THE MARKET report from Sedgemoor Auction Centre for Friday April 24 and Saturday April 25 is as follows. The total stock was 3084 head.

A tremendous store cattle trade to £1220 for a heifer & £1205 for a steer.

Covid 19 update, April 27

Market Days – Reintroduction of Breeding stock from Saturday May 2.

In addition to Sedgemoor's ongoing weekly sales of Store Cattle, Stirks and Calves and fortnightly sales of Pigs on Saturdays, from Saturday May 2 they will recommence selling Dairy Cattle and Ewe & Lamb Couples at the Saturday market on a weekly basis.

The Dairy Cattle will be sold through Ring 1 at 11am. The Ewe & Lamb Couples will be sold at 10am. Calves will then revert to the calf shed.

The Store Lambs, Cull Sheep and Cull Goats will continue to be sold on Friday afternoons, gates opening at 12 Noon with the sale of Store Lambs starting at 4pm, followed by the Cull Sheep & Goats.

Fri May 1 Store Lambs, Cull Sheep & Cull Goats. Gates open at 12 Noon, Sale at 4pm.

Sat May 2 Store Cattle, Stirks & Calves, additionally Dairy Cattle (11am) and Ewe & Lamb Couples (10am)

Mon May 4 Prime Cattle, Cull Cattle, Prime Lambs & Hoggs

Fri May 8 Bank Holiday – No Sheep Market

Sat May 9 Store Cattle, Stirks, Calves, Pigs, Dairy Cattle and Ewe & Lamb Couples (10am)

Mon May 11 Prime Cattle, Cull Cattle, Prime Lambs & Hoggs

Sat May 16 Store Cattle, Stirks Dairy Cattle, Calves & Ewe & Lamb Couples. Catalogued Sale of Suckler Cows, Calves, Heifers & Bulls

Sat May 30 Catalogued Sale of Early Breeding Ewes.

Vendors MUST remain in their vehicles whilst market staff unload the vehicle and take their stock to the pens. The sale documentation MUST be collected by our staff from the Vendor’s vehicle at the unloading bay. Vendors MUST not enter the pennage area or any other part of the market premises. Please ensure your mobile telephone number is on your entry form, so if you sell your stock with a reserve or subject to approval, we are able to contact you quickly. Buyers will be restricted to allow Social Distancing (two metres between each buyer). Buyers MUST sanitise on entry to the market and on exiting again. Buyers may only attend individually without any partners, children or others. Buyers where possible should “double up” and buy for multiple clients. Only known Buyers will be given access to the market. Any buyer who does not actually secure a purchase MUST register with the office after the sale. Hauliers MUST ensure their name and contact details are recorded on the entry form for the stock they are delivering.

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

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a huge entry of 953 stores, part of massive 1258 with the stirks, met a tremendous trade. The finished trade appears to have plateaued, which is a relief for buyers and some confidence is creeping back. However there appeared to be no shortage of confidence around the ring as all types were keenly sought.

