SIMMENTAL CATTLE CONTINUING TO TOP COMMERCIAL MARKETS AROUND THE UK AND INCLUDING SALES AT: STIRLING; SKIPTON; CARLISLE; ABERDEEN; GISBURN; HUNTLY; LANCASTER; WORCESTER; LONGTOWN; TRURO; DUNGANNON; FROME; SEDGEMOOR; ANGLESEY; EXETER; AYR; DINGWALL; DUMFRIES; LOCHBOISDALE; HEXHAM; MALTON; MARKET DRAYTON; THIRSK; AND OBAN

The versatility, efficiency, and profitability of Simmental cattle across all commercial sale classes is again highlighted in the latest Simmental Market Briefs taking us up to the 23rd November and with lots more still to come in further reports. This latest set takes us from Dingwall to Truro and covers some twenty four livestock markets across the United Kingdom.

United Auctions (Wednesday 23 November 2022) sold 593 store cattle, young bulls and 226 out of spec cattle, cast cows and bulls at Stirling. Heifers (282) averaged 224.00p to 269.20p per kg for a 286kg SimX from Lochlane, and to £1405 for a 568kg SimX from Oatridge.

Skipton Auction Market held their fortnightly sale of young feeding bulls, store bullocks & heifers, and breeding cattle on 23rd November. A new fixture saw the Bovalto Show & Sale of Weaned Beef Bred Bulls provide breeders the opportunity to sell cattle early and buyers the chance to buy high quality bulls to grow on. Simmentals dominated the entry of 90 bulls and led the way in the prices with spring born bulls under 10 months topped at £1450 from RD Elliott, High Moor Farm, Tadcaster who sold further bulls in the same category at £1410 and £1390. RD Elliott also topped the 10-12 month section with Simmental bulls at £1450, and £1390. In the over 12 months section, JD Loftus had Simmental bulls at £1450.

At Harrison & Hetherington’s primestock sale on 21st November at Carlisle, a crossbred 718kg crossbred Simmental bull sold to £1784.23 from Messrs Mitchinson, Gallaberry, Brampton purchased by Jewitt Meats, Spennymoor.

At Aberdeen & Northern Marts, Thainstone,on 17th November, and a sale of cast cows, and bulls, from Orkney consignors, beef cows sold to £1,590 gross for a 860kg Simmental from Backakelday Farms, Holm.

In a sale of rearing calves at Gisburn on 17th November, a Simmental female topped the trade at £430 from Nortons Farm Produce. Simmental X bulls sold to £350 from S Breare.

At Huntly on 17th November, United Auctions sold 205 store cattle and OTMs. OTMs sold to an average of 162.8p per kg selling to a top of 180p per kg for a 830kg SimX from Whitehils, Grange.
In a sale of cast cows and OTM cattle on 18th November at NWA’s Lancaster market, OTM feeding dairy heifers led the way selling to 234.5p/kg and 229.5p/kg or a top of £1681 for Fleckviehs from JK&B Birkett & Son, Morecambe.

Simm cross steers at £1225 from B Knott and IJ Plant led the store cattle trade at McCartney’s Worcester Market on 17th November. At the same sale, Simm x bulls from SP & BS Saunder to £1150 at 11 months.

C&D Auction Marts had a sale of cast cows and bulls on 17th November at Longtown. The sale topped at 211p for a Simmental from first time vendor D Mackay, Lednabirichen, Caithness. The same sale saw Simmental cows to £1,616 from Lednabirichen.

In a sale of rearing calves at Truro on 16th November, top price in the bull calf section was £270 for a Simmental x calf from Messrs N J & L Goldsworthy of Tregony, Truro, who also had another fine Simmental realising £245.

The sale at Dungannon Farmers Mart on Wednesday 16th November saw steer prices remain strong to peak at £1730 for a 725kg Sim (239.00) presented by T Montgomery.

On 14th November at Frome, a store sale of mainly younger dairy types forward were topped by well-shaped Simmental heifers at £1110 from RJ Dacombe, Wimborne.

At Sedgemoor on 12th November, an excellent mid-November entry of 802 store cattle, part of 1176 with the stirks, met a continuing phenomenal trade for the best types. Another South West top price again at £1590 was achieved by JC & PA Chapple, Musbury, with a 19m Simmental steer. In a sale of stirks on the same day, heifers sold to a top price of £745 for a pure Simmental from R & J Cook. Further Simmentals to £670 AD Bulled & Sons.

