THIS WEEK’S MARKET BRIEFS SEES SIMMENTAL CATTLE DOING THE BUSINESS

by | Jul 5, 2021

AT CAITHNESS, ABERDEEN, HUNTLY, DINGWALL, LOCKERBIE, PENRITH, DUMFRIES, DUNGANNON, HEXHAM, LANCASTER, MARKET DRAYTON, EXETER, AND HALLWORTHY. We kick off this week with the sale of prime cattle on 21st June at Exeter, which saw well finished prime cattle from David Slade of Chagford lead the gross trade with his 630kg Simmental heifer rising to 221ppk and £1389.  Further quality Simmental bred heifers from Andrew and George Palk of Paignton ran to 211, 209 and 207ppk with one at 574kg realising £1173.

BALGRAY HILL SIMMENTAL FEMALES WITH CALVES AT FOOT SELL TO £2550

The first part of the dispersal sale of DR Cornthwaite, Balgray Hill, Lockerbie, held today, Tuesday 22nd June, at Harrison & Hetherington’s Lockerbie Mart saw Simmental cows and heifers with calves at foot sell to a top of £2550 with further lots at £2500 (x2), £2400, £2350, £2250 and with a number over the £2000 mark. The sale, with 120 Limousin and Simmental heifers and stock cows with Limousin & Blue calves at foot forward, saw every lot sell to average just under £2050. The top Simmental price of £2550 was paid for a May 2018 born female sold with an April born Lim bull calf at foot, with the outfit being knocked down to J&I Pattinson, Bonshawside, Kirtle Bridge, Lockerbie. J M Goldie, Newbie Mains, Annan paid £2500 for a rising five year old Simmental cow with her May born Limousin heifer calf at foot. Also at £2500 was an April 2018 born Simmental sired female sold with her April born Limousin heifer calf at foot to J&I Longlands, Tone Hall Farm, Bartley, Hexham.

At Penrith Farmers Mart sale of store and OTM cattle on 21st June, a run of aged, fed Simmental X cows from Messrs Pearson, Manor Farm, averaged £1236.79 (168p/kg), topping at £1304, purchased by Mr Owain Llyr.  The store cattle trade topped at £1455 for a twenty-three-month-old Simmental bullock from Mr R Hasell McCosh, Dalemain, selling to Mr D Barker. Heifers from the same home achieved £1415, selling to Mr D Whaite.

Hexham and Northern Marts held its weekly catalogued sale of 204 Store Cattle & Suckled Calves on 18th June.  The leading price for cattle 23 – 30 months was for Simmental x steers – £1140 Hedley West.

On Thursday 17th June, Aberdeen & Northern Marts sold 130 cows and bulls to average £1,142.96 and 156p per kg. Beef finished cows (53) averaged £1,295.66 and sold to £1,650 for a 958kg Simmental cross from Mill of Fowlis, Muir of Fowlis.

At Hallworthy on 17th June, 200 stores again saw plenty of confidence in the rising trade. A cracking run of cattle were headed by Mr & Mrs Rogers of Sydenham Damerel with a deep bodied Simmental x Steer with plenty of power to £1300. In the younger cattle, week after week the quality is high and with the trade to follow. Jim Buckland of St Buryan topped out at £1085 for 3 Steers at 12 months, their pure Simmental Steers with power and shape were a super sight.

At Dungannon Farmers Mart on 16th June, a strong trade for all classes of stock saw heifers sold to a height of £1300 (twice) and including a Simmental from J Casey at 645kg (202.00).

At Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd small sale of prime cattle on 15th June, heifers averaged 233.0p  and sold to £1,534.00 gross for a 650kg Simmental cross also from Balnageith, Forres selling to Messrs John M Munro Ltd, Dingwall.  At a further sale of prime cattle in the same market on 22nd June, bullocks averaged 239.1p (+24.7p) and sold to £1,557.60 gross for a 660kg Simmental cross from Easter Urray Farm, Muir of Ord and again selling to Messrs John M Munro Ltd, Dingwall.

C & D Auction Marts Ltd held their fortnightly sale of store and breeding cattle in Dumfries on Monday 14th June 2021. In the breeding bulls a Simmental from Springfield topped at £2500.

On the 14th June at Market Drayton’s sale of over age clean cattle, steers sold to 190p (£1,136.20) for a Simmental from P. Studley & Sons, Burton.

Still on 14th June and Hallworthy’s TB restricted sale  of 140 store cattle saw probably the best standard of cattle through this year. An outstanding run of 80 Cattle from A R Hooper & Son of Boscastle saw a top of £1375 for a Simmental x Steer with depth and fleshing as with all his Cattle, next a pair of Simmental x Steers to £1355, and a very smart Simmental x Steer to £1300.

United Auctions on Saturday 12th June 2021 at Huntly, held a displenishing sale of 207 predominantly Simmental breeding cattle on behalf of Cushnie Farms, Craigievar.  The sale saw a top of £2800 for a SimX with a bull calf at foot and to £2700 for a SimX wih a heifer calf at foot.  Other Sim prices included Hfrs with Blk Calves £2600 x2 & £2500 x 3; Hfr with Hfr Calves £2600 & £2500 x2; Cows & Blk Calves £2500,£2450 & £2400. Cows & Hfr Calves £2500 & £2300. Sim Bull £2100. (Cushie Farms cattle pictured).

At the sale of Calves & Stirks, Store, and OTM cattle held at NWA’s Lancaster Mart on Friday 11th June,  cracking day in the calf ring saw an entry of 108 forward. A Simmental steer from J R Newsham & Son, Conder Green topped the trade selling to £530.

At the sale of prime cattle in Thainstone on 10th June, prime heifers averaged 228.2p and sold to £1,584.10 gross for a 730kg Simmental Cross from Hillocks, Whiterashes. 30 to 48 Month bullocks averaged 193.3p and sold to 202p per kg and £1,474.60 gross for a 730kg Simmental Cross from Faichfolds. On the same day at a sale of cast cows and bulls, boning cows averaged £635.80 (+£47.05) and sold to £755 for a 650kg Simmental Cross from Wester Durris, Banchory.

Also at Thainstone on 11th June, Aberdeen and Northern Marts sold 591 store cattle, young bulls and young and weaned calves. Heifers (303) averaged 233.6p and sold to £1,440 gross for a 682kg Simmental cross from Auchtertyre Farms (31 months).

In a sale of store and OTM cattle on 10th June at Huntly, the OTMs sold to average 163.2p per kg, and selling to a top of 181.9p per kg for a 720kg SimX from Cairncoullie, Glenkindie.  The top gross was the £1600 paid for a 935kg Sim from Corskie, Garmouth.

At Quoybrae, Caithness, on 7th June, Aberdeen and Northern Marts held a sale of store cattle, and breeding cattle. Heifers averaged 234.5p per kg to 283.3p for 233kg Simmental crosses from Myrelandhorn (Miller). Breeding cattle sold to £2,300 for a Simmental cross heifer with Limousin cross hfr calf from Cairnside, 36 Oldhall, Watten.