Archive for June 2018

Well, this past week it’s been hot enough to crack the flags. The air smells blissfully of freshly-mown and wilting grass. Folk are bailing everywhere and if you can’t make good hay now, there’s no hope. The only worry is that everything has slowed down on the growth side and we are pretty desperate for rain to give everything a boost.

The Royal Highland Show was a great success. The weather was perfect, the cool breeze was a blessing for those showing in the ring.

The quality of stock was, as usual, exceptional. I entered a Suffolk and I was fair delighted to get a fourth ticket with the shearling tup. The lambs didn't disgrace me either!

Can't believe its that time of year again - sheep sales have kicked off already with the Females with Figures sale of Charollais at Worcester topping at 3,100gns for a shearling ewe from the Boyo flock.

Most farmers are taking advantage of this spell on glorious weather to get on with hay and silage making results in less numbers in the marts which is helping trade.
Although the prime lamb national average price has dropped as is to be expected at the time of year there are still some decent prices being achieved, in some cases more than 300p/kg, with buyers willing to pay a premium for well fleshed lambs.

While good for haymaking,hot weather and no rain is now seriously impacting on grass growth. Store prices are holding up at the moment but it will be interesting to see how this effects the store lamb trade with sales due to start within the next fortnight

Sales coming up this week

Thursday, June 28 – Halls will be holding a dispersal sale of modern farm machinery, implements and vehicles upon instruction of Lord Barnard at Grange Farms, TF6 5HJ
Friday, June 29 – Wright Marshall will be hosting the annual summer show and sale of Dairy Shorthorn cattle on behalf of the Shorthorn Society at Beeston Castle Auction
Saturday, June 30 – Hexham will be holding a sale of Wagyu cattle on behalf of the British Wagyu society at Hexham Mart
Saturday, June 30 – Clee Tompkinson Francis will be hosting the 14th annual show and sale of Dorset Sheep on behalf of the Welsh Dorset Club at Llandovery Market

Until next week,

Steph

Well, we appear to have everything hatching at the minute, from swallows to ducks to hens. One of the Muscovy ducks turned up with a chick! There’s sure to be an identity crisis or at the least disappointment when it’s reluctant to take a dip in the stream!

I had my first experience of judging. Something I have to say I have avoided doing. Anyway, The North Yorkshire Show were very persistent securing two judges, as my husband judged cattle whilst I judged Suffolk sheep. It is a lovely show, with a decent turnout of quality sheep. I haven’t quite decided if I enjoyed the judging experience, however!

The Shorthorn bull, Kubota, we bought at Stirling earlier this year is off for semen collection this week. I was looking forward to showing him this season, but we had to keep him isolated so that put the kibosh on that plan. To be honest it was a business opportunity we’d be daft not to take up. We’ll have him back in the Autumn and all being we'll look to get him out showing in 2019.

Although new season lamb trade is slightly back again good prices are still being achieved as numbers remain tight and it is still way above at the same time last year.

Store and breeding cattle are still very much in demand although concerns about lack of grass if we don't soon get some rain might start to impact on that.

At the Welsh Dairy centre, two freshly calved heifers sold to £2,500 apiece to top the Llanewydd herd dispersal of pedigree Holsteins on behalf of Brian and Sian Phillips, Trawsmawr, Carmarthen.

Down country, the Pruston dispersal held on behalf of Messrs H.C. Dayment and Son, Exeter saw a top price of 2,000gns for the freshly calved heifer Pruston Patrol Mabel.

With show season well underway, The FG team have been out and about reporting on shows and will be at the Royal Highland and Lincolnshire this week.

Your nominations have been coming in thick and fast for this year's Farmers Guardian 'Marts the Heart Awards'.

Auctions and auctioneers are essential to the health and wellbeing of any farm businesses with livestock, and auctioneers are, in many ways, at the forefront of the livestock industry. Their purpose is to bring farmers together, to achieve the best price for whatever they are selling, and they are therefore an intrinsic part of the industry.

Click here and show your support and nominate your champions!

Sales coming up this week

Thursday, June 21– Wright Marshall will be holding a dispersal sale of 270 commercial Holstein Friesians on behalf of MD Harding and Partners at Beeston Castle Auction
Friday, June 22 – Graham Watkins will be holding a farm dispersal sale of tractors and machinery and a wide range of implements at Manor Farm, Leek ST10 3EP
Saturday, June 23 – Newark will be holding a cattle sale on behalf of Fristling Hall Farms, Essex (TB4) comprising of British Blue, Limousin and Simmental sired cattle at Newark Livestock Market
Tuesday, June 26 – NWA will be holding a sale of prime pigs at Junction 36 (J36) Kendal

Maybe see you up at the Highland Show!

