Sedgemoor Livestock Market report, Saturday April 4

Another excellent market under new Covid-19 conditions and thank you all vendors and purchasers alike for their support and brilliant co-operation.

Covid-19 update

Sedgemoor will continue to hold weekly sales of Store Cattle, Stirks and Calves on Saturdays. The Store Lambs, Cull Sheep and Cull Goats will now be sold on Friday afternoons, gates opening at 12 noon with the sale of Store Lambs starting at 4pm, followed by the Cull Sheep and Goats. Fat, Cull, Store and Weaner Pigs will continue to be sold on alternate Saturdays.

558 Store Cattle, Sucklers and Stirks. Auctioneer’s comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a reduced entry of 558 store cattle, part of 720 with the stirks, met a brighter trade, despite deadweight quotes dropping by 15ppk over the last fortnight and there being a shortage of grass, when more could have been sold to advantage. A drop of warm rain now and trade will take off again.

Top was £1240 for three grand Charolais steers (21/23m & FA) from ME Sampson & Son, Upottery. Good feeding Charolais at £1095 (19/20m & FA) R Webber, Lydeard St Lawrence; £1070 (21m & FA) H & M Thorne & Son, Umberleigh and £1020 (18/19m & FA) CA & MA Ralph, Trull. Smart feeding Limousin steers to £1180 (24m & FA) PA Tylor, Helston who sold others at £1100 (23m & FA) and £1045 (4x 24m & FA). Top quality again from WJ Bown, Catcott at £1170 (Lim, 23m & FA) and £1155 (BA, 21m & FA). Red Limousins at £1135 (32/33m & FA) from JP Tolley, Northay. Further good Limousin steers £1100 (22m & FA) R Webber again; £1090 (19/21m & FA) CA & MA Ralph again; £1085 (20m & FA) GJ & HR Browse, Cullompton; £1040 (24m) RJ & EJ Collier, Colyton; £1020 (19/22m & FA) and £1000 (19/22m & FA) AW Selley & Son, Ash Mill. Blues rose to £1100 for fleshed dairy bred types (18/19m & FA) from The Colgrove Partnership, Mevagissey. Further forward Blue steers £1070 (7x 18m) WA & D Clemes, St Austell; £1060 (only 15m & FA) and £1035 (only 14m & FA) SER Hunt, Kilve. Feeders £995 (2x 18m & FA) R Webber again. Simmentals steers sold to £1100 (23m & FA) from ME Sampson & Son again.

Native steers keenly sought to £1115 for well fleshed Herefords (4x 19/21m, FA & sire) from Stowell Bros, Churchstanton. Good feeding Hereford steer at £1100 (26m, FA & sire) from Hutton & Sons, Bristol, who sold others at £1025 (26/27m, FA & sire). Further better Hereford at £1030 (22m & FA) H & M Thorne & Son again. Angus steers peaked at £1100 (3x 20/21m & FA) from JC Edwards, Drimpton. Further well grown store Angus at £1030 (6x 24/25m, AA & sire) from CJ Board & Partners, Lottisham; £1005 (6x 18/21m & FA) H & M Thorne & Son again and £1000 (2x 20m, FA & sire) FG Summerhayes & Son, Upottery.

Dairy bred steers topped at £950 for good type Holstein Friesians (21/22m & FA) from LW Govier & Sons, South Molton, who also sold a red Holstein at £815 (19m & FA) and further black and white steers at £810 (19/21m & FA). Montbeliarde steers at £945 (20/21m & FA) and £875 (21m & FA) from the same farm. Fleckvieh at £925 (only 16m & FA) JT Webber, Honiton and £900 (19m & FA) AW Selley & Son again. Further good Friesian £890 (24m & FA) H & M Thorne & Son again. Well grown Holstein steers £880 (27m & FA) and £815 (23m & FA) LG Bagg & Partners, Huntworth; £875 (24m & FA) IF Ford & Partners, Olveston and £840 (21m & FA) A & J Davies, Cowbridge.

Heifers topped at £1190 for top drawer Limousins (20/24m & FA) from WJ Bown, Catcott, who sold others at £1175 (21m & FA) £1145 (22m & FA) and £1110 (17/23m & FA). Fleshed Blues to £1045 (only 17m & FA) from SER Hunt, Kilve, who sold others similar at £1040 (only 14m & FA) £985 (only 16m & FA) and £960 (only 17m & FA). Charolais heifers at £990 (27m & FA) Hutton & Sons again. Dairy bred Charolais at £925 (5x 24m & FA) MJ & DA Johnson, Membury. Limousin heifers peaked at £985 (2x 23m & FA) PA Tylor again, who sold others at £920 (7x 23/24m & FA). Further growthy Limousin heifer at £930 (25m & FA) IW Preece, Pembroke Hard, turn out Simmental heifer at £930 (25m) CT Crossman, Poughill. Feeding Blue at £900 (24m & FA) PA Tylor again.

