmentals heifers at £1000 (30m & FA) and £970 (26/27m & FA) H Miller & Son again; £940 (30m & FA) EW Clarke & Son again. Limousin heifers topped at £1165 for a warm red (20m & FA) from RG & A Pearce again, who sold others at £990 (3x 20m & FA). Best type Limousin heifers at £1160 (18m & FA) AM Doble again; £1110 (21m & FA) PA Strawbridge again; £1050 (19m & FA) LJ Ralph, Trull; £1045 (5x 16/25m & FA) PA, IA & GA Robertson again. Very well grown and presented Limousin from R Doble, Hemyock, only 13m and FA shot to £990. Further better type Limousins at £970 (25m & FA) K & N Crang, Mudford; £960 (25m & FA) and £915 (19/20m & FA) R Takle, Exton; £960 (26/28m & FA) C Elliott again; £955 (22m & FA) EMC Bax again and £935 (2x 28m & FA) H Miller & Son again. Well grown feeding Blues at £1015 (3x 22/23m & FA) from CWM & GN Bolt, Huntsham. Further good Blues £1000 (20m & FA) KD & MA Morgan, Wiveliscombe; £1000 again (30m & FA) H Miller & Son again and £915 (3x 28/29m & FA) EW Clarke & Son, Martock. Smart Blonde heifer at £1010 (23m & FA) from J, BJ & GJ Hawkins again. Blonde heifers at £930 (2x 20m) ML & KA Ousley again. Parthenaise heifer at £1000 (19m & FA) KD & MA Morgan again.

Native heifers to a huge £1100 for an Angus (24m, FA & sire) from The Mowlem Partnership. Further Angus £945 (3x 20/21m, FA & sires) and £885 (3x 20/21m, FA & sires) from C Elliott again; £925 (3x 19/20m, FA & sire) Baker & Baker again; £905 (29m, FA & sire) H Miller & Son and £885 again ( 27m, FA & sire) KD & MA Morgan again. Devon heifer at £1075 (31m & fit) from J Thorne, Barnstaple. Dairy heifers at £890 for a Holstein (24m & FA) The Mowlem Partnership. Fleckvieh £795 (30m & FA) Ireosa Ltd, Winterbourne Abbas. Further Holsteins at £795 (30/35m & FA) IJ & SA Bell & Son again.

48 Suckler Cows, calves and Stock Bulls. Auctioneer's comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a small entry for our first sale of the year saw plenty of demand for the few best quality forward. Pedigree Angus bulls to £2500 for VE Sellick. 2x pedigree Limousin bulls to £2000 from MM Gollop & Sons.

British Friesian heifers with 2x British Friesian 1 month old calves at foot to £1200 from RL & ME Trott. Charolais cow and calf to £850 from J & R White. Blonde sired cow £980 from PM Willis. Pedigree Longhorn incalf heifers to £660 (2x) from N Young. Pedigree Hereford bulling heifers to £580 (2x) from AG & LE Gifford.

Pedigree Devon cow with steer calf to £590 from DJ Ridler.

9 Grazing Cows (pre-movement tested)

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report small entry of grazing cows sold at £890 for a 2015 born Hereford cross cow from KD & MA Morgan.

257 Busk Calves and Stirks. Auctioneer's comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a quality entry of stirks forward sold to an excellent trade, when there were a great number of buyers present. Top price of £850 (10m) for a Limousin steer from CM Baber, who sold others to £835 (10m) and £715 (2x 10m). Further Limousins to £838 (3x 9m) £785 (2x 9m) £765 (3x 8m) £740 (4x 9m) £715 (8m) L Habberfield & Sons; £825 (8m) £800 (5x 9m) £760 (2x) £748 (4x 8m) £730 (3x 8m) £720 (3x 8m) £700 (3x 8m) RJ & SR Bunn; £825 (11m) £775 (11m) £775 (2x 11m) and £700 (9m) R & K Hayball; £760 (8m) NJ May; £755 (3x 9m) IJ Williams and £710 (2x 13m) R & J White & Son. Charolais to £835 (2x 10m) DJ Toogood, who sold others to £830 (3x 10m). Further Charolais to £830 (2x 10m) £788 (4x 10m) £785 (11m) £712 (8m) and £695 (4x 8m) MJ & RSM Barrow. British Blues to £795 (9m) NJ May, when others sold to £710 (12m) REJ White & Son. Herefords to £590 (2x 8m) £520 (2x 8m) and £515 (2x 8m) SJ Scadden. Angus to £725 (13m) GW & RI Parsons, when others sold to £690 (10m) S Calloway and £605 (5x 10m) SJ Taylor. Sussex to £560 (2x 9m) PJ Masters Farms.

Bulls sold to £500 (4x 7m) for British Blues from A Knight.

Heifers sold to a top of £825 (8m) for an excellent Limousin from RJ & SR Bunn. Further Limousins to £710 (2x 10m) £670 (3x 11m) NJ May; £685 (4x 8m) £680 (9m) £660 (3x 8m) £650 (3x 9m) £625 (3x 9m) L Habberfield & Sons; £600 (3x 14m) £545 R & J White & Son; £595 (5x 10m) £590 (2x 10m) £525 (2x 10m) £520 (2x 10m) CM Baber and £540 WJ Dicks. Charolais to £798 (2x 14m) DJ Toogood; £670 (12m) £670 (3x 10m) £590 (4x 9m) MJ & RSM Barrow and £605 (13m) KJ Dallyn. Angus to £650 (13m) GW & RI Parsons.

