The latest Simmental market briefs for September feature snippets from a mighty 33 markets around the UK and where Simmentals continue to ‘do the business’. Markets highlighted this month include:
STIRLING; LANARK; CARLISLE; SEDGEMOOR; EXETER; THAINSTONE; DUNGANNON; HUNTLY; TIREE; TRURO; SKIPTON; BALLYMENA; MELTON MOWBRAY; BAKEWELL; GISBURN; CASTLE DOUGLAS; HEXHAM; LANCASTER; DUNGANNON; FROME; AYR; SALISBURY; HAILSHAM; DUMFRIES; HULL; SWATRAGH; PORTREE; MARKET DRAYTON; HOLSWORTHY; GARSTANG; TAVISTOCK; DARLINGTON; & QUOYBRAE
The Simmentals bread and butter is there well established maternal qualities of fertility, easy calving, milk in abundance, and ability to rear a quality calf year on year. As one commercial producer recently said: “Simmental is the ‘Tesla’ of upland suckler beef production!’
Establishing evidence based facts of the breed’s abilities, economic performance, and green credentials, analysis of AHDB data has shown Simmental gives beef producers more. Industry leading age at slaughter whether sired by a Simmental or out of a Simmental dam, significant reduction in finishing costs, and lower emissions meeting environmental challenges.
The ‘ultimate combination’ for Daily Carcase Gain has been shown as the progeny of a Simmental bull out of a Simmental dam, and with the highest rates of DCG, attained by both Continental and Natives sires, being for progeny out of Simmental dams.
These latest market briefs again highlight the all-round added value Simmentals can deliver as they top prime, store, breeding, suckled calf, rearing calf, and cull sections at the respective sales. Many of the other market leaders will be out of Simmental, and Simmental X dams.
Given these tremendous economics for beef producers, BSCS Norman Robson said in his recent report to breeders: “Our realistic aim should be to have a bit of Simmental in every suckler cow in the country.” There’s More to Simmental!
We hope you enjoy part one of three of the September Simmental Market Briefs:
BINZIAN SIMMENTAL SUCKLED CALVES X 7, MAKE £1710 AT STIRLING
On 30th September, United Auctions – Livestock Auctioneers, Stirling, sold 1150 suckled calves. Featuring among the leading prices was a pen of seven pure Simmental bullock calves at £1710 from Fraser Angus, Binzian Farm, Perth. Great to see a group making this money (not just singles), and with the calves at 527kgs, all born in October 2023, sold at under 12-months of age. Two similarly aged 463kg heifers that were not kept for breeding were sold on the same day at £1360. It’s the Simmental heifer calves that Binzian breed them for with the bullocks being ‘more than a useful sideline’! This was every single one of their Simmental bullocks from autumn calving 2023 sold in that pen, and they outsold their top pen of other ‘continental’ sired bullocks, bred from the same Simmental cows, by £10 head! It was repeat buyers purchasing the calves so a general comment that Binzian Farm is ‘on the right lines with the Simmental!’ Breeding replacements and top suckled calves, There’s More to Simmental!
At Lawrie & Symington Limited, Auction Market Lanark’s primestock sale on 30th September, beef cows sold to a top of £1950 for a Simm from Sandilands.
The Borderway Primestock Sale at Harrison & Hetherington, Carlisle on 30th September saw a 1163kg Simmental prime bull from Messrs Goldie, Newbie Mains, Annan sold to £2576.05, purchased by Morgan Helliwell, and to feature in the leading prices.
A sale of 457 busk calves and stirks at GTH – Agriculture & Sedgemoor Auction Centre – Greenslade Taylor Hunt Sedgemoor on 28th September saw the heifer trade topped at £975 for Simms from R Ridout.
Kivells Agriculture Exeter’s sale of 127 stirks and suckled calves on 27th September saw heifers in good demand with the best topping out at £940 for MA Stephens presenting Simmental cross heifers at 11 months. On the same day and a sale of 147 calves, MR & KM Pring of Broadclyst topped the section with three outstanding month old Simmental bulls reaching an impressive £410, £405 & £402.
At Thainstone on 27th September, ANM Group Ltd Aberdeen & Northern Marts sold 952 store cattle, young bulls, and weaned calves. Heifers (247) sold to £1860 gross for a 642kg Simmental Cross from Newbigging, Skelwick.
Also at ANM Group Ltd Thainstone on 26th September, a total of 93 cast cows and bulls were forward from Orkney consignors. Beef Cows sold to 269.7p for a 582kg Simmental from D B Tulloch, Burndyke, Westray.
At Dungannon Farmers’ Mart on 25th September a larger entry of stock saw weanlings sold to £1380 for a 460kg Simm Steer (297.00), presented by B Murphy.
YOUNG SIMMENTAL BULL AT THAINSTONE PRIME SALE MAKES £3143.60
In a sale of 70 prime cattle at ANM Group Ltd, Thainstone on 26th September, records were broken with a tremendous home-bred young Simmental bull from Messrs Stronach, Berryleys achieving a phenomenal £3143.60.