Native heifers rose to £960 for a framed South Devon (23m & FA) from P & S Watts & Partners, Wookey. Hereford heifers to £955 twice from both Stowell Bros again (21m, FA & sire) and Hutton & Sons again (23/24m, FA & sires). Others £875 (22m, FA & sire) Stowell Bros again and £850 (24m) ED & RL Pike, Stockland. Angus heifers rose to £935 (22m, FA & sire) K & N Crang, Yeovil. Further Angus £855 (24m & sire) RJ & EJ Collier again and £845 (8x 19/20m, FA & sire) DT & GM Patch, Whitestaunton.

160 Busk Calves and Stirks. Auctioneer’s comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a much reduced entry due to the current climate was met by a strong trade for the best. Older cattle small for their age were more selective. Another superb entry from HR & BH White & Sons topped the section with a Charolais steer (13m) to £860, when others from the same Vendor sold to £715 (2x & 13m) £710, £695 and £685 (2x). Well done. Other Charolais to £770 (3x 12m) from AS Cowling. Limousins to £852 also from HR & BM White & Sons. Others £720 (13m) from PR Lock; £690 (10m) from J Sherwin; £685 from M & N Dunster. Few strong Blues forward to £695 (12m) from HR & BM White & Sons. Others £570 from J Sherwin. Angus to £635 (12m) from HR & BM White & Sons. Others to £540 (2x) KNK Farm Partnership. Simmentals to £615 from MJ Madley.

Heifer top price was £715 for a shapey British Blue from M & N Dunster. Other Blues to £565 and £530 from R Ford. Charolais £665 (2x 9m) from NJ Cooke & Co. Others £630 (3x 12m) from AS Cowling; £630 (13m) from JW & JA Wotton and £582 from HR & BM White & Sons. Limousins to £580 (3x 10m) from J Sherwin, when others from the same Vendor sold to £575; £570 (5x 12m) from HR & BM White & Sons and £550 (4x) from PR Lock.

269 Non-export Calves. Auctioneer’s comments:

Beef Breeds (272) – not able to be exported from market

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a reduced entry forward sold to another good trade, particularly for the middle quality. Fewer older calves in amongst today’s entry when top price was £290 for a Blue bull from JWO Marsh & Partners. Matched by a Limousin bull from LJ Lock at the same price. Other good Blue bulls to £280 from CJ & JA Reed and £255 from R Angell. A small Charolais bull entry sold to £220 from SM & DM Turner and £188 from CE Veysey. Limousin bulls to £290 and £240 from LJ Lock. Others to £210 from KR & MK Powell. Native bulls to £250 for an Angus from R Angell, when a strong Angus bull and others sold to £248 from J & EM Phillips & Sons. Other good Angus bulls to £240 from Higher Farm. Hereford bulls to £205 from House & Sons. Others to £200 from Ayre Farming.

Reared native heifers to £255 for Angus from FAW Bakers Kingston Farms Ltd (2x) who sold others to £235. Younger Angus heifers to £170 from T Letts & Son. Hereford heifers to £250 for a reared pair from FAW Bakers Kingston Farms Ltd. Younger Herefords to £160 and £155 for House & Sons; £150 from R & J Tibbs, who also sold a young Hereford bull at £190.

Continental heifers to £250 for shapely pair of Blues from JWO Marsh & Partners. Others to £225 from CJ & JA Reed and Chedzoy & Gothard. Limousin heifer to £240 for a reared calf from LJ Lock. Younger Limousin heifers to £215 and £190 from HT & ME Quick. Charolais heifers to £185 from CE Veysey and £178 from SM & DM Turner.

Friesians (45) – not able to be exported from market

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a small dairy sired entry sold to a decent trade when the best sold to £150 (2x) for reared Holstein Friesians from FAW Bakers Kingston Farms Ltd. Younger calves to £72 from DWT, EFG & PW Jones; £70 MW Nash Farming Ltd. Best rearing types £80 plus, mediums £30-£50 and smaller calves around £15. Fleckvieh to £228 from RF & BA Larcombe. Shorthorn to £52 from Bayley Partners. Norwegian Reds to £42 from LJ & SF Gould.

653 Sheep. Auctioneer’s comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report the following sheep trades:-

Store Lambs (261)

A small entry of overall small store lambs sold to a very strong trade for all presented. The best sold to £113, £105.50 and £99 from Devon Farming Ltd. Others £100 from SJ Millard and L Kent-Smith & Sons and £97 from NF Newman. Mediums ranged £70-£90, very small £34 plus. Overall average £70.16.

Cull Ewes & Rams (301)

A reasonable sized entry sold to a strong competitive trade for all presented. The best sold to £132 and £116.50 from VEA Sparshott. Others £130 from CJ Love; £129 and £115.50 from TL Atwell; £128 from Devon Farming Ltd; £120.50 from DA Wookey; £120 from MJ & C Plowright & Son; £119.50 from RM & FR Thorne; £119 from J Maynard & Son and £115.50 from RB Cox. Rams/wethers sold to £118 from NF Newman. Others £110 from S & J Symes Ltd. Mediums ranged £90-£105, plain £70-£90, boners nearly all £52 plus. Overall average £95.41.

Goats (91)

A large entry of 91 goats sold to competitive bidding when billies sold to £114 from Bagborough Farm Ltd, who sold nannies to £90 and £88. Other nannies sold to £90 from J Nicholls & Son. Overall average £84.39.

READ MORE: Truro Livestock Market report for Wednesday, April 1