Steers sold to £1205 for an extremely shapely Limousin steer (only 13m & FA) from SJ Williams, North Newton, who sold similar top quality, lean Limousin steers at £1165 (only 13/14m! & FA) £1130 (only 11/13m! & FA) £1095 (15m! & FA) and £1090 (4x 10/13m! & FA). Forward Limousin steers £1155 (26m) DW Parris, Dalwood; £1145 (21m & FA) and £1085 (19m & FA) Stowell Bros, Churchstanton; well grown £1140 (21m & FA) R Webber, Lydeard St Lawrence; £1120 (19/20m & FA) £1100 (3x 23/25m & FA) and £1025 (3x 24/25m & FA) ET Summerfield & Son, Oxford; £1115 (only 13m! & FA) JR, RA & RD Stanbury, East Knowstone; £1105 (23m & FA) RF Tucker & Son, Butleigh Road; £1085 (5x 24/25m & FA) D & I Dyer, Yarcombe; £1085 again (5x 18/21m & FA) PA, IA & GA Robertson, Wotton Under Edge; £1070 (6x 22/26m & FA) SJ & SJ Church, Mark and £1050 (2x 24m & FA) from GI Ware, Skilgate and (2x 29m & FA) from DG Horler & Son, Backwell. Fleshed Charolais steers to £1195 (32/34m & FA) from KD Browse, Sampford Peverell, who sold well grown types at £1125 (4x 20/23m & FA). Further good Charolais £1105 (2x 19/20m & FA) and £1060 (23m & FA) ET Summerfield & Son again. Blue steers peaked at £1145 (27m & FA) from SJ & AM Reed, Uplowman. Others £1110 (22m & FA) IG & GS Robertson, Norton Fitzwarren; £1095 (4x 23/24m) DW Parris again; £1080 (25m & FA) SJ & SJ Church again and £1060 (19m & FA) SER Hunt, Kilve. Suckler bred Simmental steers to £1130 (6x 21/23m & FA) PK & RJ Heard, Cheriton Fitzpaine. Others £1060 (27m & FA) SJ & AM Reed again and £1060 (3x 23/24m & FA) V Young & Sons, Redhill.

Native steers sold to £1090 twice. Firstly from JPT Reed & Son, Southleigh (2x 18/24m, FA & sire) and again from PFJ Saunders, Hemyock (24m & sire). Further Angus £1070 (2x 19m, FA & sire) IG & GS Roberts again; £1070 again (26m) K Parkinson, Holnest; £1065 (17m & FA) PA, IA & GA Robertson again; £1020 (5x 20/21m, FA & sire) RA Reed, Seaton and £1020 again (32m, FA & sire) JR Dill & Son again. Some smart South Devons forward to £1075 (3x 24m) C Barnes, Whitchurch Canonicorum. Others £1035 (3x 21/23m & FA) B Vanstone, Milton Abbott. Hereford steers at £1055 (23m, FA & sire) ET Summerfield & Son again and £1020 (26m & FA) SJ & AM Reed, Uplowman.

Dairy bred steers rose to £1040 for a tremendous Holstein (27m & FA) from D & I Dyer again, who sold others at £895 (27m & FA) and £805 (3x 22/24m & FA). Warm Holsteins at £865 (6x 18/23m & FA) £830 (6x 17/20m & FA) and £800 (6x 17/19m & FA) PA, IA & GA Robertson again. Montbeliardes and Fleckvieh at £855 (5x 19/20m & FA) from CM Parker & IF Burnett, Templeton. Friesians £850 (2x 26m) A Eddy & Sons, St Buryan. Further Fleckvieh £845 (22m) PM & L Hardwick, Compton Greenfield. Further Holsteins £805 (4x 17/23m & FA) JPT Reed & Son again.

Heifers sold to the day’s top of £1220 for an outstanding, fit Simmental (26m & FA) from PK & RJ Heard again, who sold further suckler bred Simmental heifers at £950 (21/23m & FA). Further Simmental at £985 (24m) A Lenthall, Corfe. Fit Charolais at £1130 (30m & FA) from KD Browse again. Further Charolais £950 (only 16m & FA) from PK & RJ Heard again. Limousins topped at £1120 for a shapely, very lean type from SJ Williams again, who sold another very shapely warm heifer at £1095 (14m & FA). Fleshed Limousins at £1105 (26m & FA) SJ & SJ Church again; £1100 (5x 20/21m & FA) and £1045 (4x 16/20m & FA) PA, IA & GA Robertson again; £1075 (8x 20/25m) RWM Westlake & Sons, Churchinford; £1040 twice (25m & 34m & FA) £1010 (24/26m & FA) £965 (7x 24/27m & FA) D & I Dyer again and £1030 (19m) PFJ Saunders again. Fit Blue heifers at £1085, £1050 and £1040 (all 17m & FA) from SER Hunt, Kilve. Feeding Blues £970 (27m & FA) RMG & RG Salter, Buckland St Mary; £970 again (3x 32/33m & FA) DG Horler & Son again; £965 (5x 18/22m & FA) JPT Reed & Son again; £965 again (4x 22m & FA) Eastman & Bolt, Umberleigh; £950 (2x 22m & FA) IG & GS Roberts & Sons again and £945 (6x 26/28m & FA) SJ & AM Reed again.

