PART THREE: SIMMENTALS TOPPING COMMERCIAL SALES AT UK MARKETS THROUGHOUT OCTOBER

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 the third and final part of the October Market Briefs featuring sales from 33 livestock markets around the UK:

In a sale of stirks and suckled calves at Exeter on 11th October, a brisk trade throughout saw Simmental cross steers (7m) from JHR Southwood of Copplestone fly to £770 and top the day.

On 11th October at Ballymena and a sale of 310 calves, heifers topped at £650 for a Simm from M Patterson, Nutts Corner.

On 11th October at Thame, demand was very strong for the older cattle topping at £1820 for a pen of Simmental steers from Sulham Estates & Farms at 19 months who went on to sell other pens at £1808 and £1805. Sulham Estates also topped the heifers with £1700 for a Simmental at 19 months.

In a sale of cast & 130 OTM cattle at Lancaster Auction Mart on 11th October, Simmental steers sold to 259.5p/kg from EJ&PE Burrow, Storth.  Top grossing in the cast was a Simmental cast bull from E Rossall, Pressall at £1995.60.

COLTFIELD YOUNG SIMM BULLS SELL TO £2703 AT THAINSTONE PRIME CATTLE SALE

At Aberdeen and Northern Marts sale of prime cattle on 10th October, young bulls sold to £2703 gross for a Simmental from Wester Coltfield, Kinloss.  On the same day and a sale of Beef feeding cows (113),  top price was £1650 for a 746kg Simmental Cross from Acrestrype, Auchterless.

On 10th October at Ballymena, and a sale of 445 cattle, beef cows were topped at £2306 for a 790kg Simm from W Hopes, Ballywater.

On 9th October, United Auctions Stirling sold 1910 Store & Native Bred cattle and 296 out of spec cattle, cast cows and bulls, & 104 Rearing Cattle.  Young Bulls averaged 202.01 to 272.60p per kilo for a 576kg SIMX from Nettlingflat and £1570 for a 576kg SIMX from Nettlingflat.

In a sale of feeding/breeding bulls on 9th October at Monmouthshire Livestock Centre, the trade topped at £970 for a 4-month-old Simmental from EM Miles & Partners, Gelligaer.

At Truro on 9th October, Simmental cows & calves from Mr E White of St Buryan, Penzance made £2720; £2500; £2300; and £2250.  In-calf heifers from the same home made £2000, with bulling heifers to £1900.  A sale of suckled calves saw Simmental steers up to 7-months-old at £900 for Messrs Nankervis, Zennor, St Ives, with heifers from the same home up to 7-months-old at £800. Steer suckled calves at 8-12-months-old saw Simmental x to £935 for Messrs Roberts, Gweek, Helston.

On Wednesday 9th October at Brockholes Arms Auction Mart, Garstang, and a sale of rearing calves and weanlings, topping the day’s trade was a Simmental bull calf from J D Loftus at £505.

At a sale of 72 cull cows at Frome on 9th October, the top price was £1492 for a Simm from HJ Marklove, Purton.

At Ballymena’s store cattle sale of over 400 head on 8th October, heifers over 501kgs were topped by a 610kg Simm at £2040 from H Sinnamon, Pomeroy.

At Ashford Market’s sale of 439 store cattle on 8th October, continental bred cattle were topped by Simmental cross steers, 18 months, at £1400 from Wood Farm Partnership

BUFFS SIMMENTALS TOP GISBURN AT £2450

At Gisburn on 5th October, a cracking turn out of beef breeding cattle saw the Buffs herd of Simmentals from G Tattersall & AR Hargreaves meet a huge crowd of interest, with cows and calves topping at £2450. In calf heifers topped at £2050 for Simmentals from G Tattersall & AR Hargreaves.

HARVIESTON SIMMS TOP CASTLE DOUGLAS CALVES AT £1530

Wallets Marts had forward 975 Spring born calves at their sale at Castle Douglas on 5th October.  Bullocks sold to £1530 for Simmentals from Messrs Forster, Harvieston.

At Thainstone on 4th October, Aberdeen & Northern Marts held a sale of store cattle from Orkney consignors.  Heifers Sold to £1,690 gross for a 512kg Simmental and to 330p per kg for a 512kg Simmental from K & K Morgan, Swanny Farm, Swannay.

At Thame on 4th October and a sale of 156 store cattle, John Flanagan topped the heifers with a single Aberdeen Angus X Simmental at £1600 and Simmental X from the same farm at £1460 at 18 months.

£2100 PANTMEINOG SIMM STEER TOPS CARMARTHEN PRIME SALE

On 4th October, Carmarthen Livestock Mart held part one of their prize cattle autumn fair.  Trade was electric with the top price on the day being £2100 for a Simm steer from EA Davies, Pantmeinog.

On 4th October and a sale of 147 calves at Exeter, bulls topped at an impressive £380 for a very young but sweet Simmental bull sold by MR & KM Pring of Broadclyst.

At a small sale of cattle on behalf of Shetland consignors at Thainstone on 3rd October, cast Cows sold to £1,870 gross and 224.7p per kg for a 832kg Simmental from S & E Ridland, Berga, Wester Skeld.

£4250 SIMM COW WITH CALF TOPS THAINSTONE BREEDING CATTLE TRADE

At Thainstone on 2nd October, Aberdeen and Northern Marts sold 210 head of adult breeding cattle. The annual show & sale of breeding cattle kindly sponsored by James Milne Chartered Accountants, was judged by Neil Robertson, Carbrotack, Cairnie. The Reserve Champion went to W & M Ewing, South Blachrie for a Simmental Cross Heifer with a Limousin Heifer calf which sold at £3750 too W J Jack & Son, Woodend. The top price of the sale  was £4250 which went to C & M Emslie, Law Farm for a Simmental Cross Cow with a Charolais Cross Bull calf which was purchased by J Durno, Mansefield.  Heifers with Bull Calf (22) averaged £3243.18 per head & sold to £3850 for a Simmental cross Heifer and a March Born Charolais Cross calf from Law Farm, Insch. Heifers with Heifer Calf (36) averaged £3150 per head & sold to £3750 for a Simmental Cross Heifer and a July Born Limousin Cross calf from South Blachrie, Fyvie. Cow with Bull Calf (66) averaged £2918.31 per head & sold to £4250 for a Simmental Cross Cow with a March Born Charolais Cross calf from Law Farm, Insch. Cow with Heifer Calf (40) averaged £2603.75 per head & sold to £3900 for a Simmental Cross Cow with an April Born Charolais Cross from Law Farm, Insch.   In Calf Cow (19) averaged £1985.79 and sold to £2200 (X2) firstly for a Simmental Cross from, Law Farm, Insch & secondly for a Simmental from Cairntack, Belhelvie.

In a sale of 230 store cattle at Holsworthy on 2nd October,  top call on the day was £1795 for two well farmed Simmental steers from Messrs TW Owen & ML Vanstone, Holsworthy, who also sold two 24mth Simmental steers £1710.

On 1st October, and a sale of store cattle at Holmfirth, Simm steers from RA Asquith sold for the day’s top price of £1545 to J Hobson & Son.

On 1st October at Ayr, Messrs Craig Wilson Ltd sold 164 Calves and Stirks with all types dearer on the week. Top Price Calf was £570 for a Thumper of a Simmental Cross Heifer off Messrs Howat, Burnton.  At a sale of cows on the same day, top price per head was £1800 for a Simmental from Pinclanty.