Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 2nd December 2025

Sheep Sales Reports

New Season Lambs – 815 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Top price per kilo – 549p – Miss A Hedges, East Sussex – Show Champions.
Top price per head – £280.00 – Miss A Hedges, East Sussex – Show Champions.

Show day has come and gone, once again, this year. It only seemed like the last one was a fortnight ago but time flies by when you are busy!
The Show champions this year were presented by Miss Amy Hedges and were 51kg Beltex lambs, winners of the unshorn/untrimmed class on the day and went on to take overall show Champion. Reserve was taken by Mr Andy Town, following a first place in the trimmed Beltex lamb class. A full show report will be available in these pages in the next week or so.
The commercial side of the sale was a similar trade to recent weeks, but the overall quality was certainly lacking if the show sheep are taken out of the figures. All lambs are over £3 kg but a lot of wet and full lambs in the entry would look quite well sold on that level. Overall average was 326p kg and several of the lighter weighted lambs traded from 350p kg to 380p kg. Some of these would be in line with store money but I must stress to sellers that a relationship between store lambs and current finished lambs is non-existent. The fact that store lambs are selling at record highs does not suggest that the finished trade for meat is, by default, £20 head above the store price. A leg of lamb can still only sell for a given price today and the values of these stores, that are being traded currently, is based on a gamble of the potential trade in February/March by finishers with considerable amounts of available keep. The current finished price is ahead of last year’s level and looks to be sustainable through the Christmas and New Year period as numbers remain tight going forward.

36 – £134.00 (372p kg) – C B Hope
37 – £144.00 (389p kg) – Miss E Ashlee
38 – £158.00 (416p kg) – Master H Lucas
39 – £144.00 (369p kg) – J Bull
40 – £158.00 (395p kg) – A Town
41 – £139.00 (339p kg) – J Bull
42 – £153.00 (364p kg) – J Bull
43 – £156.00 (363p kg) – N C & C G Hedges
44 – £164.00 (373p kg) – M Friend
45 – £178.00 (396p kg) – C A Worley (Farming) Ltd
46 – £175.00 (380p kg) – S W Winchester
47 – £161.00 (343p kg) – A Town
48 – £170.00 (354p kg) – R Padfield
49 – £181.00 (369p kg) – Miss A Wickens
50 – £205.00 (410p kg) – Miss A Hedges
51 – £280.00 (549p kg) – Miss A Hedges
52 – £180.00 (346p kg) – G P King
53 – £181.00 (342p kg) – G P King
54 – £176.00 (326p kg) – P N & C Burden
55 – £199.00 (362p kg) – Miss A Hedges

Averages (p/kg)

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 93 – Top 416, Ave. 345.2
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 398 – Top 402, Ave. 322.2
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 233   – Top 549, Ave. 333.9
Others 52.1 + – 41 – Top 362, Ave. 319.6

Cull Sheep – 238 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678

Top price ewe: £248.00 – Miss M. Friend, Kent – Ave. £126.03.

A small number forward this week after Monday`s deluge and is often the case on Primestock Show week.  However, a great trade seen for all grades.
The best ewes regularly £150 – £180 and to a top price of £248 from Miss M. Friend for Texels. Medium sorts £110 – £140 on most occasions with leaner grazing types £80 – £110 throughout looking well sold.
Customers present every week for all grades of ewes with more wanted in order to satisfy buyers demands.

Top prices included:

Texels to £248 – Miss M. Friend, Suffolk cross to £183 – H C Goldup & Son, Crossbred to £178 – C B Hope, Beltex cross to £168 – Swan YFC, Texel cross to £158 – C B Hope, Romneys to £152 – I Lucas, Mules to £139 – C B Hope.

Cattle Reports

Finished Cattle –  94 Sold
Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357.

A tremendous day in the finished section with a well-supported and enthusiastic Christmas Show, comprising led cattle from the best showmen and women in the South East, as well as judged penned classes from our loyal commercial supporters, and, also, an excellent commercial entry on the day as buyers take extra cattle running into the final Christmas and New Year hanging period.
The trade remained firm and positive throughout with a few extra buyers to add to our regular buying support.
Champion beast shown by Jason & Sarah Wareham, Heathfield was a Limousin heifer 735kg selling at 500p kg, £3671, to stay alive and breed, to specialist Primestock producers East Anglian Trailers Ltd of Colchester. Reserve Champion from Sean Marsh, another Limousin heifer, and exhibited by his dedicated team to perfection, ran the Champion close all day but had the pleasure of selling at 570p kg, also to stay alive and breed, to N G Beveridge, Tow Law. Young Farmers champion beast, a Limousin heifer, went to Homewood School YFC, Tenterden selling at 430p kg £3007 to Beredens Farm Shop, Upminster. The Unhandled Championship was awarded to Brian Baker, Battle made it a clean sweep for the Limousin heifers with his homebred female selling at 432p, £3236 again to Beredens Farm Shop, Romford.
Natives were well represented in the show classes with an outstanding Galloway from J & S Wareham, the Champion steer, selling at 450p, £2787 to our judge, Stephen Howell, Dereham whilst a Lincoln Red heifer from the Marsh Team was best Native heifer at 448p, £2954 also travelling East to George Watson, Norwich.
Commercial cattle in the pens on the day selling strongly fully to recent rates with best beef bred types 380-420p topping with Limousin heifers from Lewis Webber, Horsham at 414p, £2357. AJ Thompson & Sons, Romney Marsh, Limousin steers to 398p, £2385. Alan Down`s dairy bred Limousin steers to 369p, £2395. A C Hulme & Sons sold Angus heifers to 385p, £2345 whilst John Berryman`s strong Hereford heifer sold to 354p, £2651.
A full Show Report with results will appear next week.

