Autumn has definitely landed. Over the past few mornings, the cars have been white over with frost! The crisp sunny weather has made it easier to catch up on those last minute jobs. This week, we took our Pietrain cross GOS piglets to the rare breeds sale at Carlisle where it was mobbed. I was fair pleased with the trade - gilts made £60 a piece whilst the boars made £48. With the profits burning a hole in my pocket, I went and spent it on ‘Katie’ the pygmy goat. She’ll be great company for our goat ‘Kitty’ that was orphaned earlier this year.

Its a busy time of year for auction marts and while in general averages are down for commercial breeding sheep elsewhere there seems to be money about for the top end pedigree stock. The Ribble herd of Aberdeen-Angus was dispersed at Skipton for Henry Rowntree attracting a big crowd and peaking at 7,500gns twice for the bull Ribble Eritrean N031 and the heifer Ribble Black Belinda S489 which sold with its heifer calf. At Sedgemoor the UK premier herd winner, the Oakroyal herd was dispersed yesterday on behalf of Dennis Smith topping at 5,600gns twice and commercial dairy trade also seems to have seen a bit of an uplift of late. North Country Cheviots topped at £5000 at the Marts The Heart sale at Lockerbie for Synton Warrior from G Davies and Son and at Skipton's Northern Texel breeders sale, the national chairman Steve Richardson led the trade at 3,400gns for the shearling ram Stonebridge Albie.

Sales coming up this week Thursday, September 27 – Richard Turner and Sons will be holding a dispersal sale on behalf of J.D. and V. Towers of lorry, tractors, equipment and machinery at Camp House Farm, Lancaster, LA2 9LH. Friday, September 28 – Rugby Farmers Mart will be holding their annual ram fair of approx 2300 quality breeding sheep at Rugby Farmers Mart Saturday, September 29 – Hopes Auction will be holding a Prize Show and Sale of 5000 continental Store Lambs at Wigton Market  Monday, October 1 – Newark Livestock Market will be holding the 780th Corby Glen Sheep Fair a  grass field show and sale of all classes of breeding sheep, store lambs & rams at Corby Glen off the A151 VIEW MORE

Until next week, Steph

We’ve had a busy week getting tups ready to sell. We had a strong pen of Suffolk tup lambs which exceeded expectations, especially in the current climate. Two sold for £750 which I was fair pleased about and we had an overall average of £458. We also had a mixed pen of shearlings which all found homes so that’s less mouths to feed at home!

The shed is taking shape in the spare time we can give it, as we are doing as much of the work as we can to keep costs down (I say we, I look on and provide cups of tea!!)

The two big ram sales over the last week at Kelso and Builth Wells have seen a better than anticipated trade overall with averages in general just slightly back. Top price at Kelso was £29,000 for a Texel shearling from the Clark family's Garngour flock selling to Paul Slater, Cheshire. Leading the trade at Builth at 12,000gns was a Bluefaced Leicester ram from Tudor Harris. Elsewhere Mule gimmer lamb sales are in full swing where trade seems to be down on the year. The bigger better quality lambs are still a good trade but the smaller running lambs are meeting less demand. The big two-day sale at Hawes, where more than 23,000 lambs went under the hammer, averaged £79.06 which is £21 down on the year. Auctioneers are reporting the downturn is because potential buyers, especially in the south, are still suffering from a lack of grass as many still have not sold their shearlings so are not investing their money back into ewe lambs.

Sales coming up this week Thursday, September 20 – Norton and Brooksbank will be holding a sale of 340 British Friesians (also Holstein Friesians and Jerseys) from the noted Langley herd on behalf of Messrs C.J. and G.R. Carnell at Horton Wharf Farm, LU7 9DE Friday, September 21 – Mitchells will be holding a sale of 10,142 North of England Mule gimmer lambs at Lakeland Livestock Centre Saturday, September 22 – CCM and United Auctions will be hosting the Ribble Aberdeen-Angus total herd dispersal, comprising 169 cows and calves, 39 heifers, 26 maiden heifers and a selection of bulls on behalf of Rowntree Farms, Gisburn, at Skipton Auction Mart Saturday, September 22 – Newark will be holding an important third Sale of breeding females, rams and store lambs to include a complete dispersal sale of 100 registered Lleyn ewes from J. Bealby and Sons Ltd at Newark Livestock Market

Until next week, Steph

Blimey, we have had some rain over these past couple of days! The stock are looking a bit fed up and the field gates are getting claggy.

We’ve been busy getting on with a much awaited and needed cattle shed. We are really excited and can’t wait for it to be erected. The thought of lambing in a spacious shed rather than the old stone byers fills me with delight!

Today I’ve been at UK Dairy Day. As usual lots to see and great to catch up with so many folk! I stood ringside with Aubrey Greenhough and Holstein Judge Mick Gould, there was so many fantastic cattle. I certainly didn't envy the judges! The Supreme Champion went to B.L Davies and Son with their Senior 3 year old, Davlea Bradnick Alicia. The Reserve Champion win went to Wiltor Chipper Rosie Polled Red from W and C.E Jones with honourable mention to Kedar Alaska (Blooming) from T. Lochhead and sons.

