Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 6th January 2026

Sheep Sales Reports

Finished Hoggets – 1,110 sold.

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Top price per kilo – 421p –R J Adams, Kent.
Top price per head – £190.00 N A Balcomb & Son, Kent.

A few less than we expected due to the very low temperatures and icy road conditions that the morning brought with it.
Many good runs of hoggets were in with us overnight, and these dry and clean dagged sheep were sold on the top of the trade. Lighter lambs are the pick of the trade, with the majority of these selling over 350p kg to a top price of 421p kg for some smart light Beltex lambs from R J Adams.
We did see a lift in the heavier hoggets this week, with some great quality on offer in this department. A super run from Mr Alan Jull really rang the bell with 230 hoggs which averaged just a shade under £170 head. Top in the heavy section on the day was taken by N A Balcomb & Son at £190 with the whole heavy hogget section averaging 330p kg, all included, despite a large amount of Suffolk and Romney hoggets present.
Looking ahead, into the infamous crystal ball, it is hard to see the trade going much above the current levels with the anticipated numbers of sheep that are out there, being finished, that will come forward over the next three months. We will see up and downs, as always through the spring, but this will be number driven across the country, so while supply is short at the moment, it can’t be wrong to sell sheep that are fit at the current prices.

27 – £109.00 (404p kg) – R J Adams
28 – £118.00 (421p kg) – R J Adams
30 – £110.00 (367p kg) – D G Long
31 – £119.00 (384p kg) – D G Long
32 – £118.00 (369p kg) – M Alderton
33 – £103.00 (312p kg) – Alastair Boyd & Co
34 – £120.00 (353p kg) – D G Long
35 – £128.00 (366p kg) – D G Long
37 – £131.00 (354p kg) – D G Long
38 – £135.00 (355p kg) – D G Long
40 – £145.00 (363p kg) – D G Long
41 – £157.00 (383p kg) – Wey Street Farm LLP
42 – £144.00 (343p kg) – N A Vincent
43 – £161.00 (374p kg) – A Jull
44 – £163.00 (370p kg) – A Jull
45 – £168.00 (373p kg) – W J Waters
46 – £164.00 (357p kg) – A Jull
47 – £179.00 (381p kg) – N A Balcomb & Son
48 – £165.00 (344p kg) – W J Waters
49 – £182.00 (371p kg) – D Isaac & H Chandler
50 – £175.00 (350p kg) – A Jull
51 – £186.00 (365p kg) – A Jull
52 – £168.00 (323p kg) – S G Barten
53 – £183.50 (346p kg) – D Isaac & H Chandler
54 – £169.00 (313p kg) – H J Hecks & Son
55 – £170.00 (309p kg) – S G Barten
56 – £186.00 (332p kg) – D Isaac & H Chandler
59 – £190.00 (322p kg) – N A Balcomb & Son

Averages (p/kg)

Light 25.6 to 32 kgs – 68 – Top 421, Ave. 386.1
Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 250 – Top 369, Ave. 351.6
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 232 – Top 383, Ave. 347.0
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 445   – Top 381, Ave. 335.7
Others 52.1 + – 114 – Top 346, Ave. 315.5

Cull Sheep – 404 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678

Top price ewes: £250.00 – E Stretton, Kent. – Ave. £147.13

More numbers in the pens, and more buyers in the alleys, for our first sale in 2026 with a roaring trade for all grades.
The best regularly £150 – £200, and to a top price of £250 from E Stretton for superb Texels. Medium sorts £120 – £150 on most occasions and the few leaner grazing types £85 – £100.
With scanning now under way there is no doubt that we will continue to see stronger and better fleshed ewes in the pens but more ewes are wanted with customers present every week for all grades.

Top prices included:

Texels to £250, £205 – E Stretton, Texel cross to £200 – A Jull, Suffolk cross to £195 – R G Hobbs Farms, Mules to £161 – M E Carlton, Romneys to £160 – 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 Reports

Finished Cattle –  50 Sold
Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357.

A very good start to the New Year with a nice entry of fleshed cattle, despite the very cold conditions, meeting strong demand from wholesalers getting back to normal routine, and helped by the disruption to supply in the North and in Scotland.
A spread of quality with close to 50% bred from the dairy sector but in the main cattle carrying flesh and finish, and rates overall very similar to pre- Christmas levels.
Top end beef bred cattle 375-400p with a smart butcher`s Limousin heifer from A J Thompson & Sons topping the day at 409p, £2165, just ahead of W Alexander (Shoreham) with a quality pair at 406p and 400p, £2190.
Limousin x Friesian steers from A J Down to 375p, £2509, and generally 365-375p, their Limousin x heifer to 372p, £2155 and Hereford x steers to 366p, £2303. The Pickering family sold Hereford x Friesian steers to 365p, £2278, heifers 359p, £2139 whilst Angus x Holstein steers from E & J H Maylam to 329p, £2365, heifers 335p, £2158.
Short of natives this week. Well fleshed Angus x heifers from Leggat Farming to 371p, £2278; Sussex steers 370p, £2420 W S Furnival; and Sussex heifers 362p, £1898 A H Hoad & Son.
A lean Sussex young bull from A Barr & Son at 329p, £2201.

