Farming Eye

Trade at today’s Hampshire Down sale, Stratford, saw an eager demand for some of the better bloodlines on offer with buyers willing to bid relatively strongly for both males and females.

It was the males which enjoyed the pick of the trade, with the day’s top call of 1240gns paid for a ram lamb from Charles and Sally Horrell’s Pode Hole flock. The sale topper is a son of Yarcombe Juggernaut out of a dam by Pode hole Drummer and sold with an index of 269, placing him in the top 5% of the breed. After a spirited bidding battle he sold to Robert Vincent for the Whitehead flock, Carmarthenshire.

Then following him at 1040gns was another lamb heading home with Mr Vincent, this time from Jean Ritchie’s Parkstock flock. Sired by Wattisfield Top Draw this one is out of a dam by Dunraven Jewel and has an index of 236, also within the top 5% of the breed.

Next best in the males was one of this season’s show stoppers, David and Denise Middleditch’s shearling tup which has been interbreed champion at both Suffolk and Lincoln. Sired by Wattisfield Jimmy this one is out of a dam by Wattisfield Whatever and has an index of 136. He also heads across Offah’s Dyke, this time to North Wales.

A ram lamb from Chris Westlake then secured an 840gns bid when the Horrell’s reinvested some of their earlier earnings. This was a Parkstock Royal son out of a dam by Yarcombe Express and has an index of 215, placing him in the top 10%.

And not far behind that at 780gns was another of the Horrell’s team. Again by Yarcombe Juggernaut this lamb is out of a dam by Pode Hole Victor and has an index of 269. Buying him were Jim and Jane Birkwood.

Taking a 750gns bid was the best of the day from the Knight family’s Westland flock. This was a lamb by Wattisfield Gold Top out of a dam by Owlesbury Umpire and sold to the Derryman family for the Yarcombe flock.

Demand for the leading females was equally strong, with ewe lambs selling to 800gns and shearling ewes hitting a high of 740gns. Collecting the biggest cheque here were the Horrells again with a ewe lamb from Pode Hole. Again by Juggernaut she is out of a dam by Yarcombe Highflyer and sold with an index of 231.

Second best of the female prices was a 740gns bid for a gimmer from Chris Westlake. This Owlesbury Wonder daughter is out of a dam by Bilberry Oak Supreme and sold to the Horrells with an index of 199.

After that came a 580gns call for a shearling ewe from David Smith and Jennifer Atkinson. This one is by Pode Hole I-Spy and out of a dam by Yarcombe Erroll. She sold with an index of 272, inside the top 1% of the breed. Also at this money was another from the Owlesbury flock, a Parkstock Royal daughter out of a dam by Bilberry Oak Supreme. She headed for a new home in Scotland.

And making 540gns was the final gimmer of the sale and the last from Owlesbury. She is by Yarcombe Apollo and out of a Millfields Broker-sired dam.

Other leading female prices included a shearling from Pode Hole at 510gns, and a pair of ewe lambs from Owlesbury at 500gns.

by Jonathan Long

New season lamb prices have continued their downward trend in the early part of this week, with Monday’s markets reporting averages slipping again on last week’s trade.

At Bakewell on Monday an increased entry of 649 lambs met a trade some 69p/kg back on the same week last year, with the overall average levelling at 201p/kg compared with 270p/kg 12 months ago. The auctioneers report continued consumer resistance to retail price levels coupled with Euro currency concerns being the main reasons for the fall in values.

Demand for the best E and U grade lambs was, however, brisk peaking at 254p/kg.  Best lambs grossed just short of £100/head with several pens in the late 90’s.

And at Carlisle on the same day Harrison and Hetherington report spring lambs meeting a decent demand although prices again fell short of last week’s rates, with the overall average settling at 195.97p.

Top price of the day here went to Messrs Pearson, Wavercroft, which topped at £102.80. Top price/kg was 248.2/kg paid for Texel cross lambs from Messrs Thompson, Woodhead.

