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The inclement weather over the Easter weekend has put the pressure on folk that are lambing. One day it's glorious sunshine, then the next it's snowing! We had a lamb that was frozen the other day, however, after a couple of hours in front of the Aga and the use of our dogs Christmas jumper, it soon rallied round. 

The pigs are running riot into everything but you can lose time just watching their funny antics.

Beef trade is still struggling for various reasons, however, I continue to be disappointed at the lack of positive red meat marketing. On the run up to Easter, whilst there has been more promotion for lamb, anger and frustration has been shown by farmers on social media regarding supermarkets pushing in store British branded lamb, yet only imported, cheap lamb is seen for sale on their shelves. They should be ashamed.

The poor finished beef price doesn't seem to be deterring store cattle buyers who are out in force but they must be hoping the weather improves to get their purchases turned out soon. Likewise, ewes and lambs are a good trade but again some better weather would encourage buyers. Hogg numbers are now on the downward trend but the price seems to be holding up even though there are a few more spring lambs in the markets. Breeding stock seems to really be in demand, with a new record set at Cockermouth mart for a Limousin cross cow making £5,200. Ruby Red Devon females at Sedgemoor auction centre were also well sought after.

Some sales to look out for this week:
  • Friday, April 1 – Spring equestrian sale including Shetland ponies at York Auction Market.
  • Saturday, April 2 – Dispersal sale of tractors, trailers, machinery and livestock equipment on behalf of AC & CA Brookes, Haw Street Farm, Dursley, GL11 5AY. Sale by Voyce Pullin.
  • Saturday, April 2 – Sale of 1000 finished and store hogs and geld ewes at Gisburn Auction Market.
  • Tuesday, April 5 – Mart's the Heart-supported second catalogued store sale at Melton Mowbray Market.
  • Tuesday, April 5 – Mart's the Heart-supported spring show and sale of pedigree Hereford cattle at Hereford Market
Steph Ryder
Head of Commercial Sales & Development

This past week 21 piglets arrived. Both our Gloucester Old Spot sows pigged within an hour of each other. It’s amazing how quickly they come on, they are exploring already!

The weather has been grand and the lambs are enjoying sunshine on their backs. Around us dairy cows are being put out to grass. There seems to be an influx of moles, so get out your traps and your marshmallows!

The Blue pedigree and commercial trade was good at Newark at the weekend, topping at 4,200gns for Adam Neachell’s pedigree blue bull and the commercial trade topped at £1,700 twice for British Blue-sired suckled calves and £2,900 for a cow and calf.

Prime cattle trade is no better on the whole, although some markets have had a bit of a boost with some Easter primestock shows.

Sheep trade seems to be holding up and there a few more spring lambs about, which have been given a lift by the Easter trade. We put some cast ewes through Longtown last week and averaged just short of £114 each, which we were pleased about.

Some sales coming up:
  • Friday, March 25 – Halls’ Stone machinery sale on Stanklyn Lane, DY10 4AR.
  • Saturday, March 26 – Sale of memorabilia and old tools at Shrewsbury Showground.
  • Tuesday, March 29 – Annual Kirkcambeck sale of store cattle at Longtown Auction Market.
  • Tuesday, March 29 – Sale of 30 purebred Shorthorn cows and heifers at Leek Auction Mart.
Happy Easter and don’t forget the clocks change on Saturday.

Steph Ryder
Head of Commercial Sales & Development
The days are getting longer and the grass is starting to green up already. We've been taking advantage of this spring-like weather window and have been getting as many ewes and lambs outside as we can.

I went to UK Dairy Expo at the weekend which was really well supported. I'm not a dairy cow expert by any means, but even I could tell the stock quality was high. I even got my eye in and picked a few of the front runners!

Events such as this are critical. They give folk the chance of getting away from the day-to-day churn, exchange gossip and discuss how they and others
 are coping with the current challenges faced with
the low income from milk.

Little change in the prime cattle price does not seem to be deterring store cattle buyers who are out in force and prepared to pay good money for the best cattle. Let's hope the price improves before its time to sell them.

Lamb trade continues to be good for all weights and types, as hogg numbers start to decline and the cull ewe trade has had a bit of a lift this week.
There’s still plenty of dairy dispersals going on and the better quality milkers are still selling reasonably well.