Top Steers

W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 386p (£2371)
P W & P Sim & Son – Limousin cross – 376p (£2291)
A J Down – Limousin cross – 375p (£2509)
A J Down – Limousin cross – 374p (£2428)
A J Down – Limousin cross – 373p (£2347)

Top Heifers

A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – 409p (£2165)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 406p (£2190)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 400p (£2017)
A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – 384p (£1918)
A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – 375p (£2153)

Average prices

Steers 551 to 650 kg – 15 – Top 386p – Ave. 365p
Steers 651 kg + – 4 – Top 375p – Ave. 359p
Heifers 300 to 500 kg – 3 – Top 384p – Ave. 350p
Heifers 501 to 590 kg – 19 – Top 409p – Ave. 367p
Heifers 591 kg + – 7 – Top 367p – Ave. 347p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 59 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357.

Good to start the New Year with decent numbers, and with the trade continuing at an excellent level with the regular post-Christmas manufacturing demand being accelerated by the current cold snap.
Mostly feeding cows from the beef sector, though the dairy culls would be carrying a little more flesh. Customers out in force and more wanted to satisfy the slaughter and feeding options.
Nothing in the smart bracket but feeders pushing close to 300p from A & H Edmonds and heavy export type beef meat cows up over 280p and £2500 head from E Chantler & Son.
Blonde 298p, £1696 A & H Edmonds; Angus 285p, 282p, 277p, 276p, £2013, £1949, £1934, £1933 A C Hulme & Sons; Simmental 284p, £2566 E Chantler & Sons; Limousin 284p, £1630 R C & J L Pickering; British Blue 279p, £2381 E Chantler & Sons, 272p, £1656 M Godden, 265p, £1587 R C & J L Pickering; Sussex 276p, £1612 C E & W S Millson, 268p, 256p (2) £1610 Dr C Ahrens, 249p, £1727 A H Hoad & Son; South Devon 240p, 228p, £1820, £1649 H & S Nesfield; Beef Shorthorn 246p, £1804 P J Goldsmith.
Despite the current problems in the dairy sector rates holding up very well. Strong export type Friesian cows from Debden Court to 256p, £1904 with strong Holstein types from W G & T A Manford to £2082, 244p. A run of fleshed Guernsey’s well sold to 240p, £1736 from the Manford’s.
British Friesian 256p, 248p, 240p, £1904; Holstein Friesian 248p, 231p, £1794, £1717 J W Boyd & Sons, 244p, 228p, £2082, £1649 W G & T A Manford; Guernsey 240p, 230p, 220p, 211p (2) £1736, £1423, £1325, £1316 W G & T A Manford.
Stock Bull (1) Lean Sussex well sold at 260p, £2011.
Overage (5) Well sold with OTM Sussex heifers to 355p, £2127 Wright Farm Partners whilst 3yo+ Sussex heifers taken to feed at 300-325p.

Beef Cows – 34 Sold – Top 298, Average 246.7
Dairy Cows – 19 Sold – Top 256, Average 227.2

Store & Breeding Cattle – 20 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678

Just one run of stores this week from C Ahrens topping at £1190 for hard outwintered 27 mths Sussex heifers with 23 mths Sussex steers to £1180 from the same home.
Please let us know what store and breeding cattle you have to sell and to discuss appropriate sale dates going forward.

Calves –  65 Sold
Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357.

Good numbers, despite the arctic conditions seriously affecting all dairy farmers morning routines, met a large company of customers keen to take advantage of the numbers on offer having missed a sale over Christmas.
Calf quality was generally good, with the extra week or two doing no harm, and purchasers ready to invest in the future recognising the tightness of supply into the beef industry. How many dairy farmers are planning to leave the milk sector nationally under the current battering that they are getting remains to be seen but nobody will be coming in!
British Blues 8-12 weeks from T Castle & Son saw bulls to £660, heifers to £560 whilst month old quality Blue bulls and heifers from J W Boyd & Sons sold to £640 and £455 respectively. Angus in strong demand for all grades with bulls from J Warnock to £510, P J Forknall £495, J W Boyd & Sons £490, R & J Ledger £485. Angus heifers to £390 from both P J Forknall and R & J Ledger.
Charolais bull £580, Hereford bull £510, both P J Forknall. Simmental heifer £475 R & J Ledger. Sussex bulls £275, heifers £240 W G & T A Manford.
Some good weaned calves from the Castle family very well sold .
A big thank you to all for advising on numbers, and to all buyers and sellers for supporting the strength of the open market.

Bull Calves
British Blue cross – 10 – Ave. £539.00 – Top £660.00 – T Castle & Son.
Charolais cross – 1 – Ave. £580.00 – Top £580.00 – P J Forknall.
Aberdeen Angus cross – 17 – Ave. £440.59 – Top £510.00 – J Warnock & Sons.
Hereford cross – 1 – Ave. £510.00 – Top £510.00 – P J Forknall.
Sussex cross – 2 – Ave. £262.50 – Top £275.00 – W G & T A Manford.
Heifer Calves
British Blue cross – 13 – Ave. £408.46 – Top £560.00 – T Castle & Son.
Simmental cross – 1 – Ave. £475.00 – Top £475.00 – R & J Ledger Ltd.
Aberdeen Angus cross – 9 – Ave. £306.11 – Top £390.00 – J Warnock & Sons & R & J Ledger Ltd.
Sussex cross – 7 – Ave. £194.29 – Ave. £320.00 – J Warnock & Sons.
Bull Weanlings
British Blue cross – 1 – Ave. £640.00 – Top £640.00 – T Castle & Son.
Heifer Weanlings
British Blue cross – 1 – Ave. £620.00 – Top £620.00 – T Castle & Son.
Limousin cross – 2 – Ave. £660.00 – Top £660.00 – T Castle & Son.

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.

Tuesday Livestock 13th January

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

For our Auction Calendar and Catalogues click here