Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 17th June 2025

Sheep Sales Reports

New Season Lambs – 1,577 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Top price per kilo – 377p – J Warnock & Sons.
Top price per head – £177.00 – T R Holt.

Almost 1,600 new season lambs on offer this week, the biggest entry for this season, and trade has just lifted a little with the main switch to these now having taken place, with few hoggets on offer around the country now. Heavier lambs are the best sold this week with hoggets now unable to fulfil this part of the marketplace. A smashing entry of well-bred and well finished lambs from Tom Holt was the run of the day with all selling over £170 head and topping at £177 for Texel crosses. Other large runs from G H Dean & Co and Tim Ashworth were in strong demand with these topping at £163 and £156, respectively. The lamb trade seems quite settled at present with the recent rains allowing many sellers to now hold on to the grass lambs and get the extra finish rather than be forced to sell. Fed and well finished lambs are the order of the day though, with most of these in excess of 350p kg and only the lighter and leaner grass finished sorts below that.

32 – £120.00 (375p kg) – C Field
33 – £112.00 (339p kg) – S Bourne
34 – £114.00 (335p kg) – Luandy Farming Ltd
35 – £119.00 (340p kg) – G H Dean & Co
36 – £121.00 (336p kg) – S W Mount & Sons Ltd
37 – £134.00 (362p kg) – G H Dean & Co
38 – £136.50 (359p kg) – C Field
39 – £135.00 (346p kg) – M J Ashworth
40 – £145.00 (363p kg) – P & E Andreozzi
41 – £151.00 (368p kg) – P & E Andreozzi
42 – £151.00 (360p kg) – Miss G Jackson
43 – £162.00 (377p kg) – J Warnock & Sons
44 – £165.00 (375p kg) – A J Down
45 – £165.00 (367p kg) – A J Down
46 – £159.00 (346p kg) – Miss G Jackson
47 – £176.00 (374p kg) – T R Holt
48 – £158.00 (329p kg) – L E Humphreys & Sons
49 – £173.00 (353p kg) – T R Holt
50 – £163.00 (326p kg) – G H Dean & Co
51 – £177.00 (347p kg) – T R Holt
53 – £170.00 (321p kg) – S W Mount & Sons Ltd
54 – £172.00 (319p kg) – G B Richards & Son                                             

Averages (p/kg) 

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 481 – Top 375, Ave. 330.0
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 895 – Top 377, Ave. 337.7
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 191 – Top 374, Ave. 341.8

Finished Hoggets – 124 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Just a few on offer and topping at £173 for George Dallaway.
Hoggets appear to be almost finished but those few that are left, with good meat and not erupted teeth, are still well sold.

Cull Sheep – 219 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678

Top price ewe: £181.00 – S T Phillips – Ave. £127.52

A super trade throughout with stronger demand for all grades of ewes as numbers tighten nationally. The best ewes were short in the pens with majority £140 – £160 and to a top price of £181 from S T Phillips for strong Suffolk cross ewes. Medium ewes £110 – £130 on most occasions with leaner grazing types £70 – £100 throughout with only very few sold below these figures. Please do inform me of any larger consignments of ewes that you intend on selling in the coming weeks with regular buyers present every week for all grades.

Top prices included:

Suffolk cross to £181 – S T Phillips, Texel cross to £174 – P Smith, Crossbred to £170 – M J Ashworth, Texels to £170 – N A Balcomb & Son, Romneys to £160 – Chandler & Dunn, Mules to £148 – P Smith.

