Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 24th June 2025

Sheep Sales Reports

New Season Lambs – 1,570 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Top price per kilo – 389p – Husk Farms Ltd, Kent.
Top price per head – £186.00 – M J Ashworth, Kent.

A few less penned this week and a good trade throughout, the heavier lambs coming in to big demand as numbers of these are quite short around the country. These topped out today at £186 for some good heavies from M J Ashworth but in close second were L E Humphreys & Sons and Husk Farms Ltd at £180 and £179, respectively. Several pens were sold in excess of £170 hd from Alan down, C & J Georgetti & Sons and D J Morphett also.  Smaller “SQQ” type lambs are more readily, available and the trade was similar on these with the better sorts form 350-380p kg, but the averages greatly diluted with the grass finished lambs quite a bit discounted in comparison. Trade seems quite stable at the moment, and if you are feeding some lambs, the prices are very much appealing.

32 – £105.00 (328p kg) – Lovejoy Farms Partnership
33 – £125.00 (379p kg) – C Field
34 – £116.00 (341p kg) – Lovejoy Farms Partnership
35 – £113.00 (323p kg) – Dan Hopper
37 – £128.00 (346p kg) – E J Clough
38 – £138.00 (363p kg) – Jamie Watt
39 – £137.00 (351p kg) – G H Dean & Co
40 – £143.00 (358p kg) – L Stevens & Sons
41 – £159.00 (388p kg) – Husk Farms Ltd
42 – £154.00 (367p kg) – Husk Farms Ltd
43 – £155.50 (362p kg) – D Thompson
44 – £161.00 (366p kg) – M J Ashworth
45 – £162.00 (3600 kg) – C & J Georgetti & Sons
46 – £179.00 (389p kg) – Husk Farms Ltd
47 – £169.00 (360p kg) – L E Humphreys & Sons
48 – £174.00 (363p kg) – A J Down
49 – £178.00 (363p kg) – M J Ashworth
53 – £186.00 (351p kg) – M J Ashworth
54 – £180.00 (333p kg) – L E Humphreys & Sons
55 – £154.00 (280p kg) – A J Budd
60 – £176.00 (293p kg) – D J Morphett                                        

Averages (p/kg) 

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 391 – Top 379, Ave. 329.3
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 987 – Top 388, Ave. 332.0
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 154 – Top 389, Ave. 350.6
Others 52.0 + – 38 – Top 351, Ave. 314.9

Finished Hoggets – 80 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678

Just a few in the pens this week with large numbers of teeth now up which is what puts a downer on this trade. Good meat hoggs with no teeth up remain well sold with a top price of £169 per head from D Meehan and 310p pk from the same vendor.

Cull Sheep – 216 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678

Top price ewe: £230.00 – Miss R Thompson – Ave. £119.23

An absolute flyer once again with all grades in strong demand however the best fleshed ewes are very short in the pens. The best fleshed ewes are certainly being well rewarded with majority £150 – £180 and to a top price of £230 from Miss R Thompson for a strong Texel ewe. Medium sorts £110 – £140 on most occasions with leaner grazing types £70 – £100 throughout with only a very small percentage sold below these figures. Take advantage of the current trade with more ewes wanted to satisfy weekly buyers demands.

Top prices included:

Texels to £230 – Miss R Thompson, Texel cross to £225 – M J Ashworth, Continentals to £200 – Eastwood Farm, Mules to £167 – A Pynn, Romneys to £159 – R L Goodman & Son.

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 –  47 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903.

Less cattle in the yard today as summer time hits us and usual had an impact on numbers. Trade is a similar level from the well fleshed cattle with some bigger weights topping the tree today form R G Gibson & Son at £2916 hd with others from the same vendor at over £2800 also. Some very well fleshed cattle from W G Watkins & Sons sold to top at 387p kg and £2644 and generally the better bred cattle were all over £2300 hd. Dairy bred types from Alan Down traded from £2200-£2400 and 360-375p kg. Overall, the feeling is that the live ring is bringing better results that the direct selling route at the moment, with a weekly outlet for all types regardless of size, shape or breed. Please support your market, we want your cattle to sell, and we will never turn them away.