Meanwhile, at Stratford on Tuesday prices took a sharp downward move with trade very sticky.  Lambs in the 32-39kg bracket sold to 178p/kg and averaged 171.96p/kg, while 39-45kg lambs sold to 177p/kg to average 169.43p/kg and the heavies from 45-52kgs sold to and averaged 160p,  with the overall SQQ settling at 170.59p/kg.

North of the border at Caledonian Marts on Tuesday trade dipped by more than 12p on the week with the overall average for  138 lambs being 200.44p/kg. Light lambs were once again keenly sought after, with lambs in the 38-42kg range selling to a top of 229p/kg from R A Campbell and Sons, Meikle Seggie.

Suggestions coming from the trade are that prices will continue to slide unless there is a significant uplift in demand in the coming days and weeks. As it stands it looks like prices will continue to be hit on a daily basis and with increasing numbers coming on to the market it could be anyone’s guess where prices will settle after the double bank holiday next week.

I suspect for many with lambs to sell the best option may be to cash them at lighter weights in order to avoid any further drops in value, this will be particularly true for those lambs being creep fed.

by Jonathan Long

The South Devon Midland Club Sale at Stratford saw a buoyant trade for both bulls and heifers, with trade topping at 6200gns and a new record price for heifers set at 4600gns.

Sale leader and reserve champion was Ridgemere Tyrone from D and B Bowley. Sired by Grove Wellington 51, he sold to S Dewick from Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire.

Judge Robert Shinner tapped out Richard Ford’s Goffe Cave Sturdy 12 to take the overall championship before selling for the second highest price of the day, 4800gns.  His sire Trevassack Trusty 4 was a previous best bull in the Society’s national Herd Competition. Buyer here was G P Hubbard and Sons, Lutterworth, Leicestershire.

And following that price Julian White’s Broadwood Prospect sold to Mrs J Archer from Norfolk for 4,100 guineas.  There was a total clearance of bulls, with 11 averaging £3,160.

Female sale leader was the female and reserve overall champion, A E J and F J Claridge’s Knowlhill Melise 44, which sold at 4600gns. She is by Sexton Excalibur 7 and out of a homebred cow and sold to A and C Vrona, Rutland.

Next highest price for two year old females came from a consignment from J G Williams and Son, Craven Arms, Shropshire, when they sold Hopton Hilda 35. By Sexton Excalibur 19 she sold to D Holt, Hertfordshire for 2750gns.  A further four out of sixteen two year olds exceeded 2000gns.

2011-born maiden heifers saw trade top at 2250gns for M and S Kettlewell’s Upper Norton Naomi. This one is by Welland Valley Hanbury 11 and sold to I Howard, Ashbourne, Derbyshire.

Averages: 11 bulls £3160; 16 halter broken bulling heifers £2090; 11 halter broken maiden heifers £1227 (Kivells). 

by Chrissie Long

With Easter just a matter of days away new season lambs have been making good money across the country.

At Stratford yestersay an entry of 30 lambs sold to a high of 257p/kg for 38.5kg Charollais crosses from O D Plunkett, while T R Tame sold lambs to 255p/kg and a top of £110/head for 46kg entries.

Meanwhile, at Bakewell on Monday trade hit a high of 424p/kg (£186) for the champion lamb, a Texel from Tony Hatton. The 132 lambs forward sold to average 258.29p/kg, with 10 lots over 300p/kg.

And at Sedgemoor on the same day trade was a good deal dearer on the week, with the averages up more than 20p/kg Topping the trade were J and J M Hurford with lambs at 305p/kg, with W S Stitch selling at 300p/kg and many others at 280p/kg or more.  Top price/head was £116 with this paid for lambs from W S Stitch and Robin Irwin, with the entire entry levelling at £103.46.

Monday’s show at Carlisle saw 44 lambs forward for judging, with the top ticket taken by a 42kg Suffolk from J T Irving which went on to sell for the day’s best price of £116.

Other leading prices included Suffolks from Iain Barbour, Beech Grove at £112 and Charollais from Herbie Kennedy, Westerpark at the same money. Best price/kg was the show topper which sold at 276.2p/kg.

by Jonathan Long