Simmental Commercial Sales UK: September Market Highlights

The second part of three, Simmental market briefs for September featuring 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!

At Thainstone on 20th September, Aberdeen & Northern Marts had a sale of 213 store cattle forward from Orkney Consignors. Bullocks Sold to £1,970 gross for a 676kg Simmental from J & J Fraser, Feaval, Birsay. Heifers sold to £1,700 gross for a 576kg Simmental from D P Nicholson & Co, Quoys, South Ronaldsay.

Again at Thainstone on 20th September, Aberdeen & Northern Marts sold 1250 store cattle, young bulls, and weaned calves. 594 Store Cattle sold to a top of £1970 for a Simmental Cross which scaled 676kg consigned by Messrs Fraser Feaval, Birsay.

In a sale of 200+ rearing calves at Gisburn on 19th September, Simmental X bull calves sold to £490 from J&RJ Parsons to feature in the leading prices.

On 19th September and a sale of prime cattle at Aberdeen & Northern Marts, Thainstone, prime heifers sold to 319p per kg for a 665kg Simmental Cross from Blackhillock, Millbrex

In a sale of OTM cattle at Lancaster on 19th September, the top grossing beef cow was a Simmental achieving £1770.

At Dungannon farmers Mart on 18th September, dropped calves sold to £580 for a Simm Bull presented by a Ballygawley producer.

In a sale of prime cattle at Frome on 18th September, Simmental heifers to 274p/kg, and a top gross of £1723 from AC CA Alvis.

In a sale of store cattle for Shetland consignors at Aberdeen & Northern Marts, Thainstone, on 17th September, bullocks sold to £1,695 gross for a 630kg Simmental from A H & J Davidson, Sunshine Cottage, Wester Quarff. Heifers sold to £1,550 gross for a 540kg Simmental from the same vendor.

At Messrs Craig Wilson Ltd’s sale of calves and stirks on 17th September at Ayr, the heifer stirks led the top price per head at £840 for a Simmental Cross from Barrachan.

At Salisbury Livestock Market on 17th September and a sale of Barren Cows (57 forward), top price went to cows which were assured, smart Simmentals from James Foot, P & S Foot, and made 210p on two occasions.

SIMMENTALS TOP HEIFERS & YOUNG BULLS AT SEDGEMOOR

On 16th September at Sedgemoor’s sale of prime cattle, heifers to a tremendous £2,051.51 for a Simmental (779kg) from CHJ Atwell & Sons, who sold more Simmentals at £1,833.98 (627kg) £1,719.83 (622kg) and £1,690.16 (639kg). Young bulls to 257.5ppk for a Simmental (15m) from J Drew, Cardiff, which returned at £1,843.70 (716kg).

At Hailsham’s sale of store cattle on 16th September, quality cattle made quality prices, great results no matter the age. A smart young consignment of Simmental x steers from PW Taylor & Son’s, Houseden rocketed to a top of £1540 at 14/15 months.

C&D Auctions held their Annual Rood Fair sale of Store Cattle with 450 forward on 16th September at Dumfries. H Gillan, Mossburn sold Simm heifers to the day’s top price of £1600, with others at £1340.

At Hull Livestock Markets sale of fatstock and store cattle on 16th September, a pen of four strong Simmental Heifers from M D Reeves, Brocklesby set the pace in the store heifers at £1,220.

In a sale of 134 barren, OTM, and feeding cows at Bakewell on 16th September, the top grossing cows were Simms from BD & JH Ponsonby, Tideswell Moor at £1962.24, and £1934.40.

Swatragh Livestock Market saw a super entry of 220 top quality cattle presented for sale on 16th September. Beef bulls were topped by a Kilrea producer, with a 820kg Simm at £2070.

At Portree on 16th September, Dingwall and Highland Marts Ltd sold 1,357 weaned calves and store cattle at their annual direct ballot sale. Young Bulls sold to 338.0pp per kg and £810 gross for a 240kg Simmental cross from 3 Totescore, Portree.

Market Drayton’s sale on 16th September saw the best sucklers to 218p for a Simmental cow weighing 904 kilos to accumulate £1,970.72 for A.P. Day & Sons, Outwoods. Others to mention : £1,796.76 (868kgs) Simmental JB.&P. Thompson,£1,523.58 (758kgs) Simmental JB. & P. Thompson, £1,433.12 (676kgs). In the sale of stores, great numbers forward and trade continued to march on. Just over thirty feeding bulls on offer topped at £1,200 for Simmental eleven months from Mr Andrew Martinez, Malpas. Yarding cattle still ringing the bell and topping at £1,740 for Simmental steers from Edwards Farming Ltd, Eccleshall.

In a sale of 1063 store cattle at Sedgemoor on 14th September, a record trade saw Simmentals feature in the top prices. Simmental to £1765 from RW Moore, Buckland St Mary. Fleshed Simmentals £1700 from C Barnes, Bridport. Well grown Simmentals £1650 from B & P Horsey & Son, West Hatch and £1630 from Messrs Snook Ltd, East Coker.

On 13th September at Thainstone, Aberdeen and Northern Marts sold 401 store cattle, young bulls and young and weaned calves. Bulls sold to £1460 gross for a pair of 510kg Simmental’s from Dundurcas, Rothes. On the same day and a sale of 150 store cattle for Orkney consignors, bullocks sold to 323.1p per kg for a pair of 390kg Simmentals from JM & JA Brown, Howally, Twatt. Heifers sold to £1,830 gross and 341.4p per kg for a pair of 536kg Simmentals from A T Annal & Son, Myres, South Ronaldsay.

On 13th September at Frome’s sale of store cattle, a good selection of younger feeding cattle forward met a strong, competitive trade. The stronger forward heifers on offer met an exceptional demand with fleshed heifers selling to a top of £1630 for Simms from Small Bros of Charterhouse.

At Lancaster on 13th September, 88 OTM cattle were forward. Cows sold to 249.5p/kg and 239.5p/kg both for Simmentals, with these achieving top grossing cows at £1796 and £1793.

At Huntly on 12th September, United Auctions sold 136 Store cattle and OTMS. Heifers (84) averaged 280p per kg, selling to a top gross of £1410 for a pair of 517Kg SimX’s from WhitehilL, Grange.

On 11th September at Market Drayton and a sale of clean cattle and young bulls, the top gross price was £20240 for a Simmental steer from R. & E. Kennerley Ltd, Church Eaton.