Category: TAKING STOCK

★ With Colchester being the only weekly livestock market operating in the Eastern Counties, 2016 has seen a very disappointing beef trade. But at least the live auction system is supporting producers, enabling cattle to be sold with competition. We have no weight limits and grading is by eye – a fair and competitive way of trading. It is still, however, very difficult when all buyers in the Eastern Counties are competing with very low-priced boxed meat and weight limits at certain deadweight outlets.

The real problem that producers have at the present time is replacing cattle. Historically, the West Country has been a source of many of the stores fattened in East Anglian yards.

But with TB, that is now extremely difficult. Store cattle in the Eastern Counties, which is mainly a four-year testing area for TB, are dear as more and more buyers come to the area to buy stores.

We expect a rise in the finished cattle price as numbers tighten, although this is unlikely to be to the levels of 12 months ago. However, this is typical of this time of the year in this area.

The prime sheep market is at similar levels to last year for hoggets, with new-season lambs trading above prices from 12 months ago. There is strong demand for new-season lambs weighing 38kg to 44kg, but lambs above that weight are difficult to sell. Lighter lambs would be better kept. There is a strong trade in the Eastern Counties for quality lambs and here in Colchester we have good support from family wholesalers who wish to attend and buy prime stock from the area.

It is expected the lamb trade will remain firm for the next month or so and then it will very much depend on the pound and how that reacts to the vote on Europe. Without the European trade, transactions will certainly be reduced and that is a worry we all have.

East Anglia is an area where farmers have an alternative to stock keeping. It needs dedication but at least with the ability to source reasonably priced feed it should be possible to achieve an acceptable return for quality stock.

★ Trade Talk, in association with the Livestock Auctioneers Association, brings you a weekly round-up of ringside trade from auctioneers across the country

The two-day dispersal of the noted Noremead pedigree Holstein herd on behalf of CB Cooper, East Farm, Winterbourne Monkton, Wiltshire, topped at 6,000gns when animals went under the hammer last week (26 and 27 May).

Sale topper was the June 2015-born heifer Noremead Glauco Sume, bred from 14 generations of excellent and very good cows. She was snapped up by J Jordan for his Ecstasy herd.

Her dam, Noremead Rockafella Sume 2 VG87, topped the first day of the sale, when selling for 5,100gns in a two-way split to Elwyn and Cheryl Thomas, Gatrog herd, Llanelli, and Jeff and Anthea Daw, Swindon. Sired by Walkabout Rockafella, she is out of the 2013 UK Dairy Event breed champion, Noremead Knight Sume Ex94-6.

Next best and selling for 5,000gns was Noremead Twist Helena Ex91. This Cogent Twist daughter sold having calved three months ago and is currently giving 54kg daily. She sold to an undisclosed Welsh buyer.

Her three-month-old heifer calf, Noremead Fever Helena, by Crackholm Fever, was the highest priced heifer calf at 1,450gns and sold to PJ Evans, Chippenham.

Selling for 4,200gns to Leanne Hedges for her newly established herd was Noremead Million Helena VG89 by Million. She sold giving 45kg daily, having calved with her second in March.

Fifth-best price on the day of 3,000gns went to the Emerald-Acr-SA T-Baxter bred Noremead Baxter Moth 2 VG-89 out of a Tregibby Starbright-bred dam. She sold to RA and JA Reed, Gatcombe Farm, Seaton, giving 65kg daily, having last calved in March.

PICTURES: LUCINDA MORGAN

The production sale of the Valais Blacknose Alpine flock, on behalf of Richard Pilkington and Steve Jones, sold to a high of 3,100gns at Chelford this week (30 May).

Leading trade was Alpine Candy Cane, a yearling ewe born in May last year and out of the brood ewe Zara. Buyers were Thomas and Isla Goldie, Mouswald, Dumfries.

They also bought the Swiss import ewe Yasmine for 2,700gns and paid 2,500gns for another potential donor ewe, Angelina, a Swiss import which lambed twins in October and had been left open and ready to flush.

The February-born ewe lamb Alpine Dior, out of the stock ram Toby (Blairmore Ben Lomond) and another Swiss imported ewe, Zara, caught the eye of Messrs Dace, Mellor, Stockport, who paid 3,000gns. They also paid 2,600gns for Daisy, again by Toby but this time out of the 2,700gns Yasmin.

