Sedgemoor Livestock Market report for Friday May 1 and Saturday May 2

Dairy and Couples are back in the market. 70 milkers sold to £1950. Couples dearer than before to £182.

Covid 19 update May 4:

Market Days

Reintroduction of Breeding stock from Saturday May 2. In addition to the ongoing weekly sales of Store Cattle, Stirks and Calves and fortnightly sales of Pigs on Saturdays, from Saturday May 2 we will recommence selling Dairy Cattle and Ewe and Lamb Couples at our 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.

70 Dairy Cattle. Auctioneer's comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report an excellent entry for our first Saturday back in the market saw quality pedigree 2nd calvers from Cleave Farm Partners, Bideford, at £1950 and £1700. Other 2nd calvers from WL Baxandall, Isle of Wight, sold to £1800, when a 4th lactation British Friesian sold at £1620 from J Trott.

A good show of fresh heifers topped at £1850 from Cleave Farm Partners, M & K Churchill & Son and Adrain Ractliffe, who had others at £1800 (2x).

Incalf heifer due to the pedigree Hereford in a month’s time sold to £1500 from GJ & FL Robertson, Glos. Heifer calves £110 from RC, RI & AR Pratt.

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

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a medium Spring entry of 720 store cattle, part of 1052 with the stirks, met another very fast trade. Now the rain has come and the weather is warming up, buyers are very keen to source cattle. All classes well sought and some looked exceptionally dear.

Top was £1275 for a tremendous feeding Charolais steer (26m & FA) from KLH Sweet, East Huntspill, who sold further well grown Charolais steers at £1200 (26m & FA) and £1105 (25m & FA). Further well grown Charolais at £1155 (3x 23/24m & FA) from KD Browse, who sold others at £1075 (4x 19/24m & FA). Very smart Blonde steers at £1190 (3x only 12-16m & FA) from DC & SA Martin, Helston. Red Limousin steers at £1155 (23/24m) DV Lee, Farway. £1155 again for a red Limousin again from S Hutter, Oakford, who sold a black at £1060 (24m & FA). Further red Limousin £1135 (24m) black £1030 (24m) from DW Parris, Dalwood. Dairy bred Limousin steers at £1115 (3x 23/24m & FA) RJ & CH Palfrey, Longdown. Black Limousin at £1110 (26m & FA) from CJ & SM Hutter, Oakford. Very smart young Limousin at £1100 (only 12m & FA) from DC & SA Martin again, who sold another only 13m at £995 (FA). Further younger Limousin steers at £1065 (16/17m & FA) MJ & MW Bickle & Son, Bridestowe. £1065 again (23m & FA) H Miller & Son, West Buckland, who sold others at £1015 (4x 23m & FA). £1065 again (21m) WJ Acreman & Son, Bristol; £1060 (29m & FA) RB Cox, Stawell; £1050 (only 12m!) FJ & CN Burrough, Wambrook; £1030 (only 15m & FA) PK & RJ Heard, Cheriton Fitzpaine; £1010 (2x 21m & FA) FJ & PM Cottrell, Bathealton and £1000 (17m & FA) DD & ME Purchase, Kentisbury. Simmental steers peaked at £1135 for superb, very young types (2x 12m & FA) from DC & SA Martin again. Well grown Simmental steers at £1105 (2x 25m & FA) Snook Ltd, East Coker. Further Simmentals £1030 (23m & FA) H Miller & Son again and £1030 again (3x 18/22m & FA) PK & RJ Heard again. Blue steers rose to £1125 (20/21m & FA) from R Burrough & Sons, Hawkchurch and again (24m & FA) ET Summerfield & Son, Oxford. Further Blues £1095 (24m) £1075 (2x 23m) and £1055 (5x 23/25m) all from DW Parris again; £1090 (8x 22/23m & FA) GI Douglas, Clevedon; £1075 (2x 19m & FA) R Webber, Lydeard St Lawrence; £1065 only (14m & FA) SER Hunt, £1050 (23m & FA) and £1045 (26m & FA) H Miller & Son again; £1035 (23m & FA) CJ & SM Hutter again; £1030 (only 13m & FA) DC & SA Martin again; £1030 (only 15m & FA) AJ & RA Turner, Axminster; £1020 (24m & FA) Snook Ltd again; £1020 (only 12m) FJ & CN Burrough again and £1005 (19m & FA) FG, NK & AJ Gammon, Lydeard St Lawrence.

