The market report from Sedgemoor Auction Centre for Saturday, 17 August is as follows. The total stock was 4469 head.

Calves to £500. Many more buyers around the ring.

68 Dairy cattle. Auctioneers comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report dairy cattle that are freshly calved are hard to source, despite the continued good trade for all classes when 58 milkers were penned at least the ringfull of potential purchasers had a good choice, although the real best were in shorter supply compared with last week.

Arrijan Farming from Stonehouse, Gloucester secured the top price at £2000 for a 2 year old calved heifer, when others sold at £1760. Others sold to £1900 and £1770 from RL & ME Trott; £1900, £1820 and £1720 all from AR Edwards & Son, Newport, Wales; £1820 and £1730 from RJ, HA & MR Popham; £1800 x2 from Deptford Farm.

Some good cows forward to £1900 for a pedigree cow from R & M Lougher & Son from Bridgend, Wales. Others £1760 East Avercombe Farm Ltd; £1600 and £1400 for WL Baxandal from the Isle of Wight. Jersey crossbred cows to £1210 and £1100 from C & J Raymond & Partners.

Incalf heifers £1110 x2 from TJ & SM Hobbs.

Calves to £180 x2 from GJ & JM Boyer.

716 Store cattle, sucklers and stirks.

470 Store cattle and grazing cows. Auctioneers comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report another large August entry of store cattle at 716 head, compared to 470 last year and part of 961 with the stirks, weekly sucklers and grazers. Not the general strength of last week’s but some very smart cattle amongst.

Top was £1280 for a well fleshed Limousin steer (27m & FA) from ME Sampson & Son, Upottery, who sold grand Simmental steers at £1235 (27m & FA) and £1195 (27m & FA) and Devons at £1225 (27m & FA) and £1220 (26m & FA). Tremendous cattle. Further forward Simmental at £1200 (21m & FA) GJ & SM Down, High Bickington, who also sold 7 well grown Blue steers at £1130 (25/27m & FA). Charolais steers rose to £1130 (20m & FA) Baker & Baker, Chew Stoke. Further Charolais £1075 (only 13/15m & FA) MJ Bulled, Ashmill; £1065 (27m & FA) P & G McCotter, St Ives and £1055 (21m & FA) PD & SA Godfrey, Lopen. Further Limousin steers at £1095 (only 16m) N Brooks, Churchinford; £1075 (22m) DW Parris, Dalwood; £1055 (4x 26/27m & FA) RF Tucker & Son, Butleigh; £1050 (24m & FA) S & KA Hamlin, Templeton; £1035 (4x only 14/15m & FA) and £1030 (2x only 15m & FA) P & G Ford, Nempnett Thrubwell. Further Blues £1090 (22/24m & FA) and £1025 (2x 22m & FA) AW Selley & Son, Ashmill. Further Simmentals £1090 (2x only 15m & FA) BJ Stephens & Sons, Locking and £1085 (only 16m & FA) MJ Bulled again.

Native steers to £1105 for an Angus (only 15m, FA & sire) from P & G Ford again, who sold further young Angus steers at £1030 (3x 15m, FA & sire) and £1015 (15m, FA & sire). Angus again at £1030 (21m, FA & sire) Arscott Partners, Upottery; £1020 (28/29m & sires) MJ Meaker, East Huntspill and £1015 (25/26m & sire) J Hallett, Frome Vauchurch. South Devon at £1075 (38m & FA) CM Parker & IF Burnett, Templeton.

Dairy breeds topped at £985 for a big frame Holstein (23m & FA) from MD Fone & Sons, Upottery. Fleckvieh at £975 (22/23m & FA) CM Parker & IF Burnett again. Overage Holsteins at £945 (32/33m & FA) BA & L Male, Fivehead. Norwegian steer at £930 (24m) WJ Pearce, Martock. Further Fleckvieh £905 (24m) DW Ridd, Barnstaple. Better bodied Holsteins £810 (4x 24m & FA) PD & SA Godfrey, South Petherton; £790 (24m) DW Ridd again; £775 (24m & FA) Arscott Partners again and £760 (6x 19/28m & FA) RG Greenway & Son, Bathealton.

