PART THREE OF THREE: FROM HUNTLY TO HAILSHAM, SIMMENTALS ‘DOING THE BUSINESS’ AT SALES AROUND THE UK!

Here is the third and final part of what has been a bumper month of Simmental market briefs for September, and featuring snippets from a mighty 33 markets around the UK. Markets highlighted in the month have included:

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!

SIMMENTAL BULLOCK AT £2120 TOPS CARLISLE STORE SALE
At H&H’s sale of store cattle on 11th September at Borderway, Carlisle, all classes were a ferocious trade throughout with plenty buyers ringside ensuring vendors leave happy. Topping the day at £2120 was a Simmental bullock from Messrs Stewart, Craigour, Moffat.
In a sale of prime cattle at Frome on 11th September, best grade Simmental steers from WD Guley & Son topped at 295p/kg and £1884.

SIMMENTALS TOP STEERS & HEIFERS AT BORDERWAY WEANED CATTLE SALE 💥
Also on 11th September at Carlisle, Harrison & Hetherington held their weekly sale of weaned cattle where the 229 forward were rewarded with a fantastic trade. Leading the steers at £1560 was a single Simm from Mr Bewley, Lockerbie whose run of 7 went to average £1368.57. Heifers topped at £1400 for a Simmental again from Mr Bewley, Lockerbie.

In a sale of store cattle at Truro on 11th September, the youngest steers sold to £1290 for a cracking 13-month-old Simmental from N H Semmens & Son Ltd of St Levan, Penzance. On the same day, in calf Simmental x heifers topped their section at £1375 for Messrs R H & C D Care of St Buryan, Penzance with others from the same home at £1355.

At Lanark’s primestock sale on 9th September, beef cows topped at 299p per kg for a Simm from Muckraw.

In a small sale of OTM steers at Bakewell on 9th September the top price was £1738 for a Simm from R Wood, Middleton. The special entry of Simmental cattle from Storer Smith Simmentals attracted plenty of interest with cow and calf outfits to £2,550, in calf cows to £1,950 and maiden heifers to £1,580.

At Borderway’s Primestock Sale, Carlisle on 9th September, a 740kg Simmental heifer from Messrs Stamper, Rose Farm, Cockermouth sold for a mighty £2319.9 to feature in the leading prices. On the same day in the prime bulls, Simmentals from Messrs Marshall, Starlaw Farm, Bathgate sold to £2346.50 for 805kgs.

In a sale of cull cows at Exeter on 9th September, Simmentals topped the section with one from David Hoskin at £1425 (752kg x 190ppk) then a couple from Kathleen and Lewis Slade of Widecombe in the Moor drew £1301 (746kg x 175ppk).

In a sale of breeding cattle at Gisburn on 7th September, continental outfits sold well with Simmentals at £2120 for Brogden Farms. Feeding cattle were well bid for and sold to a high of £1290 for a Simmental cow from Stephen Duckworth.

SIMM CROSS HEIFER WITH CALF AT FOOT SELLS TO £4000 AT THAINSTONE
On 6th September at Thainstone, Aberdeen and Northern Marts sold 799 Store Cattle, Young Bulls and Young and Weaned Calves & Breeding Cattle. Breeding Cattle sold to £4000 for a Simmental Cross Heifer with a Limousin Cross Heifer Calf from Upper Sauchen, Inverurie. On the same day and at a sale of 245 store cattle from Orkney consignors, bullocks sold to £178 gross for a 638kg Simmental from J&J Smith, Upper Cornquoy, Holm.

Hexham and Northern Marts held its weekly sale of 241 Store Cattle and Suckled Calves and the first sale of September (6th) did not disappoint. A small but mighty entry of young bulls saw Mr J J & JM Sanders, Bavington Hill Head have a run of Simmental and Simmental cross bulls that peaked at £1980.00 and levelled off at £1670.00.

At NWA’s Lancaster Mart on 6th September and a sale of cast and OTM cattle, beef stock bulls sold to £2044 for a Simmental.

