Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 16th December 2025

Sheep Sales Reports

New Season Lambs – 634 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Top price per kilo – 410p – A S Neaves & Son, Kent.
Top price per head – £205.00 – Master Luca Hedges – Whyman, East Sussex.

A very small entry this week, with numbers really hard to find around the country, which in turn has boosted prices to a very good level and the dearest we have seen them for several weeks, not really surprising following the trade we saw on Friday in the store ring, but the two trades are still independent of one another.
Heavy lambs lifted this week in line with the handy weights, but the 42kg-47kg lambs are the very best sold with most continentals selling over 345p kg and up to 370p kg. Light lambs topped at 410p kg from A S Neaves & Sons and others from Miss Amy Hedges sold to 398p kg.
Top spot was taken by our youngest vendor on the day, Master Luca Hedges-Whyman who while celebrating his second birthday, presented his first lambs and these strong Beltex types sold to £205 hd. Overall the average was returned at 349p kg, a very strong trade and one of the dearest report across the UK for Monday or Tuesday.
Our next sale will take place on MONDAY, 22^nd December and we are hoping to see a repeat of this strong trade for lambs, as this is an unusual week with the day change, we would really appreciate if you can let us know what numbers you wish to send so we can keep our buyers informed.  This much appreciated.

30 – £123.00 (410p kg) – A S Neaves & Son
31 – £104.00 (335p kg) – A Wishart
32 – £116.00 (363p kg) – H Goldsworthy
33 – £118.00 (358p kg) – G L Harris
36 – £131.00 (364p kg) – C B Hope
37 – £119.00 (322p kg) – A Wishart
38 – £137.00 (361p kg) – H & J Noakes
39 – £134.00 (344p kg) – H Goldsworthy
40 – £159.00 (398p kg) – N C & C G Hedges
41 – £144.00 (351p kg) – S King
42 – £151.00 (360p kg) – S King
43 – £154.00 (358p kg) – Harriet Heathcote
44 – £159.00 (361p kg) – H & J Noakes
45 – £166.00 (369p kg) – Frederick & Sons
46 – £167.00 (363p kg) – G B Richards & Son
47 – £164.50 (350p kg) – R & S L M Smith
48 – £169.00 (352p kg) – H & J Noakes
49 – £169.00 (345p kg) – S King
50 – £169.00 (338p kg) – S King
51 – £171.00 (335p kg) – Jamie Watt
52 – £170.00 (327p kg) – S King
53 – £167.00 (315p kg) – C B Hope
54 – £161.00 (298p kg) – T J Bignell
55 – £180.00 (327p kg) – N C & C G Hedges
56 – £205.00 (366p kg) – Luca Hedges – Whyman

Averages (p/kg)

Light 25.6 to 32 kgs – 29 – Top 410, Ave. 378.4
Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 71 – Top 364, Ave. 344.6
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 281 – Top 398, Ave. 349.4
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 211 – Top 363, Ave. 342.6
Others 52.1 + – 39 – Top 366, Ave. 313.9

Cull Sheep – 201 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678

Top price ewes: £208.00 – Link Bros, Kent – Ave. £139.22

A super trade for all grades once again, with numbers short in the pens on the lead up to Christmas however, demand remains strong.
The best ewes regularly £150 – £180 and to a top price of £208 for Texels from Link Bros. Medium sorts £110 – £140 on most occasions with leaner grazing types £70 – £100 throughout with only a very small few sold below these figures.
We have buyers present every week for all grades, so do not hesitate to get in contact if you have ewes to sell.
Our next sale of cull ewes will be on Monday 22^nd December.

Top prices included:

Texel to £208 – Link Bros, Suffolk cross to £192 – P N & C Burden, Texel cross to £190 – Tottingworth Farm Ltd, Beltex cross to £160 – Brockhill Park College, Mules to £152 – P N & C Burden, Romneys to £149 – Groombridge Farms Ltd.

Cattle Reports

Finished Cattle –  19 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357.

