Sedgemoor Livestock Market report for Friday July 31 and Saturday August 1

Tremendous breeding ewe sale. Suffolk Mule shearlings £166, £164, £163, £162 & £161.

62 Dairy Cattle. Auctioneer's comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report the trade was right back up for all grades with second quality prices £2-300 up on last week. 15% of the entry over £2000 to £2280 for a home bred pedigree Treetop heifer from JG Morgan, Tewkesbury. 2x £2150 for non pedigree heifers from RJ, HA & MR Popham; £2150, £1920 and £1900 from FG Summerhayes & Son; £2060 and £2040 from Deptford Farm; £2040 from Ham Farm Partners; £1980 from R & M Lougher & Son, Bridgend; £1980 AP Ractliffe; £1920 Snook Ltd and £1900 MJ & LJ Robertson.

Only 2nd quality cows forward to £1270 for Ham Farm Partners. Calves to £220 (2x) GJ & JM Boyer.

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

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a massive August entry of 904 store cattle, part of 1306 with the stirks and few sucklers, met another storming trade. Flesh very, very dear. Best feeders exceptional. A few more secondary types forward just a touch easier as the good grass growing period begins to ebb. 406 more stores penned than last year, 82% up. As the average on the year was £95/head up, we are now beginning to see some cattle come off the grass ahead of the Autumn.

Top was £1365 for a very smart feeding Blonde (22m) from LE Sweetland & Son, Musbury who sold further best feeding steers at £1355 (4x Limousins, 18/22m) £1300 (3x Limousins, 16/19m) £1280 (Blue, 22m) and £1225 (Charolais, 19m). Big, framey, forward feeding Blue steers at £1255 (5x 21/23m & FA) and £1235 (7x 21/23m, FA) who also sold a good bunch of suckler bred Charolais steers at £1150 (6x 16/17m & FA). Fed Blues at £1250 (2x 22m & FA) and £1190 (3x 22m & FA) GJ Hookway, West Down. Fit Blues £1250 (20m & FA) and £1205 (15m & FA) SER Hunt, Kilve. Feeders £1195 (20m) and £1125 (20m) CG Bover, Southill; £1175 (22m) H McLean & Partners, Hemyock; £1145 (2x 24m & FA) MJ Patch, Monkton and £1130 (3x 22/24m & FA) AJ & RA Turner, Axminster. Further quality Charolais at £1205 (21/22m & FA) PJ Betty, Othery and £1100 (22m) CG Bover again. Fit Limousin steer at £1200 (17m & FA) SER Hunt again. Best feeding Limousin steers £1195 (4x 23/24m & FA) PJ Betty again. Others £1180 (only 14m & FA) £1145 (3x only 14m & FA) and £1105 (only 13m & FA) K & M McEwen-Smith, Bristol; £1165 (22m) H McLean & Partners again; £1145 (3x only 13/16m & FA) NJ May, Westonzoyland; £1120 (22/23m & FA) MJ Patch again and £1105 (5x only 15/16m & FA) RG & A Pearce, Alveston. Simmental steers to £1180 (3x 22m & FA) from J Wallis, Lewes.

Native steers rocketed to £1305 for a suckler bred Hereford (17m & FA) DW & AE Enticott again. Further Hereford £1140 (27m & sire) R Stevens, Oakford. Angus steers to £1270 for fit types (2x 30m) from GP Tratt Ltd, Lympsham. R Stevens scored again with Angus at £1180 (27m & sire) and £1100 (7x 27/28m & sire). £1170 was achieved on three occasions: 21m, sire, AD & SKA Darley, Whitechapel; 23m, FA, DA, CMJ & LA Tottle, Marston Magna and 24m, FA & sire, PJ Batstone, Chilthorne Domer; £1140 (34m & FA) FH Arscott & Son, Upottery and £1125 (4x 19/22m, FA & sire) AF & AH Powell, Blagdon. Well grown Devon at £1145 (29m & FA) RW Bowen, Muddiford.

