Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 6th May 2025

Sheep Sales Reports

Finished Hoggets –1,190 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Top price per kilo – 348p kg – R Douglas, Kent.
Top price per head – £172.00 – R H Smith & Partners, East Sussex.

A smaller entry after the Bank Holiday which may be beginning to suggest we are into a downward trend on numbers of hoggets each week, with new season lambs all now doing very well on the farms, and sure to come in bigger numbers any week now. The trade was a bit harder than we have seen, but quality on offer was very variable and prices levelled off in line with the quality that we had to sell. Best heavy hoggs were trading form £150-£170 and handy weights were averaging nearer to 300p kg this week than they have been. Reports suggest a lacklustre trade on the wholesale level across the country which is obviously going to have an impact on the prices achieved in the live auction.

37 – £116.00 (314p kg) – A J Sanders
39 – £124.00 (318p kg) – C Bull
40 – £131.00 (328p kg) – C Higgins
41 – £124.00 (302p kg) – C Bull
42 – £124.00 (295p kg) – O Tilley
43 – £147.00 (342p kg) – R L Pack
44 – £153.00 (348p kg) – R Douglas
45 – £149.00 (331p kg) – S King
46 – £153.50 (334p kg) – C Watkins
47 – £158.00 (336p kg) – R L Pack
48 – £149.50 (311p kg) – M R Woodroofe
49 – £159.00 (324p kg) – Keeley & Hobden
50 – £163.00 (326p kg) – S J Reeve & Son
51 – £160.00 (314p kg) – R J T Farm Lands
52 – £170.00 (327p kg) – S J Reeve & Son
53 – £140.00 (264p kg) – C W Avery
54 – £156.00 (289p kg) – S J Reeve & Son
55 – £162.00 (295p kg) – S J Reeve & Son
56 – £149.00 (266p kg) – S King
58 – £165.00 (284p kg) – C Watkins
59 – £160.00 (271p kg) – J Smith
60 – £165.00 (275p kg) – C Watkins
61 – £150.00 (246p kg) – J Smith
66 – £170.00 (258p kg) – C A Worley (Farming) Ltd
67 – £150.00 (224p kg) – C Watkins
69 – £160.00 (232p kg) – R J T Farm Lands
81 – £172.00 (212p kg) – R H Smith & Partners

Averages (p/kg) 

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 31 – Top 314, Ave. 298.3
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 216 Top 348, Ave.299.9
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 584   – Top 336, Ave. 293.6
Others over 52.1 kgs – 307 – Top 327, Ave.268.6

New Season Lambs – 16 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Only a few on offer but topped at 353p kg from Mr A Critcher. More expected to be present in the coming weeks which will encourage some abattoirs to make the switch.

Store Hoggets – 123 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Only a few on offer, but again a good trade throughout the sale topping at £120 from E Chantler & Sons and averaging £102 head.

Cull Sheep – 211 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678

Top price ewe: £200.00 – C A Worley (Farming) Ltd, Kent. – Ave. £131.74

A similar trade throughout with less numbers in the pens as to be expected for the time of year. The best ewes £150 – £170 on most occasions and to a top price of £200 (twice) for smart Texels from C A Worley Farming Ltd. Medium sorts generally £110 – £140, and with leaner grazing types remaining scarce looking well sold between £70 – £90.
Numbers wanted in coming weeks to satisfy weekly buyers demands as we move towards Eid al-Adha at the beginning of June. Don’t  hesitate to get in touch if you have large consignments to sell in the coming weeks.

Top prices included:

Texels to £200 – C A Worley Farming Ltd, Texel cross to £175 – Keeley & Hobden, Suffolk cross to £170 – P N & C Burden, Mules to £148 – T Morgan & Sons, Romneys to £148 – T Morgan & Sons.

Ear Tags in Sheep
Please be aware of your responsibilities with regard to the tagging of sheep of all ages , and in all sections of the market.

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle –  43 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

A decent entry post the Bank Holiday and contrary to the tone of negative talk coming from the major processors trade a little sharper overall.
The major retailers are whining at the higher prices as they try to maintain their share in the current battle for consumers. They fail to recognise that they have got themselves into this position and that little will change in terms of supply for some years to come. They are going to have to take it on the chin and encourage production to rise amongst livestock farmers who have been badly treated for generations. They continue with a pricing strategy designed to demolish the retail independents and their supplying wholesalers surely an area for scrutiny from the supermarket ombudsman?
Best of the beef bred cattle up around 400p with William Alexander taking top call for Limousin steers and heifers at 410p and 411p kg. Smart Blondes from Paul Boulden to 398p, Limousin from Colin Leggat to 397p. Heavyweight Charolais heifer from Dan Mackelden at £2838, 384p.
Dairy bred cattle a little more variable in quality this week. George Sim`s Angus x steers 373p, £2328; Alan Down`s Limousin x steers 373p, £2179. Friesian steers to 340p.
Native bred beef cattle saw Angus heifers from J & A Lyon, Wickford to 388p whilst a good show of Sussex saw heifers to 380p from Dan Mackelden, steers to 376p, £2253 WS Furnival. A strong pair of Sussex heifers from Masters Farms, Seaford to 375p & 373p, £2719.