Native steers topped at £1105 for forward Angus (3x 23m, FA & sire) from H Miller & Son again. Young well grown Angus at £1095 (only 15m, FA & sire) from AE Vile & Son, North Curry. £1095 again for young outwintered Angus (2x 15m, FA & sire) East Avercombe Farm, Bishops Nympton; £1070 (30m, FA & sire) JR Dill & Son, Cheddon Fitzpaine; £990 (only 14m, FA & sire) FG & LA Nott, Meshaw and £990 again (21m, FA & sire) E & S Fewings, Clapworthy Mill. Hereford steers sold to £1080 (29m, FA & sire) Ham Farm Partners, Creech St Michael, who sold others at £1055 (3x 24/25m, FA & sire) and £995 (25m, FA & sire). Further Hereford steers £1055 (23m & FA) H Miller & Son again; £1045 (3x 22/25m, FA & sire) Snook Ltd again and £1010 (24m & FA) CJ & SM Hutter again. Organic Devon steers at £970 (3x 23m & FA) Adams & Thom, Monmouth.

Heifers sold to a tremendous £1180 for a fit Charolais (23m & FA) from KD Browse again. Further fit Charolais at £1090 (6X 25/30m & FA) KLH Sweet again; £1050 (19m & FA) PK & RJ Heard again, who sold feeders at £900 (3x 19/20m & FA). Forward Charolais £975 (23m & FA) H Miller & Son again; £965 (19m & FA) DD & ME Purchase again. Good grazing heifers at £905 (3x 16/17m & FA) MD Fone & Sons, Upottery. Limousin heifers peaked at £1135 for a fit type (24m & FA) from MJ & MW Bickle & Son again, who sold good feeders at £1040 (21/22m & FA) £975 (23m & FA) £960 (23m & FA) and £955 (17/24m & FA). Shapely Limousin at £1065 (25m & FA) S Hutter again. More shapely heifers £1045 (21/23m & FA) and £965 (22m & FA) DD & ME Purchase again; £1040 (24m & FA) CJ & SM Hutter again; £1010 (5x 24/25m & FA) and £945 (4x 22/24m & FA) D & K Ware, Skilgate; £990 (19m) PFJ Saunders, Hemyock; £955 (32m & FA) W & EA Tratt, Luppitt; £950 (33m & FA) Ward Farms Ltd, East Buckland and £910 (5x 18/21m & FA) FJ & PM Cottrell again. Fit Simmentals at £1090 and £1050 (both 23m & FA) from PK & RJ Heard again. Further Simmentals at £920 (3x 24/25m & FA) Snook Ltd again. Blue heifers topped at £1090 for fit types (20/21m & FA) from J & H Searle, Ash Mill, who sold others at £980 (2x 19m & FA). Best feeding Blues (2x 21m & FA) at £1070, R Burrough & Sons; £1030 (2x 27m & FA) and £990 (3x 23/25m & FA) ET Summerfield & Son again; £1020 (25m & FA) CJ & SM Hutter again; £1015 (26/27m & FA) H Miller & Son again; £990 (24m & FA) East Avercombe Farm again and £980 (21/22m & FA) FG, NK & AJ Gammon again. Further fit Blues £1000 (17m & FA) £975 (14m & FA) and £975 again (19m & FA) from SER Hunt, Kilve.

Native heifers rose to £1075 for Herefords (24/25m, FA & sire) from Snook Ltd again, who sold others at £890 (6x 23/25m, FA & sire). Further Herefords £905 (25m, FA & sire) Ham Farm Partners again and £850 (24m & FA) S Hutter again. Angus heifers sold to £995 twice (23m, FA & sire) from R Webber again and (23m, FA & sire) from J Pring, Hemyock. Further Angus £905 (25m, FA & sire) K & N Crang, Mudford and £900 (22m & FA) FG, NK & AJ Gammon again. Organic Devon heifer at £930 (23m & FA) from Adams & Thom again.