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 –  64 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

An excellent seasonal entry of cattle with quality of high order whether from beef or dairy backgrounds. Competition firmer and prices dearer despite the general malaise within the supermarket sector. Credit to the wholesalers and butchers in our region for supporting our livestock sector.
Best of the beef bred cattle 370-400p with some wonderful heifers on offer this week. Colin Watkins and Robert Humphreys shared top price at 394p for homebred Limousin x heifers but plenty of other good examples from W Alexander (Shoreham), R F & E A Simmons, W S Furnival Ltd and C R Cook.
Several dairy bred runs within the entry and well received. Alan Down`s well fleshed Limousin x to 373p, £2384, and pure Friesian steers to 336p. Ryan Haydon`s Angus x Friesian handyweight steers to 345p, £2015 whilst British Blue x Friesian heifers and steers sold to 348p and 340p, £2224 from M A & F W Owen and Dan Mackelden Ltd respectively.
Amongst the native breeds Sussex continue to stand out with heifers from W S Furnival to 376p, their steers to 370p. Strong Angus steers from R G Gibson & Son to 366p, their 3 averaging £2700. Well fleshed homebred Hereford heifers and steers from William New sold well to 364p, £2126 and 358p, £2467, respectively.
A nice show of well-produced young bulls saw British Blue x Longhorns from C R Cook to 375p, 370p, 367p, £2254, £2247, £2217. Hereford x to 361p, £1965; Sussex 334p, £2501 Chandler & Dunn.

Top Steers

W S Furnival Ltd – Limousin cross – 376p (£2309)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 376p (£2309)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 375p (£2247)
A J Down – Limousin cross – 373p (£2384)
A J Down – Limousin cross – 371p (£2223)

Top Heifers

L E Humphreys & Sons – Limousin cross – 394p (£2263)
C Watkins – Limousin cross – 394p (£2105)
L E Humphreys & Sons – Limousin cross – 392p (£2290)
C Watkins – Limousin cross – 388p – (£2131)
C Watkins – Limousin cross – 386p (£2294)

Average prices

Steers 200 to 550 kg – 3 – Top 370p – Ave. 353p
Steers 551 to 650 kg – 23 – Top 376p – Ave. 351p
Steers 651 kg + – 7 – Top 366p – Ave. 358p
Heifers 300 to 500 kg – 2 – Top 375p – Ave. 363p
Heifers 501 to 590 kg – 20 – Top 394p – Ave. 362p
Heifers 591 kg + – 4 – Top 386p – Ave. 362p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 20 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Small numbers in a hay making week but quality overall good, with a numbers of very fat cows that could, and probably should, have come months earlier!
Demand is staying very strong and with supply so tight there really can be no reason, other than greed, for major processors to be talking the trade back.
Nothing flashy on offer but strong fleshed Limousin x cows from R F & E A Simmons to 298p, £2335. Beef cows generally 230-280p, with one old plain cow 170p.
Limousin x 298p, £2335 R F & E A Simmons; Sussex 280p, 274p, 269p (3) £1906, £1791, £1772, £1733 C R Cook, 275p, 262p, £1867, £1582 L Stevens & Son, 268p, £1926 Thorsons Farms, 254p, £1521 P J Goldsmith; Angus x 269p, £1590 S J M Evans; Hereford x 244p, £1944 R Thomas, 206p, £2014 Southwood Farm.
Just the 3 Jersey cows from the dairy sector but selling well at 176p, 164p, 159p and up to £869 from Hickson Bros.

Beef Cows –17 Sold – Top 298, Average 256.4
Dairy Cows – 3 Sold – Top 176, Average 166.3

Breeding Cattle – 2 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Two Simmental bulls from the Rix family, Essex and well received with the 3yo+ bull going straight to work at £2520, and the younger 13 month being kept for work next year at £1870.

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 – 26 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678

A good selection forward this week with the best to 178p pk and £187 per head from P J & P B Wade. Heavy white pigs from Brooker & Son to £162 per head. C Higgins sold coloured crossbred types to £131 per head.
Just a few sows which remain very hard to shift with Saddleback stores from Goodtrees Farm to £25 per head.
For the best results ensure your pigs are well finished and ideally 85kg plus.
Please inform me of any pigs you have to sell for Tuesday 1^st July.

Forthcoming Auctions

Tuesday Livestock – 24th June 2025

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

For our Auction Calendar and Catalogues click here