SIMMENTALS AT £495 TOP EXETER CALF TRADE
The biggest entry of calves seen in Exeter this year, on 6th September, with the 220 sold meeting a very fierce trade. Top call was £495 for some outdoor reared Simmental bulls and steers at 3-4 months old presented by South Battisborough Farm, Plymouth who sold more to £450 and £435 x2. The trade of the day was a run of younger Simmentals, all around a month old, from KG & SRJ Wotton of Dittisham making an impressive £420, £340, £315.

In a sale of cast cows and bulls from Orkney consignors at Aberdeen & Northern Marts, Thainstone, on 5th September, beef cows sold to £2,030 gross for a 836kg Simmental from Harvey & Son, Wattle, Birsay and to 253.2p per kg for a 628kg Simmental from S & J Sclater, Lower Hobbister. On the same day and a sale of 198 cows and bulls, boning cows sold to £1090 for a 598kg Simmental cross. In a sale of prime cattle, under 30 months bullocks sold to £2478.60 gross for a 1020kg Simmental from Wester Coltfield, Kinloss.

In a sale of rearing calves at Gisburn on 5th September, Simmental x bulls from J & RJ Parsons topped at £450 and to the lead breed average of £384.
United Auctions on 4th September at Stirling sold 1453 store cattle and 169 out of spec cattle, cast cows and bulls. Heifers (513) sold to a top gross of £1815 for a 594kg SIMX from Pittenkerrie.

In a sale of 140 store cattle at Holsworthy on 4th September, several fleshed heifers saw a top call of £1480 for a Simmental heifer from Mr B Stacey, Bradford others to £1400. Simmental heifers from Messrs T & J Adams & Son, Torrington, made £1440.

On 4th September at Brockholes Arms Auction Mart, Garstang, and a sale of 64 Cull Cows, Heifers and Bulls, the sale topped at 196p/kg for a Simmental from Eccles Farms which grossed £1499, another cow from the same home maxed in the lump at £1539 weighing 865kg.

At Dungannon Farmers Mart on 4th September, weanling heifers sold to £1300 for a 440kg Sim (296.00) presented by H Anderson.

Stags auctioneers at Tavistock Livestock Centre reported on a quality entry of cattle forward for the annual St Johns Cattle Fair on 3rd September, with a very strong trade for all cattle on offer. A small entry of Cows & Calves sold to £1450 for a 15yo Simmental x cow with her 1 month old steer calf at foot from Messrs FDH Hocking & Son of Bradstone.

At Ayr on 3rd September, and a sale of breeding cattle, heifers and calves saw a Simmental and Heifer calf top at £2050 from Bruntland.

At Hexham and Northern Marts on 3rd September, and a sale of cast cows and OTM, top grossing cow came from Mr J J & J M Sanders, Bavington Hill Head with an outstanding pure Simmental selling to £2262.00 to J A Jewitt (Meat) Ltd, Spennymoor. Making the worthwhile trip up the A1 was Mr C F Parker, Newsham Grange, Darlington who sold Simmental x cows to 215.5ppk.

At Darlington on 2nd September and a sale of cast cows, store & breeding stock, the feeding firms continue at full throttle with the summer store trade remaining ‘as good as ever been witnessed’. A scattering of young bulls was again in wonderful form topping at £1655 for a 13-month-old Simmental from E Parsons, Newstead Farm, Little Stainton.

C&D Auction Marts held their fortnightly sale of Store Cattle in Dumfries on 2nd September. Simmental Heifers sold to the top price of £1520 from J B Paterson & Co, Hartbush. Other Simms sold to £1460, £1450 Balnagleck, and £1350 High Auchneel. Simmental bullocks from Dressertland topped the ppkg at 336.2p/kg.

At Quoybrae on 2nd September, Aberdeen & Northern Marts sold 1067 store and breeding cattle at their anniversary show and sale. Heifers (475) averaged 283.7p or £1,366.70 per head (+0.4p or +£59.15) on the year) and sold to 341.9p per kg for a 430kg Simmental Cross from 3 Forss, Thurso.