Top Steers

W G Watkins & Sons – Simmental cross – 386p (£2544)
W G Watkins & Sons – Simmental cross – 381p (£2644)
R G Gibson & Son – Aberdeen Angus cross – 380p (£2448)
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin cross – 379p (£2082)
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin cross – 378p (£2246)

Top Heifers

W G Watkins & Sons – Simmental cross – 387p (£2493)
J Berryman – Limousin cross – 375p (£2397)
J Berryman – Aberdeen Angus cross – 373p (£2347)
J Berryman – Limousin cross – 372p (£2415)
W G Watkins & Sons – Simmental cross – 371p (£2390)

Average prices

Steers 200 to 550 kg – 3 – Top 379p – Ave. 349p
Steers 551 to 650 kg – 12 – Top 380p – Ave. 365p
Steers 651 kg + – 10 – Top 386p – Ave. 362p
Heifers 300 to 500 kg – 6 – Top 360p – Ave. 336p
Heifers 501 to 590 kg – 8 – Top 367p – Ave. 345p
Heifers 591 kg + – 8 – Top 387p – Ave. 368p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 26 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903.

Quite limited in the entry here with little meat in the cows, being a very dairy bred based entry. Best beef cows topped at 301p kg from Llewellyn Farms which grossed £2328. Dairy types were traded from 220-260p kg with the best topping at 280p kg from Mr R Scott. Demand is high for cows currently with not enough on offer so please don’t hesitate about bringing some next week as the summer supply will certainly still be short.

Beef Cows – 3 Sold – Top 302, Average 290.7
Dairy Cows – 13 Sold – Top 256, Average 238.4

Store & Breeding Cattle – 124 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678

A good entry for the time of year with majority of the cattle penned younger long terms grazing types. A run from J Boomaars saw Angus bulls 14 mths to £1000 and Hereford bulls to £880 followed by Charolais steers to £1520 and Angus steers to £1490. D Goodwin & Sons had British Blue x Friesian heifers 12 mths to £1080 and Aberdeen Angus x Friesian steers 10 mths from the same home to £880 with the remainder of the run 8 – 12 mths and £700 – £900 per head. A smart Limousin heifer from N A Vincent 14 mths to £1240 and a strong pen of Shorthorn steers 16 mths from I D Machin to £1910. Top call of the day went to A Gillem-Bussey with a 17 mths Blue cross steers to £1940.

Please do inform me of any store or breeding cattle you intend on selling in the coming weeks.

Calves – 57 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678

As I step into the boots of calf auctioneer for the day, we had a bigger show penned than we have been seeing in previous weeks. The best continental calves topped at £415 from J W Boyd & Sons for Blue bulls followed closely by Blue heifers from T Castle & Son to £365. A large numbers of the Continental bulls £340 – £400 and Continental heifers £280 – £350. Native bulls topped at £385 from Goddard & Son with the heifers topping at £250 from J W Boyd & Sons. Majority of the best Native bulls £300 – £350 and the heifers £200 – £250. Holstein Friesian bulls to £230 from Goddard & Son.
In the weanling sections we saw top call going to J Boomaars for a Charolais bull 6 mths to £570 and Hereford bulls from the same home to £500. W G & T A Manford had Blue bulls 6 mths to £500 and heifers to £470 with Sussex bulls 5 mths to £440 from the same home.

Bull Calves
British Blue cross – 3 – Ave £323.33 – Top £415.00 – J W Boyd & Sons Ltd
Limousin cross – 1 – Ave £340.00 – Top £340.00 – T Castle & Son
Aberdeen Angus cross – 11 – Ave £264.55 – Top £385.00 – Goddard & Son
Sussex cross – 2 – Ave £270.00 – Top £295.00 – J Warnock & Sons
Hereford cross – 1 – Ave £340.00 – Top £340.00 – Goddard & Son
Holstein Friesian – 3 – Ave £223.33 – Top £230.00 – Goddard & Son
Heifer Calves
British Blue cross – 5 – Ave £309.00 – Top £365.00 – T Castle & Son
Limousin cross – 1 – Ave £275.00 – Top £275.00 – T Castle & Son
Aberdeen Angus cross – 15 – Ave £200.00 – Top £250.00 – J W Boyd & Sons Ltd
Sussex cross – 5 – Ave £197.00 – Top £240.00 – J Warnock & Sons
Bull weanling
British Blue cross – 2 – Ave £455.00 – Top £500.00 – W G & T A Manford
Charolais cross – 1 – Ave £570.00 – Top £570.00 – Jan Boomaars
Hereford – 1 – Ave £500.00 – Top £500.00 – Jan Boomaars
Sussex cross – 2 – Ave £430.00 – Top £440.00 – W G & T A Manford
Holstein – 1 – Ave £290.00 – Top £290.00 – W G & T A Manford
Heifer Weanlings
British Blue cross – 1 – Ave £470.00 – Top £470.00 – W G & T A Manford
Aberdeen Angus cross – 1 – Ave £460.00 – Top £460.00 – Jan Boomaars
Sussex cross – 1 – Ave £410.00 – Top £410.00 – W G & T A Manford

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.

Forthcoming Auctions

Tuesday Livestock – 1st July 2025

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

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