Holsworthy Livestock Market Report: Wednesday, August 13

A few more on offer and again a lot of lambs losing their back due to the dry weather which were harder to place.

The good meat lambs very much in demand. Top per kilo being 364ppk for a pen of Charollais x 44.6kgs at £162.50 from Dave & Mandy Walter of Sessacott Park, Putford who also realised £359 for their 46kgs at £165.

Mike Down of Whitsley Barton saw his 44.4kgs make 359ppk at £159 and Rod Wood of Thornbury made 356ppk for 44kgs at £156.50. Top per head on the day was £177 from CC Littlejohns of Hartland at 52.4kgs.

More plain ewes on offer than there was fat ewes and a strong trade met. The few well fleshed ewes that were on offer topped at £170 from 3 vendors. Mules to £165 and grazing ewes from £85 to £106.

A flying trade with Texel x 2T topping the day at £245 from R Grigg of Treneglos and 4 pens of Suffolk x 2T from Colin Davey of Stoke, Hartland made £238.

Smaller entry with mostly small framed lambs on offer. Top being £115 sold by Messrs Findlay & Palmer of Mortonhampsted and also Mr M Jones of Winkleigh.

412 calves forward, a mixture in quality and a much more varied trade.

A harder trade compared to last week, a single 6-month-old Blue steer made £770 in from D Smale, Bideford other Blue steers to £740 for a trio in from R Hedden & Son, Weare Gifford who sold Hereford steers to £705. A single smart Blue heifer reached £700 from R Hedden again.

A much more varied trade this week with some calves looking well some and others selling to a harder trade.

Best Blue bulls up to £735 for a superb example in from MR & KL Cleave, Bude, other decent sorts to £720 for PJ Martin, Buckland Filleigh, £720 for Dave Furse, Ashwater, £705 for the Wearing Family, Tavistock and £680 B & N Davey, Boyton.

Best Limousin bulls to £700 and £680 for the Wearing Family again, more to £670 for M Lenton, Quethiock. Well put together Charolais bulls to £670 for BD & DG Andrew, Shebbear, £595 for SR Gilbert, Shebbear, £582 for J Sillifant, Pancrasweek and £550 for LJ Goaman, Hartland.

A monster of a Hereford bull to £700 for Higher Coombe Farm, Tavistock others £500 for PJ Martin. A strong run of Simmentals on offer and reached £500 and £465 for J Sillifant again. Older Angus bulls to £590 for a group sold by Russell Risdon, with younger sorts to £495 for TJ & BE Cowley, Ashwater.

A good run of strong Blue heifers on offer which reached £685 for a cracker in from PR Herniman, St Giles, others £580 LJ & LE Luxton & son, Milton Damerel, more £570 for Dave Furse and £565 for MR & KL Cleave, Youlstone.

Very smart Charolais heifers to £665 for BD & DG Andrew, Shebbear and £480 for Wrangworthy dairy. Limousin heifers topped at £420 for B & N Davey, Boyton. Strong Angus heifers to £570 for LJ & LE Luxton.

20 Friesian bulls reached £410 for a big sort in from James Warren, Penzance with all forward averaging £166.

Harvesting saw a reduced entry as expected, quality back on previous weeks with the stronger feeding cattle at £1700+.

Topping at £2150 for an AAx from Messrs G Cole & Son of Pancrasweek who sold other Aberdeen Angus at £1650. Simmental steers (20mth) from Mr FR Bown of Okehampton made £1800 & others from the same farm at £1760 (2).

British Blues in short supply to a top of £1780 for a Framed 24mth steer from Mr G Daniel & Son of North Tamerton who sold 4 others at £1700.

Meat heifers in short supply, to a top of £1990 for a fleshed 19mth Charolais from Messrs SFB Agricultural Services of Bideford. A 22mth Aberdeen Angus from Messrs G Cole & Son made £1800 with other bunches at £1780 & £1680.

Top today was £1780 for a 15mth single suckled Limousin from Messrs RJ & JR Warren of Penzance.

A cracking run of 15mth single suckled Limousin steers from Messrs Ward & Houldcroft of Winkleigh hit £1440(3) with others at £1400 (4).

Single suckled Limousin heifers from Messrs RJ & JR Warren sold well at £1650 and Dairy x Continentals topped at £1400 for a 13mth Charolais steer from Messrs SFB Agriculture Services & Charolais heifers at £1240(2) & Limousin heifers at £1250.

A nice run of 8-10mth well farmed cattle from Messrs Fullabrook Farm Partners of Ilfracombe who saw British Blue Steers at £1200 & £1110, Herefords to £1020 (8-9mths) and 6 British Blue heifers from the same farm at £1220, £1040 (6) & £980 (5).

A nice run of 38 10-11mths Hereford x bred heifers from Messrs C & F Street of Ilfracombe to £780 (8) others at £710 & £700.

272ppk was the top for a lightweight 542kilo Devon heifer from Mr WR Mansfield of Kilkhampton at £1474.

A good entry of dairy cattle saw another tremendous trade with all the freshly calved heifers averaging £3125.

Freshly calved Cows saw a top of £4000 for a superb fresh calved cow yielding 42Kgs ‘Chettiscombe Casper Cara 3’ on behalf of SEJ Tap & Son, Tiverton. Other freshly calved cows rose to £3900 for ‘Littleweir Redcarpet Bandy’ giving 37Kgs sold on behalf of J & SW Murch, Umberleigh.

Steve Davey & Partners of Woolsery continued their recent run of quality freshly calved cows topping at £3500 for ‘Westtown Trixie 12’.

Heifers saw another brisk trade topping at £3950 twice, firstly for ‘Glendene Koo 54’ and secondly for ‘Glendene Rachel 45’ both sold on behalf of by H Burrows & Sons, Woolacombe.

Further Heifers topped at £3900 for a non-pedigree heifer sold yielding 33Kgs on behalf of T & E Lang, Bideford. J & SW Murch, Umberleigh sold a smart freshly calved heifer ‘Littleweir Maui Cherie 2’ for £3650.

In Calf Heifers saw another strong trade topping at £2650 for ‘Morchard Jamaican Libby’ sold due in Mid September on behalf of J Congdon & Son, Saltash. Further Heifers rose to £2150 for a strong Red & White Heifer due at the end of October on Behalf of R G Rowe, St Austell.

A fantastic run of Bulling Heifers from three vendors topped at £1520 x5 and £1400 x4 all consigned by PD & SK Blake, Torpoint. Other quality Heifers from VJ & RJ Orchard, Holsworthy topped at £1400 x6. All bulling/yearling heifers in the sale averaged an impressive £1375.

A small entry of dairy Heifers Calves topped at £650 for a March born Heifer ‘Yellands Chief Katie’ who sold on behalf of T & M Breeders, Chulmleigh. The dairy sale saw demand outweighing supply and more cattle are required to meet demand.