Aberdeen and Northern Marts on Friday 11th November at Thainstone sold 779 Store Cattle, Young Bulls and Young and Weaned Calves. Bulls sold to 241.4p per kg for a 406kg Simmental cross and £1,040 gross for a 450kg Simmental cross from South Auquhorthies, Oldmeldrum.

On 11th November and a sale of stirks at Morgan Evans & Co’s Anglesey market, the female stirk trade was led at £530 by Simmentals from W Hughes, Ty Mawr Llan.

At Exeter on 11th November, a fantastic day in the cattle pens included a top quality entry of store cattle with large volume buyers from far and wide looking for big numbers for housing ensuring trade remains buoyant. Steers topped at £1455 and including for a grand Simmental bullock from Douglas Horton of Kingsbridge.

Aberdeen and Northern Marts on Thursday 10th November at Thainstone sold 399 cows and bulls to average £1285.26 Beef Feeding Cows (191) averaged £1129.16 and sold to £1410 for a 742kg Simmental from Bullechach, Harpsdale.

In a sale of rearing calves at Gisburn on 10th November, females sold to the top price of £405 for strong Simmentals from Stephen Breare, Silsden.

Messrs Craig Wilson Ltd sold 471 Store Cattle at their sale in Ayr on 10th November. Stronger and quality types dearer again. Top price of the day was 270.9ppkg for a pen of Simmental Bullocks off Lochhill.

At NWA’s sale of calves, stirks, suckler calves, store & OTM cattle at Lancaster on Thursday 10th November, steers sold to the top price of £1215 for a Simmental x from RJ&R Holden, Millom.
In the prize sale of suckled calves at Truro on 9th November, Messrs P M & A Jewell of Penzance had a superb run of Simmental calves on offer (pictured) with a pen of 8 steers selling for £895 to lead the 8-10 month old section, and with another pair at £805.

Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd, on November 9th sold (434) weaned calves, store and 36 adult head of breeding cattle at Dingwall. Young Bulls (32) sold to 240.0p per kg for a 300kg Simmental cross from Bunchrew Farm, Inverness.

Skipton Auction Mart held their fortnightly sale of young feeding bulls, store bullocks & heifers, and breeding cattle on 9th November with 385 head forward. In the cows, there was a decent show of stronger cows as 17 of the 56 cows sold at £1300 or more. CA Foster of Bolton Abbey topped at £1680 with a Simmental cross.

C&D Auction Marts held their weekly Primestock sale in Dumfries on Wednesday 9th November 2022. In the OTMs Simmentals from newbie Mains led at £1396.75.Newbie Mains also sold prime Simmentals to 290p/kg.

At Lochboisdale on 7th November, United Auctions sold 400 suckled calves and 42 Breeding Cattle and Farrow Cows. Heifers sold to 324p/kg for SimX from R A Wilson, 93/96 Bualadubh.

At Exeter on November 7th, the barren cow section was headed by Simmentals, firstly from Roger Blackler of Modbury with one making an impressive £1418 (786kg x 181ppk) followed by another at £1393 (832kg x 168ppk) for PJ and SJ Gregory up from St Column.

At Aberdeen & Northern Marts Thainstone sale of store cattle, young bulls and weaned calves on 4th November, bulls sold to 251.3p per kg for a 394kg Simmental cross from South Auquhorthies, Oldmeldrum.

In a sale of cull cows at Frome on 4th November, Fleckvieh’s still wanted by a number of buyers with RTJ Voizey & Partners selling to a fantastic top price of £1427 or 175.50p/kg .

At Aberdeen & Northern Marts sale of cast cows and bulls at Thainstone on 3rd November, boning cows averaged £730.83 and sold to £855 for a 618kg Simmental cross. Beef Feeding Bulls averaged £1230 (+£156.43) sold to £1410 for a 995kg Simmental from New House, Oust Farm. On the same day prime heifers sold to £1938.15 gross for a 885kg Simmental from Berryleys, Grange. Heifers averaged 232.3p and sold to 239p per kg for a 550kg Simmental.

Aberdeen & Northern Marts sold 253 head of breeding cattle on 2nd November at Thainstone. In Calf Cows (143) sold to £1,880 (twice) for Simmental crosses from Broombrae, Kincardine O’Neil. Heifers with Bull Calf sold to £2,650 for a Simmental cross with Limousin cross from Lost Farm, Strathdon.
The sale at Dungannon Farmers Mart on November 2nd saw fat cows sell to £1230 for a 740kg Sim (166.00) presented by V Allen.

