Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 14th May 2024

Sheep Sales Reports

New Season Lambs

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903
No – 270 Sold

Top price per kg: 467p – M J Ashworth
Top price per head: £219.00 – D J Morphett

The first decent entry of lambs this season with just under 300 penned and a nice trade to go with the improved quality on offer. Quite a few pens of new season lambs over £200 head and topping at £219 for heavy Charollais crosses from D J Morphett. A first draw of lambs from M J Ashworth was well rewarded at a topping price of 467p kg and an average for the run of £192 head.

32kg – £107.00 (334p/kg) – D Lawrence
36kg – £160.00 (444p/kg) – S W Mount & Sons Ltd
37kg – £165.00 (446p/kg) – S W Mount & Sons Ltd
38kg – £154.00 (405p/kg) – G L Porter & Son
39kg – £160.00 (410p/kg) – D Stephens
40kg – £185.00 (463p/kg) – J G & D G D White
41kg – £180.00 (439p/kg) – T R & J Kirk
42kg – £190.00 (452p/kg) – S & V Bullock
43kg – £196.00 (456p/kg) – M J Ashworth
44kg – £188.00 (427p/kg) – J G & D G D White
45kg – £210.00 (467p/kg) – M J Ashworth
46kg – £212.00 (461p/kg) – S & V Bullock
47kg – £218.00 (464p/kg) – M J Ashworth
49kg – £219.00 (447p/kg) – D J Morphett

Averages (p/kg) 

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 61 – Top 446, Average 418.6
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 178 – Top 463, Average 430.0
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 19 – Top 464, Average 452.4
Other 52.1+ kgs – 11 – Top 467, Average 466.6

Finished Hoggets -1,100
Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Top price per kg: 465p – R L Pack
Top price per head: £228.00 – R L Pack

A better entry this week with bigger numbers. A  lot more well finished sheep on offer, following the kinder weather of the last few days, and it was also evident that a number of vendors have fed hoggets to get that final finish onto their backs. Trade is still on fire for those best meated types but the “also rans” in the entry are a little harder to sell now as, nationally, the market is over run with lean hoggets. Trade looks like it will hold for the foreseeable future with the imminent Qurbani festival a reason for demand to stay high.

What will happen after this will be interesting to see.

38kg – £152.00 (400p/kg) – R L Pack
39kg – £130.00 (333p/kg) – G L Boulden & Sons
40kg – £139.00 (348p/kg) – R F & E S Simmons
41kg – £132.00 (322p/kg) – Jamie Watt
42kg – £177.00 (421p/kg) – S J Reeve & Son
43kg – £180.00 (419p/kg) – S J Reeve & Son
44kg – £181.00 (411p/kg) – S J Reeve & Son
45kg – £197.00 (438p/kg) – S J Reeve & Son
46kg – £190.00 (413p/kg) – S J Reeve & Son
47kg – £194.00 (413p/kg) – R L Pack
48kg – £209.00 (435p/kg) – S J Reeve & Son
49kg – £228.00 (465p/kg) – R L Pack
50kg – £194.00 (388p/kg) – R L Pack
51kg – £215.00 (422p/kg) – S J Reeve & Son
52kg – £194.00 (373p/kg) – N C & C Hedges
53kg – £200.00 (377p/kg) – Chris Ballard
54kg – £214.00 (396p/kg) – S J Reeve & Son
55kg – £187.00 (340p/kg) – Bowley Farm Ltd
56kg – £205.00 (366p/kg) – R H Smith & Partners
57kg – £202.00 (354p/kg) – G A Mitchell & Son
58kg – £212.00 (366p/kg) – M R Woodroofe
59kg – £216.00 (366p/kg) – M R Woodroofe
60kg – £204.00 (340p/kg) – M R Woodroofe
62kg – £217.00 (350p/kg) – M R Woodroofe
63kg – £213.00 (338p/kg) – C Watkins
64kg – £218.00 (341p/kg) – R H Smith & Partners
66kg – £218.00 (330p/kg) – R H Smith & Partners
67kg – £206.00 (307p/kg) – M R Woodroofe
72kg – £198.00 (275p/kg) – Freshfield Farm
80kg – £214.00 (268p/kg) – R H Smith & Partners

Averages (p/kg) 

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 31 – Top 400, Average 351.0
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 291 – Top 421, Average 370.6
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 484 – Top 465, Average 371.0
Other 52.1+ kgs – 251 – Top 396, Average 344.3

Store Sheep -118 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

A small entry of end of season types that are running out of time for this year, before they put their teeth up, but still topping at £134 head from Jamie Watt.