At Huntly, United Auctions – Livestock Auctioneers sold 589 Store Cattle, Weaned Calves & OTMs on 26th September. OTMs sold to 224.9p per kg or £2280 for a Simmental from Corskie, Garmouth.
SIMMS LEAD BULLOCKS, HEIFERS, AND YOUNG BULLS AT UA’S SALE OF 1714 STORE CATTLE
United Auctions – Livestock Auctioneers on 25th September at Stirling sold 1714 store cattle and 333 out of spec cattle, cast cows and bulls and 161 rearing cattle. Bullocks (934) sold to a top gross of £1910 for a 622kg SIMX from Gillandersland, and who had others at £1840 & £1820. Heifers (696) sold to 343.90p per kilo for a 471kg SIMX from Ormsary Est. Young Bulls averaged 214.65p to 282.20p per kilo for a 326kg SIMX from Gibblaston and £1050 for a 476kg SIMX from Spott HF. Also sold were 161 rearing cattle of mainly spring & summer born stirks forward. Sale was topped at £940 for a SimX Blk from Mr W Thompson, Greenlands.
Borderway’s sale of over 700 store cattle at Harrison & Hetherington Carlisle on 25th September saw a Simmental steer from Messrs Potts, Chapel House, Brampton sell for £1950 to feature in the leading prices.
At Tiree on 25th September and a small sale of 35 cattle (United Auctions – Livestock Auctioneers), cast cattle sold to £1310 for Simmentals from D Macarthur, Middleton.
Lodge & Thomas – Agriculture & Auctions Truro’s first prize sale of suckled calves, kicking off the autumn sales, saw a good entry of 107 calves. The younger calf classes were won by the choice calves, mainly Simmentals, of a superb entry from Messrs A P & S R Hooper of Castle an Dinas. Steers up to 7-months-old were topped by Simmental x to £1020 by the Hoopers, and with others at £950. The same vendors had Simm x heifers up to 7-months-old at £755. Steers 8- 12 months old were topped by Simmental x to £1140, again for the Hoopers, and with others at £1090.
At CCM Auctions Skipton Auction Mart Livestock Auctioneers fortnightly sale of breeding cattle on 25th September. G&A Gaythorpe brought forward an entry of outfits and in calf as part of their retirement sale. It was the last outfit into the ring which topped and in the shape of a second calved Simmental 3 months back incalf with a strong Parthenaise bull at foot realising £2100.
On 24th September at Ballymena Livestock Market sale of just under 300 store cattle, heifers were topped at £1785 for a 640kg Simm presented by W Dodds, Ahoghill.
In a sale of 78 prime cattle at GTH – Agriculture & Sedgemoor Auction Centre – Greenslade Taylor Hunt Sedgemoor on 23rd September, the top price per head was £2,061.83 for a 743kg Simmental heifer from R Bigwood.
A Simmental prime heifer from Fred Chanin of Thorverton topped Kivells Agriculture Exeter’s sale of prime cattle on 23rd September when realising £1664 (620kg x 269ppk).
Wallets Marts had forward OTM Cattle, Store Cattle and Store Lambs on 23rd September at Castle Douglas. OTM Cattle were a roaring trade and sold to £2028.42 for a Simmental cow from W Taylor, Little Galdenoch.
In a sale of prime cull cows at Melton Mowbray Market Melton Mowbray on 23rd September, the top price went to JS Agricultural Services with a Simm X, 829kgs, and £1570.96. On the same day and a sale of 198 store and breeding cattle, a super run of continental x cattle from Ben Smith led the way with the top of these being a Simmental X steer seeing £1420.
At Bagshaws LLP Bakewell on 23rd September, a small sale of OTM bulls saw prices led by a seven-year-old Simmental at £2067 from CE Dronfield & Son, Ashover. On the same day a Simmental Young Bull made £2044.26 from BE & TR Robinson, Abney.
In a sale of breeding cattle at Gisburn Auction Mart on 21st September, a Simmental bull from G Tattersall & AR Hargreaves lead the trade at £1900. Cows and calves topped at £1950 for a pedigree Simental cow and calf from E & M Fairhurst. In the store sale, Simmental steers topped at £1580 from AD Morton Ltd.
On 21st September at GTH – Agriculture & Sedgemoor Auction Centre – Greenslade Taylor Hunt Sedgemoor and a mighty sale of 1179 store cattle, Simmental steers sold to £1780 from KA & HJ Sparks & Son to feature in the leading prices. Other Simmental steers made £1600 for RD Churchill, Hawkchurch.
Hexham and Northern Marts at their weekly sale of store cattle on 20th September had forward an increased entry of 479 top quality sorts. Cattle 10 months and under were led by Simmental x heifers at £1250 from Burdonside.
In a sale of 187 calves at Kivells Agriculture Exeter on 20th September, heifer calves sold to a top of £400 for an outstanding month old Simmental heifer from Yendell Farms of Morchard Bishop.
