Sedgemoor Livestock Market report, Saturday February 8

Fresh faces around the dairy ring and a fantastic store lamb trade to £120.

62 Dairy Cattle. Auctioneer's comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a good entry of almost 60 calved cows and heifers saw another excellent trade for all types, when several fresh faces were in attendance.

It was fitting that a home-bred heifer, Otter Contour Marvel the 249th from FG Summerhayes & Son, realised the top price of £2100.

She was the last heifer to be sold from a family purchased by the late Fred Summerhayes back in 1964.

Other heifers sold to £2040 and £1820 for SFB Agriculture Services, Bideford; £2000 and £1930 from RC Taylor and £2000 and £1900 from DG Waterman & Partners; £1920 M & K Churchill & Son; £1920 R Maskell & Partners, Carmarthen; £1800, £1760 and £1700 for Snook Ltd and £1760 ET Summerfield & Son.

Only a few cows forward to £1580 and £1440 from JC Palmer and £1500 and £1380 from Deptford Farms.

Incalf heifers to £1120 and £1110 from DM Thomas and Friesian calves to £135. Shorthorn calves to £175 (3x) from BS & SG Kingston.

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

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report an excellent early February market when 728 strong stores were penned, part of 1127 with the stirks and sucklers, which sold to a cracking trade.

All types very well sold. Numbers just up on last year’s and the average is now very close.

READ MORE: Sedgemoor Livestock Market report, Saturday February 1

Top was £1260 for three tremendous Hereford steers (20/21m, FA & sire) from K & M McEwen Smith, Bristol, who sold further best type Hereford steers at £1175 (18m, FA & sire) and £1170 (18/19m, FA & sire). Further Herefords at £1060 (2x 26m, FA & sire) RH Webb, Henley and £1020 (30m, FA & sire) T Abel, Huish Champflower. Angus steers peaked at £1135 (26, FA & sire) from RH Webb again. More Angus at £1100 (29m, FA & sire) and £1090 (21m, FA & sire) DW Hewlett, Queen Camel; £1080 (2x 27m, FA & sire) Wring & Coombs, Chew Magna; £1075 (18m & FA) T Blackmore & Son, Clayhidon; £1065 (8x 19/27m & FA) and £1000 (10x 21/27m & FA) Tucker & Sons, Kingsbridge; £1045 (20m) M Norton, Okeford Fitzpaine; £1015 (3x 22/23m & sire) A Burland, Spaxton and £1010 twice (3x 18/20m, FA & sire) RJ & SR Bunn, Glastonbury and (5x 17/20m, FA & sire) JT & MA Rennison, East Anstey. Further native steers at £1090 for a Devon (26m & FA) JR, RA & RD Stanbury, East Knowstone; £1090 again for a South Devon (23m & FA) GB Tuttiett, Eastertown and £1045 for Shorthorns (20/21m, FA & sires) from RC & VM Tilley, West Monkton.

Continental steers rose to £1255 twice for fleshed Limousins from both the Stowell Bros, Churchstanton (2x 26m & FA) and T Blackmore & Son again (24m & FA). Further best type Limousin steers at £1200 (3x 18/19m & FA) K & M McEwen Smith again; £1190 (27m & FA) T Blackmore & Son again; £1180 (20m & FA) and £1165 (20m & FA) EJ Collins & Son, Chardstock; £1165 again (22m & FA) DA Kidner & Son, East Huntspill; £1140 (20m & FA) R Widger & Partners, Kingsbridge; £1130 (28m & FA) £1065 (28m & FA) and £1020 (27m & FA) all Filer & Churchill, Backwell; £1120 (18m & FA) MJ & C Plowright, Stogursey; £1115 (20m & FA) Curtis Partners Ltd, Shebbear; £1105 (20m) DW Parris, Dalwood; £1085 (28m & FA) RH Webb again and £1055 (15/17m) MH Farmer, Dunkeswell. Blue steers peaked at £1220 for a well grown type from DA Kidner & Son again. Further Blues at £1145 (3x 19/23m & FA) IG & GS Roberts, Norton Fitzwarren; £1120 (3x 18m & FA) R Widger & Partners again and £1060 (2x 23m & FA) GR Farmer again. Some good Simmental steers on offer this week. £1205 (24m & FA) £1190 (24m & FA) and £1125 (24m & FA) ET Summerfield & Son, Oxford; £1195 (7x 20/22m & FA) V Young & Sons, Redhill; £1175 (22m) W Hilborne & Son, Easton; £1170 (20m & FA) EJ Collins & Son again; £1155 (27m & FA) Filer & Churchill again; £1120 (2x 21m & FA) GB Tuttiett again and £1105 (20m) DW Parris again. Well grown big framed Charolais sold to £1205 (2x 26m & FA) from RWG Chilcott, Pawlett, who sold others at £1105 (2x 27m & FA). Further Charolais £1190 (21m & FA) and £1145 (20m & FA) ET Summerfield again; £1170 (only 17m & FA) EJ Collins & Son again; £1105 (3x 19/21m) DW Parris again; £1090 (3x 20m & FA) Ham Farm Partners, Ham and £1050 (only 16m) W Hilborne & Son again.