Heifers sold to a massive £1125 for a fit Limousin (23m) from DW Parris, Dalwood again, who sold Charolais at £1085 (22m). Forward Simmental at £1070 (26m & FA) from GJ & SM Down again. Young 15m Limousin heifer at £1035 (FA) from P & G Ford again, who sold a Blue (22m & FA) at £940. Further Limousins £995 (23/25m & FA) RD Middleton & Son, Ashreigney; £930 (7x 22/27m & FA) RJ, GM & AJ Tucker, Umberleigh and £930 again (16m & FA) BJ Stephens & Sons again. Blue heifers £995 (19m & FA) and £970 (16m & FA) SER Hunt, Kilve; £990 (3x 21/23m & FA) Arscott Partners again and £990 again (26/27m & FA) GJ & SM Down again. Simmental £940 (15m & FA) BJ Stephens & Sons again.

Native heifers to £930 twice for Angus (23m & FA) from RD Middleton & Son again and (3x 14/15m, FA & sire) P & G Ford again. Hereford heifers to £900 (15m & FA) BJ Stephens & Sons again.

10 Suckler cows, calves and stock bulls. Auctioneers comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a small weekly entry on offer topped at £1280 for a Blonde cow (03.15) and her Parthenaise steer calf (12.05.19) from P Webber.

18 Grazing cows (pre-movement tested). Auctioneers comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report top was £855 for a 2015 born Limousin cross cow from D Powell.

235 Busk calves and stirks. Auctioneers comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a similar size entry to last week’s, when quality was much improved as was the trade! A superb entry from Staplegrove Livestock topped the market with an 8m Limousin steer to £960, closely followed by RJ Gooding with £950 for a 13m Limousin. Other Limousins to £795 (10m) from RAD Legg and £765 (7m) again from Staplegrove Livestock. British Blues to £915 x2 (12m) also from RJ Gooding and others to £745 (10m) from SK & SE Owen; £735 (10m) from R & K Hayball and £735 from DH & C Bennett. Charolais to £865 x3 (11m) from AG Evans. Others to £835 and £805 (12m) from B Calder. Few Blondes forward with a a superb steer to £840 (12m) again from RJ Gooding. Strong Angus to £795 x5 (16m) from TB Stevens Son, who also made £715 (x4) for 16m olds. Herefords £805 (12m) from M & L Voss with a second to £685 (12m).

An improved heifer trade on the whole when a shapely Limousin (12m) sold to £855 from Staplegrove Livestock. Other Limousins to £720 (18m) from R & K Hayball and a good run from RAD Legg saw prices to £675 (13m) £615 x3 (13m) and £605. Charolais from AG Evans to £788 x2 (15m). Others £760 x2 (14m) from DP Perrin; £700 (14m) and £680 x2 (13m) from B Calder and £560 (15m) from TB Stevens & Son. A smart Hereford (16m) to £755 from M & L Voss. British Blues £585 x5 (12m) from DH & C Bennett and £560 x5 (11m). Simmentals x4 (16m) to £465 from RE Fewings & Son and £460 (8m) from Taylors Farm. Angus to £450 (11m) from RGJ & D Thomson and £445 (17m) from DH & C Bennett.

Few Friesians forward sold to £380 x3 (10m) when others sold to £255.

472 Non-export calves.

Beef Breeds (352) – not able to be exported from market. Auctioneers comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report the most people seen around the ring for a considerable amount of time, which resulted in an improved trade. Top of £500 x6 for reared Blues from MC Powell. Others £450 from SJS Loveless and £425 from SE & TL Lye. Younger Blues to £335 from JWO Marsh & Partners and £325 RJ & R Broomfield & Son. Limousins to £380 from B & P Horsey & Son and J Sherwin; £315 EA & DA Ellis. Charolais to £380 from RJ & PJ Northover. Others £310 from SM & DM Turner; £302 from PD & JL Biss. Simmentals to £320 from DG Ham; £290 and £285 from JR Bucknell. Best continental bulls £280 plus, mediums £220-£250 and plainer types around £180.

