Suckler cow breeding sales

[Agrivator]

Last week's sale in Aberdeen seemed to consist mainly of Simmental cross cows.

Yesterday's sale at Carlisle was almost all Limousin crosses. ( and for @Old Tip they were all remarkably quiet).

Why would there be such a difference in types, and what are the main types at sales throughout the rest of the UK and Ireland?

 

[onthehoof]

Scots prefer Simm, Northern folk prefer Lim, round here everyone seems to like rare breeds nowt so queer as folk

 

[DB67]

Scots prefer Simm, Northern folk prefer Lim, round here everyone seems to like rare breeds nowt so queer as folk

up north Scots prefer sims. Not many in the central belt.

 

[Devil's advocate]

Do Simmentals need clean air?

We always found dairy bred ones very hard to rear, fine on a cow though.

 

[MissSteak]

Simmy heifers are the Aberdeenshire equivalent of a gold bar trading.

 

[Jackov Altraids]

I would guess there would be some natural selection with breeds most suited to an area becoming predominant and then it would be self-perpetuating as they would then be the source of replacements.
Having said that, In the south-west, you seem to get a pretty even mixture of every breed!

Sedgemoor in may;

The first suckler sale since the lockdown produced a good trade for bulls and best quality cows and calves. Pedigree Charolais bulls took the three top prices and sold to £2550 and £2500 for 2 year old ‘Clatworthy’ bulls from A Cowling and £2300 was ‘Sdo Neil’ from ET Summerfield & Son, who also sold a pedigree 3 year old Hereford for £2000. The 4 year old pedigree Angus bull from R Reed sold for £2020. The Charolais breed also topped the females when Kentisbury Honeydew and her April born heifer calf sold for £1750 and Kentisbury Janice and her April born bull calf at £1620 from AJ & JM Cottle of Barnstaple. Commercial 4 year old Angus cow with February born heifer calf at foot sold for £1680 from L Strong of Bampton. Limousin cross cow with bull calf at foot £1480 from JC & JCM Carroll. Hereford cross cows with month old bull calves at foot £1320 and heifer calves £1290 for RH Webb. Pedigree Devons at £1090 for 6 year old cows and month old heifer calves from T Barrow of Barnstaple. Incalf Hereford heifers £1190 RF Drake; British Blue cross £1160 NJ May and Angus £1140 RF Drake. Pedigree maiden Hereford heifers to £700 (2x) RJ Sparshott, Blandford and Devons £650 (2x) MN & AC Tilley.

You seem to get more angus and shorthorn as you get towards Lands end.

 

[livestock 1]

The store cattle sales require some shape to get a premium in the North of England. A lot of limmy bulls used around these parts too. A limmy cross cow is the preferred option or even better a limmy x blue to get something ticey to sell without having to take the animal to almost finished to achieve good money

 

[Werzle]

Simmy heifers are the Aberdeenshire equivalent of a gold bar trading.

Herd of over a 100 for sale on the 11th june in hereford subject to a clear annual tbt

 

[Chae1]

Simmy heifers are the Aberdeenshire equivalent of a gold bar trading.

Personally don't understand why.

Never really felt they were missing from my life.

 

[Agrivator]

I would guess there would be some natural selection with breeds most suited to an area becoming predominant and then it would be self-perpetuating as they would then be the source of replacements.
Having said that, In the south-west, you seem to get a pretty even mixture of every breed!

Sedgemoor in may;

The first suckler sale since the lockdown produced a good trade for bulls and best quality cows and calves. Pedigree Charolais bulls took the three top prices and sold to £2550 and £2500 for 2 year old ‘Clatworthy’ bulls from A Cowling and £2300 was ‘Sdo Neil’ from ET Summerfield & Son, who also sold a pedigree 3 year old Hereford for £2000. The 4 year old pedigree Angus bull from R Reed sold for £2020. The Charolais breed also topped the females when Kentisbury Honeydew and her April born heifer calf sold for £1750 and Kentisbury Janice and her April born bull calf at £1620 from AJ & JM Cottle of Barnstaple. Commercial 4 year old Angus cow with February born heifer calf at foot sold for £1680 from L Strong of Bampton. Limousin cross cow with bull calf at foot £1480 from JC & JCM Carroll. Hereford cross cows with month old bull calves at foot £1320 and heifer calves £1290 for RH Webb. Pedigree Devons at £1090 for 6 year old cows and month old heifer calves from T Barrow of Barnstaple. Incalf Hereford heifers £1190 RF Drake; British Blue cross £1160 NJ May and Angus £1140 RF Drake. Pedigree maiden Hereford heifers to £700 (2x) RJ Sparshott, Blandford and Devons £650 (2x) MN & AC Tilley.

You seem to get more angus and shorthorn as you get towards Lands end.

I would have thought there would be more Devon crosses. But overall prices are way below Carlisle

Borderway Beef Breeding Sale – Harrison & Hetherington

harrisonandhetherington.co.uk

Apart from the first few that were pure Limousin, most of the rest are Limousin or BB crosses, mainly with Limousin calves at foot. Hexham and Stirling would be similar to Carlisle.

It seem that a lot of folk are willing to pay very high prices for heifers that has successfully calved, even though it is often not clear what the BVD status is. But there are always farmers with deeper pockets, and annual profits are often not their primary consideration.

And nowadays, there are fewer Farm Managers or even Land Agents (on behalf of wealthy but naive Estate Owners) willing to bid silly prices and to pocket copious amounts of luck money.

 

[Whitepeak]

Mainly Lims round here, or dairy bred blues put to the lim. Occasionally Sim or Hereford, very rarely see any Charolais, Angus or any other native bred cows/heifers go through Bakewell.
Doesn't help that the main auctioneer is biased towards lims, when he comes out with his little, negative jibes about others, particularly Blondes. If we had another decent market within striking distance we'd use them tbh.

 

[livestock 1]

I would have thought there would be more Devon crosses. But overall prices are way below Carlisle

Borderway Beef Breeding Sale – Harrison & Hetherington

harrisonandhetherington.co.uk

Apart from the first few that were pure Limousin, most of the rest are Limousin or BB crosses, mainly with Limousin calves at foot. Hexham and Stirling would be similar to Carlisle.

It seem that a lot of folk are willing to pay very high prices for heifers that has successfully calved, even though it is often not clear what the BVD status is. But there are always farmers with deeper pockets, and annual profits are often not their primary consideration.

And nowadays, there are fewer Farm Managers or even Land Agents (on behalf of wealthy but naive Estate Owners) willing to bid silly prices and to pocket copious amounts of luck money.

They were dear on Friday I was there. Got 3 limmy incalf heifers very good sorts look good at home not too expensive.
Bid at a lot of heifers and calves just bombed out of the water every time. Owt shapely or with a decent calf straight to £2500 the average ones £2000/£2200 first cross dairy many at £1800

 

[shearerlad]

Personally don't understand why.

Never really felt they were missing from my life.

I’ll second that. Always found them far harder to handle than limmy cows too. Got a pair bought from a well known Morayshire farming family, they have their 2nd calf at foot just now. They will be weaned and gone. Not putting up with that cr#p

 

[Weasel]

I’ll second that. Always found them far harder to handle than limmy cows too. Got a pair bought from a well known Morayshire farming family, they have their 2nd calf at foot just now. They will be weaned and gone. Not putting up with that cr#p

You think simmys are harder to handle than limmys??? ? ?

 

[shearerlad]

You think simmys are harder to handle than limmys??? ? ?

I don’t think they are. I know they are!! Percentage wise, I’ve had 5 or 6 times the number of wild simmys compared to limmys. Plus the fact their calves make about £50 less at a year old