Dairy bred steers of all grades wanted. £1060 for a fit Norwegian (21m & FA) from R Widger & Partners again. Well fed Friesian steers at £1045 (3x 23/26m & FA) T Blackmore & Son again. Holsteins, Friesian and Norwegian at £985 (4x 27/33m) Wring & Coombs, Chew Magna. Further Friesian £895 (21m & FA) IG & GS Roberts & Sons again. Further Holsteins £880 (10x 17/19m & FA) J & H Searle, Ash Mill.

Heifers sold to a tremendous £1160 for six superb Limousins (17/24m & FA) from MJ & C Plowright again, who sold others at £1125 (2x 30m & FA) £1065 (30m & FA) £1050 (2x 18m & FA) and £1035 (5x 8/21m & FA). Fleshed Limousin at £1145 (3x 26m & FA) Stowell Bros again; £1130 (3x 24m) and £1050 (26m) DW Parris again; £1100 (22m & FA) IG & GS Roberts & Sons again; £1080 (20m & FA) DD & ME Purchase, Kentisbury, who sold others at £1050 (18/21m & FA); £1045 (2x 24m & FA) and £1020 (25m & FA) T Blackmore & Son again and £1015 (21m & FA) S & P Boyer, North Newton. Fleshed Blue heifers at £1125 (19m & FA) £1110 (16m & FA) and £960 (19m & FA) SER Hunt, Kilve. Shapely Blues at £1050 (2x 20m & FA) DD & MA Purchase, who sold another at £960 (20m & FA); £1030 (20/23m & FA) IG & GS Roberts again; £995 (3x 21/24m & FA) JH & ACL Williams, Lower Almondsbury and £985 (5x 22/23m & FA) GR Farmer, again Charolais sold to £1070 (3x 20/25m & FA) from Ham Farm Partners. More at £1060 (3x 27m & FA) RWG Chilcott again. Simmentals to £1050 (5x 20/21m & FA) from GB Tuttiett again. Others at £980 (3x 21/29m & FA) V Young & Sons again.

Native heifers rose to £1050 (30m & sire) for a big framed Angus from St Ives, Cornwall. Further Angus £1010 (27m & FA) T Blackmore & Son again; £945 (19m, FA & sire) J & H Searle again; £930 (5x 22m, FA & sire) AE Vile & Son, North Curry; £910 (6x 21m, FA & sires) DP Leaney, Corfe; £905 (27m & FA) GR Farmer again and £900 (23m, FA & sire) RN & LA Bell, Durleigh. Hereford heifers to £925 (28m & sire) EA & DA Ellis, St Ives. Others £920 (32m, FA & sire) HG Bishop & Sons, Treborough and £910 (27m, FA & sire) A Baker, Meare.

117 Suckler Cows, Calves and Stock Bulls. Auctioneer's comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a good February entry saw one of the best trades since last Spring, especially for the stronger types and the popular British Blue breed.

The bull trade remains selective when pedigree Limousins sold to £2400 from C Phillips. Others sold to £1750 from J & S Creed & Doyle. Aberdeen Angus bulls sold to £1500 from TE Pocock & Son. Herefords to £1200.