Some sales coming up this week:
  • Friday, March 18  – Sale of tractors, implements, machinery, crops and small tools at Darlington Mart.
  • Saturday, March 19 – A Mart's the Heart-supported sale of British Blue cattle at Newark Livestock Market.
  • Saturday, March 19 – Irish Simmental premier show and sale at Roscommon Mart, Ireland.
  • Saturday, March 19 – Spring collective machinery sale at Hexham Market.
  • Monday, March 21 – Easter lamb show at Bakewell Market.
If you didn't get chance to check out this Suffolk ewe behaving like a spring lamb, then here you go. It's now had over 80,000 views!


Have a good week.
Steph Ryder
Head of Commercial Sales & Development, Farmers Guardian
I’ve gone viral and it didn’t hurt at all! I posted this video of one of my Suffolk ewes springing about with the lambs, it made me smile and others too by the looks of it. It’s been viewed more than 45,000 times!

This past week we had a sheep inspection which was as welcome as death in the middle of lambing. Needless to say, apart from a couple of minor things, all went well.The pedigree and commercial trade was pretty good for Blues at Chelford last weekend, with a top price of 7,400gns for a Blue bull and commercials topped at £3,000 for a heifer.

Sheep trade looks fairly consistent and hopefully should hold up with Easter being early and not many spring lambs about, although all the rain we are having is not helping the ewe and lamb trade or anyone with lambs turned out. It makes you wonder if this will encourage the boys coming out of dairy, who need to put something on their land, to buy a few sheep here and there. Maybe this might have a positive effect on beef breeding cattle too, time will tell.


Certainly the store and breeding sales so far have seen a some good prices given that the prime trade is still somewhat disappointing with not much sign of improvement and anything with show potential is generally making a good price as people start to plan for the coming season – although that seems a long way off given the weather!

Some sales coming up this week:
  • Saturday, March 12 – Spring Spectacular show and sale of show potential cattle, supported by Mart's the Heart, at Leyburn Auction Mart.
  • Saturday, March 12 – English premier show and sale of bulls and females (on behalf of the Lincoln Red Cattle Society, the Aberdeen-Angus Society, the British Simmental Cattle Society and the Salers-Cattle Society) at Newark Livestock Market.
  • Saturday, March 12 – Halls host an on-farm dispersal sale of tractors and machinery at Evenwood Farm, Kenley, Shrewsbury, SY5 6NN.
  • Monday, March 14 and Tuesday, March 15 – Two-day sale of red and black Holsteins at Beeston Castle Market.
Enjoy the rest of the week,
Steph Ryder
Head of Commercial Sales & Development, Farmers Guardian
It feels like spring at last. The fields are filling up with ewes and lambs and hedges have been cut before the March 1 deadline.
 

Like others, we are still in the fog of lambing. One of the old favourites, a 10-year-old Dorset we use as a recipient, who I swear is half human, has lambed a cracker of a Beltex tup. She’s a heck of a good mother and always does her lambs well.

More bad news for the dairy sector this week as Arla announces its giving 12 months’ notice to direct supply farmers. Unsurprisingly more dairy dispersals this week, but again the better quality cattle are still a decent trade.

Fairly positive trade across other sectors this week, with prime cattle maintaining recent improvement and the hogg trade particularly buoyant for all weights and breeds - let's hope it continues. On the back of this the first couples appearing in markets are selling well, especially ewes with stronger lambs ready to turn out.

As to be expected at this time of year, store cattle numbers are increasing, but demand continues to be strong. 

Some sales coming up:

  • Friday, March 4 – Third young handlers’ cattle over-wintering show at Gisburn Mart, sale of over-wintered cattle on the following day - supported by Mart's the Heart.
  • Friday, March 4 – Two-day dispersal sale of the Mellguards pedigree Holstein herd on behalf of Messrs F.M. and R.M. Fisher at Borderway Mart, Carlisle.
  • Saturday, March 5 – Auction of horse-drawn vehicles, machinery, equipment and bygones by Irelands, Arnold and Keys at Hillside Animal & Shire Horse Sanctuary, NR27 9QH.
  • Saturday, March 5 – On-farm collective sale of tractors, machinery and livestock equipment on Iford Estate, Iford, Lewes, by South East Marts.
  • Saturday, March 5 – 61st national show and sale of British Blue cattle at Chelford Market.
Have a good week.
Steph Ryder
Head of Commercial Sales & Development, Farmers Guardian
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