February Fair

Stags auctioneers report a smaller than expected entry of 86 cattle and 426 sheep were forward for February Fair at Tavistock Livestock Centre.

Trade was strong from start to finish for all classes of stock, with many purchasers going home empty-handed.

86 Store Cattle. Auctioneer's comments:

Topping the day’s prices was the first animal sold at £1250 for a three year old pure bred Limousin Bull from Messrs JH & JA Vanstone, Tavistock.

There were some good runs of store cattle forward, with top price going to Mr A J Eggins, Roborough for his two 20mo Limousin x heifers at £1175; who also had other heifers at £1085 and steers at £1080. Steers sold to £1110 for 19mo South Devon from Mrs S Morshead, Brentor; who also had others at £1080.

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A lovely run of 14/20mo Limousin x steers from Mr J H Vanstone saw prices at £1060 and £1050 for a bunch of six Aberdeen Angus (named sires), topped at £1050 for 21mo Steers again for Mr A J Eggins, Roborough, with other similar bred to £1030.

Younger cattle topped at £1000 for a ten mo Charolais x steer from Mrs J Littlejohns, Peter Tavy with other pens at £950 and £945. Other notable prices included £910 for two 22mo Beef Shorthorn x heifers from Mr Tom Roskilly, Tavistock; £970 for a bunch of five 20mo Charolais x heifers from Mr W A Kilfedder, Tavistock; £785 for three 16mo Limousin x steers from Mr H T Davis, Chagford; and £780 for two 17mo Aberdeen Angus x steers from Messrs W K J & M R Harding, Throwleigh.

426 Store Sheep. Auctioneer's comments:

A very pleasing entry of just under 400 store hoggs, when very few were pre-booked in the time for the catalogue. Sold to another flying trade with the overall average including over 100 hill bred lambs levelling at £71.26.

Top price on the day was seen for a pen of 21 Suffolk cross lambs from Mr W Hamilton of Tavistock who sold a run of 100 in total, with further pens to £89.50 twice and £86.50. Cheviots for Messrs PJ & MA Hearn of Tavistock also reached £90 with further pens sold to £88.50 for the same vendor.

Messrs J & S Eggins of Yelverton peaked at £86 for a Texel cross hogg with their long term Welsh crosses topping at £67 and Herdwick crosses at £67.50.

A shorter entry of just 32 grazing ewes and rams sold well with the best price seen for Texel wethers from Messrs EG & MA Dunn of Shaugh Prior topping at £92.50, with further pens to £87, Messrs RT & S Hutchings of South Brent sold a Closewool Ram to £90 while Messrs PJ & MA Hearn sold a Cheviot wether for £89. Average £70.31 on the day.

Demand remains strong for store sheep and many, many more could have been sold competitively on the day, cull and grazing sheep were also keenly contested.

Fodder. Auctioneer's comments:

Only a small offering of fodder this month with four string bales of Oil Seed Rape Straw from Collacombe Farm Ltd, Lamerton, selling to £12 per bale.