SIMMENTALS ‘DOING THE BUSINESS’ AT COMMERCIAL MARKETS AROUND THE UK AND INCLUDING: SELBY; HUNTLY; HALLWORTHY; STIRLING; SKIPTON; RUGBY; HEXHAM; LANCASTER; THAINSTONE; DINGWALL; FROME; CARLISLE; MALTON; MARKET DRAYTON; EXETER; & PENRITH

See the latest market briefs here of the Simmental breed topping commercial sales, across all classes of stock, at livestock markets around the country.

At Selby Market’s store cattle sale on Saturday 19th March, the trade for bulls was led by a ten and a half month Simmental X at £1330 from WJ Hollingsworth, Midhope. In the steers, Simm steers from RD Green sold to £1320, with further Simm steers at £1280 from Simons Bros.

At UA’s sale of store and OTM cattle at Huntly on 17th March, OTMs sold to 195.1p per kg for a 810kg SimX from Corskie, Garmouth. Top gross was £1710 for an 895kg Sim also from Corskie, Garmouth.

In a sale of stirks and rearing calves at Hallworthy Market, a seven month old Simmental steer made £605 for regular consignor Toby Dance.

At Stirling on 16th March, United Auctions sold 1679 store cattle and young bulls, 157 cast cows, bulls and out of spec cattle and 62 rearing cattle. Heifers (750) sold to £1570 for a 760kg SimX from Fernie Mill.

At Skipton’s show and sale on 16th March, the section of breeding cattle was topped at £2200 for a pedigree Simmental heifer with her Simmental bull calf at foot from David Loftus of Singleton on the Fylde Coast.

On Monday 14th March at Rugby Farmers Mart sale, the top gross for prime bulls was £1584 to C H Evans for a Simmental.
Hexham & Northern Marts sale of store cattle on 11th March saw the 17-22 months section topped by Simmental x steers at £1660 from £1660 Dunns Houses who sold further steers to £1560. Simmental x steers from Satley Farm sold to £1550 & £1430.

At NWAs sale of Calves, OTM, and Store cattle on 11th March, Lancaster continues to boast a strong trade for store cattle, as short keep cattle continue to be a strong trade. Simmental steers led the way selling to £1560, with others to £1420 from EJ Burrow, Milnthorpe.

At a sale of cast cows and bulls at Aberdeen & Northern Marts Thainstone sale centre on 10th March, Beef Feeding Cows (70) averaged £1,224.73 (+£33.73) and sold to £1,430 for a 784kg Simmental Cross from Strathmore, Coull. Boning Cows (39) averaged £847.82 (+£11.57) and sold to £1,060 for a 626kg Simmental Cross from Overhill, Whitecairns. Dairy Cows (12) averaged £977.50 (+£141.25) and sold to £1,310 for a 714kg Fleckvieh Cross from Flotterston House.

A flying trade for prime bulls at Darlington Mart on 9th March saw the top Simmental price being £2300 for a ‘super Simmental’ from G & A Christie, Mid Town of Glass, Aberdeenshire.

In the store cattle sale at Hallworthy on 10th March, the ‘Cows and Fats’ section was topped by A R Martin of Liskeard with a Simmental x Cow to £1170.

Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd, sold 717 store cattle, 43 adult head of breeding cattle and 61 OTM cattle on 9th March. Avoch. Heifers (314) averaged 236.4p per kg and sold to £1,400 gross for a 625kg Simmental cross from Hatton Cottage, Dallas.
Simmental steers were to the fore in a sale of prime cattle at Frome Market on 9th March. Two ‘corking’ Simmentals from EM Horn of Southampton soared to 229.50p/kg and 225.50p/kg or £1589 and £1491.

On Wednesday 9th March Harrison & Hetherington had 1247 cattle forward at their weekly sale at Carlisle comprising of 500 Store Cattle, 247 store bulls and weanlings, and 500 calves. Featuring in the top prices, Simmentals cross steers from Messrs Wigham, Cold Shields, Haltwhistle sold to £1560.

At Malton on 8th March, Simmentals featured in the top prices when a 595kg Sim X from W & L Thompson topped at 291.50ppk (£1734.43).

