JANUARY 28/Store cattle: The cattle forward consisted of predominantly 8 – 18 month old single suckled homebred steers and heifers and were extremely easy to place. Weaned and yearling steers stole the show selling to £900 for a run of Limousin cross from Mesr RM and MI Morgan. Single suckled yearling steers sold between 220 – 257 pence. Dairy cross continental steers sold between 190 – 212 pence for a bunch of Friesian cross British Blue steers (16 months) from Mr J Walters. Native bred steers saw fierce demand selling between £785 - £965 (14 – 18 months). Overall Average for steers was 202.4 pence and £810.14.

Heifers sold to £1,030 for Limousin cross (500 kg, 19 months) from Mr KJ Perry. Yearling heifers sold to a top of 210 pence for a bunch of British Blue cross (340kg) from Mesr Hoarthorns Farms. Stronger feeding heifers sold between £850 - £1,030. Overall average for heifers was 185.4 pence and £834.

Rearing calves: A short entry of calves met fierce demand from a ring full of buyers. Hereford cross heifers sold to £290 from Mesr DW and GL Charles. Hereford cross bulls sold to £230 from Mesr PF and DM Gwilliam. More calves required to meet demand from buyers, please advise entries to the market office prior to the sale.

87 dairy cattle: Auctioneers Gwilym Richards and Co report a very good trade for dairy cattle at their January monthly sale at Ross-on-Wye Market.

Milking heifers sold to 1,500gns for an August calved heifer which formed part of the dispersal of Robin Lowe’s herd from Bristol. Cows sold to 1,500gns for a July calved 2nd calver back in-calf for July this year. In-calf heifers from the same home sold to 1,400gns for a Shottle sired heifer due in April.

The herd dispersal averaged £1,041 with 34 cows and heifers in-milk and/or in-calf averaging £1,007 and the 4 in-calf heifers averaging £1,352.

The sale also included the ongoing dispersal of Richard Legge’s herd from Bromyard as they calve with 3rd calvers selling to 1,150gns.

A consignment of February and March calving cross-bred Organic cows from Irving Long of Monmouth sold to 1,180gns with 26 cows averaging £914 and 4 in-calf heifers £1,010.

The trade was far better than anyone imagined bearing in mind the shortage of money in the dairy sector at the moment.

The sale ring was packed with buyers in attendance from as far afield as Carmarthenshire, Staffordshire and Wiltshire.

February 1

85 finished cattle (70 clean cattle, 15 over 36 month cattle and cull cows): A reduced entry of finished cattle which was somewhat disappointing after the good trade of the previous week. There were nine buyers in attendance and keen bidding on all sorts. Better cattle sold particularly well peaking at 237 pence (£1,556). Many more cattle could readily have been sold.

Top price per kilo: 237 pence for an entry from Mesr DE and SJ Cheacker, Pilning.

Top price per head: £1,556.10 for an entry from the same vendor.

15 cull cows and over 36 month clean (overall average 118 pence - £834): Only a handful of culls forward which was a shame. The trade was much improved which is a welcome sign! No Grade 1 cows forward but meatier cows sold to 127 pence.

948 hoggets: Hoggets sold to a strong demand, selling to £90 on several occasions and 213p/kg. Export type hogs were easily placed with better sorts selling above 200p/kg and overall achieved a market SQQ of 186.8p/kg. Heavyweight hogs sold extremely well selling to £90 and achieving an overall heavyweight average of 178p/kg. The overall average price of hogs was £84.45 per head (Average weight 45.6kg).

Top price of Hoggets per kilo: 213.00p for an entry from Miss D Lang, Apperley.

Top price of Hoggets per head: £90.00 for entries from Mesr S and B Coates, Haresfield and Mesr DL and JA Price, Skenfrith

424 cull ewes and rams: A similar entry of ewes in general met an improved trade apart from fat ewes which still found slightly less demand. No top quality ewes forward but still an excellent overall average of £78.20. First quality ewes sold from £85, second quality sold from £65. Small and plain ewes sold to this figure. An entry of Rams also sold to a good trade with an average of £76.77.