October 26

Finished cattle – 224. An entry with some nice cattle in it but also some lesser brethren. Trade very similar to last week. Heifers peaked at 239p/kg, steers at 210p/kg and bulls 213.5p/kg. Prices were as follows:

Medium steers - Best quality to 217p av 217p; also rans to 176p; overall average 196.7p

Heavy steers - Best quality to 210p av 204.1p; standard quality to 196p av 189.3p; also rans to 179.5p; overall average 188.5p

Medium heifers - Standard quality to 195p av 188.3p, also rans to 179.5p; overall average 183.5p

Heavy heifers - Best quality to 239p av 208.2p; standard quality to 197p av 190.6p; also rans to 179p; overall average 194.7p

Light bulls to 165.5p average 156.6p

Medium bulls to 213.5p average 180.6p

Heavy bulls to 212.5p average 185.3p

Barren cows and old bulls – 58. A slightly brighter trade. It seems more important now to have the cows FABBL’d and not with a foreign passport as opposed to what the cows are actually like. This is just how all of the meat trade is going. The bits of paper are more important than what the animals are like or what the quality of the meat is like, it seems. Prices were as follows:

Grade 1 cows to 164.50p av 146.90p, Grade 2 Cows to 128.50p av 126.21p, Grade 3 cows to 118.50p av 110.83p Grade 4 Cows to 123.50p av 79.53p, Old Bulls to 95.50p av 94p, overall average 94.73p

FInished sheep – 3,315. A comparable lamb trade. Some nice lambs on offer which sold up to 182.0p/kg. a lot of strong lambs in the entry as you would expect. Prices were as follows:

Light lambs to 150p av 148p, standard lambs to 182p av 155.9p, medium lambs to 178p av 147.6p, heavy lambs to 160p av 140.7p, overweight lambs to 135p av 132.1p

Export quality lambs sold up to 182.0p per kilo and averaged 163.0p per kilo and home trade lambs sold up to 146.5p per kilo and averaged 143.4p per kilo.

Cull ewes - A good entry of cull ewes found a faster trade than experienced in recent weeks with all sorts well competed for. Ewes sold up to £95 and averaged £54.56. Rams to £75.50 average £66.83.

October 23

Store cattle – 602. An entry with some super cattle in it and a nice firm trade right the way through. Steers peaked at 260p/kg, heifers 308p/kg and bulls 284p/kg. The prize winners in the show classes were:- Class 1 – Best pen of four or more steers of any age or type suitable for further fattening – 1st M/s JR and T Franks, Bachefield Farm, 2nd M/s JR and T Franks, Bachefield Farm, 3rd CT Whiteman and Co, Stoke Court. Class 2 – Best pen of four or more heifers of any age or type suitable for further fattening – 1st M/s JR and T Franks, Bachefield Farm,2nd M/s JR and T Franks, Bachefield Farm, 3rd M/s C T Whiteman and Co, Stoke Court. Class 3 – Best pen of four or more bulls of any age or type suitable for further fattening 1st M/s BW and JD Leighton, Newbury Farm, 2nd M/s P Barker and Son, Great Oxenbold Farm, 3rd M/s BW and JD Leighton, Newbury Farm. M/s JR and T Franks won both of the trophies being the RM Blakeway and JC Fowden Cup for the best pen of steers and the Wyken Trophy for the best pen of heifers.

There was a good crowd of buyers in attendance and considerable interest for most animals. Breeding bulls reached 2,000gns and there was a total clearance on all of the breeding bulls. Heifers and bull calves sold to £1,280, feeding cows to £780 average £610. Other prices were as follows:

Charolais Steers to £1085, £1070, £1060, £1020, £980, £910 (x2), £860, £830, £825, £805, £765

(top 232p/kg av 206p/kg)

Charolais Heifers to £1005 (x2), £985, £815, £775, £760, £740, £720, £700, £660, £580 (top 199p/kg av 186p/kg)

Simmental Steers to £955, £940, £900, £895 (top 200p/kg av 180p/kg)

Simmental Heifers to £1050, £820, £740, £695, £645, £545 (top 206p/kg av 180p/kg)