In H&H’s sale of prime bulls at Carlisle on 7th March, Messrs Currie, Pinclanty Farm, Girvan made their debut selling in Borderway a worthwhile journey selling the top priced Simmental to £2341.28 weighing 1007kg. Messrs Gwynne, Castlewigg, Newton Stewart to £2268 for their 1024kg Simmental.

In a sale at Market Drayton on 7th March, younger stock bulls sold to 185p (£1,217.30) for a Simmental from Mr Darren Young, Balterley. In a sale of 370 weanlings, continental bulls sold to £450 for 3.5 month Simmentals from Benbow Bros, Market Drayton. Simmentals were in high demand with 4 month models selling to £540 for H.&C. Bloxham & Co, Stafford. The continental heifers followed the same vein as the steers with size and weight being the call. Top price went to Simmental heifers from D.&A. Warrington, Uttoxeter at £650 with 3 to 5 months models selling at £450 to £500.

At Exeter’s sale of prime cattle on 7th March, well finished heifers of note included a cracking Simmental from Andrew and George Palk of Paignton which grossed £1369 (572kg x 240ppk).

At Huntly on 5th March, United Auctions sold 1205 cattle. 522 bullocks sold to average 248.6pp and selling to a top gross of £1580 for a SimX from Mains, Huntly. 683 Heifers sold to average 237.4p per kg and selling to a top gross of £1580 for a SimX from Nether Kirkton, Barthel Chapel.

Thainstone’s sale of adult breeding cattle on 4th March saw In Calf Heifers sell to £1,600 for a Simmental cross from Lochiepots, Elgin. In Calf Cows (85) sold to £1,720 for a Simmental cross from Lochiepots.

Exeter hosted a spring show and sale of continental store cattle on 4th March. Having placed second in the pre-sale judging, Andrew and George Palk saw bunches of ‘glorious Simmental heifers’ (18m) sell to £1320 and £1270. In a sale of calves on the same day, the decent quality sold well and topped at £380 twice for two smart 8 week old Simmental bulls from Malcolm Pring & Family of Broadclyst.

On 4th March, Penrith & District Farmers’ Mart LLP held their fortnightly sale of 130 Rearing Calves and Stirks. An extended ringside of buyers was forward to a much larger entry of youngstock, with demand across the board proving to be much sharper, and some strong prices were achieved throughout the sale. Topping the sale at £1000 was an eleven-month-old Simmental cross bullock from Mr J Harrison, Penny Hill Park, Penrith, bought by Mr J Linsley.

At a sale at Thainstone on 3rd March for Orkney consignors, prime Cattle (30-48 Months) Sold to £1,431.65 gross and 209p per kg for a 685kg Simmental Heifer from D P Nicholson & Co, Quoys, South Ronaldsay. Ata general sale of prime cattle on the same day, 30 to 36 Month sold to a top gross of £1775.06 for a 818kg Simmental from Overton of Bruxie, Maud. Heifers (13) averaged 213p and sold to 235p per kg for 630kg Clashendamer, Fordyce, and £1,573.80 gross for a 732kg Simmental from Ardhuncart, Kildrummy.

On 2nd March United Auctions sold 2135 store cattle, 159 cast cows, bulls and out of spec cattle at Stirling. Beef Cows and Bulls (132) averaged 171.73p to 220.60p per kg for a SimX from Kirkton of Lundie.

In a small sale of prime cattle at Frome on 2nd March, the OTM’s on offer were led at 210.50p/kg or £1376 for Messrs BK & A Garrett’s Simmental heifer. Leading the bulls, a senior Simmental bull sold to an impressive 129.50p/kg or £1451 from Scott Shergold.

At Thainstone on 25th February, Aberdeen and Northern Marts sold 1,502 Store Cattle and Young Bulls incorporating BVD Virus Free and Vaccinated Bulling Heifers. Heifers (555) averaged 245.7p and sold to £1,600 gross (twice) firstly for a pen of four 582kg Simmental crosses from Thurdistoft, Castletown also for a pen of four 680kg Simmental crosses from Drumneachie, Birse. Bulls sold to 237.8p per kg for a pair of 410kg Simmental crosses from Wairds Farm, Dyce.