Recently in stores Category

We're at that time of year when it seems like the money finishers are giving for stores bears little relation to the current price of fat cattle.

And this year is no exception, although even those with cattle to sell - and who were quietly confident about the anticipated trade this month - have been taken aback by the strength of the demand.

At Chelford market in Cheshire on Monday almost 100 head of stores - everything from young stirks to over 20-monthers - levelled at around £700 with the top price of £1095 paid for a 20-month-old Charolais-cross steer. Good enough you might say but the tale of one vendor puts the job into perspective.

He had three Limousin-cross stirks to sell - weighing around 250kg - and before he went into the ring said if they made £500 apiece he'd be more than happy. When they reached £550 he was generously offering luck money, but he was wearing the broadest smile of all when he left the ring having seen the hammer fall at £630.

Chatting to auctioneer Jonathan Farrell of Frank Marshall's after the sale and he admitted stores were difficult to value in the current market - and were likely to get even more so.

"Stores are getting dearer at a faster rate than the fat cattle - and I can't see things changing in the months ahead," said Jonathan.

With the barren cow price doing little to encourage anything with a problem to be given a second chance and the fact that more stores were cashed-in for good money during the autumn, it's to be hoped Macdonalds can find enough beef this summer to stave off the energy gap of those hungry Olympians.

The January store cattle sale at Bakewell last week attracted a good entry of 740 store cattle which sold on behalf of the High Peak Livestock Society.

As usual the cattle come off hill farms in and around the Peak District National Park which are renowned for producing suckled calves for feeding in the lowlands.

The quality of cattle was absolutely superb, reported auctioneers. Highlight of the sale was a run of pure Limousin steers consigned from Chatsworth which sold to a top of £1,350 for a bunch of eleven and £1,250 for a bunch of ten with their entire entry of 49 cattle averaging £1,067.

A good dairy trade was reported by Greenslade Taylor Hunt with a good number of quality cows and heifers on offer. Seven cows and heifers sold over £2,000, with trade topping £2,270 for a non pedigree heifer from John and Heather Snook, with others from the same venue at £2,000.

Frank Luff of Lympsham sold pedigree "Poynings" heifers to £2,120. Others sold to £2,100 and £2,050 for first time consignors Messrs R E and E A M Vooght and Son from Newton Abbot.

A good entry of eight heifers from Messrs R L and M E Trott sold to £2,010. £2,010 was also achieved by Messrs FG Summerhayes and Son. Second calvers sold to £1850 for Mr E Vickery. Pedigree Jersey heifer to £1070 for Messrs D & L Lewis.

In calf heifer to £1,590 for Messrs B G and RM Coombes and £1,380 and £1,350 for A M Davies, Totnes.

The strong trade of store cattle seems set to continue, as steers hit £1,235 and heifers reach £995 at a sale of more than 1,000 cattle at Frome Market last week (Friday 4 November).

Auctioneers Trevor Rowland and Lester Williams reported a "blistering trade" with many buyers present for the "quality entry".

Trade for suckler cows and calves saw strong demand, with many units achieving more than £1,000. 

In particular, South Devon cows with two-month-old bull calves from Messrs White, Glastonbury, sold to £1,100, £1,150 and £1,320.  While the Hardwick Bros from Bridgwater had success with their South Devon cows and heifer calves selling to more than £1,000, their in-calf South Devon cows topping £980, and their Charolais x cow with her Angus heifer calf securing £1,040.

Trade of store bulls wasn't as strong, with the entry mainly dominated by Holstein Friesians.  Dairy-bred Herefords sold to £380 and Friesians to £240. 

Trade picked up with the sale of young continentals - a run of 43 five to eight month old Charolais from SL & MV Mitchell, Dorchester saw steers top £750 and heifers hit £552. Other leading prices included Charolais steers from Jane Haw reaching £745 and heifers hitting £665.  While eight-month-old Blonde steers from Bramble Farms, Langport hit £850. 

The auctioneers remarked:  "There was no let up in the high prices being achieved with most six to eight month old steers over £600 and the very best close to £800.  Heifers saw keen bidding, with many good shaped types over £500 and the top grades to £640 to £670."

Strong trade continued for forward continentals, with Charolais steers regularly reaching £1,000, with the top price of £1,235 going to 21-month-old steers from Steve Pinner, Andover.

The auctioneers said heifers met an "explosive trade with tremendous bidding throughout".  The top price on the day went to a Limousin from HRH Hansford, Sherborne, which achieved £955.

A total of 208 Angus went under the hammer with the top price of £1,065 going to a 17-month-old steer from Whitbusy Farm Stud Ltd. 

Meanwhile, 77 Hereford sold, with the auctioneers reporting a short supply of 6-12month old heifers.  The top price on the day went to a steer from Steve Pinner - this one secured £890.

