Auctioneers Greenslade Taylor Hunt report much improved prime cattle and lamb trades on Monday.

The total stock was 814 head.

(77) UTM & (13) OTM Prime Cattle

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a medium entry of 90 prime cattle met a much faster trade.

A lot of very lean cattle on offer, which highlights how vendors are up with their cattle to catch the favourable trade.

Numbers will remain tight for some while if today’s show is anything to go on because the cattle will just not be ready and that should keep the trade up.

Top was 214.5ppk for a very lean pure bred Simmental steer from BA Sweet, Congresbury, who sold others similar at 210, 209, 207.5, 205.5 and 204.5ppk and an Angus steer also at 207.5ppk. A nicely finished dunn Limousin from R & G Speed, Axminster, met a call of 207.5ppk as well. Good type, leaner Limousin at 205.5ppk from S & C Fry, Wareham, who also sold smart, lean Simmentals at 204, 203.5 and 201ppk. Good leaner type Blue at 204.5ppk from RC Loveridge & Son, Axminster. Good, leaner South Devon at 201.5ppk from Hill & Johnstone, Culmhead.

Heifers peaked at 212.5ppk for a shapely red Limousin from RW Darby & Sons. Further shapely, leaner Limousins at 211.5ppk from JF Walker & Partners, North Petherton; 209.5 and 203.5ppk AAB Rowe & Son, Chilton Trinity and 205 and 204.5ppk from HR & EM Hutchings, Chard. Nicely fleshed South Devon at 209.5ppk from G Sloman, Creech Heathfield and purchased by The Meat Men, Ilminster. Well covered Blue at 206ppk from Cole & Partners, Kingston Seymour. Shapely, fleshed Blue at 203.5ppk from RC Loveridge & Son, who sold another similar at 202.5 and a Limousin at 199.5ppk. Well fleshed Charolais at 201ppk from K & N Crang, Yeovil. Good Angus at 199.5ppk from Cole & Partners and smart Herefords at 199.5 and 198.5ppk from RW Darby & Sons again.

Steers sold to an excellent £1,415.42 for a Simmental from S & C Fry, Wareham, who sold others well at £1,395.87, £1,358.64, £1,300.74, £1,271.88 and £1,256.86. Limousin at £1,392.33 from R & G Speed, Axminster. Blue steers at £1,324.68, CWM & GN Bolt, Huntsham; £1,323.08 and £1,322.45, Habberfield Bros and £1,298.43, RC Loveridge & Son.

Heifers rose to £1,342.25 for an OTM Limousin cross from S & P Boyer. UTM heifers to £1,294.29 for a Hereford from Vale Farm Partnership, Taunton, who also sold a South Devon at £1,229.77 and Angus at £1,222.02 and £1,222.83. Limousin heifers at £1,253.56 from AAB Rowe & Son, Chilton Trinity and £1,247.38 from RW Darby & Sons. Further Angus at £1,191.02 from Cole & Partners. Best type Herefords at £1,189.02, £1,185.05 and £1,183.04 from RW Darby & Sons.

66 BARREN COWS & CULL STOCK BULLS

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a medium entry of 66 cull cattle met a slightly dearer trade.

More flesh amongst the suckler cows helped black and whites in shorter supply.

Top was 147.5ppk for a young Hereford cow from RJ Mead, Winford. A run of well fleshed pedigree Angus cows from MR & SK Westcott & Son met calls of 139.5, 125.5, 124.5 (3x) and 119.5ppk. Smart Charolais at 127.5ppk HL Stott & Sons, Westbury, who also sold an Angus and a Hereford, both at 117.5ppk. Pure Devon at 119.5ppk from J & P Prideaux, Timberscombe. Further Hereford at 117.5ppk from GI Ware, Skilgate.

Sucklers sold to £1,102.88 for the 856kg Charolais from HL Stott & Sons. Angus at £1,098.13 (875kg) £1,020.90 (820kg) £989.78 (795kg) and £952.43 (765kg) all from MR & SK Westcott & Son.

Black and whites peaked at 118.5ppk for a Holstein from FE Hill & Son, Coultings. Jersey cross at 114.5ppk from W Read Partnership, Taunton and further Holsteins also to 114.5ppk from MJ Frampton, Burstock.

Black and whites sold to £948.27 for a 866kg Holstein from FE Hill & Son, who sold another 795kg at £942.08. Further Holsteins £881.79 (798kg) R & J Jones & Son, Stogursey; £870.20 (760kg) MJ Frampton & Sons and £794.42 (753kg) RW Gilbert & Partners, Coombe St Nicholas.

A very shapely Simmental bull from PT Bale & Sons, Chard, met a call of 119.5ppk and returned at £1,186.64.

658 FINISHED LAMBS

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report another small entry of 658 lambs sold to a dearer trade for all presented.

The best lighter weights sold to 234 and 224ppk from R Stevens & Co. Others 222ppk from CJM Shackleton; 220ppk from MJ & GM Summers; 218ppk from J Hartle; 216ppk from A Dagger; 215ppk from J Temperley, AE Toogood and B Davis and 214ppk from AR Henson and KJ Seymour. Heavier lambs sold to £115.50, £111, £110 (2x) and £109 (2x) from AR Henson. Others £111 from GB & MA Holloway; £110 from SJ Crossman and T Rogers; £107 from MJ & GM Summers and £105 from PJ Holloway.

Overall average £93.98.