Dairy bred steers peaked at £1135 (3x 21/24m & FA) for fit Holsteins from R Ford & Son, Harrcott. Half meat Holsteins £1035 (26m & FA) £955 (2x 23m & FA) and £940 (4x 23/24m & FA) AJ & RA Turner again; £975 (26m & FA) RW Bowden again; £950 (26m) AD & SKA Darley again; £940 (6x 19/26m & FA) G Pople & Sons Ltd, Sharpham; £935 (25m & FA) Latham Partners, Ilfracombe; £930 (25/26m & FA) P Brock, Tickenham; £920 (8x 20/23m & FA) AF & AH Powell again; £915 (23m) AD & SKA Darley again and £910 (4x 21/24m & FA) from Holsworthy.

Fleshed heifers very, very well sold. Top was £1255 for a fit Blonde (15m & FA) from SER Hunt again, who sold a fit Limousin at £1175 (18m & FA) and fit Blues at £1110 (15m & FA) £1100 (15m & FA) and £1080 (15m & FA). Further fit Limousin at £1180 (33m & FA) FH Arscott & Son, Upottery. Very shapely 16m Limousin at £1145 (FA) from Holsworthy. Fleshed black Limousins at £1135 (4x 24m & FA) MJ Patch, Monkton and £1095 (20m & FA) C Stone, Puriton. Best feeders £1090 (only 14m & FA) K & M McEwen Smith again; £1070 (3x 15m, red & FA) MJ & C Plowright, Stogursey; £1065 (18/22m & FA) PJ Betty again and £1040 (2x 27m) J Keedwell, Chew Stoke. Fleshed Blues at £1150 (3x 18/21m & FA) C Stone, Puriton. Good feeders £1095 (3x 22/23m) £1075 (3x 22/23m) and £1040 (2x 22/23m) Manning & Son, Marwood; £1085 (24m) S Baker, Exeter; £1065 (8x 23/24m & FA) S & KA Hamlin, Templeton; £1060 (22/24m & FA) and £1040 (30m & FA) RW Bowden again; £1050 (6x 23/25m & FA) MJ Patch again; £1030 (13x 23/25m & FA) KJ Seymour and £1010 (26m) J Baker, Exeter. Charolais heifers rose to £1130 for best feeders (3x 14/23m & FA) from PJ Betty again. Others £1050 (5x 15/22m & FA) CA & MA Ralph, Trull and £1035 (20/21m & FA) S & KA Hamlin again.

Native heifers to £1115 for a Sussex (26m & FA) J Wallis, Lewes. Angus to £1055 (3x 22/25m, FA & sire) for fit types from AC House & Son, Thornfalcon. Others £1010 (27/28m) G Down, South Chard and £1000 (23/24m, FA & sire) S & KA Hamlin again. Devon at £1035 (29m & FA) RW Bowden again. Hereford £1030 (16m & FA) RG & A Pearce again.

Danish Red at £970 (28m) G Down again. Holstein heifer at £955 (34m & FA) SJ Cheacker, Pilning. Prices of special note were organic Angus steers at £995 (3x 14m, FA & sires) £965 (6x 13/14m, FA & sires) and £955 (6x 13/14m, FA & sires) and organic Charolais steers at £960 (3x 14m & FA) all from Woolhanger Farming, Parracombe.

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

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a larger entry of grazing cows at 27 head peaked at £1090 for a 47m Simmental from BK Hockey, Hewish. Others to £1050 for a 56m Charolais from P Coombes, Moorlynch and £1000, 72m, Galloway from Devon Farming Ltd.

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

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a small entry of 8 sucklers sold to £1200 for a Parthenaise cow and her Parthenaise heifer calf at foot from P Webber. Others £1100 for an Angus cow (03.18) and her Limousin cross bull calf (07.20) from MH Stacey.