Limousin Steers to £1255, £1200, £1190, £1170, £1155, £1150 (x2), £1125, £1105, £1085, £1080, £1075 (x2), £1065, £1055 (x2), £1045, £1030, £975, £970, £950 (x2), £945, £935, £910, £900, £895 (x3), £885, £845, £810, £800, £795 (x2), £705, £655, £560, £490, £480 (top 260p/kg av 202p/kg)

Limousin Heifers to £1100, £1090, £1080, £1055, £975, £970, £950, £945, £930, £905, £900, £880, £875, £780, £750 (x2), £700, £660, £645, £605, £535, £400 (top 308p/kg av 196p/kg)

British Blue Steers to £1090, £1045, £950, £830 (top 198p/kg av 188.2p/kg)

British Blue Heifers to £1030, £1000, £975, £950, £925, £920, £860, £650 (top 222p/kg av 203p/kg)

Blonde D’Aquitaine Steers to £970 (190p/kg)

Blonde D’Aquitaine Heifers to £850, £825, £790, £780, £765, £710, £680, £670, £660, £655, £650, £620, £605, £600, £580, £545 (top 252p/kg av 188p/kg)

Aberdeen Angus Steers to £1040, £900, £890, £865, £775, £750, £745, £640, £575

(top 194p/kg av 182p/kg)

Aberdeen Angus Heifers to £805, £800, £770, £760, £745, £600, £520, £495, £450

(top 220.0p/kg av 166.0p/kg)

Hereford Steers to £940, £925, £900, £890, £875, £870, £715 (top 191p/kg av 175p/kg)

Hereford Heifers to £835, £790, £700, £675, £650, £625, £610, £600, £595, £560, £550, £485

(top 219p/kg av 165p/kg)

Friesian Steers to £930, £800, £695, £550, £540, £440 (top 142p/kg av 132p/kg)

Meuse Rhine Issel Steers to £915 (197p/kg)

Fleckvieh Steers to £870 (193p/kg)

Bull prices were as follows: Charolais Bulls to £1175, £1130, £1090, £1045, £985, £975, £940, £925, £915, £890, £885, £870, £860, £790 (x2), £775, £770 (x2) (top 263p/kg av 225.7p/kg)

Simmental Bulls to £845, £830, £825, £730, £640 (top 241p/kg av 233.5p/kg)

Limousin Bulls to £1190, £1045 (x2), £1005 (x2), £955, £945, £920 (x2), £910, £905, £895, £890, £865, £850, £830, £810 (x2), £805 (x2), £800, £790 (x2), £785 (x2), £775, £770, £745, £730 (x2), £715, £700 (x2), £690, £685, £670, £665, £640, £500 (top 284p/kg av 224p/kg)

British Blue Bulls to £955, £855, £845, £760, £670 (top 251p/kg av 237.5p/kg)

Blonde D’Aquitaine Bulls to £885, £830, £805, £765, £750, £700 (x2), £690, £685

(top 276p/kg av 228.7p/kg)

Aberdeen Angus Bulls to £700, £620, £490, £425 (top 243p/kg av 180p/kg)

Friesian Bulls to £450, £415, £315, £270, £265 (top 148p/kg av 130.5p/kg)

Stabiliser Bulls to £1165, £1050 (top 216p/kg av 285p/kg)

Store sheep – 3,596. A good, firm feeding lamb trade. Plenty of men to bid for the lambs. Strong feeding lambs sold up to £81 and averaged £62.10, medium lambs to £60 average £56.20, small store lambs to £52.10 average £49.50. Overall average for all lambs sold £53.20. Considerable interest in the ewe lambs with ewe lambs up to £82 and an overall average of £70 right the way through for all sorts. Some nice lambs on offer at this sale. An end of season entry of breeding ewes met a total clearance with North Country Mules to £104, full mouthed ewes at £70. Still men looking for breeding rams with Charollais shearlings up to £405 average £265, Texel yearlings to 300gns, Suffolk ram lambs to £189.

Calves and weanlings – 1. A very disappointing entry with a weaned bull calf at £370 and lots of people making enquiries as to the number of calves that would be sold. More needed.