Kyle Hawksworth on the seasonal effect on trade.
Numbers have held up well during the rise in trade over the last few weeks for the prime and cull sheep sections, with fed prime lambs beginning to steadily come forward.
This is nicely coinciding with the seasonal rise in trade (3,000 head averaged 255p this week) and good premium prices available for nice sorts with 300p plus available for the best end.
The grades of cull ewes have started to improve, with a large amount of plain hill sheep filling the pens up in the late summer and early autumn.
Fed and heavy ewes have been selling at a premium throughout the summer, with numbers being low of these goods.
Now trade has begun to improve, Mules with weight and Swales with frame have increased in value.
Trade for ewes looks to sharpen, with farmers looking to have not sat on cull sheep and saving grass for their breeding ewes due to the hard summer we have all faced.
Store cattle have had no let up in trade for nicely fleshed goods and short keep cattle.
Suckler bred stores are declining every year, with diary bred blues and continentals becoming more popular to farmers for rearing and selling as feeding stores.
I can see the U grade suckler bred cattle becoming scarcer every year, with cull cow prices holding up and farmers seeing a desirable price to cull out the cows and instead replace them with stirks and calves to rear on.
Premium prices
Premium prices for suckler stores show how the retail and restaurant trade need these good grading cattle for consumers, with the best short keep 18-month-old suckler bred stores regularly selling everyfortnight at either side of 1,600 at our fortnightly sales.
Cattle with frame and weight seem to be sort after in the prime ring which is having a knock on effect in our store sales.
November 23, is our annual weaned suckler bred bull show, where we will have 120-150 bulls from 6-12 months.
Feed prices are affecting the stirk, calf and young store trade, with wintering costs rising and feed prices showing no signs of falling anytime soon.
Young calves have been harder to place in the last four weeks, with milk powder costs not easing.
The price of calves easing 50- 100 from the summer months, there is no excitement with calf rearer’s, as profit margins keep tight due to the rising cost of rearing.
More calves are being sold now at younger ages as milk prices are very desirable.
Dairy farmers are opting to cash calves in at the moment and get milk into the tanks.
There is a bonus to the few dairy farmers selling their calves at older ages for growers who are trying to cut costs down and buy calves either weaned, close to ready or ready.
Kyle Hawksworth.
Kyle Hawksworth, Junior Auctioneer, CCM Auctions Skipton. Call 07538 539077