394 Busk Calves and Stirks. Auctioneer's comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a good entry of stirks sold to a slightly easier trade following last week’s flier. First quality, suckled bred stirks in good demand. Top price of £990 (12m) for a quality Limousin steer from PF Popham, who sold others to £845 (12m) and £655 (9m). Further good Limousins to £905 (11m) £885 (9m) £840 (10m) £835 (11m) £785 (11m) £735 (11m) J & S Creed & Doyle; £805 (4x 13m) £790 (4x 13m) RG & A Pearce; £800 (11m) £790 (9m) RAD Legg; £780 (4x 11m) BJ Pepperd; £710 (2x 13m) £705 (13m) and £700 R &K Hayball. Herefords to £940 (15m) SA Grant, when others sold to £635 (10m) BK Hockey and £580 (2x 10m) SA Grant. Charolais to £825 (12m) PC Old, who sold others to £800 (13m) and £770 (13m). Further Charolais to £705 (11m) CJ Wyatt; £670 (7m) and £660 (7m) D Brice and £620 RJ Langford. Parthenaise to £800 (10m) D Brice. British Blues to £795 (14m) PF Popham again, when other dairy bred Blues sold to £745 (5x 12m) and £680 (4x 12m) Quick & Sons and £600 GM Veysey. Simmentals to £725 (4x 10m) BK Hockey again, when others sold to £700 J Harris. Lincoln Reds to £645 (4x 14m) Trehudreth Farm, who sold younger types to £565 (5x 11m). Angus to £640 (2x 12m) E Davis.

Bulls sold to a top price of £685 (12m) for a Limousin from MJ & C Plowright & Son, when dairy bred British Blue bulls sold to £590 (4x 8m) and £585 (5x 6m) VJ Thomas & Son Ltd.

Heifers sold to a top price of £910 (13m) for a Limousin from MJ & C Plowright & Son, when further good Limousins sold to £870 (10m) £770 (3x 12m) £655 (2x 12m) £645 (12m) £625 (11m) £600 (11m) PF Popham again; £860 (only 7m) Staplegrove Livestock Ltd; £765 (11m) and £700 (11m) J & S Creed & Doyle again and £630 (10m) RAD Legg again. Charolais to £760 (15m) CJ Wyatt, when others sold to £605 (6m) and £565 (6m) D Brice. Herefords to £660 (17m) SA Grant. British Blues to £615 (5x 12m) Quick & Sons, who sold others to £600 (5x 12m). Sussex to £605 (12m) PJ Masters, who sold another at £520. Lincoln Red to £595 Trehudreth Farm again. Angus to £560 (6x 15m) Crouch Farm (Sussex) Ltd.

396 Non-export Calves. Auctioneer's comments:

Beef Breeds (323) – not able to be exported from market

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a good entry of calves met a similar trade being especially good at the top end, as more calves are forward due to time of year, when the lower end typically becomes more selective. Top of the day was £445 (2x) for a young Limousin from H & NM Wall & Sons and also a 16 week old Limousin from NF George. Other Limousins to £360 from RA Plowright; £355 from Cricklake Farms. Reared Blues to £430 (3x) from NF George when younger Blues sold to £418 from JF Legg & Son; £380 from RJ Stitch and £375 from JWO Marsh & Partners. Charolais to £395, £382 and £355 from SM & DM Turner Ltd. Reared Simmentals to £390 and £340 from NF George.

Natives to £365 for a reared Angus from RA Plowright. Younger to £350 from K Manley; £320 and £315 from HG Tinknell Ltd. Herefords to £330 and £328 from O Gurd and £328 from RA Plowright. Younger Herefords to £325 from House & Sons.

Heifers to £362 for a Blue from VJ Thomas & Son. A superb consignment also had them to £330 and £320 (2x). Other Blues to £312 (2x) from FE Hill & Son. Charolais to £345 from CJ Tucker; £315 and £295 from SM & DM Turner Ltd. Young Limousin to £285 from HT & ME Quick; £250 (2x) from M & P Watts & Son.

Native heifers to £335 for a suckler bred Angus from E Davis, same Vendor £280. Other £285 from VJ Thomas & Son. Younger Angus to £215 (3x) from J & EM Phillips & Son. Herefords to £212 (2x) from J &K House; £172 from R & J Tibbs and £170 from CE Veysey.

