Last Tuesday saw a 100% clearance with strong trade seen in all sections. Dairies sold up to £2,160 for a fresh heifer from Rob Phillips and family, Winkhill, with plenty of milkers in the £1,700 to £1,900 bracket.
Butchers’ hoggets still a firm trade, selling up to 316p and averaging £114.60 overall per head and SQQ of 267.8p. Cull ewes also in strong demand, up to £148.
Barren cows with a strong trade selling up to 168p with clean up to 201p.
Fewer calves forward, with trade just as dear as seen of late, with the best types selling to £385 for bulls and heifers to £310.
Fewer pigs about but trade still good considering reports nationally with bacon pigs to 127p.
PIGS (90): fewer about and trade similar to the previous Tuesday with pork pigs selling to 105p for a 74kg pig from HA Hollins, Hatton.
Cutting pigs topped at 110p for 83kg pigs from J and B Fentem, Alsop, who sold other cutters to 108p and 102p.
Bacon pigs sold up to 127p for 88.5kg pigs from Messrs Fentem, who also sold 86kg pigs at 126p; the same price was paid for 86kg pigs from PF and PD Parsons, Whitchurch, and 124p for 92kg pigs from HA Hollins. Others sold to 120p for a 88kg pig from Messrs Fentem with 119p for 89kg pig s from the Parsons and 118p for 91kg pigs from Bernard Minshull.
Heavy pigs topped at 108p for 107kg pigs from Messrs Fentem and for 111kg from Mr Minshull, with others at 100p for a 107kg pig from Jess Bailey.
Cull sows topped at 66p for a 144kg sow from Messrs Fentem, who sold a 250kg sow at 58p and a 260kg sow at 58p. MC and EA Beattie sold a 302kg sow at 58p and 58p for a 254kg sow from Jess Bailey, and 56p for a 276kg sow from C Bassett, Kingstone.
Averages: pork pigs (4): (63.84p) or £46.93/head; cutting pigs (17): (96.63p) or £79.12/head; bacon pigs (41): (108.5p) or £98.47/head; heavy pigs (16); (98.83p) or £107.23/head; cull sows (12): (51.58p) or £119.92/head.
BUTCHERS’ HOGGETS (631): average £114.60/head. A seasonal entry sold on a very solid trade. Best on offer peaking at 316p and plenty of best sorts at 280p and above.
Big lambs topping at 290p or £142.23 and numerous sorts at £130/head and over. Overall average of 267p.
Sample prices: 292p, 39kg, J M Robinson, Swythamley; 291p, 39kg, DH and J Lovatt, Rushton Spencer; 316p, 43kg, 306p, 42.3kg and 292p, 45kg, R and S Bailey, Cloudside; 290p, 43.7kg, GH and M Torr, Bradnop; 289p, 42.8kg, R A Day, Cheddleton; 290p, 46kg and 286p, 48.8kg, R and S Bailey, Cloudside; 282p, 47.7kg, DH and J Lovatt, Rushton Spencer; 282p, 47.6kg, K E Grocott, Leigh; 271p, 49kg, R A Day, Cheddleton; 265p, 53.7kg, DH and J Lovatt, Rushton Spencer.
CULL SHEEP (121): top prices of £148 for best Texel from the Lancasters of Congleton followed closely by Roger and Simon Bailey at £146. Best Suffolk ewes topped at £110 and best big Mules to £80 but generally Mules harder to sell. Overall average at £81.97.
BARREN COWS (37): similar numbers to the previous week and a strong trade once again selling to 168p for a 645kg Holstein from ET and ME Pemberton, Cheadle, with another young 635kg Holstein from Alcock Bros, Ford, at 160p.
A 700kg Simmental cow realised 145p from Rushton Spencer with a 765kg Friesian at 139p from RG and AS Williamson, and a 785kg Holstein to 135p from JG Curtis and Son, Basford.
Other top prices: 129p, 700kg Holstein, from JJ and PN Holdcroft, Brown Edge; 129p, 675kg Dairy Shorthorn, from SD Prince, Edingale; 127p, 715kg Holstein, from S and J Ryder, Dilhorne; 124p, 710kg Friesian, from JE Archer and Sons, Hilton; 120p, 715kg Holstein, from NE Goodwin, Upper Hulme; 120p, 565kg British Blue, from K and A Gould, Thorncliffe; 119p, 655kg Dairy Shorthorn, from SD Prince, Edingale; 118p, 655kg Holstein, from GW Hicklin, Onecote, The overall average was 105.81p, or £704.47 per head.
Top headage price of £1,083.60 for the Holstein from ET and ME Pemberton, with Friesians to £1,063.35 and other Holsteins at £1,059.75 and £1,016. Simmentals to £1,015.
CLEAN CATTLE: a top price of 201p for a 550kg Limousin bull from Chris Barnsley, Morridge Top. Steers topped at 194p for a 670kg British Blue from JG Curtis and Son, Basford, with a 625kg Aberdeen Angus at 180p from DR and A Shuker, Bosley. Heifers topped at 176p for a 555kg Hereford from FA Yates and Co, Alstonefield.
A run of black and white bulls to 167p for a 565kg Friesian with others similar at 165p and 159p.
Top headage price was £1,299.80 for the Blue steer and £1,125 for the Angus, with bulls to £1,105.50 and heifers to £976.80.
DAIRIES (60): an entry of 60 milkers forward at Leek saw a 100% clearance and a buoyant trade for all qualities.
A heifer from the Bentygrange herd of Rob Phillips and family attracted a lot of interest. She sold giving 27kg, and she was eventually clinched by Andrew Hulme of Basford for £2,160.
Andrew Mills of Ratcliffe on Wreake was close behind at £1,970, with others to £1,910 and £1,900 from Richard Lomas, and Edward and Diane Bennett.
Cows topped at £1,800 for a third calver from the Mellor family of Earl Sterndale, with pedigree Fleckvieh to £1,700. British Friesian cows also reached £1,700.
CALVES (93): The 25 continental bulls (£270.36) recorded a good average with only a handful of very best sorts on offer, , (ITALICS writes local democracy reporter Kerry Ashdown).but it was the second and third quality that looked the best sold. Five best over £345 (all Blues) with a trio from Andrew Hulme at £385, £365 and £355. Mediums £240, from £300 with only three smalls under £200.
Summary: 17 Blues (£288) to £385, from DW and P Hulme; three Simmental (£235) to £262, from Harrison Partners; four Limousin (£227) to £282, from J and C Hudson.
The 31 continental heifers (£189.29) were expensive, just like the bulls, and it was a shame there was not double the numbers. Best Blues peaked at £310 for fresh, shapy sorts from Graham Turnock, Onecote, with 10 better end sorts over £220. Mediums £170, from £190 with a few smalls around £150.
Summary: 20 Blues (£199) to £310, from WE Turnock and Sons; 10 Limousin (£179) to £245, from DW and P Hulme.
There were 20 natives, well sold, with the buyers thirsty for more. Hereford bulls to £220 and heifers to £192 for Messrs Gould, Longnor.
The 13 black and white bulls (£99.61) led by Montbeliarde at £208 and £142; Brown Swiss at £160 with Holsteins to £94.
There were four reared Aberdeen Angus (at four months), possibly trade of the day with a bull at £520, a steer at £470 and heifers at £450, from JB Beech, Elton.
Auctioneer: Leek Auctions, leekauctions.co.uk