Heifers to £280 for a Simmental from RA Plowright. Blues to £270 for SE & TL Lye; £242 from Sheldon & Son and £240 from CR House & Sons. Charolais to £255 from CE Veysey; £248 from PD & JL Biss and £240 from SM & DM Turner. Limousins to £250 from ND Churchill and £220 from DR Thomas. Best continental heifers £220 plus, mediums £180-£200 and plainer types around £120.

Native bulls to £420 x2 for Angus from G Chugg; £270 from E Davis and £258 from The Cornock Partnership. Hereford bulls to £375 from E Davis; £255 x2 from BS & SG Kingston and £230 from PA & CA Edwards. Welsh Black to £190 from DW Rowe & Son.

Native heifers to £200 for Angus from HG Tincknell and £180 from LJ & SF Gould. Hereford bulls to £150 from Higher Farm (Manston) Ltd; £140 from PA & CA Edwards.

Friesians (120) – not able to be exported from market. Auctioneers comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a good entry of 120 dairy sired bull calves met another good trade, when all types were in demand and sold to a top of £160 from GJ & JM Boyer. Others £150 from RM & CG Drew & Son and £138 x2 from Wookey Bros. Best rearing types sold to £80 plus, mediums £50-£70 and plainer types around £25. Fleckvieh to £190 from JW & P Marsh. Norwegian Red to £150 from SE & TL Lye.

3067 Sheep. Auctioneers comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report the following sheep trades:-

Store Lambs (1784)

A larger entry of 1784 store lambs sold to another improved trade to a top of £84 from EA Cox & Sons, who sold others to £68.50 (x2). Others to £79.50 from JS Hardwidge; £70 from JEA Hill; £69.50 from ER Baber; £69 from NM & CL Norris; £68.50 (x2) from CG Newman Ltd; £68 from J Hughes and £67 from V & RA Hunt and K & N Crang. Overall average £54.84.

Cull Ewes & Rams (894)

A smaller entry of 894 cull ewes and rams sold to a stand on trade when the leaner and medium types again experienced keener demand than the heavier, overfat ewes. Best continental ewes to £109 from MH Miller, when others sold to £93 from EA Cox & Son; £88 from RM & FR Thorne; £85 from GF & DV Bussell and KJ Seymour; £84.50 from JH & HJ Diment; £84 from JV Tristram and E Bryer and £82.50 from RC Lewis. Cull rams sold to £124 from S Chilcott, when others sold to £120 from MH Miller and £85 from MA Johnson Ltd. Medium ewes £50-£70, plainer types £25-£50 and boners generally £10 plus. Overall average £54.93.

Breeding Ewes (246)

A large entry of 246 breeding ewes forward, being a good sized entry for a non catalogued sale. Trade remains competitive for all on offer. Top call was for a pen of Suffolk Mule 4T’s which achieved £128 from AJ Derryman & Sons. Charollais shearlings sold to £125 from T Kidner. Texel cross Suffolk shearlings to £120 from AJ Dart. 6T/FM Charollais again from T Kidner to £104. Dorset Mule 4T/6T from TS Duck to £100. Hill breeds topped at £70 from the dispersal from N Skelton. Overall average £76.89.

Stock Rams (11)

Reduced entry this week saw 100% clearance. Top price went to M Monkhouse who sold a solid Charollais FM to £208. A Suffolk 2T sold to £140. A Texel cross Charollais forward from S Graham sold to £120. Same again next week.

Goats (71)

Another large entry of 71 goats sold to £90 for large billies from Childhay Farming Ltd, when others sold to £89, £85.50 and £80 from the same Vendor. Others to £86 from M Wall and £68 from O Davies. Overall average £69.96.

146 Pigs. Auctioneers comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a good selection of pigs with more forward compared to the last sale. A total of 18 different purchasers ensured good competitive bidding throughout and more could have sold to advantage.

Weaners (21)

Top price £55 from R Worle, when others sold to £46 from SP & CA Richards. Average £35.33.

Cull Sows & Boars (15)

Top price £195 for a boar from Beck & Son. £170 for a gilt from A Wall; £165 for a sow from RJ Maltby and £155 and £145 for sows from J Baker. Average £111.64.

Forward Stores (110)

Top prices £131 and £110 from A Speed; £122 from J Newth; £116 from Beck & Son and £109 from HK Tucker.