The weather has been in our favour as we’ve been on with clipping. I’m sure the stock were relieved to lose their jackets in this heat. I never thought I’d say it, we need rain and a fair amount of it as the ground is like concrete. Other than clipping, the job of the weekend was washing sheep ahead of the shows and sales. It’s back breaking work anback-breakingays glad to finish. Now they are dry, dressing and colouring ahead of next week’s Royal Highland Show is underway.

It was a first at Gisburn this week when a herd of water buffalo from D Boardman, Horwich, was dispersed creating a good deal of interest.

Elsewhere, breeding cattle are still a good trade, with cows and calves selling in demand as well as store cattle. Cull cows are making good money, with a new record average set at Bakewell this week so perhaps that is driving the demand for replacements.

More spring lambs are coming to the market although numbers are still down on the year due to the bad spring weather and while the average price has dropped it is still fairly buoyant.

Our postbox has been busy this week, with a staggering amount of nominations in for this year's Farmers Guardian Mart's the Heart Awards'. Thank you to those who have nominated so far. If you haven't yet nominated, please head towards www.martstheheart.com/vote to show your support for your market. Categories are -

Auctioneer of the Year
New Auctioneer of the Year
Auction Cafe of the Year
Lifetime achievement

You have until July 16 to show me who your market heroes are. Get cracking!

Sales coming up this week

Friday, June 15 – Harrison and Hetherington will be holding a sale of pedigree Limousin cattle on behalf of the British Limousin Cattle Society at Borderway Mart
Friday, June 15 – Welshpool will be holding a dispersal sale of Holstein Friesian dairy cows and heifers from the Willows herd on the instruction of C. and S. Gwil at Welshpool Livestock Market
Saturday, June 16 – Howkins and Harrison will be holding a sale of vintage and collectables auction in association with the Midsummer Vintage Festival Holt Lane, LE17 5NJ
Monday, June 18 – Thirsk Mart will be holding a special sale of Lleyn sheep and other breeding sheep at Thirsk Farmers Auction Mart

The good, growy weather continues and there is plenty of activity in the fields around us getting the silage in. The only downside to the current climate, other than weeds springing up like you wouldn’t believe, is flies. We’ve had a couple of the sheep struck which we treated quickly, but we are on alert.

Three of the five cows we brought closer to home calved in quick succession of each other last week, two Simmentals, a heifer and a bull calf and a Limousin heifer calf. All doing well. It’s a tempting to lean over the fence, losing time on these glorious summer evenings, watching them flash around the field like foals with their tails stuck up like antennae.

Trade at the Westminster Acres herd dispersal at Carlisle topped at 2,100gns for a British Blue sired cow. Comprising of Holstein, Montbeliarde, Danish Red, British Friesian, Ayrshire, and British Blue crosses, animals were sold to a strong crowd of buyers. The on-farm dispersal of the autumn calving Wildbrooks herd topped at 2,100gns in Amberley, Arundel, West Sussex, where 300 head of cattle were sold on behalf of Castle Farm Partnership.

Breeding cattle are in demand with British Blue cows with Blonde calves selling to £3,600 at Barnard Castle and the on-farm production for the Leysons in Neath, Wales, hit £3,100 for a Limousin sired heifer and calf with plenty more markets reporting a strong trade.

Store cattle prices are also good and the prime price is holding up with numbers fairly tight. The new season lamb average is down a touch as numbers increasing although the better lambs are still making in access of 300p/kg in some markets and the hogg price is at last starting to fall as numbers and quality rapidly decline.

Last week saw the nominations open for Farmers Guardian's Marts the Heart Awards. Since Friday's launch, we've had over 25 nominations and the competition looks stiffer than ever.

There are four categories to nominate your choice for :

Auctioneer of the year
New Auctioneer of the Year
Auction Cafe of the Year
Lifetime achievement

This year, our Lifetime Achievement award will recognise a dedicated and enthusiastic character who has worked in the auction industry, I'm going to need your help to decide this year's worthy winner.
They could be a drover, someone in the office, a haulier or anyone who works in the industry. Click here to nominate your choice or watch my video to find out more.

Sales coming up this week

Thursday, June 7 – CCM will be holding an on-farm sale of Sheep & Equipment at High Farm, Harrogate HG3 3EP
Friday, June 8 –Richard Turner will be holding their annual sale of working and unbroken sheepdog at Bentham Auction Mart
Saturday, June 9 – Malcolm Harrison auctions will be holding the Prees plant & truck auction at Prees Storage ltd, SY13 3JX
Tuesday, June 12 – Greenslade Taylor Hunt will be holding an on-farm dispersal sale of 213 Holstein Friesians at Sheldon Farm, Chippenham SN14 0RQ

Until next week,

Steph

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