Pedigree Limousin cows to £1140 with bull calf at foot at £850 from C Phillips. Best Blue cows with twin steer calves at foot to £1450 from P Skelley. £1200 for a British Blue heifer with heifer calf at foot from G & EG Tucker. Also £1200 for a British Blue cross heifer with bull calf from MJ & C Plowright & Son. Angus cow with Angus calves to £1240 and £1170 from BE Maltby. Hereford cross cows and calves to £1130 and £1110 for P Skelley. Charolais cross cows and calves to £1110 from BE Maltby. Limousin incalf heifers to £1170 (2x) £1120 (2x) and £1110 (2x) from Needham & Son, Blandford.

Incalf cows (13 years old) to £900 from Needham & Sons.

13 Grazing Cows (Pre-movement tested). Auctioneer's comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report medium entry of grazing cows sold to £1020 for a 2015 born Angus cow from BE Maltby.

282 Busk Calves and Stirks. Auctioneer's comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a smaller entry saw a stronger trade for the best but the smaller stirks were more selective.

Top price of £930 for a Charolais steer (14m) from RG & CJ Gooding. Further Charolais to £830 (2x 10m) £820 (2x 11m) £765 (2x 10m) and £738 (2x 10m) HG Bishop & Sons; £800 (2x 11m) NJ Cooke & Co; £740 (2x 8m) £635 (2x 7m) P Skelley; £730 (9m) J Hallett; £670 (2x 6m) £655 (6m) £650 (7m) D Brice and £650 R & F Barrow & Son. Angus to £805 (9m) GS Brown, when others sold to £725 (11m) LT Harvey & Sons and £712 (11m) NC Witcombe. Limousins to £830 (2x 8m) £805 (2x 8m) £800 (2x 8m) £785 (2x 8m) and £685 (4x 6m) L Habberfield & Sons, when others sold to £795 (11m) LT Harvey & Sons; £775 (10m) J & S Creed & Doyle and £650 (9m) SJ Williams. British Blues to £725 (3x 15m) £650 (2x) N & B Hutton and £630 (12m) RE Hull. Sussex to £700 PJ Masters Farms. Herefords to £695 (2x 12m) NC Witcombe who sold another to £670 (12m).

Heifers sold to a top of £780 (8m) for a British Blue from EA & DA Ellis. Further British Blues to £680 (5x 14m) £600 (6x 14m) N & B Hutton; £590 (5x 12m) R Maskell & Partners and £585 (12m) P Van Den Broke. Parthanaise to £775 (10m) P Webber, who sold others to £630 (2x 10m). Charolais to £690 (2x 10m) HG Bishop & Sons; £670 (8m) B Calder; £630 (3x 10m) £625 (2x 10m) P Skelley; £615 (9m) J Hallett and £600 (4m) D Brice. Limousins to £665 (3x 12m) LT Harvey & Sons; £660 (10m) J & S Creed & Doyle; £625 (9m) £620 (8m) £610 (4x 8m) L Habberfield & Sons and £595 (9m) P Skelley. Blonde to £665 (2x 11m) J Hallett. Angus to £640 (7x 9m) GS Brown, when others sold to £595 (15m) G Reason and £595 (10m) A Burrows. Simmentals to £595 (12m) P Van Den Broek. Herefords to £590 (13m) LT Harvey & Sons, when others sold to £555 (4x 9m) RE Nash and £530 (2x 10m) NC Witcombe.

301 Non-export Calves. Auctioneer's comments:

Beef Breeds (229) – not able to be exported from market

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a smaller entry this week met an improved trade on all fronts, when the best sold at £388 for a 16 week Blue bull from W Read Partnership. Other reared Blue bulls to £380 from Dolau Ltd. Younger Blues to £300 and £280 from the same Vendor. A small number of Charolais, Limousin and Simmental forward sold to £250 from D Hutter for a Charolais bull; £228 from Short Bros & Son for a Limousin bull and £238 from PT Bale & Sons for a Simmental bull.

Native bulls sold to a reasonable demand when best reared Angus bulls sold to £350 from W Read Partnership. Others to £225 and £220 from FE Hill & Son. Younger Angus bulls sold to £225 from CD Griffin & Partners. Others to £195 from SC Eavis and ANJ SJ Grey. Hereford bulls sold to £225 from J & N Biddle, who sold another at £220.

