SIMMENTALS CONTINUING TO TOP COMMERCIAL SALES AT UK MARKETS THROUGHOUT OCTOBER

PART ONE OF THREE: SIMMS TOPPING SALE SECTIONS AT ABERDEEN: BALLYMENA; HALLWORTHY; ASHFORD; DINGWALL; MARKETHILL; FROME; DUNGANNON; STIRLING; CARMARTHEN; MARKET DRAYTON; HOLSWORTHY; WOOLER; SALISBURY; AYR; LANARK; DUMFRIES; ANGLESEY; TRURO; CARLISLE; QUOYBRAE; PENRITH; CASTLE DOUGLAS; BENTHAM; THAME; EXETER; SHREWSBURY; SEDGEMOOR; BAKEWELL; SELBY; LANCASTER; MONMOUTHSHIRE;  & HOLMFIRTH

A premium on efficiency continues to drive the increasing uptake of Simmental cattle by commercial producers, in a forward industry with a pressure on costs.

Maternal qualities of easy, regular calving, fertility, plenty of milk, and the ability to extensively produce a quality calf year on year, are recognised as the Simmental benchmark.

Commercial producers are future-proofing the productivity of their suckler herds by introducing Simmental females and genetics.

On top you have: industry leading at age at slaughter whether sired by a Simmental or out of a Simmental dam, leading daily carcase gain, significant reduction in finishing costs, and lower emissions meeting environmental challenges. It all adds up to efficiency, a base of sustained proven performance, and good economics.  There’s more to Simmental.

See here part one of three of the October Market Briefs featuring sales from 33 livestock markets around the UK:

At Thainstone on 31st October, Aberdeen & Northern Marts held a sale of cast cows and bulls from Orkney consignors. Beef cows sold to £2,070 gross and 231.5p per kg for a 894kg Simmental from D Sinclair, Karinya, Dounby.

Ballymena’s sale of prime beef cattle on 31st October saw a 830kg Simm from N Collins, Aghadowey lead the way at £2373.

At Hallworthy’s sale of 170 store cattle on 31st October, top today went to WRJ French & Partners of St Minver with an outstanding Simmental x steer deep bodied, well rounded and supreme fleshing to £1810, his next pair with equal fleshing and deep bodies to £1770. In the heifers, top spot in this section again went to WRJ French with a huge Simmental x Heifer with length but also plenty of definition to £1685 at 18 months and 6 more at £1570 and another bunch away at £1400.

At Dingwall on 30th October, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd, sold 449 adult head of breeding cattle. Cows with calf at foot (96) sold to £3,200 gross for a Simmental cross cow with a cross calf from the 1 Dounie, Edderton.

UNDER 8-WEEK-OLD SIMM CALVES TOP MARKETHILL AT £600
Flying trade at Markethill calf ring on 30th October saw 190 calves sold to a full ringside of buyers with prices continuing to surge!  Topping the market was Simmental bulls under eight weeks old selling at £600, and £520.

In a sale of UTM heifers at Frome on 30th October, heifers from DAM Marklove topped at 260p/kg and £1577 for Simmental x. In the cull cows best shape Grade 1 cows from the same seller topped at 234p/kg for a Simmental x grossing £1662.

At Dungannon Farmers Mart on 30th October and a sale of dropped calves, heifer calves sold to £410 for a Simm presented by S Gormley.

United Auctions, Stirling on 30th October 2024 sold 1226 Store Cattle and 273 out of spec cattle, cast cows and bulls. Young Bulls  sold to £1650 gross for a 597kg SimmX from Shawsmill.

In a sale of 295 calves at Carmarthen on 30th October, the top price was £470 for a 1-month-old Simmental bull from an excellent pen of calf from Jones, Ty Llwyd Mawr, who had others at £445.

Market Drayton’s sale of 314 store cattle on 30th October saw heifer prices top at £1630 for a 618kg heifer from C Hollinshead & Son.

10-MONTH-OLD SIMM SUCKLED CALVES TOP HALLWORTHY AT £1520
At Hallworthy’s second season sale of suckled calves on 29th October, what a sale! Top spot went to Mr J Buckland & Son of Penzance with his usual run of Pedigree Simmental Steers with depth, length and tremendous fleshing.  His pen of four at 9-10 months, which had 1st in the best bunch, sold to £1520 and with a single to £1500.

At Ashford on 29th October, and a sale of 464 store & breeding cattle, numbers of single suckled calves increasing with a cracking run of 6 – 8 month old Simmental steers from Betchworth Estate to £1030.