Top Steers

J & S Wareham – Galloway – 450p (£2787)
F S Husk – Limousin cross – 445p (£2578)
W G Vant & Sons – British Blue cross – 420p (£2622)
Birt Bros – British Blue cross – 410p (£2867)
FGS Agri Ltd – Limousin cross – 410p (£2682)

Top Heifers

S Marsh – British Blue cross – 570p – (£4100)
J & S Wareham – Limousin cross – 500p (£3671)
S Marsh – Limousin cross – 462p (£2584)
L J Webber Ltd – Limousin – 450p (£2337)
S Marsh – Lincoln Red cross – 448p (£2954)

Average prices

Steers 200 to 550 kg – 8 – Top 363p – Ave. 351p
Steers 551 to 650 kg – 31 – Top 450p – Ave. 381p
Steers 651 kg + – 13 – Top 410p – Ave. 363p
Heifers 300 to 500 kg – 5 – Top 385p – Ave. 353p
Heifers 501 to 590 kg – 18 – Top 462p – Ave. 386p
Heifers 591 kg + – 22 – Top 570p – Ave. 389p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 84 Sold

Another big show of cull cows this week with empty cows coming forward post scanning, and dairy farmers reacting to another big drop in the milk price.
A strong company of buyers around the ring with the beef cows, to kill or to feed, holding their rates well but the plain dairy cows from the parlour taking a knock as numbers swell nationally.
Plenty of good beef cows 280-330p and grossing up over £2000 as confidence for the New Year remains positive, and, despite a few more numbers coming out nationally at this time of the year stock numbers are low and cow beef will again be tight in 2026.
British Blue 335p, £2174 R Martin, Sevenoaks, 290p, 270p, 268p, £1819, £1737, £1711 D G & J W Gore, Rochester; Angus 316p, 312p, £1822 A C Hulme & Sons, Canterbury, 288p, £1826 P Ashlee, Ashford, 260p, £1920 Charrington Farms, Reigate; Limousin 312p, 300p, £1744, £1634 A Boyd & Co, Ashford, 290p, £1911 R Martin, 286p, £2000 C H & P F Green, Robertsbridge, 282p, £2041 R Coleman, Dover; Sussex 308p, 294p, £1707, £1614 D G & J W Gore, 282p, £1661 Hampton Estate, Farnham, 266p, £1739 A Boyd & Co, 264p, £1897 Paley Farm, Cranbrook, 262p, £1739 W J Hurley, Hythe, 260p, 252p,  £2087, £1921 Kinnear & Co, Petworth; Simmental 302p, 280p, £1809, £1733 D G & J W Gore, 245p, £1834 W J Hurley; South Devon 279p, 274p, 258p, £2106, £1891, £1810 Oxenford Farm, Godalming; Hereford 267p, £2092 M J Burton, Reigate, 246p, 245p, £2283, £1846 Charrington Farms; Longhorn 234p, £1623 Charrington Farms; Dexter 164p, £736 Mrs C Richards, Canterbury.
More cull cows from the dairy sector with all rates less money but with the fleshed heavier types holding up in a competitive environment and still up over 250p and £2000. Plain cows with lighter carcase weights and lower boning yields are easier but generally 180-210p with little under 170p, and still selling very well historically.
British Friesian heifer 288p, £1754; cows 258p, 254p, 240p, £2073, 31863, £1700 G D & E E Field, Arundel; Holstein Friesian 230p, 222p, £1733, £1407 J W Boyd & Sons; 225p, 217p, 210p, 207p, 205p, £1859, £1774, £1707, £1624 J Warnock & Sons; Jersey 152p, 142p, £712 Hickson Bros.
Stock Bull (1) Remaining a firm trade with a fleshed Hereford 232p, £2165.
Overage (9) Good rates again with well fleshed heavy continentals strongly competed for. Limousin OTM steer 398p, £2544, OTM heifer 390p, £2688, Charolais OTM heifers 362p, 359p, £2549, £2366 J Berryman, Redhill. Feeding OTM Sussex 328p, 324p, £1572, £1456 Hampton Estate.

Beef Cows – 48 Sold – Top 335, Average 260.4
Dairy Cows – 25 Sold – Top 288, Average 198.7

Ear Tags

Producers are reminded that all cattle require two ear tags with at least one large distance readable tag. Please inspect stock in good time to order replacement tags as, regrettably, the local immediate option at Denimex no longer exists. Local authority inspectors will be taking note as stock comes to market.

Store & Breeding Pigs – 22 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678

Primestock Show Week saw a great show of pigs in the pens with the Overall Champion on the day going to Lucketts Farm for a single Pietrain cross gilt weighing 116 kg, making 400p per kilo to the Show President, Andrew Laver, and totalling up at £464.
Smart British Lop gilts from T G J Buck 1^st in their class top at £275 per head and a super Pietrain gilt 2^nd in its class from The North School weighing 106kg totalling at £250.
Most of the well finished continental sorts in the pens 180p – 250p per kg with native bred pigs from R Padfield to £171 per head.
Our next and final sale of pigs for 2025 will be on Tuesday 16^th December so do not hesitate to get in contact if you have pigs to sell for this week.

 

Tuesday Livestock 9th December

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

For our Auction Calendar and Catalogues click here