January 18

Hoggets - Another short entry of 743 hoggets to an improved trade and an SQQ of 171.65p/kg. Well fleshed 39-45kg tegs to an excellent demand, peaking at 200p/kg (£84.80 - 42.5kg) from WJ Francis and 195p/kg (£83 - 42.5kg) from CG Ball with this weight range averaging 175.29p/kg. Standards to 198p/kg (£76 - 38.3kg) from CG Ball. Heavyweights to 169p/kg (£78.20 - 46.4kg) from A Beddis. Top price per head £93.50 for 61kg from JC Williams. Lightweights also lifted to average 168.58p/kg peaking at 179p/kg (£56.50-31.5kg) from GW Jones.

Clean and bellied sheep continuing to attract keen bidding with dirtier tegs more difficult to move with some buyers walking past.

Cull sheep - 96 cull sheep to a slightly sharper trade with a top price of £100 for a Texel ewe from CG Ball with Charollais ewes from J Morgan at £93.50, £91 from PH Teague and Partners and £86 from VB,KM and AV Collins.

Store sheep - 70 store sheep sold to a lively trade to a top price of £61 from MandB Lawrence, followed by £52 from E Mountford and £50.50 from CP Williams.

Fodder- 9 loads offered 5 sold.

Straw in more demand with all 3 loads selling in excess of expectations.

24 round baled oat straw - £300.

30 square baled wheat straw - £300.

26 round baled wheat straw - £295.

Hay again proved difficult but 2 loads did find buyers.

72 small square baled hay - £180.

24 large square baled hay - £350.

January 20

Hoggets -A short entry of just 731 tegs selling to a strong demand averaging 173.23p/kg. 39-44kg hoggets to a top of 191p/kg, (£75.20-39.4kgs) from SJ Gait and 188p/kg (£78-41.5kg) from DM and CS Andrews, (£81-43kgs) from RL Brown. Lightweights to 173p/kg (£52.80-30.6kgs) from TJ and JG Davies. Heavy tegs to 174p/kg (£81-46.5kgs) from AJ Hale. Top price per head £86.80 (54kgs) from Duffryn Farm Partnership, and £86.20 (57.3kgs) from MJ Morgan. Clean and bellied hoggets making a premium with some dirty pens £7-£8 behind.

Cull sheep - A reduced entry of 318 cull sheep, the strongest Suffolk cross ewes to £91 from LH Attewell with others to £82 from D Parry, only the best being over £80. The best Hill bred ewes would be £3-£5 dearer on the week, Welsh to £54.50 from GB and FE Ralph, the better sorts £45 plus. Plain ewes look very well sold in comparison. Not too many strong rams on offer, Suffolks to £78.50 from DJ Brain, Wethers £61 from AD and IE Jones.

Store sheep - 397 store lambs sold to an excellent trade. The strongest lambs sold to £70.50 from ED Heath, £68 from KC Welham, £65 from SA and MK Lawrence and WN Waters. Medium lambs £55-£60. Smaller lambs £35-£45. A large entry of ram lambs sold to £63.50 and £61 from P Dando and £60.50 from CJ Boulton. A small entry of inlamb ewes from B and J Carter topped the sale with aged Mule ewes scanned with twins at £77.

Calves - Another excellent entry of 58 young calves sold to a hot trade on a freezing cold day. WL and A Windsor and Son again led the way with a wonderful entry of 6 Blue calves, the bulls making £390, £380 and the heifers peaked at £360.

The top heifer price was however obtained for another Blue from WTR and JA Parry, Llanishen which reached £370.

Hereford bulls (7) to £260 (J Tamplin and Son).

Best dairy bulls to £76 (Price and Co Farming Ltd).

Continental bulls – 1st quality (7) £335-£390.

Continental bulls – 2nd quality (5) £265-£290.

Continental heifers – 1st quality (7) £280-£370.

Continental heifers – 2nd quality (10) £180-£230.

Dairy bulls - 1st quality (17) £50-£76.

Dairy bulls– 2nd quality (5) £28-£42.

Strong calves - 19 forward but with no real quality on offer and a disappointing trade.

6mth Hereford bulls - £345, heifers - £390 - C Ralph.

6mth Hol. Fr bulls - £230 – Ms J Legge.

Breeding cattle - A small entry of 5 cows and calves sold to a top of £1225 for a Simmental heifer and Charolais steer calf (2m) from JC Carver, with an older outfit from the same home selling at £1120. D Evans sold a young Blue outfit at £1070.

Stirks/young stores - 17 forward with top selling for 8-10 month steers from CJ Francis making £800, others from the same home sold at £775 and £760.

Feeding bulls - Only 5 forward with an 8 month old Hereford from GA Howells and Son selling to £545.

Store cattle - A large entry of 266 store cattle forward selling to a fast trade and easily maintaining recent high rates. Short keeping cattle and particularly the forward heifers were dearer on the week.

Limousin cross steers (597kg - 21m) sold to £1210 from RA Bennetts, Penhow; JH Davies, Llanfihangel Crucorney sold smart Limousin crosses to £1135 (595kgs-21m); British Blue cross Holsteins sold to £1135 (572kgs-21m) for a super team from Penylan Farms Ltd, St Brides. RF Francis, Coldbrook sold British Blue cross Friesians to £1095 (550kgs-19m) and £1085 (562kgs-23m). An outstanding pen of Holstein Friesian steers from VR and M Bennett, Llangwm sold to £1050 (700kgs-28m) followed by £975 from the same home. Well bred yearling steers continue to fetch strong money and topped at £930 (425kgs) for smart Limousin crosses from HDH Prichard, Llantrisant; TM Thomas, Nash sold Devon cross steers to £845. Feeding heifers from Penylan Farms Ltd sold to £1125 (615kgs-21m) for British Blue cross Friesians. Limousin crosses to £1125 (575kgs-21m). A smart bunch of Charolais cross heifers sold to £915 (18-20m) from JG Biggs and Son, Penrhos. Yearling heifers were in short supply, peaking at £845 (14m) for Simmental crosses from VJ Stephens and Son, Talgarth.

Cull cattle - 36 culls saw a super Limousin from PA and E Evans at £1170 and another from E and N Phillips at £1095. Charolais to £935 from MWL Evans, Herefords to £900 from DP and B Smith and Son. Friesians lacking strength this week to a top of £790 from both Penylan Farms and AR Edwards and Son. Farm Assured cows in strong demand with non assured more difficult to sell.