At Wooler on 29th October and a sale of store cattle, Harrison & Hetherington saw a great trade throughout with pence per kilo topping at 322ppk from Chatton Park for a pen of Simmental.x Bullocks. The same vendor had other Simm bullocks at 311.3p, 309.5p, and 307.8p.

At Salisbury Livestock Market on 28th October and a sale of UTM finished cattle, top price per kilo of 263p went to a Simmental x steer from Lulworth Castle Farms which grossed £1756.84. In the sale of OTM clean cattle, strong farm assured slip heifers from The Manor of Cadland dominated at up to 258p or £1479.06 for a Simmental x.  In the UTM finished cattle, top price per kilo of 263p went to a Simmental x steer from Lulworth Castle Farms which grossed £1756.84.

SIMM STIRK TOPS AYR AT £1830
Messrs Craig Wilson Ltd sold 171 Calves and Stirks at their weekly sale at Ayr on 29th October. Stirks Topped at a whopping £1520 for a Beautiful Simmental Cross Heifer off Messrs MacDougall, Muirhouse.

On Monday 28th October at Caledonian Marts, Stirling, 672 Store Cattle and Suckled Calves were forward. Bullocks sold to a top of £1830 for a Simmental from W & M More, Castle Rednock, Port of Menteith. Heifers sold to a top of £1820 for Simmentals from D Gibb, South Mains, Bearsden.

At Lanark on 28th October, and Lawrie and Symington Ltd’s primestock sale, young bulls were topped by Simms from East Merkland at £2024 per head.  On the Monday, and a sale of calves and stirks, topping the sale was an exceptional 6 month old Simmental x bull calf from Littlegill Farm, realising £910.

C&D Auctions held their fortnightly sale of Store Cattle (450) in Dumfries on  28th October 2024. Heifers topped per head at £1540 from High Auchneel.  Other Simm heifers from Larglea sold to £1430 x 2.

12 FIVE-MONTH-OLD SIMMS AVERAGE £1012 AT GAERWEN, ANGLESEY
On 25th October at  Gaerwen Auction Centre, Anglesey, W Hughes, Ty Mawr, Llan took 12 Sim X bull calves 5/6 months, to return an average of £1012. All calves out of Kilbride Farm Marksman that was bought privately last autumn.

At Thainstone on 24th October, Aberdeen & Northern Marts held a sale of cast cows and bulls from Orkney consignors. Beef Cows Sold to £1,930 gross for a 848kg Simmental from Drydale Farms, Stromness.  Mature Bulls Sold to £2,140 gross for a 1150kg Simmental from A Clark, Quoydale, Hoy.  On the same day, and a sale of prime heifers top gross was £2048.75 gross for a 745kg Simmental Cross from Rogiehill, Skene.

In a sale of 136 stores at Market Drayton on 24th October, the heifer trade was topped at £1430 for a 626kg Simm heifer.

On 23rd October, Aberdeen and Northern Marts sold 654 head of adult breeding cattle at Thainstone.   Heifer with Heifer Calf sold to £2950 for a Simmental Heifer from South Blachrie, Fyvie. Cow with Bull Calf sold to £2850 for a Simmental Cross Cow from Law Farm, Insch. Cow with Heifer Calf sold to £2950 for a Simmental Cross Cow from West Maldron, Torphins. Top price for Simmental Heifers was £3200 for a pair, calving February to a Limousin Bull from Mr Watt, New Noth, Gartly.

In a sale of store cattle at Truro on 23rd October, the trade for steers up to one year old was led by a Simmental x to £1380 for Mrs PE Williams of Penzance. In a sale of rearing calves on the same day, topping the heifer section was a Simmental x selling for £310 on behalf of Messrs A D & J A Bray from St Martin, Helston.

£1910 GRANTSBANK SIMM HEIFERS TOP STIRLING STORE CATTLE SALE
United Auctions, Stirling on 23rd October sold 1059 Store Cattle and 335 out of spec cattle, cast cows and bulls. Heifers (496) sold to a top gross of £1910 for a 640kg SIMX from Grantsbank.  On the same day a section of 68 rearing cattle was topped at £800 for Simm X heifers from Doldy Farms, Glenisla.

At Market Drayton’s sale of 137 clean cattle and young bulls on 23rd October, Emma Crust topped the trade with heavy Simmental steers selling to 312p (£2,021.76).