Native heifers rose to £1020 for a well fleshed Angus (26m, FA & sire) from JR Dill & Son again. Further fleshed Angus at £975 (3x 19/21m, FA & sire) IG & GS Roberts & Sons again and £895 (4x 24/26m) J Bomford, Brendon Hill. Speckled Park at £1010 (33m & FA) from N & KA Williams, Henley. Hereford heifers to £900 from Stowell Brothers again.

14 Grazing Cows (pre-movement tested). Auctioneer's comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report grazing cows sold to £925 for a Limousin cross cow (2018) from FJ & CN Burrough.

305 Busk Calves and Stirks. Auctioneer's comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a larger entry of 305 stirks when there was not the quality forward of last week’s sold to a good trade for the best.

Top price of £920 (9m) for a Blonde steer from RJ Gooding, who sold others to £850 (9m) and £800 (9m). Charolais to £845 (2x & 11m) BJ & MJE Bartlett, who sold others to £765 (2x 7m) and £695 (2x 7m). Further Charolais to £650 (2x 13m) £640 (3x) and £630 JC Salmon. Pure Simmentals to £820 (4x 10m) R & J Cook, when others sold to £655 (9m) ASJ & PJ Carter and £635 JH Waterman & Sons.

Limousins to £760 (10m) RJ Gooding again, when others sold to £745 (11m) £655 (2x 11m) TPJ Macaskie; £745 (11m) DJ Cheacker; £655 (2x) GC Hutchings and £650 (2x 10m) J Sherwin. Angus to £730 (2x 13m) JC Sayer, when others sold to £670 (13m) MV Hone. British Blue to £725 (5x 11m) JC Salmon, who sold another at £692.

Bulls sold to a top of £645 (11m) for a Limousin from AS Poultney & Sons, who also sold Friesians to £460 (4x 10m) and £450 (8m). Simmental to £645 (12m) B Jeffery.

Heifers sold to a top price of £700 (9m) for a Blonde from RJ Gooding again, who sold others to £630 (9m). Limousins to £645 (4x 14m) JC Salmon, when others sold to £635 (10m) RJ Gooding; £595 GC Hutchings; £575 (9m) M Glover; £525 (2x 8m) T Williams and £520 (3x 9m) J Sherwin. Charolais to £635 JC Salmon, who sold others to £620 (4x). Simmentals to £625 (2x 13m) ASJ & PJ Carter, who sold others to £560 (4x 11m). Herefords to £595 (6x) RP Adams, when others sold to £535 (14m) FP Hill & Son. British Blues to £590 (5x 11m) JC Salmon, who sold others to £530 (5x 10m). Further British Blues to £535 (2x 9m) T Williams. Few Angus forward to £470 (5x) DG & JY Hooper and £470 GW & RI Parsons.

Beef Breeds (249) – not able to be exported from market. Auctioneer's comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report an increased entry met another very good trade when buyers were present for all types of calf. Top was £400 for a month old Blue bull from JWO Marsh & Partners, same vendor £375. Other Blues £350 from N Bayley; £320 from TR & LC Ford and £315 from DH & C Bennett. Reared Limousin to £365 and £350 from SE & TL Lye. Younger Limousins to £315 from JF Legg & Son; £290 (2x) from Fooks Brothers and RC, RI & AR Pratt. Cracking young Charolais to £330 (3x) and £325 from SM & DM Turner Ltd. Simmentals to £270 and £265 from PT Bale & Sons.