At Hexham’s sale of primestock, cast cows, and bulls sale on 1st November, bulls sold to £1651 for a Simmental from Mr R Craig, Slaley.

At Malton on 1st November, young bulls topped at 246.50ppk for an excellent 19-month-old Sim X weighing 535kg (£1318.78) from FH A & MA Eddon, Lockton selling to R Pearson.

On Monday 31st October at Market Drayton and a sale of barren cows, cull bulls, and overage clean cattle, the highlight of the suckler section was a Simmental selling to 162p (£1,056.24) from Mr Darren Young, Balterley. JH.&JE. Sands & Son, St Martins Simmental to 142p (£1,178.60).

C&D Auction Marts Ltd had their fortnightly sale of store cattle at Dumfries on Monday 31st October 2022 with an entry of 427. Heifers per head were led by Simms at £1300 from High Auchneel.

At Stirling on 29th October, United Auctions sold 349 Beef Breeding Cattle. In calf cows sold to £2000 & £1900 for SimX’s from Beannie. Pure Simms sold to £2000 & £1950 from South Mains.

At Exeter’s store sale on 28th October, Dave Pollard of Black Dog who usually brings some decent Simmentals didn’t disappoint, with a pen of three of his tremendous red and white steers (20m) easing to £1495 a head with younger but equally as good Simmental steers reaching £1250 for PJ and SJ Gregory up from St Columb and to £1130 for smart yearling Simmentals from Andrew and George Palk of Paignton.

At Aberdeen & Northern Marts sale of cast cows and bulls, and prime cattle at Thainstone on 27th October, Beef Feeding Cows (121) averaged £1148.02 and sold to £1370 for a 698kg Simmental from Netherhill, Tankerness. Beef Feeding Bulls averaged £1073.57 and sold to £1440 for a 910kg Simmental from Hilton Farm, Hilton Shapinsay. Prime Bullocks averaged 240.9p and sold to 271p per kg for a 565kg Simmental from Newton of Drum, Drumoak. Prime Heifers sold to £2014.50 gross for a 850kg Simmental from Berryleys, Grange.

Messrs Craig Wilson Ltd sold 572 Store Cattle at their sale in Ayr on 27th October. Top Price of the day was 265.5ppkg for a pen of Simmental bullocks off Bargany.

At Thirsk’s primestock sale on 27th October, best grossing OTM was £1693.38 for a Simmental from F & D Cornforth, Hambleton purchased by Mutch Meats, Ducklington.

On 26th October at Dungannon Farmers Mart, fat cows sold to a top of £1350 for a 750kg Sim (180.00).

On 26th October Aberdeen & Northern Marts sold 571 head of adult breeding cattle. In the show and sale of spring calving heifers sponsored by Agrimin and judged by Craig Malone, Pitcairn, Cardenden, the Champion Pair of Heifers award went to J Dow, Upper Sauchen, Inverurie with a pair of 17 month old Simmental crosses realising £2,400 to A Matheson & Son, Park View, Wick. Alan Gibb, Backhill of Seggat, Auchterless kindly donated a 20 month old Simmental cross heifer to be sold for ANM’s 150th anniversary chosen charities, Abbie’s Sparkle Foundation, SAMH and Charlie’s House. The heifer realised £2,000 to Stephen & Gibb, Haremoss, Cuminestown. In the judged classes:
Class 1 Single Heifer, Sired by a Simmental Bull
1st – J Dow, Upper Sauchen, Inverurie £2,300
2nd – Alan Gibb & Co Farmers, Backhill of Seggat, Auchterless £2,020
3rd – J & M Troup, Southbank, Skene £2,300
Class 6 Pair of Heifers, Sired by a Simmental Bull
1st – J Dow, Upper Sauchen £2,400
2nd – Alan Gibb & Co Farmers, Backhill of Seggat £2,120

Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., sold 375 weaned calves and store cattle on 26th October at Dingwall. Store bullocks (184) averaged 224.3p and sold to £1,330 gross for 605kg Simmental cross from 250 Rearquhar, Dornoch.

C&D Auction Marts held their weekly Primestock sale in Dumfries on Wednesday 26th October 2022. The OTMs per head were led at £1492.40 for a Simm from East Lanegate.
At Oban on 25 October, United Auctions sold 171 breeding type Heifer Calves & 120 Adult Breeding Cattle. In the Breeding section, in-calf heifers sold to £2650 twice for SimX from Donald MacColl, Mid Farm.