232 Friesians went under the hammer, with more Holstein types put forward.  The auctioneers reported an "insatiable demand" for deeper body types with the top price of £980 going to a steer from the Fooks Bros, Bridport. 

No fewer than 40 individuals purchased sheep at the Bakewell Store Lamb Sale. Buyers had come from as far as Devon, Norfolk, and Wales to compete for the 6,000+ lambs catalogued.

Trade was outstanding with a remarkable overall average of £66.60 and this bearing in mind that many producers were reaching the end of their lamb crop.

There were substantial numbers of smaller long term lambs and as so often is the case, the smaller they were, the dearer they appeared. (Bakewell)

Craven Cattle Marts reported strong trade and an increase in average prices at Skipton Auction Mart's annual show of 2011-born suckled calves and 2010-born store cattle.

The top price on the day of £1,520 went to a 2010-born steer from John Stephenson, Bordley Green Farm, Bordley.  Mr Stephenson also won the title of best steer with a 15-month-old British Blue x bullock (pictured below) which secured £1,500 to Claire Cropper and John Mellin, Long Preston.

Other leading prices included £1,420 for a heifer from Jeff Walker, Dunsop Bridge, by David Wilson, Harome.  And £1,320 for a 2010-borb British Blue x heifer, from Simon Garth of James Garth & Son, Birk Knott, Farm, Keasden, Clapham.  This one (pictrued) went to DS Townend, Malton.

In the suckled calf classes, the top price of £1,160 was secured by a young feeding bull from Kath Saffrey, Halton WEst.  This one was bought by Stephen Swales, Melbourne, York.  While a British Blue x seven-month-old heifer from TW & SE BLades, sold for £810 to Bradley Thompson, Selside, Kendal.

Commenting on the sale, auctioneer Ted Ogden said:  "The trade for suckled calves reflected the rises seen in prices this year for finished cattle and strong stores.

"Many vendors of annual consignments reported increases in averages of around £125 to £130 a head on last year's sale."

Averages: 304 spring 2011-born suckled bull, steer and heifer calves averaged £688.22 a head; 205 over one-year-old cattle averaged £780.55.

The High Peak Livestock Society autumn store cattle sale at Bakewell Market saw 1,032 cattle sold to buyers from throughout England and Wales with averages well up on last year.

A total of 253 young feeding bulls sold to an average of £686.98 - up £226 on 2010.  The top price of £1,030 went to seven Limousin x, aged nine to 11 months, from Clark Farms, Ringinlow.

Meanwhile, a total of 271 steers averaged at £685.45 - up £102 on 2010.  The top price of £1,100 went to a five-month-old Limousin from LW Higton, Wetton.

The heifer trade saw 418 sell to an average of £550.75 - up £77 on 2010.  The top price went to an 11-month-old Limousin heifer from CL Morton & Son, Holmesfield.

The pedigree guineas might be doing all the buying north of the border at Stirling this week but there was no shortage of hard cash around in Cumbria on Monday when store cattle were on fire at the annual Luke Fair at Kirkby Stephen.

Bullocks were costing buyers £195 a piece more than they did last year - based on this week's average of £967 - and even heifers levelling at £841 had jacked up their 2010 price by £131. Bags of cash and bags of confidence? It certainly looks like it. The 1070 head on offer at Kirkby Stephen was reckoned to have been one of the best shows of strong stores seen at this autumn fixture for some time - and at these prices it must be music to the ears of anyone with breeding bulls to sell in the coming weeks.

Last Friday's August Show and Sale of store cattle at Thainstone saw a flying trade, with the champion from Blair Dufton, Hunton, selling at £1600.

This was a 726kg Limousin cross steer bred by Andrew Anderson and was bought by Angus Cumming, Tillydesk, Ellon. The reserve champion was an 11-month-old 436kg Charolais cross steer from Brian Buchan, Clinterty, New Aberdour, which sold for £1120 to David Buchan, Savoch, Longside.

Overall the 874 steers forward sold to level at 190.2p/kg, a rise of 23.3p/kg on the same sale last year, while the 527 heifers averaged 180.8p/kg, a jump of 22.3p/kg on the year (Aberdeen and Northern Marts).

Friday's Thame with Bicester Sheep Fair saw a jump in trade for shearling ewes of about £30/head on the year, with the best Suffolk x Mules selling to £202/head and Mules making up to £190/head.According to auctioneer Rob Lea of Thame Farmers Mart, the trade was above expectations for the Mules with the entire Mule shearling entry levelling the day at £145. "We had some great runs of sheep forward and the buyers were prepared to pay a bit more for the quality sheep.

"With prime lamb and cull trade being so strong this year there has been a desire to reinvest in young sheep and this did impact a little on the older ewe trade which wouldn't have been as sharp as perhaps we thought it might be."

