SIMMENTALS CONTINUING TO TOP COMMERCIAL MARKETS AROUND THE UK

HALLWORTHY, STIRLING, MARKET DRAYTON, EXETER, ABERDEEN, DUMFRIES, SKIPTON, DUNGANNON, WHITLAND, BAKEWELL, SEDGEMOOR, GISBURN, MELTON MOWBRAY, HUNTLY, DARLINGTON, FROME, OSWESTRY, RUGBY, ST BOSWELLS, AYR, AND SKIPTON.

Simmental females are established as leading suckler cows with outstanding milkiness and fertility, ease of calving, and who can wean calves at 50% of their bodyweight at 200 days. Female genetics are the Simmental breeds benchmark of quality, but you can add in leading age at slaughter abilities, fast growing progeny with terrific weight for age, and high quality carcases hitting the spec, and with a high retail beef yield. The following are the latest series of market briefs showing Simmental sired cattle, across all categories, topping commercial sales around the UK. There’s more to Simmental.

In Kivells store cattle sale at Hallworthy on 27th July, top of the day was £1435 for some super Simmental x Heifers in from R Heywood of Woolsery, who sold more to £1235.

On 26th July, United Auctions sold 536 store cattle & young bulls, and 129 out of spec cattle, cast cows and bulls at Stirling. Beef cows and bulls (102) sold to £2030 for a SimX from West Mains.
In a sale of store cattle at Market Drayton on 26th July, the joint best in the steer was a 566kg Simmental at £1300 from Fowler & Breeze.

Exeter’s store cattle sale on 21st July saw a super run of pure Simmentals from Stephen Pearce up from Liskeard top the steers with a couple selling for £1665 apiece with his younger sorts to £1560.
At a sale of cast cows and bulls on 20th July at Thainstone, Aberdeen & Northern Marts sold 86 beef feeding cows to average £1143.72 and to a top of £1445 for a 686 kg Simmental cross from The Orchard, Home Farm.

On 20th July, Caledonian Marts Ltd Stirling sold 146 Cattle comprising of 94 Bullocks, Heifers and Young Bulls, 31 OTM cattle and 21 Calves. Dairy Bred Bulls (Under 30 months) sold to 248ppkg for Fleckvieh’s from R Nelson, Blairmains, Culross and to £1320 from the same home.

C&D Auction Marts held their weekly sale of Primestock on Wednesday 19th July 2023 at Dumfries. The trade for OTM’s was led by Simms at £1539 from East lanegate, and who had others at £1141.
In a sale of clean cattle at Market Drayton on 19th July, overage steers sold to 262p (£1,865.44) for a Simmental from Mr Darren Young. In a sale of 521 rearing calves on the same day, continental bulls a pleasure to sell with the strong mediums and best a very fast trade. Top call went to a Simmental bull at £405 from DV&DA Cliffe & Son, Sound.

At Skipton on 19th July, the sale of breeding cattle saw some strong outfits of Simmentals with Calves to £2080 from RD Loftus to top the section. In the young bulls Simmental led the breed averages at £1424. Leading Simmentals were: £1460, £1430 RD Elliott; £1260 TS&HJ Park. Simmentals also led the store heifer averages at £1446. Lead Simmental prices were: £1470, £1460, £1400, RD Elliott.

At Dungannon farmers Mart on 19th July, fat cows continue to sell steadily to peak at £1450 for a 700kg Sim (207.00) presented by J Somerville, with a further Sim at £1380 690kg (200.00).

At Stirling on 19th July, United Auctions sold 554 store cattle & young bulls, 55 Rearing cattle. Also 150 out of spec cattle, cast cows and bulls. Also sold was 206 Breeding Cattle. Heifers (242) averaged 260.26p to 300.30p per kg for a 373g SIMX from The Riggs. Beef Cows and Bulls (117) averaged 190.91p to 253.20p per kg for a SIM from Ardtornish, and to £2070 for a SIM from Midtown. Out of Spec Cattle (15) averaged 233.54p to 256.30p per kg for a SIMX from Keithick.

SIMMENTALS TOP BOTH BULLS AND HEIFERS AT WHITLAND MART, CARMARTHENSHIRE
JJ Morris Auctioneers Whitland Livestock Market on 18th July saw a sale of 184 calves with the best quality meeting a strong demand. Bulls sold to £440 for a 4-week-old Simmental from Jones, Llangynnor and with heifers selling to £410 for an 8 week old Simmental from the same producer. Simmental calves overall topped the all-breed averages.

In a sale of 331 store and breeding cattle on 17th July at Bakewell, the cow trade was led by a Sim x cow, 120 months, with bull calf at foot at £1920 and from Mrs K Growcott, Leigh.