Leading steer prices

Top Steers

W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 410p (£2191)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 410p (£2170)
Dan Mackelden Ltd – Beef Shorthorn cross – 376p (£2441)
W S Furnival Ltd – Sussex – 376p (£2253)
P W & P Sim & Son – Aberdeen Angus cross – 373p (£2328)

Top Heifers

W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 411p (£2094)
G L Boulden & Sons – Blonde Aquitaine – 398p (£2067)
Leggat Farming Ltd – Limousin cross – 397p (£2538)
Leggat Farming Ltd – Limousin cross – 395p (£2525)
Leggat Farming Ltd – Limousin cross – 390p (£2201)

Average prices

Steers 200 to 550 kg – 7 – Top 410p – Ave. 353p
Steers 551 to 650 kg – 14 – Top 376p – Ave. 357p
Heifers 300 to 500 kg – 5 – Top 375p – Ave. 357p
Heifers 501 to 590 kg – 11 – Top 411p – Ave. 377p
Heifers 591 kg + – 6 – Top 397p – Ave. 379p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 28 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

A respectable number forward after the Bank Holiday made up of some good feeding beef cows and dairy culls carrying a little more flesh than of late.
Trade remaining at a terrific level, and, seemingly, less resistance to the higher prices in the processing sector than in the prime market.
A young Blue x Friesian cow from Goddard & Son topped at 325p, £2028 and a Sussex cow selling to 299p, £1716 from Hugh Richards were the only fleshed beef cows but a good run of beef cows for both grazing and yarding sold readily at 250-300p.
British Blue x Friesian 325p, £2028 Goddard & Son; Sussex 299p, 256p, £1716, £1686 H W Richards; Limousin x 298p, £1889 R Coleman & Sons; Beef Shorthorn 290p, 285p, £1963 V & M Britton; Simmental x 285p, £1750 T Taler; Lincoln Red 281p, 274p, £1723 N Morgan.
A little more flesh on this week`s cows from the dairy with good heavyweights topping over £2000 from R & J Ledger and Goddard & Son.
Norwegian Red 276p, £2052 Goddard & Son; British Friesian 266p, 260p, £2050, £1951 R & J Ledger; Holstein Friesian 249p, £1578 Goddard & Son; Brown Swiss 240p, £1509 Goddard & Son; Jersey 209p, £1631 Plurenden Ptnrs; Imported Holstein Friesian 218p, £1631.
Stock Bulls (3) Strong fleshed bulls on offer today and well sold. British Friesian 252p, 251p, £2568, £2377 E Smallbone & Sons, Dorking; Hereford 249p, £2721 PHR Farms.

Beef Cows – 15 Sold – Top 325, Average 273.7
Dairy Cows – 8 Sold – Top 266, Average 236.0

 

Store & Breeding Cattle – 63 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678

A few more in the pens today than expected with a small sale after the Bank holiday and Saturday`s Spring Fair.

Top call going to C W Jones, Edenbridge for strong Aberdeen Angus cross steers 24 mths to £2300. A smart run of Aberdeen Angus crosses 14 mths from J & A Lyon, Wickford topped at £1980 for the steers and £1690 for the heifers followed by J Gray & Sons, Leatherhead with their Charolais cross steers 24 mths to £1720. Angus x Friesian steers 21 mths from D Ward to £1510 and long term Angus x Friesian steers 12 mths from Kent Game Shooting to £700. There are 200 plus stores already entered for Tuesday 13^th May so if you have store or breeding cattle to sell do not hesitate to get them entered.

Cattle Passports
We remind producers that on no occasion should the details on a cattle passport be changed other than by returning it to BCMS.
If details are incorrect return and advise BCMS or advise the auctioneers on market day without writing on the passport.

Store & Finished Pigs – 22 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678

Some cracking quality in the pens proving best results with Brooker and Son leading the way topping at £223 per head and 212p pk. C K Guest to 202p pk and £172 per head and High Barn Farm to £197 per head and 190p pk. Just a few cull sows which remain hard to shift and topped at 40p pk. For best results in the finished section breed better quality and have them 85kg plus. The next sale of pigs will be on Tuesday 20^th May so please do inform us of any you intend on selling.

 

Forthcoming Auctions

Tuesday Livestock – 13th May 2025

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

For our Auction Calendar and Catalogues click here