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:

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:

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:

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 – 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.