Cull Sheep – 435 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Ewe: Top £205.00 – S P Howland – Ave £121.04

A few more on offer this week with a great trade holding for all grades and the best ewes continuing to be well rewarded. The best ewes £130 – £160 with the top price taken on the day by S P Howland for cracking Texel ewes to £205. Medium sorts plentiful on the day and regularly £90 – £120 with the leaner grazing types £50 – £80 throughout.
Keep the ewes coming as we approach the next festival in June.

Top prices included

Texels to £205 – S P Howland, Charollais to £192 – N C & C G Hedges, Texel cross to £180 – N C & C G Hedges, Suffolk cross to £180 – T R & J R Kirk, Romneys to £123 (twice) – A J Thompson & Sons & Lovejoy Farm Partnership, Dorset to £144 – H F & J H Glover, Mules to £129 – J & C Kellett.

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle –  50 Sold

Auctioneer:Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Overall not the ‘shapiest’ of entries we have ever seen but there was plenty of cover amongst the cattle and rates were firmer with more customers around the ring.
No best steers this week to break the £3 level but a very smart handy weight Limousin heifer from R F & E A Simmons ‘shone out’ to sell at 305p with a quality strong Limousin heifer from Dan Mackelden Ltd selling at 290p, £1766. A good Blonde from Paul Boulden topped the steers at 280p, £1984.
Half of the entry dairy bred this week but well finished and well sold. Sussex x Friesian steers 273p, £1706, Hereford x Friesian steers 267p, £1826 R C & J L Pickering; Limousin x Friesian steers 264p, £1733, Friesian steers 262p, £1492 A J Down; Angus x Friesian steer 265p, £1761 Leggat Farming.
Some well fleshed native bred beef cattle forward and certainly firmer. Sussex heifer 278p, £1443, Hereford x heifer 270p, £1477 High Chimney Farms; Angus heifer 269p, £1436 W S Furnival.
A few bulls forward and wanted. Angus x 249p M J Ashworth; Blue x 239p, £1956 R C & J L Pickering; Holstein 194p, £1103 R Scott.

Top Steers

G L Boulden & Sons – Blonde cross – 280p (£1984)
Dan Mackelden Ltd – Limousin cross – 279p (£1810)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 277p (£1894)
R C & J L Pickering & Sons – Sussex cross – 273p (£1553)
Dan Mackelden Ltd – Charolais cross – 270p (£1792)

Top Heifers

R F & E A Simmons – Limousin cross – 305p (£1492)
Dan Mackelden Ltd – Limousin cross – 290p (£1766)
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin cross – 285p (£1366)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 278p (£1637)
High Chimney Farms – Sussex – 278p (£1443)

Top Bulls

M J Ashworth – Aberdeen Angus cross – 247p (£1317)
R C & J L Pickering & Sons – British Blue cross – 239p (£1956)

