Suckled calves from the Baldwin family top £2,600 at Newark

A record breaking entry of prime sheep coupled with an outstanding consignment of suckled calves were just two of the highlights of Saturday’s trading at Newark Livestock Market, which auctioneer Paul Gentry described as one of the best day’s selling of his career.

An outstanding consignment of 107 suckled calves from the Stuart Baldwin and his wife Debbie, Wigan, sold to a top price of £2,600.

Achieving the highest bid was a nine-month-old British Blue steer, which sold to Caithness-based Iain Sinclair.

Mr Sinclair also bought the highest priced heifer, which started the run of females at a fair pace when the hammer fell at £2,300.

Auctioneer Paul Gentry said: “This was a top run of cattle, quite possibly one of the best consignments of suckled calves I’ve had the honour of selling. Sired by top drawer British Blue bulls and bred out of Limousin cows these calves well sought after by showmen and local finishers alike.”

The 45 heifers averaged an outstanding £1,188, while the 62 steers levelled at £1,089.35.

Breeding cattle peaked at £4,000 for the British Blue bull Kersey Galactic from the Partridge family, Suffolk. Galactic is sired by the noted Bringlee Ecstasy and is out of the Mountjoy Utopia daughter Kersey Domino. Buyer was Dennis Summers, Gainsborough.

Topping the breeding cow section was David and Rachel Burns, Melton Mowbray, when they sold their 12-year-old purebred in-calf Limousin cow with a seven-month-old pure calf at foot to Paul Barwood, Norfolk, for £2,400.

The sheep section saw a record number penned, with more than 3400 prime and cull sheep traded.

Hoggets sold to 251p/kg and £123/head for 49kg Beltex sired lambs from Richard and Judy Fountaine, Milton Keynes.

Close behind at 248p/kg were 42kg entries from J Chantry, Market Rase.
Hoggets achieved an overall market average of 201.4p/kg.

Cull ewes were equally well sought after, with more than 1,080 sold on the day to average £94.27.

Peaking at £151/head was a run of 31 Texel ewes from North Yorkshire-based Andrew Andrews.

(Newark Livestock Sales).