Friesians (73) – not able to be exported from market

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report another good trade for the 73 dairy sired bull calves forward, to top at £130 from DR Clapp. Others £120 (2x) from GJ & JM Boyer; £120 from East Avercombe Farm Ltd; £115 from AL & SL Dewey. Best rearing types £80 plus, mediums £50-£70 and plainer types mostly over £35. Fleckvieh to £300 from DN Woollacott. MRI to £170 from NF George. Norwegian Red £125 from Dillington Farms. Brown Swiss to £90 from Plot Farm Partners.

3795 Sheep. Auctioneer's comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report the following sheep trades:-

Store Lambs (1122)

A reduced entry of 1122 store lambs for the final Friday afternoon sale, sold at generally lower levels for all presented but still to a firm trade. The best sold to £91.50 from IDJ Whitcombe. Others £90.50 and £86.50 from IM Mitchell Farming; £89 from BG & TW Randall; £88.50 from MT & K Jackson; £88 from JH Knight; £87.50 from AFC Atyeo and £84 from RD Churchill. Mediums ranged £60-£75, very small nearly all £30 plus. Overall average £63.87.

Cull Ewes and Rams (677)

A much, reduced entry of 677 cull ewes and rams sold to a reduced number of buyers and a much easier trade, as many buyers were busy with sales for the weekend’s Qurbani festival. The best ewes sold to £113 from D Taylor. Others £97 from Cricklake Farm; £92.50 from BAV & JE Scriven; £90 from C Peach and £88 from AE & WF Chinnock. Mediums ranged £55-£70, plain £45-£55 and boners nearly all £25 plus. Rams met a much firmer trade than the ewes and sold to £128, £110 and £103 from Hopkins Developments Ltd. Others £108 from TK Marsh and £97 from BP Lugg. Overall average £53.05.

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Goats (11)

The entry of 11 Boer goats sold to £78.50 and averaged £73.86 from J Winter.

Breeding Ewes (1905)

A bumper entry of 1905 breeding ewes for the monthly catalogued sale sold to yet another exceptionally strong trade for all presented. Suffolk Mules the pick of the day when all met unprecedented levels of demand. Best of a run from ECD Norfolk achieved £166, when others from the same holding sold to £163, £162 and £161 (2x pens). Others of the same breed to £164 from J White; £163 (3x pens) from Foxhollow Farm Ltd. Poll Dorset shearlings to £162 from GA & JA Fry. A fantastic run of North Country Mules from MA Johnson Ltd sold to £155 (2x pens) £153 (2x pens) and £152 (2x pens). Texel Mules in short supply, sold to £148 (2x pens) from BV & SM Johnson. OS Martin’s run of 316 shearlings topped at £152 for some smart Texels.

Older ewes continuing to meet a strong demand, sold to £130 from T Woollacott and Westbrook Farms for Suffolk Mule FM, when others of the same type to £129 from IJ Williams.

A consignment of note was a large entry of older ewes from JS Salmon, when the best of his 336 sheep on offer achieved £117 (5x pens) for 4T/6T North Country Mules.

Overall average £118.41, all in, to include older ewes, hill types & 2nd quality and all.

Stock Rams (80)

A reasonable entry of 80 stock rams sold to a steady trade. Top call was £400 for a Texel shearling from RW Gould. Blue Texel shearlings to £350 from PAH Clatworthy and £340 from M Impey. A spotted Texel from LAJ England made £310. Charollais x Suffolk shearlings from JR Davies & Partners sold to £300 (2x). Best of the Charollais to £300 from G &J Chorley. Overall average £194.

111 Pigs. Auctioneer's comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report pig numbers still down in line with other livestock centres. Another strong trade but cull sows still very much in the doldrums.

Weaners (43)

Good show of weaners with the best to £61 from J Love and £60 from 8 w/o weaner gilts from DR Hutchings. Young weaners from DJ Adams to £32.

Cull Sows & Boars (8)

Signs of more interest with the top price to £132 from PF Cole and £102 from P Clark. Boars difficult to place sold to £52 from J Parry and JW & ME Wilkins.

Forward Stores (60)

A respectable entry sold to a strong trade. The best to £136 from FH Chave & Son, when another good pen from TWT Palmer sold to £125. A strong clean pig sold to £173 from P Clark. Lighter porkers from DR Hutchings sold to £100.