Continental heifers to £305 for a reared Blue from W Read Partnership, when younger Blue heifers sold to £295 and £292 from MC Powell. Others to £285 from Dulau Ltd. Limousin heifer to £280 for a smart month old calf from HT & ME Quick. Others sold to £220 from J Stott. Charolais heifers to £242 from SM & DM Turner, who sold others to £202 and £200. Simmental to £270 for a reared heifer from RA Plowright. Younger Simmentals to £155 from RD Knight & Son.

Native heifers to £175 for a reared Angus from W Read Partnership and £158 from FE Hill & Son. Young Angus heifers to £142 from MEJ & PJ White. Hereford heifers to £128 for House & Sons, who sold others to £118 and £100.

Friesians (72) – not able to be exported from market

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a reasonable entry of dairy sired bull calves met plenty of demand throughout. A reared Norwegian Red sold to £230 from RM & CG Drew & Son. Others to £100 from J & N Biddle. Friesians to £200 for another reared bull from RA Plowright. Best younger black and whites to £135 from F & S Aplin. Best rearing types to £80-£100. Mediums £40-£60. Plainer types £20 plus.

3737 Sheep. Auctioneer's comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report the following sheep trades:-

Store Lambs (1844)

A further reduced entry of 1844 store lambs sold to a fantastic trade when the stronger lambs in particular met a strong demand. Top call went to BB Hooper at £120. Others to £119 from Fooks Brothers and MJ Buckle; £118.50 from MG Limond; £114.50 from M Lock; £113 from Hanchard Farming Ltd; £110 from AJ Davies; £109.50 from SJ Williams; £108 from MJ & DM Pring and FH & PJ Bailey; £107.50 from IC Churchill; £107 from LJ Thorne and £106.50 from MW Bowles. Overall average nearly 10% up on the week to £84.25.

Cull Ewes and Rams (1245)

A similar entry of cull ewes, being 1245 sold to a stand on trade, when there was good competition throughout. Best of the continental ewes to £144 from JE & MP Vile. Others to £138 from J Hannam; £131 from JE & MP Vile; £129 from SJ Govier; £127 from CD Griffin & Partners; £126 from J Hannam; £123 from MJ & DM Pring; £121 and £119.50 from TG & NJ Olde & Sons; £118.50 from DRJ & KF Laramy and ML Jennings. Cull rams to £120 from DN Floyd. Others to £118 from TG & NJ Olde & Sons and £117 from AP & PJ Needs. Medium ewes £50-£75, plain £25-£50 and boners generally £20 plus. Overall average £76.24.

Breeding Ewes (192)

A reasonable entry of 192 breeding ewes sold to a much firmer trade for all on offer. Scanned inlamb Suffolk Mule shearlings to £149 and £147 (2x) from Foxhollow Farm Ltd. Texel shearlings to £142 (2x) from J Cox. Older ewes to £138 for a Suffolk Mule from A Dunn. Others of the same breed to £132 from E Stanbury. All but one pen realised more than £92. Overall average £120.89.

Couples (107 Ewes & 158 Lambs)

A larger entry of couples, being 107 ewes with 158 lambs at foot, sold to an equally stronger trade, if anything the ‘improver’ types look dearer on the week. Best of the doubles to £225 (£75/life) from L Habberfield & Sons. Others to £215 (£71.67/life) from GW King; £212 (£70.67/life) from S & J Wheeler and £205 (£68.33/life) from GW King. Singles well sought to £160 (£80/life) from GW King and S Willis. Others to £152 (£76/life) from RW Hickman and WT & DL Organ; £148 (£74/life) from T Salvidge. Overall average a firm £66.23/life.

Goats (82)

A larger entry of 82 goats sold to £110.50 for heavy cull nannies from DCW & DA Verney & Sons. Other culls to £98 from RG & AJ Habberfield; £97 from GR & PJ Kellaway; £80 from RG & AJ Habberfield. Overall average £77.25.

Orphan Lambs (109)

With lambing in full swing and the largest entry of 2020, the orphans sold to a strong but slightly selective trade. Top price of £47 (5x) from S & J Wheeler. Overall average of £17.50, but the stronger 51 lambs averaged £27.