Average Prices

Steers 200 to 550kg – 1 Sold – top 258p -Av 258p
Steers 551 to 650kg – 13 Sold – top 279p – Av 264p
Steers 651kg + – 10 Sold – top 280p – Av 263p
Heifers 300 to 500 kg – 4 Sold – top 305p – Av 278p
Heifers 501 to 590 kg – 16 Sold – top 278p – Av 268p
Heifers 591 kg + – 3 Sold – top 290p – Av 264p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 82 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Significant numbers for the time of year with a decent number of good meat cows but plenty of quality feeders, and a fair clear up of oddities at the end of the housing period. Trade remains electric and rates continuing to rise with an increased presence of buyers around the ring.
Younger feeding cows 240-270p; best meat cows 190-220p; older grazing types stronger; and only a handful under 150p kg.
Angus x 274p, 230p, £1080 (Non FA) Lucketts Farm, 194p, £1722 W S Furnival (Brookland), 181p, £1466 (Non FA) J C Loveridge; Charolais 262p, 230p, 216p, £1779, £1702, £1438 Vexour Pedigree Cattle, 205p, £1421 W S Furnival; Simmental x 242p, £1340 (Non FA) R Adcock, 190p, 189p, £1489, £1383 W S Furnival; Limousin x 220p, £1394 (Non FA) Gallagher Farms, 208p (2) £1650, £1504 W S Furnival, 192p, £1264 (Non FA) J C Loveridge; Blonde x 218p, £1653 W S Furnival; Sussex 218p, £1479 High Chimney Farms, 197p, 190p, 189p, 188p, £1405, £1244, £1184, £1182 Sussex Herd Co; 188p, £1144 (Non FA) H W Richards, 183p, £1305 (Non FA) C E & W S Millson; Beef Shorthorn 198p, £1165 (Non FA) A & H Edmonds; British Blue x 195p, £1585 R F & E A Simmons; South Devon 194p, £1248 D G & J W Gore.
Few from the dairy sector this week. All wanted.
Holstein Friesian 192p, £1321 W P Hope & Sons; 186p, 178p, £1391, £1251 R C & J L Pickering; Danish Red 134p, £801 Kingcott Dairy.
Bulls (12) A real collection! Bull trade strong with flesh in demand.
Limousin 166p, 154p, 152p, £1829, £1477, £1220; Simmental 151p, £1731; Sussex 148p, £1092; MRI 129p, £1157.
Overage (9) Sharp demand again with the under 3yo cattle little different to the UTM.
British Blue x OTM steers 254p, 248p, £1787, £1708; Beef Shorthorn OTM heifer 231p, £1487; Holstein OTM steers 226p, 210p, £1330, £1267.

Beef Cows – 53 Sold – Top 274, Average 187.7
Dairy Cows – 9 Sold – Top 192, Average 129.2

Store & Breeding Cattle – 429 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

A good show of cattle again attracting many customers from far and wide looking to get in on the action. We had some super pens of cattle this week from a good number of regional vendors who continue to be great supporters of the livestock market. Hard grazing cattle are a fabulous trade with buyers outweighing supply for these and driving to them to the levels we are seeing. Top of the tree was H & J Noakes with a super pen of Limousin x steers 26 mths to £1770, followed closely by Gallagher Farms with their Limousin steers 15 mths to £1690. Taking top spot in the Natives was C W Jones with his Angus x steers 26 mths to £1685 followed closely by M J Ashworth with Angus x steers to £1455. R W Goddard & Ptnrs had a marvellous run of Angus which could be described as peas in a pod with the heifers topping at £1305.
We do expect another respectable entry of store cattle forward for next week.

Native:
Angus x steers 26 mths – £1685 – C W Jones
Hereford x heifers 17 mths – £1155 – K Perkins
Shorthorn x steers 16 mths – £1280 – A J Strand & Sons
Shorthorn x heifers 16 mths – £1015       – A J Strand & Sons
Angus x heifers 15 mths – £1260 – M J Ashworth
Angus x steers 14 mths – £1455 – M J Ashworth
Devon x steers 15 mths – £860 – G Husk
Angus heifers 14 mths – £1305 – R W Goddard & Ptnrs
Angus x heifers 11 mths – £955 – A J Thompson & Sons

Continental:
Limousin x heifers 28 mths   – £1180 – F W Hare & Sons
Limousin x steers 26 mths – £1770 – H & J Noakes
Charolais x heifers 19 mths – £1270 – C Langridge
Limousin x steers 15 mths – £1690 – Gallagher Farms
Limousin x steers 14 mths – £1435 – T Martin
Simmental x steers 14 mths – £1170 – M G Izard
Simmental x heifers 14 mths – £960 – M G Izard
Charolais x steers 9 mths – £960 – Goodsell Farm Partnership

Pigs – 11 Sold

Auctioneer: Tom Hamplett 07966 104532

Finished – (3) Just a trio from C K Guest forward who was very well rewarded with his Gilt to 190p pk or £155.80 and his pair of boars to 195p pk or £171.60. Finished pigs required to fulfil orders with several buyers leaving empty handed this week. A firm trade waiting for your pigs!
Cull – (7) A few more sows, and one boar, selling to another strong trade with demand from several accounts. Best sows to 66p pk or £155.10 from The North School YFC. All sows averaged 40.55p pk or £91.24 which included mainly coloured pigs with a splattering of lighter commercial types as well.

A polite request to all vendors to please pre enter all pigs on the Monday morning prior to a pig sale. This is to help us to help you by ensuring that buyers are kept up to date with entries.

Forthcoming Auctions

Tuesday Livestock – 21st  May 2024

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

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