Native bulls to £305 (2x) for young Herefords from NL Reeves & Sons and £275 from Twose Farms Ltd. Angus to £300 from Twose Farms Ltd; £290 from SM Godfrey and £288 from N & C Holland.

Heifers to £300 for a reared Blue from H Halsey. Others to £292 from FE Hill & Son and £250 from Twose Farms Ltd. Reared Limousin to £270 from SE & TL Lye, younger to £252 from JM Welch. Charolais to £270 from SM & DM Turner. No Simmentals forward.

Native heifers to £250 from Angus from Twose Farms Ltd. Others £238 (2x) from N & C Holland & Son. Younger Angus to £190 from SM Godfrey. Herefords to £220 from SE & TL Lye. Younger to £202 from Twose Farms Ltd.

Friesians (58) – not able to be exported from market. Auctioneer's comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report 58 dairy sired bull calves met a much improved trade to £135 from FAW Bakers Kingston Farms Ltd. Others £130 and £125 from RK & SG Miller & Sons. Best rearing types £80 plus and mediums £50-£70. Plainer types mostly over £30. Brown Swiss to £245 from SE & TL Lye. Norwegian Red to £185 from J & D Tilbee. Dairy Shorthorn to £178 from BS & SG Kingston. Fleckvieh to £165 from Seaborough Manor Ltd and £66 from FAW Bakers Kingston Farms Ltd.

1399 Sheep. Auctioneer's comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report the following sheep trades:-

Store Lambs (398)

A much smaller entry of 398 store lambs sold to a stronger trade for all forward. Top price went to GH Hayes & Son for a smart pen of strong hoggs at £104.50. Others to £100 from AE Warren; £98 from SJ & JB Clatworthy; £97.50 from CJ Hagar; £95 from P Coombs Ltd, JC Thorne and LJ Webber; £92 from JC Thorne and Pyke Farms; £89.50 from RR Creed & Son; £88 from SJ & JB Clatworthy, P Groves, D Exton and G Barnes; £87.50 from N Vernoum (2x) and £87 from JC Thorne. Overall average £81.12.

Cull Ewes and Rams (881)

A smaller entry of 881 cull ewes and rams met an easier trade, inline with the trend through the week, when the smaller leaner types looked a good price against the larger ewes. Best continental ewes sold to £126 from T Hyslop. Other best ewes to £123 from R Wall; £112 from R Ham & W Hooper; £111 from R Wentbrook; £109 from AL Brown and P Coombs Ltd; £106 from AB & GR Dodgson; £104 from L Veech; £96 from D Hutchings and Thornhill Farm (Dorset) Ltd. Cull rams sold to £120 from DEJ Rainey, when others sold to £107 from R Wall; £90 from J Sprake & Partners and £88 from SJ Blake. Medium ewes £60-£75, leaner types £40-£60 and boners generally £20 plus. Overall average £73.13.

Goats (120)

A large consignment of 120 medium to small goats from PA & PJ Ormerod of Yorkshire sold to £60 (2x) £48 and £46. Overall average £50.52.

120 Pigs. Auctioneer's comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report good entry sold to a lively trade, however in line with trade reports, cull sows would have been back £20-£30 per head.

Weaners (49)

Super trade. Top of the day £56 for a pen of pure bred Pietrains from Taylors Farm.

Good 8 w/o white weaners from R Hares to £41 and 13 w/o from I Moon to £42.

Cull Sows & Boars (17)

A fall in German cull values has had a knock-on effect here with the trade well back on two weeks ago.

Top price £180 from B Brasier and £178 from GW Bevan & Son.

Strong medium sows between £140-£160.

Just one boar forward sold at £158.

Forward Stores (54)

Slightly easier trade on two weeks ago. The best sold to £156 for pure Pietrains from MT Churchill.

A pen of strong pigs from K Lye to £125 and well-bred pigs from FH Chave & Son to £124. T Stone’s good run sold to £123.

READ MORE: Sedgemoor Livestock Market report Friday April 17 and Saturday April 18