British Blues to £640 (13m) R & J White & Son, when younger types sold to £635 (9m) NJ May. Herefords to £450 E Gilbert, when others sold to £435 (2x 9m) SJ Scadden.

431 Non-export calves. Auctioneer's comments:

Beef Breeds (355) – not able to be exported from market

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report another reasonable entry in terms of numbers, albeit variable in terms of quality. Very best calves still in demand with competition for reared types, but less demand for all others presented.

Top of the day for a shapely 16 week Blue bull for Wookey Bros was £445, while younger but smart Blue bulls to £388 (2x) for J Tamplin & Son and JWO Marsh & Partners. A cracking Charolais bull from PD & JL Biss sold to £328 but other Charolais bulls were lacking quality. Limousin bulls to £300 for RJ & GJ Tucker; £265 from PT & CA Herrod and £260 from M & P Watts & Son.

Native bulls to £310 (10x) and £300 (5x) for smart reared Angus from NF George, whilst younger Angus bulls sold to £242 and £225 from JM & SN Faun. Hereford bulls in shorter supply when the best sold to £210 from House & Sons, when others sold to £185 from PJ Wood and £145 from Lilylane Farm.

Continental heifers sold to £325 for a reared (16 week) Blue from East Avercombe Farm and £315 from BA & G Hill. Young Blue heifers to £260 from RJ & GJ Tucker and £250 from RJ & JM Dobson. Charolais heifer to £295 (2x) for 16 week types from NF George. Shapely young Charolais heifers sold to £245 from PD & JL Biss and a smart consignment from SM & DM Turner sold to £215 (2x). Limousin heifers to £250 from RJ & GJ Tucker. Other Limousins to £238 (2x) from PT & LA Herrod and £175 from Lilylane Farms. A small young Simmental heifer entry sold to £140 from PT Bale & Sons.

Native heifers to £262 for a reared Angus from RA Plowright, when other heifers sold to £200 and £188 from BA & G Hill. Hereford heifers to £245 for a reared type from RA Plowright. Younger Herefords to £185 (5x) for Lilylane Farms.

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

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a decent trade for dairy sired calves, when there was competition throughout the day and several reared black and whites were on offer. Top call to £135 for RJ Tucker & Sons, followed by £120 for (2x) for RA Plowright and J Tamplin & Sons. Montbeliarde to £180 from NF George. Norwegian Red to £78 from RJ Tucker & Son. Best reared £100 plus, mediums £50-£80 and plainer £20-£30.

4287 Sheep. Auctioneer's comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report the following sheep trades:-

Store Lambs (2561)

A much larger entry of 2561 store lambs sold to an even stronger trade for all forward to a top price of £94 from C Peach. Others to £91.50 from D Lukins; £89.50 from DL & ME Gillard; £88.50 from A Burland; £87.50 from Stevens Bros; £87 from J Buckle; £86 from DH & KM Edwards and FA Ford, GM Veysey, Stevens Bros (2x) and SJ Sibley; £85 from H Burland, FH & DB Gibbons & Son, R Goodman and Dimond Farming Ltd; £84.50 from MJ Keate and D Tucker and £84 from A Burland, Church Farm Publow, J Hallett and S Francis. Overall average up almost £2 to £74.55.

Cull Ewes and Rams (1263)

A smaller entry of 1263 cull ewes and rams of generally improved quality sold to another strong trade, especially for the best types. The best continental ewes saw continuing strong demand to a top of £176 for a smart pen of 9 Texels from EW Quick & Son, when others sold to £130, £129.50 (2x) and £125 from the same Vendor. Other best ewes to £159.50 from FH Chave & Son; £148 from J Harding; £140 from GJ Garland; £128 from RJ Willcox Ltd; £124 from DH Westmore; £121.50 from PA Hutton and £120 from RM & FR Thorne, JB Pearce Park Flock and J Harding. Cull rams sold to £135 from BAV & JE Scriven, when others sold to £129 from RM & FR Thorne and £119 from FH Chave & Son.

Medium ewes £50-£80, plain £25-£50 and boners generally £20 plus. Overall average up almost £6 to £78.31, reflecting the improved quality entry.

Breeding Ewes (279)

A reasonable entry of 279 breeding ewes for the catalogued monthly sale sold to a solid trade. Scanned in-lamb Poll Dorsets to £128 from GA & JA Fry. Strong Texel Mules to £126 (2x) from GE & DM Powell and £125 (3x) from JC Salmon. Quality Suffolk Mules to £125 (2x) and £123 again from GE & DM Powell. Overall average £111.66.

Couples (53 Ewes & 68 Lambs)

A larger entry of couples forward, when 53 ewes with 68 lambs at foot were present. Top call of £175 was achieved by MJ Patch for his 2 ewes with 3 lambs (£70/life) and Crossways Farm for their double (£58.33/life) who sold other doubles at £173 (£57.67/life). Other doubles to £158 (£52.67/life) from C Dimmock. Strongest of the singles to £168 (£84/life) from Crossways Farm. Others to £150 (£75/life) from Chapel Farm Partnership. Overall average £54.45/life.

Goats (45)

A larger entry of 45 goats sold to £99 from GR & PJ Kellaway, when others sold to £86 and £76 from RG, AJ & JA Habberfield; £85.50 from C Ainge and £82 from GR & PJ Kellaway. Overall average £78.90.

Orphan Lambs (18)

A few more lambs starting to come through sold to a good trade with an average of £18. Top price of £22 was seen 6 times.