In a sale of prime cattle at Sedgemoor on 17th July, heifers sold to £1,838.47 for a 731kg Simmental (731kg) from R Bigwood, who sold another at £1,745.35 (670kg). On the same day and in a sale of barren cows, the top of the day was a long and shapely Simmental cross also from R Bigwood at 786kgs, which sold to 189.5ppk and £1,489.47.

In a sale of store cattle at Gisburn on 15th July, the trade for young bulls was topped by a Simmental x at £2350 from J Butterworth.

At a sale of cast cows and bulls on 13th July at Thainstone, Aberdeen & Northern Marts sold 181 Cows and Bulls. Beef Feeding Cows (67) averaged £1,280.97 and sold to £1,650 for a 748kg Simmental Cross from Torran, Kildary.

In a sale of 170 store cattle at Hallworthy on 13th July, top spot went to R Heywood of Woolsery with a tremendous run of Simmental x Steers (pictured), his best a pen of five strong well shaped suckler x to £1655, next a pen of three to £1470 and a single very smart steer to £1340.

On 13th July, Caledonian Marts Ltd, Stirling sold 140 Cattle comprising of 94 Bullocks, Heifers and Young Bulls, and 46 OTM cattle. Prime bullocks sold to £2159 for a Simmental from J Brown, Gaindykehead, Airdrie purchased by Bowland Foods, Preston.

C&D Auction Marts held their weekly sale of Primestock on 12th July 2023 at Dumfries. In the OTM’s the top price per kilo was 186p for a Simm from Phernside.

At a sale of stores & breeding cattle (120) at Melton Mowbray on 12th July. J N Booth sold Simmental Heifers to the leading heifer price of £1180 at 16 months.

United Auctions, Stirling on 12th July sold 319 store cattle, native bred cattle & young bulls, also 95 out of spec cattle, cast cows and bulls. Bullocks (111) –averaged 254.6p to 302.08ppk for a 284kg SimX from Colmslie. Heifers (169) – averaged 250.6p to 281.9ppk for a 259kg SimX from Colmslie and to £1620 for a 636kg SimX from West Park. Young Bulls (18) – averaged 220.9p to 248.4ppk for a SimX from Colmslie. Beef Cows and Bulls (77) – averaged 190.9p to 242.6ppk for a SimX from West Park.

In a sale of 455 rearing calves at Market Drayton on the 12th July, top call went to a Simmental bull at £440 from P.&F. Jenkinson, Ridley.

On 10th July, Caledonian Marts Ltd Stirling had forward 182 Store Cattle at their fortnightly sale. Bullocks sold to 284 ppkg for a pen of Simmentals from J Imrie, Hillhead, Torrance.

At Huntly on 6th July, United Auctions sold 102 Store, Breeding & OTM cattle. OTMS (23) – sold to average 193.2p per kg selling to a top of 226.9p per kg for a 520kg SimX from Crakaig, Helmside.

On 6th July, Hallworthy’s sale of stirks and weaned calves saw the top spot taken by T Wellington of St Kew with a Simmental x Steer at 8 months to £720.

Darlington Farmers Mart held their weekly sale of prime stock on 6th July with 159 cattle forward. In the prime bulls, the trade and top price per kilo was led by a wonderful handy weight Simmental from Dalchirla Farms Ltd, Perthshire, when he sold for 303.3pence.

C&D Auction Marts held their weekly sale of Primestock on 5th July 2023 at Dumfries. OTM’s met plenty of competition. Beef to 229p/kg for a Simm from North Bowerhouses.

In a sale of rearing calves on 5th July at Frome, a good show of cattle saw a strong trade on the best quality sorts. Best of the day from Mark Futcher saw his quality Simmental steers to £695, £680 and heifers to £588.

In a sale of calves and weanlings at Oswestry on 5th July, weanlings aged 4-5 months were sold by J R James & Son, Church Farm with Simmental bulls to £440.

In a small sale of 84 cattle at Rugby Farmers Mart on 3rd July, the trade for cows was topped by a 882kgs Simmental at £1698 from C H Evans & Son.

On the 3rd July and a sale of weanlings at Market Drayton, the pick of the older weanling prices included seven month old Simmental bulls selling to £490 for Radwood Hall Farm Ltd.

At Gisburn’s sale of store cattle on 1st July, feeding bulls topped at £1390 for a pair of Simmentals from Brogden Farms.

At Sedgemoor’s sale of store cattle on 1st July, heifers rose to £1625 for a Simmental from EJ Collins & Son. OTM Simmentals at £1280 from W Bowen, Keynsham.

At Thainstone on 30th June, Aberdeen and Northern Marts sold 194 Store Cattle, Young Bulls and Young and Weaned Calves. Bullocks (69) sold to £1600 gross for a 596kg Simmental cross from Loanend.