In the store lambs on offer a top of £75/head was backed up by an average of £63 and Mr Lea expects a much larger store lamb entry for the second sale in a month's time. "But I'd expect our shearling trade to be back a bit then as we get in to the second and third draw sheep."

Best price of the day was a £232/head bid for the first pen of sheep in the ring, a pen of pure Beltex ewes. "This really set the trend for the day and buyers dug deep to get the sheep they wanted, with six or eight pens at £200 or more."

Full report to follow later.....

A bumper entry of 5091 store lambs at Skipton last Wednesday sold to average a £63.53, some £11.36 up on the same fixture last year, with a top price of £83/head paid for Texel crosses from Johnny Metcalfe, Linton.

Taking the championship in the pre-sale show were Michael and Carol McKenzie, Arncliffe, with a pen of 50 Suffolk cross lambs which sold at £74/head to judge Michael Spensley, Elslack. The McKenzies' 185 Suffolk cross lambs levelled the day at £68.

Both the second and third prize pens from F Reeday and Son, Hetton, and D A and J M Robinson, Litton, were acquired at £68.80 and £71.20 respectively by John Errington, Penrith.

The fourth prize pen from Robert Metcalfe, of RD Metcalfe & Son, Brearton, sold for £72 to Joe Marrs, Carlisle,

(Craven Cattle Marts)

Dingwall and Highland Marts sold 1373 store cattle at their Anniversary show and sale at Dingwall last Wednesday, with the 784 bullocks selling to a top of 260p/kg and £1300 for  a 500kg Limousin cross from Smallburn Farms, Elgin.

Top in the heifers was a pair of 400kg Simmental crosses from Morvich, Rogart, which made 265p/kg. Top grossing heifer was the champion, a 545kg Limousin cross from J Munro and Son, Invercharron, Ardgay, at £1220, with a 480kg Limousin cross from the same home making the same money.  


Averages; 784 steers 198.5p/kg, 589 heifers 190.5p/kg (Dingwall and Northern Marts).

Last week's sixth sale of TB restricted Cattle at Newton Abbot Market last week was declared a great success by auctioneers Rendells, with repeat buyers at the ringside.

Topping the store cattle trade was a run of 22-24 month old Charolais Steers from Messrs A and V Tiernan, Ashburton, at £960 and £845, with 18 month old heifers from the same home topping at £772.

A run of 12-13 month old Simmental cross steers sold to a peak of £800 and heifers of the same breeding topped at £720 for S L M Crocker, Totnes. Selling to a top of £645 was a run of 14 month old Charolais heifers from M J Wonnacot, Okehampton.
Averages; steers £825, heifers £614 (Rendells).

Last Saturday's store cattle sale at Sedgemoor saw trade hit new highs for the centre with 12-15 month pure bred Limousin feeding bulls and heifers hitting £1025 and £1035 respectively for R Coate, Broomfield. Store cattle sold to £1170 for steers and £1080 for heifers, with 42 cattle sold at more than £1000.  .

The Special Catalogued Monthly Sale of 198 Sucklers included a special entry of Pedigree British Blues from the Kernow Tresawle herd of Ross Withers, which topped at £2500 for Kernow Tresawle Frankie, a 14 month old heifer by sire Bluegrass Cyclone and out of 3500gns dam Balzer Black Beauty. The depth of breeding in this line shone through when Frankie's full ET sister Kernow Tresawle Floss sold at £2350, with Kernow Tresawle Flumpett close behind at £1850.

Commercial entries also from Ross Withers set the bidding alight at £1750 for a British Blue x Blonde x Limousin heifer by Dafyd D'Ochain and in-calf to Kernow Tresawle Dinky.

An in-calf Limousin x British Blue heifer from Mr Withers saw bids flying to £1400, finding her new home across the border in Wales.

Commercial sucklers sold to £1520 for a 2003 Limousin cross cow with May born steer calf at foot.
(Greenslade Taylor Hunt).

Harrison and Hetherington conducted the sale of calves to conclude the Cumbria Young Farmers Clubs Interclub Suckled Calf Wintering Competition, where all the proceeds were donated to the Great North Air Ambulance.

The 12 calves had been purchased during the autumn calf sales in 2010 in auction markets operated by Harrison and Hetherington who financed the purchase of the calves. 

All the calves were halter lead and extremely well presented to the master judge Steadman Dodd, West View, Temple Sowerby, Penrith.  He awarded the rosette for the best animal in the show to Kirklinton YFC with a superb British Blue cross heifer.The reserve champion was presented to Brampton YFC with an 11 month old British Blue cross steer.  