Fit dairy heifers £955 (30m & FA) and £870 (27m & FA) A & JE Fewings, Dunster and £940 (3x 24/25m & FA) from FAW Bakers Kingston Farm Ltd, Crewkerne.

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

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report an increased entry of 13 grazing cows flew, when many more could have been sold to advantage. Top was £980 for a Devon from PA Huxtable, Challacombe. Angus at £905 from D Powell, Thelbridge. South Devon at £890 from Manor Farms.

332 Busk Calves and Stirks. Auctioneer's comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a good entry of stirks sold to an excellent trade. Top price £840 (5x & 10m) for Angus steers from JR Flower, who sold others to £820 (5x 9m) £768 (4x 9m) and £625 (5x 9m). Further Angus to £625 (11m) ML & EM Persey. Limousins to £795 (4x 12m) DJ Cheacker, who sold others to £745 (2x 12m). Further Limousins to £780 (2x 12m) £770 (2x) £750 (2x 13m) £675 (12m) JC Salmon; £760 (13m) £645 (10m) W & EA Tratt; £700 (9m) RH & BD Stott & Son and £635 (10m) M Jeffery. Simmentals to £795 (2x 11m) R & RJ Gregory, who sold younger types to £630 (7m). Further Simmentals to £760 (11m) £755 (2x 14m) DG Kitchen; £715 (4x 11m) EJ & HM Hull; £695 (3x 11m) £690 (11m) SA Arthurs and £635 JC Salmon. British Blues to £738 (4x 14m) EA & DA Ellis, when others sold to £725 (12m) JC Salmon; £650 (5x 12m) SA Arthurs; £645 (5x) EJ & HM Hull, when dairy bred Blues sold to £600 (4x 10m) from JP Green & Son. Herefords to £730 (4x 14m) EA & DA Ellis, who sold others to £610 (4x 12m). Further Herefords to £690 (2x 14m) IJ Jennings & Son and £680 (3x 13m) EJ & HM Hull. Charolais to £645 (2x 8m) BL & MJE Bartlett, when others sold to £600 (12m) SA Arthurs. Devons to £500 (2x) NJG & AM Polglase.

Bulls sold to a top price of £660 (12m) for a Simmental from EA & DA Ellis, when a Hereford sold to £540 (14m) Hopcraft Ltd.

Heifers sold to a top of £750 (2x 11m) for Blondes from EA & DA Ellis. Limousins to £710 (2x 12m) RW Darby, who sold others to £625 (2x 12m) and £585 (12m). Further Limousins to £670 (2x 14m) £605 (14m) M Jeffery; £570 (2x 12m) £500 (3x 11m) SA Norman; £520 (2x 10m) £500 (2x 8m) KJ & SM Brewer. British Blues to £705 EA & DA Ellis, who sold others to £610 (4x 12m). Further British Blues to £690 (13m) £630 (12m) JC Salmon; £650 (14m) AH & LR Read. Dairy bred British Blues to £545 (4x 9m) JP Green & Son. Charolais to £685 (3x 13m) EJ & HM Hull; £635 (13m) £565 (8m) BL & MJE Bartlett; £600 (2x 11m) AG Evans and £565 (2x 11m) Hutchings & Sons. Angus to £635 (14m) and £520 M Jeffery. Simmentals to £660 (11m) £625 (14m) DG Kitchen; £615 (4x 12m) EJ & HM Hull, who also sold a Hereford at £615. Further Herefords to £548 (4x 12m) RW Darby, who sold others to £505 (4x 12m).