Speaking of dairy, Bulls from some of the world’s top cow families were out in force at this years Western Holstein Club bull show and sale, incorporating the Wexham cup award. Top seller at 4,100gns was Sterndale Giovanni from W. J. Nadin and Co., Earl. At 3,600gns was the Wexham Cup winner, this year awarded to Peak Arv Royale from Y. K. Bradbury, Earl Sterndale. In the wider market, store cattle seem to be in demand, particularly for the more forward and short keep types. More spectacular headlines in the pedigree sheep sale rings this week when at the Solway and Tyne Texel Club sale, Sportsmans Batman from Boden and Davies, Stockport sold for 100,000gns to Proctors Farms, Lancashire. The March-2018 born Garngour Alabama son is out of a homebred dam by Knap Vicious Sid. The Farmers Guardian supported sale of gimmer shearlings and stock ewes at St. Boswells saw a top call of £200 for North County Cheviot gimmers from V. Alder, Longframlington. Next at £178 and £172 were the pre-sale show first and second placed lots from the Ross Brothers, Stichen, Aberdeenshire. Elsewhere, trade for commercial breeding sheep is very mixed with some of the more recent sales reporting a better trade but there is little demand for the second quality sheep. However, store lamb prices remain remarkably good in spite of a dip in prime lamb averages.  In terms of crop sales, hay and straw sales at Beeston saw June meadow to £175/t; straw, barley, quads to £105/t; straw, wheat quads to £94/t.

Sales coming up this week Thursday, September 13 – Craig Wilson will be holding a sale of Blackface Gimmer and Ewes on behalf of the Blackface Sheep Breeders Association at Ayr Mart Friday, September 14 – Closamectin Kelso Ram sales at Border Union Agricultural Society, Springwood Park, TD5 8LS Saturday, September 15 – Thirsk will be holding a Farm Machinery Dispersal Auction on behalf of R.H. Blair and partners at at Skeeby, Richmond (Nr Scotch Corner) Monday and Tuesday, September 17 and 18 – Hawes will be holding a Marts the Heart sponsored two day sale of Gimmer Lamb at Hawes Mart View More...

Until next week, Steph FG Auction Finder - Your one stop shop for all agricultural sales  www.auctionfinder.co.uk

Our lanes are busy with tractors who are cracking on combining and getting in a much needed second cut. The swallows have sadly departed and the trees are just on the turn, so autumn feels around the corner. Although feeding the sale ewes first thing this morning in the promising sunshine with blue skies above was warmly received.

Sheep breeding sales both pedigree and commercial are in full swing and while records continue to be broken at the top end of the pedigree sale, commercial trade is somewhat sticky.

The Farmers Guardian - supported show and sale of Cheviot Mules at Longtown saw a strong trade for shearlings, with the top call of £210 going to R. McNee, Over Finlarg, matching last year’s record price from the same home.

Texel trade topped at 4,300gns at Ballymena last week for the sale champion shearling ram from Brian Williamson. At Carlisle, at what I understand is the first sale of Dutch Spotted sheep in the UK, trade peaked at 3,500gns for a ram lamb from Megan Rowlandson. There was a fair crowd of folk around the ring. This breed may be the next big thing... who knows?

New male and female Jacob records were set at Skipton at the weekend when Pentrenant Pimms, a ram lamb from Jean Price, Powys, sold for 4,600gns and a shearling ewe from Wyn and Siwan Harries' Hope flock, Carmarthenshire sold for 2,700gns.

NEMSA gimmer lamb sales are getting underway but with a shortage of grass still in the South and a steady trade for shearlings so far, it will be interesting to see how much buyers are prepared to pay.

I had the pleasure of hosting the judging day of the Mart's the Heart Awards on Friday for Chris Dodds of the Livestock Auctioneers Association, Andrew Wright of the Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers in Scotland, and Will Evans, host of the Rock and Roll Farming Podcast.  They had a real task ahead of them, as the competition this year was stronger than ever. Some tough choices were made, but am pleased to announce the winners of the 2018 Mart’s the Heart awards are as follows:



Thank you to everyone who voted for the finalists in our Mart's the Heart Awards. We've had a phenomenal response, it really shows the crucial role auctions play within our community.  We're proud to spotlight your local stalwarts of the agricultural sector with our awards.

Sales coming up this week

Thursday, September 6 – Wright Marshall will be hosting the Western Holstein Club's annual Wexham Cup Bull show and sale at Beeston Castle Auction

Friday and Saturday, September 7 and 8 – Melton Mowbray will be holding its 16th National Show and Sale of traditional and native breeds held under the auspices of the participating breed societies at Melton Mowbray Market

Monday, September 10 – Gwilym Richards is holding a dispersal sale of the entire herd of 106 Holstein Friesians, 3 Ford Tractors, machinery and dairy equipment on behalf of Mr W.G. and Mrs S.J. King at Brookfield Farm, CV2 2AD

Tuesday, September 11 – Ruthin Farmers will be holding the 13th annual production sale from the Whiteley Hey Flock on behalf at Ruthin Farmers Market