A controlled pre-Christmas entry met a good trade with a run of nicely finished cattle taken up by attending wholesalers now looking to serve into the New Year.
Many of the big firms are trying to drag prices downwards having finished their Christmas work but with numbers certain to remain tight during 2026 it does, once again, seem opportunistic and harsh on their producers when rates will soon begin to rise again.
Top spots to G L Boulden & Sons with their Blonde heifer at 386p, £2120; their heavy Blonde steer at 371p, £2575. A good Limousin pair from Dan Mackelden Ltd with a steer at 365p, £2661 and a heifer at 368p, £2370.
Limousin x Friesian steers from Alan Down to 375p (3), £2340, Hereford x Friesian steer at 363p, £2266.
A few well fleshed natives sold well with John Berryman’s good Aberdeen Angus heifer at 372p, £2396, and Hereford heifer at 371p, £2334. A nice Sussex steer from W S Furnival Ltd 366p, £2193.
Next sale Tuesday 30^th December 2025, Please, contact Peter Kingwill if you are considering selling between Christmas & the New Year.

Top Steers

A J Down – Limousin cross – 375p (£2341)
A J Down – Limousin cross – 375p (£2228)
A J Down – Limousin cross – 375p (£2153)
A J Down – Limousin cross – 373p (£2179)
A J Down – Limousin cross – 372p (£2210)

Top Heifers

G L Boulden & Sons – Blonde D’Aquitaine cross – 386p (£2120)
J Berryman – Aberdeen Angus cross – 372p (£2396)
J Berryman – Simmental cross – 371p (£2093)
J Berryman – Hereford cross – 371p (£2334)
Dan Mackelden Ltd – Limousin cross – 368p (£2370)

Average prices

Steers 200 to 550 kg – 1 – Top 370p – Ave. 370p
Steers 551 to 650 kg – 11 – Top 375p – Ave. 369p
Steers 651 kg + – 2 – Top 371p – Ave. 367p
Heifers 501 to 590 kg – 2 – Top 386p – Ave. 378p
Heifers 591 kg + – 3 – Top 372p – Ave. 370p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 79 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357.

An excellent pre-Christmas entry and, though quite a variation in quality, another strong competitive trade for all grades with confidence in the future for feeding and meat cows.
Best young cows still topping 300p kg with strong fleshed Limousin cross cows to £2327 from M J Ashworth.
Again, plenty of beef cows, to feed, 240-300p with a strong attendance of buyers around the ring.
Sussex 316p, 302p, 298p, £1783, £1613 W J Hurley; Limousin 286p, 272p, £2327, £1901 M J Ashworth, 278p, 252p, £1832, £1559 F W Hare & Sons; Simmental 298p, 284p, £2086, £1876 R P Kent & Son; British Blue 266p, £1527 M J Ashworth; Aberdeen Angus 264p, 263p, £1858, £1719 M J Ashworth; Devon 268p, 252p, 240p, £1378, £1308 T Poulton.
Quality British Friesian cows from Debden Court to 280p, 266p, 265p, £2179, £1997 whilst lean Jersey cows from S E Lane & Partners 150p, 148p, £785, £767.
Stock bull (1) Devon bull 224p, £2168.
Overage (20) A few well fleshed OTM heifers from John Berryman 359p & 357p, £2545, £2371 with a British Friesian OTM heifer from T Castle & Son at 321p, £1907. Another few of lean aged White Park steers well sold with many well over 240p and grossing often at £1300-£1600 from Tony Martin.

Beef Cows – 47 Sold – Top 316, Average 247.3
Dairy Cows – 14 Sold – Top 280, Average 218.8

Store & Breeding Cattle – 25 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678

To finish off the season we had just a few stores in the pens.
First from J Young topping at £1290 for 18 mth Sussex steers and £1280 for 21 mth Aberdeen Angus cross heifers from the same home followed by Devon heifers 20 mths from T Poulton to £1070.
Please do inform us of any store or breeding cattle you have to sell in the new year with the first date for these Tuesday 6^th January 2026.

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, any stock that are incorrectly tagged may not be offered for sale. Local authority inspectors will be taking note as stock comes to market.

Store & Finished Pigs –  13 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678

A small number in the pens this week for our last sale of pigs in 2025.
Top call went to East Sutton Park Prison with well finished Saddleback gilts to 160p per kg and £128 per head followed by C Higgins with their 76kg finished to £114 per head.
For the best results ensure pigs are well finished and 80kg plus.
Our next sale of pigs will be on Tuesday 13^th January 2026.

 

Monday Livestock 22nd December

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

For our Auction Calendar and Catalogues click here