Exeter’s sale of 358 store cattle and stirks on 30th June saw the steers topped at £1505 given for a smart Fleckvieh from Roger Semmens up from Penzance.

At a sale of store cattle at St Boswells on 29th June, Simmentals topped both the bullock and heifer trade. Leading the bullocks at 313.9ppkg and £1130 gross was bullocks from South Common. South Common also topped the heifers with Simmentals at 279.2ppkg and £1005 gross.

Messrs Craig Wilson Ltd sold 304 Store Cattle at their sale in Ayr on 29th June. Top price of the day was £1740 for a Simmental bullock off Adamcroft.

At Market Drayton’s sale of 146 store cattle on 28th June, yarding cattle continue to ring the bell trading at £1,200 to £1,400 and topping at £1,440 for Simmental steers from Mr Malcom Davies, Betley. Simmentals from the same home topped the heifers at £1340 (534kgs). On the same day a sale of 633 rearing calves was held. The continental bulls have been off the scale with all grades on fire but the best just phenomenal with 38 over £350! A great show of Simmentals saw 35 averaging £336 to easily lead the breed averages!!

At a small sale of prime cattle at Frome on 28th June, the gross trade for UTM heifers was led by Simmentals at £1583 from Tytherington Down LLP, Warminster.

On 26th June, Bakewell held a sale of 131 Barren, OTM and Feeding Cows to an overall average of 182.4p/kg or £1204.85. 27 cows topped £2/kg with a high of 245p for a Simm (1 calf) heifer (34 mnths) for Messrs Willison, Warsop.

In a small sale of prime cattle at Frome on 26th June, JC Stainer’s Simmental UTM heifers sold to the joint top ppkg price of 240p with others at 238p.

At Sedgemoor’s sale of 261 busk calves and stirks on 24th June, DWJ Raffill with a Simmental steer (11m), had the joint top price of £1070.

In a sale of cast cows and bulls at Thainstone on 22nd June, Aberdeen and Northern Marts sold 60 cows and bulls. Beef Feeding Cows (39) averaged £1,188.70 and sold to £1,630 for a 740kg Simmental Cross from Craggan View, Skye of Curr. Bulls sold to £1,910 for a 1,080kg Simmental from Millhead, Tarland.

In a sale of rearing calves at Gisburn on 22nd June, S & E Wilkinson, Stonyhurst sold a pair of Simmental bulls at £475 to lead the male calves.

On 22nd June, Caledonian Marts Ltd, Stirling sold 208 Cattle comprising of 103 Bullocks, Heifers and Young Bulls, 56 OTM Cattle and 49 Calves and Stirks. All classes of bulls (Under 30 months) averaged 262ppkg and sold to 290ppkg for a Simmental from W & P Stevenson, Ballingray, Fife.

In a sale at Skipton on 21st June, Simmentals again topped the breed averages for young bulls at £1564. RD Elliott attained prices of £1640, £1620, & £1490 RD Elliott; EB webster saw prices of £1530, and £1500.

At Stirling on 21st June, United Auctions sold 125 store cattle & young bulls, 99 Rearing cattle. Also 162 out of spec cattle, cast cows and bulls. Beef Cows and Bulls (127) – averaged 193.20p to 266.80p per kg for a SIM from Callumkill.

On 20th June, Melton Mowbray held a sale of stores and breeding cattle. Framland Farms sold Simmental cows with strong Limousin calves to £2100 on two occasions, with others from the same home to £2020, £1960 and £1920.

Exeter’s sale of TB restricted (Orange market) cattle on 20th June, saw the store cattle section top at £1430 given for a pair of tidy Simmentals from the Shervington Family of Hittisleigh.

Sedgemoor on 17th June saw an excellent entry of 608 store cattle, up on the year and part of 966 with the stirks. Again some superb cattle at the top end and trade tremendous, when five cattle sold over £1900 to £1965. Top was £1965 for a forward pure bred Simmental steer (19m & FA) from BT Wood, Marshwood, who sold young types (3x only 14/16m & FA) similarly bred at £1405. In a sale of busk calves and stirks, top price went to R & J Cook, who sold three cracking Simmental steers to £1015 (3x 13m).

On 15th June and a sale of cast cows and bulls at Thainstone, Aberdeen & Northern Marts, beef feeding cows (91) averaged £1359.67 and sold to £1750 for a 716kg Simmental cross from Backakelday, Holm. Bulls sold to £2580 for a 1260kg Simmental from Bridgend, Tyrie.
In a sale of prime cattle on 14th June at Melton Mowbray, Simmental prime young bulls from Bartle Brothers with Simmentals sold to £1639.23 and £1568.75