WARD and Chowen, Auctioneers at Tavistock Livestock Centre, report an excellent start to the year's livestock sales with a good entry of 275 cattle and 290 sheep meeting a 100% clearance. The recent rise in finished beef and lamb prices ensured that all stock forward met strong demand. Prices topped at £808 for 2 21/22mo Limousin x steers from W H and M Tucker and Son, Brentor. Store heifers sold for £690 for 2 20/22mo Limousin x from N H and M J Cole, Yelverton. Young cattle (0–14mo) topped at £550 for a bunch of four 13/14mo Simmental x steers for W and P Power and Son, Coryton. Similar aged heifers sold to £400 for a 12mo Limousin x from B Wills, Yelverton. Top price cattle sold per kilo was 180ppk for a 8mo Belgian Blue steer from Westcott Farms, Brentor. Other notable store cattle prices included £718 for three 22mo Limousin x steers from E R Distin, Botus Fleming, £630 for two 18/20mo South Devon steers from D W and J K Colton, Dousland, £538 for two 13/14mo Simmental x steers from Roskilly Farms, Tavistock; and £572 for six 18/20mo Charolais x heifers from H Davis, Chagford. The cattle sale started with mature cattle — only a small entry yet a much improved trade than the end of last year with prices topping at £668 for a 6yo South Devon cow from W H Tucker and Son, Brentor; and 85ppk for a 4yo South Devon cow from Mrs W L Prout, Milton Abbot. A 5½yo Galloway breeding bull realised £500 from E J Doidge and Son, Whitchurch, who also sold a 6yo South Devon x cow with her 5mo Galloway bull calf to £570. In-calf cows sold to £505 for a 6yo Aberdeen Angus x from Mrs T May and D Heard, Lydford. In the sheep pens, prices topped at £70 for a full mouth single couple from W J Horswell, Callington. Store lambs sold to £47 for two pens of ram lambs from W J Horswell, Callington; with Wether lambs topping at £44 for a pen from G Mudge and Co, Tavistock, and ewe lambs selling to £45 for a pen from D G Halsall, Buckland Monachorum. Grazing ewes sold to £31 for a pen of Suffolk, again from D G Halsall. The next sale of breeding/store cattle and sheep is the March Fair on Tuesday March 4.