Beef Breeds (282) – not able to be exported from market. Auctioneer's comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a similar entry in terms of number met a continuing strong trade for all presented. Best bulls sold to £365 for a reared Limousin from SE & TL Lye, when younger shapely Limousin bulls sold to £342 from Short Bros & Son; £320 from KF & LW Mitcham and £278 from HT & ME Quick. Blue bulls to £350 from T Letts & Son (2m) when other good Blue bulls sold to £325 from DH & C Bennett and £322 from JN Wyatt. Simmental bulls to £305 from R Hares and DE Down & Son. Others to £280 from PT Bale & Sons. Charolais bulls to £255 from PD & JL Biss, who sold another at £245.

A decent native trade when best Hereford bulls sold to £295 (2x) from House & Sons. Other good Hereford bulls sold to £258 from DJ Mogford. Reared Angus bulls to £330 from WTC Holland, who sold others to £320 (3x 5m). Younger Angus bulls to £255 from J Stott and MW Nash Farming.

Heifers topped at £400 (4m) for a reared Blue from RM & DA Fry, when another reared to £375 from SE & TL Lye. Younger Blue heifers to £288 from RW Sheldon & Sons. Others to £282 from PB & LM Doble. Limousin heifers to £255 from CJ & AJ Herrod and £252 from DG Bartlett. Simmental heifers to £235 (2x) and £230 from DE Down & Son. A very strong trade for native heifers when the best sold to £230 for a good Angus from M & S Powell. Other Angus heifers to £220 from Short Bros & Son and £200 (2x) from N & C Holland. Hereford heifers to £225 from DH & C Bennett, when other decent Hereford heifers sold to £190 from AE & WF Chinnock.

Friesians (39) – not able to be exported from market. Auctioneer's comments:

A smaller black and white entry sold to another strong trade, when the best sold to £175 (2x) from E Perrin. Other stronger types to £170 from GJ & JM Boyer. Younger dairy sired bulls to £128 also from GJ & JM Boyer. Fleckvieh to £238 and £225 from RF & BA Larcombe. Shorthorn to £245 from RL & ME Trott.

1107 Sheep. Auctioneer's comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report the following sheep trades:-

Store Lambs (278)

A small late season entry of 278 store lambs, which included a large proportion of smaller types, sold to another very strong trade to a top price of £108.50 from Foxhollow Farm Ltd. Others to £101 from D & K Buller; £99 and £94 from AS Poultney & Sons; £97.50 from P White; £93 from Horseley Farm Partnership; £90.50 from RC Rowe & Son; £88 from AE Toogood and Foxhollow Farm Ltd; £85 from AS Poultney & Sons; £81.50 from S White and £81 from D & K Buller. Overall average £75.82.

Cull Ewes and Rams (458)

A much smaller entry of 458 cull ewes and rams sold to a stand on trade, when again the smaller and leaner types looked the dearest. Best continental ewes topped at £123 from D Carnell. Other best ewes to £116 from M Lock; £99 from S Pierce Ltd; £98.50 from DA Wookey; £98 from TL Attwell; £97 from Alstone Court Partners, DA Wookey and MV Hone; £96 from D Carnell; £95.50 from NPJ Coram and £95 from MTB Davey. Cull rams sold to £114 (2x) from CJ Board & Partners, when others sold to £96 from Horseley Farm Partners and £90 from EFB Hill & Son. Medium ewes £55-£75, leaner types £35-£55 and boners generally £20 plus. Overall average £71.05.

Couples (154 Ewes & 217 Lambs)

A large entry of couples, being 154 ewes with 217 lambs at foot sold to a flying trade, being arguably stronger than immediately prior to the temporary pause in breeding stock auctions.

Top call was £182 (£60.67/life) from TR Clements & Son. Others to £178 (£59.33/life) from A Dunn and £172 (£57.33/life) from MD Irish. Singles peaked at £155 (£77.50/life) from BP Lugg for his pen of hoggs. Others to £150 (£75/life) from D Takle; £136 (£68/life) from BE Maltby and £134 (£67/life) from TR Clements & Son. A cracking bunch of young Mule ewes from DL & ME Gillard sold to £170 (£72.12/life) for 14 ewes with 19 lambs. Overall average £63.58/life.

READ MORE: Sedgemoor Livestock Market report Friday April 24 and Saturday April 25