Well, we have the barn all set up for the Suffolks lambing next week. I've left the ewes out a little longer this year as I feel it keeps them fitter and healthier overall. However, now the long, hard frost has broken, they'll be coming inside over the next few days.



Over the past few weeks, we have been snowed under with seasonal sale reports and it has been great to see some stellar prime, dairy and calf trade taking place across the markets, both large and small. Christmas sales are dwindling off now, as the marts take a well earned break before new year selling kicks off.

Pedigree sales have quietened down and the dizzy heights reached at some of the summer events seem a lifetime ago.

Note must be given to our Irish breeders across the water who are maintaining the superb pedigree trade. At the Northern Stars Texel sale of in-lamb gimmers held at Ballymena market, a new Northern Irish female Texel record of 19,000gns was set. This was paid for a gimmer from Richard Henderson’s Ballynahone flock, in the shape of an ET-bred Duncryne Uber Cool daughter which sold to the Jim Innes of the Strathbogie flock, Huntly.



Picking out some highlights from the late festive fixtures, and at Colchester, top price was 400p/kg for the champion, a Limousin heifer from W.A. Ketley and Sons, Fingringhoe, while at Dumfries, the supreme honours went to a 535kg British Blue heifer from Niall Goldie and Ben Radley which sold to 360p/kg.

At Truro, the reserve locally-bred champion, a heavy Limousin cross steer led the prices at 390p/kg for S. and T. Penellum, St. Newlyn East.

Looking at lamb prices, and Truro's winners also sold well, going to 300p/kg for exhibitors G.B. Renfree, Quethiock, while at Gaerwen, the winning pen of 42kg Beltex crosses from Gareth Rowlands, Bryndernog, hit 357p/kg.

Dairy trade at Sedgemoor's Christmas Cracker was a led by the Leswidden herd owned by T.J. and C.M. Dauncey, Penzance, who sold the EX92 fourth calver Leswidden PS Chrissey for a top price of 2,400gns. Sedgemoor also hosted the dispersal of the renowned Quaish herd of Limousins owned by Nick and Lisa Hill and family, Somerset, which topped at 5,400gns for some quality cows and heifers with calves at foot.

Have a good week,

Steph.

Sales coming up this week...

Thursday, December 21  - Welshpool will be hosting a sale of 111 in-lamb ewes as well as nine empty ewe lambs on behalf of the Shropshire and Border Texel Club
Friday. December 22 - Wright Marshall will be holding its Christmas prime stock sale at Beeston Castle Auction
Saturday, December 23 - Hawes Auction Mart will be running a Christmas sale of dressed poultry
Wednesday, December 27 - Newark Livestock Market will be holding its sale of fat lambs, cull ewes and store lambs

Well it's been seriously cold with us experiencing some unbelievably sub-zero temperatures. Amazingly we were hardly touched by snow, unlike many areas which saw an abundance of it!

We've had a couple of disasters with the Suffolk ewes. One ewe aborted twins and the following day died and another started lambing quads, all before their time and sadly born dead. It's likely one died and poisoned the others.  Let's hope our luck changes. 

Well it’s been somewhat of a dryer week, with some sharp, crisp mornings. The harder ground has helped folk put slurry out on their fields. We’ve brought the Suffolks closer to home in readiness for lambing. They are due to lamb at Christmas and we’ve just started to feed the ewes to hopefully encourage more milk. They are hungry beggars and just about ambush me when they spot the arrival of their cake!

At Carlisle, there was some serious Texel female trade, with a Strathbogie gimmer from Jim Innes, Aberdeen, making 16,000gns to Charlie Boden of the Stockport-based Sportsmans flock, who then took another from the Strathbogie pen at 12,000gns. Suffolks also went under the hammer, topping at 9,400gns for a gimmer from Gary Beacon's Lakeview flock.

The Black and White sale, also held at Borderway, saw bids hit 9,000gns for the red and white heifer Eastford Absolute Hotspot Red from Eastford Holsteins. A couple of first time sales were recorded, including the first heifer to be offered from the Futuredream Jersey herd of James Evans, which made 7,500gns. The first daughter of the two-time national Italian champion Toc-Farm Allen Amyly EX96 was also sold, hitting 7,000gns for Messrs Lawrence. Christmas sales are well underway, with vendors and buyers alike ensuring local fixtures are well supported. Numbers are good and prices for well fed cattle are strong. At Pateley Bridge's prime cattle sale, the beef champion, a British Blue cross heifer from Liam Rodney, set a new market record of 395p/kg (£2,666). Salisbury's prime show saw mother and sister duo Sarah and Nicola Harrison, Bramshaw, take champion and reserve open beef, champion baby beef and champion un-haltered beef, before topping the price list with a Limousin cross steer at 322p/kg. Prime lambs are also making good money. At Cockermouth, the winning pair of Texels from Bill Skelton sold for £220/head (415p/kg), while at St Asaph, the champion commercial lambs from H.C. Williams led the bids at £152/head (390p/kg). Cull trade is slightly down on the week and stores should pick up as we get into the New Year. Have a good week, Steph.

Sales coming up this week Friday, December 8 - Harrison and Hetherington will be holding the Red Ladies Derby to include 175 pedigree Limousin cattle on behalf of the British Limousin Society at Borderway Mart Saturday, December 9 - Richard Turner will be running the Christmas Prime Sheep Show at Gisburn Mart Sunday, December 10 - Newark Livestock Market will be holding its Mart's the Heart-sponsored Nottinghamshire Christmas Primestock Show Monday, December 11 - Caledonian Marts will be having its Martinmas Show and Sale of 10,000 store lambs and also feeding ewes at Stirling Livestock Centre