Young lambs topped at 1,450gns for the May-born ewe lamb Daffodil, by the imported ram Rambo and out of Yasmin. She sold to S Coombes, Urmston, Manchester. Leading trade for ram lambs was Alpine Doc Holiday, by Toby and out of Yasmin, which made 1,400gns selling to Messrs Dace.

(Wright Marshall)

Aberdeen Angus bulls led trade at Borderway Mart, Carlisle, on Friday (27 May), selling to a top price of 8,000gns.

Overall, 51 of the 55 on offer averaged £4,372.94, an increase of £666.62 on last year, with bulls realising a 93% clearance rate.

Alasdair Houston of the Gretnahouse herd, Gretna, Dumfries and Galloway, celebrated a fantastic day in both show and sale rings, taking the senior and overall championship honours and top price of the day.

His sale leader at 8,000gns was Gretnahouse KP P710, a June 2014-born son of the 2013 Winter National Show yearling champion, Gretnahouse Lord Hefty M549, and out of the Blelack Evor H929 daughter Gretnahouse Kay Pride M546.

He sold in a two-way partnership to John Fleming for his Stairhaven herd, Newton Stewart, and Ian Watson for the Kersquarter herd, Kelso, Roxburghshire.

The second-highest price of the day, 7,800gns, went for the reserve overall and reserve senior champion, Carruthers Eric Thestar P569, from Waterbeck, Lockerbie-based Messrs Graham.

This Rawburn Enigma G653 son is out of the Maplejacks Foggarty B022 daughter Wall Erica Star F500, which was purchased at the Wall dispersal for 3,800gns. He sold to T Chalmers and Co, Canonbie, Dumfriesshire.

Alasdair Houston was back in the action selling Gretnahouse Kind Lad P741, the pre-sale junior champion, for 7,000gns. By the home-bred Gretnahouse Blacksmith L500, he is out of Blelack Equity J127 daughter Blelack Karama Lady L752 and carries a self-replacing index of +63. The buyer was AR Bell, Hawick, Roxburghshire.

David and Penny Evans, Nunthorpe, Middlesbrough, took 6,700gns with their second-placed Tree Bridge Plymouth P513. Home-bred on both sides, this one is by Tree Bridge Pathfinder L336 and is out of Tree Bridge Polly Perkins J241, a Chapelton Dark Mahmoud E826 daughter. This one sold to JL Gledson, Hexham.

BEEF SHORTHORNS

On the same day Beef Shorthorns peaked at 4,800gns. The sale leader was Hurricane of Ballyvaddy TI +19, SRI +17, a 20-month-old by Chapelton Typhoon from T and K Madden, Glencloy, Ballymena. The buyer was RF Leach, Warmington, Banbury.

Next, at 4,400gns, was the two-year-old Balgay Halbarad TI +32, SRI +29, a Chapelton Winsome son from Balgay Farm, Inchture, Perth. He sold to Cnewr Estate, Sennybridge, Brecon.

HEREFORD

Hereford bulls sold to a top price of 2,500gns with the reserve overall champion, Panmure 1 Midge from JM Cant and Partners, Arbroath, leading trade. Out of Panmure 1 Plum B5 and sired by Hawkesbury 1 Volcano, the March 2015-born bull sold to Colby Farms, Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria.

Selling at 2,400gns was overall champion Salton 1 Lexus from G Bulmer, Salton, York. Out of Salton 1 Millie and sired by Normanton 1 Jupiter, the June 2014-born bull went to RC and S Cleasby, Broughton in Furness, Cumbria.

At the same money was the Romany 1 Mikado H12 M14. The September 2014-born bull, sired by Romany 1 Heavyduty and out of Romany 1 Milk, went to JS and IM Wilson, Millom, Cumbria.

(Harrison & Hetherington)

‣ For averages and more top prices from Carlisle visit www.fwi.co.uk/livestock/taking-stock

MONEY MAKERS

7,800gns

MACGREGOR PHOTOGRAPHY

4,800gns

WAYNE HUTCHINSON