The main objective of the competition was to make the greatest margin possible between purchase and sale price and this achieved by Kirklinton YFC with their 13 month old British Blue heifer selling for £1260 leaving a margin of £530. 

This was closely followed by Penrith YFC with their 15 month old British Blue heifer making £1140 leaving a margin of £515.  Penrith YFC were also awarded the special rosette for the Best Turned Out Animal and Handler.

Prize winners

Best Heifer: 1st Kirklinton YFC, 2nd Longtown YFC, 3rd Penrith YFC, 4th Skelton YFC, 5th Eden Valley YFC.  
Best Steer: 1st Brampton YFC, Caldbeck YFC, 3rd Raughton Head YFC, 4th Carlisle YFC.
Champion Kirklinton YFC,  Reserve Champion Brampton YFC. 

Increased demand for native breed cattle on the back of Morrisons plans to create a premium beef brand from Beef Shorthorn, Aberdeen-Angus and Hereford-sired cattle helped lift demand and prices at Thainstone's spring show and sale of Angus store cattle.

Orkney exhibitors, George and Eileen Muir, Gorn, Shapinsay, scored a major triumph at the show and sale by winning both the championship and reserve . Their champion, a 584kg steer by the  Aberdeen-Angus sire, Haymount Wavozzo, and out a pure-bred Limousin cow, sold for £1160, while their reserve, a 548kg steer by the same sire and out a Limousin cross cow, realised £1060. Both were purchased by Jim Fowlie, Strichen.

Averages; 449 steers 189.7p/kg, 320 heifers 174.3p/kg (Aberdeen and Northern Marts).

Steers sold to a top call of £1275 for a 710kg Limousin cross from Leitcheston, Enzie, at last Friday's show and sale of store cattle at Thainstone, with the best price/kg being 230.8p/kg paid for a pen of three 364kg Charolais crosses from North Bethelnie, Oldmeldrum.

Top in the heifers was an £1100 bid for a 710kg Charolais from Westhall Lodge, Oyne, while the 811 foward were led on a p/kg basis at 231.9p/kg for a 304kg British Blue cross from Barnyards of Badenyoucher, Cornhill.

The top two places in the show both went to Harry Emslie, with the champion being a 386kg homebred Limousin cross steer by Bailea Black BMW which sold at £1200 to the judge Harry Brown Jnr, Maud. Reserve was another Limousin cross steer, this time by Saphir and weighing 432kg, he sold to D and V Buchan, Longside.

Overall the 924 steers levelled the sale at 183.6p/kg, with the 811 heifers averaging 173.9p/kg and the 40 bulls 148.7p/kg. (Aberdeen and Northern Marts)

Friday's show and sale of store cattle and suckled calves at Hexham drew an entry of 1196 head, with the pre-sale show judged by Elaine Sedgewick, Long Myers, Durham.

As her champion Miss Sedgewick picked out a Limousin cross steer bred by Ashley and John Murray, West Butsfield, Tow Law. This 14 months old entry is by French sire Ulm and out of a British Blue cross cow. He sold to the judge at £1120.Reserve champion was a Charolais cross steer from the Johnson family, West Wharmley, Hexham. This 11 month old calf is by a Maerdy bred sire and is out of a British Blue cross cow. He sold at £1000 to Ian Granger, Wigton.Taking the ticket for the best presented calf was a Limousin cross heifer from Messrs Lee, Harwood Shield. This one also went to Mr Granger, selling at £990.

A top call of £1500 was achieved at Bentham Market's show and sale of store cattle last week, with the leading bid made for a 15 month old Limousin steer from Graham Jackson. This one, by Procters Titan and out of Limousin x British Blue dam had been placed champion in the pre-sale show by judges Louise Todd and Bob Richmond. He was knocked down to Colchester-based finishers Gerald and Will Ketley.

Selling at £1010 was the best of a run of 20 bulling heifers from Messrs Whitaker, Clapham, with their Limousin x British Blue crosses averaging £936. And at £1000 was a pure Limousin bull from Messrs Kelly, Mansergh.

Then trading at £905 was the reserve champion from the show, a Limousin x British Blue heifer from David Broadbent. She also sold to Messrs Ketley.

A top call of £3400 was achieved yesterday at Middleton-In-Teesdale's show and sale of store cattle, with the top call going to the pre-sale champion, a Limousin cross heifer from J C and J White, Riggs Farm. This one sold to the judge Matt Morris, Leicestershire.Second best at £2000 was the steer champion and reserve overall champion, again a Limousin cross and again from the Whites. This one also headed home with the judge.

Then making £1750 was the third placed steer which was also from the Whites and which sold to R D Anderson. The reserve champion heifer from B R Lawson and Son, Buddle House, sold at £1050 to P Tindale.

Overall the 638 cattle sold levelled the day at £665 (Harrison and Hetherington).