Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 3rd February 2026

Sheep Sales Reports

Finished Hoggets – 701 sold.

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Top price per kilo – 389p – G Dallaway, Kent.

Top price per head – £166 – G Dallaway, Kent.

A lot less on offer than we would expect at this time of year, with bad weather halting some selling plans for this week and many sellers still holding on for some wishful days ahead in terms of the trade. Overall we have seen a lift in the past two weeks and trade is very favourable for the lighter sorts, with only the 50kg plus hoggs being hard to sell at the moment. Most in demand today were 40-45kg  with these topping at 389p/kg from G Dallaway, closely followed by Michelle Lakey at 375p/kg, justifying the long drive down from Norfolk. With medium weight hoggets selling at these levels, it does bear the question as to why not sell now instead of holding on to make them bigger…?

Finished Hoggets

Kgs        Top Price              Top Vendor                                                          p per kg

29           £100.00                 G L Harris                                                              345.0
35           £124.00                 M Ciccone                                                             354.0
36           £126.00                 F & L Reeve                                                          350.0
37           £133.00                 G P King                                                                359.0
38           £134.00                 F & L Reeve                                                          353.0
39           £133.00                 E J Clough                                                            341.0
40           £149.00                 G P King                                                                373.0
41           £159.50                 G Dallaway                                                           389.0
42           £154.50                 D Watkins                                                              368.0
43           £156.50                 G Dallaway                                                           364.0
44           £165.00                 M Lakey                                                                 375.0
45           £158.50                 H & J Noakes, R & S L M Smith                       352.0
46           £164.50                 S J Reeve and Son                                             358.0
47           £165.00                 C & J Georgetti & Sons                                       351.0
48           £166.00                 G Dallaway                                                           346.0

 

Weight range                                       Number                 Top         Bottom                  Average

Light 25.6 to 32                                                3                         345.0        345.0                      344.83

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs                                44                         359.0        341.0                      350.0

Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs                           288                         389.0        298.0                      350.06

Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs                                  284                         358.0        257.0                      326.71

Super Heavy 52+ kgs                                   94                         306.0        232.0                      285.13

Store Hoggets  384 – Sold

Auctioneers: John Rossiter 07557 392903.

Top price per head – £131 – R Woods, Kent.

A smaller entry after a last minute cancellation of a big run. For the third week in a row the stores have averaged exactly £111/hd and this week top spot was taken at £131 by Robbie Woods. Only very long term lambs below £100/hd

Cull Sheep – 420 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678

Top Price: £300 from H V Link Partnership        Ave. £132.13

Good numbers with trade on a par with recent weeks with plenty of the better types in the pens. The best regularly £140 – £170 with some high class purebred continentals £200-£300. A top price of £300 for super Texels from H V Link Partnership with N C & C G Hedges in close attendance with their Texels to £280. Medium sorts £110 – £130 on most occasions and looking well sold with leaner grazing types £70 – £100 throughout with only very few sold below these figures.

Please inform me of any ewes that you have to sell in the coming weeks while trade remains strong for all grades.

Top Prices Included:

Texels to £300 from H V Link Partnership
Texel Cross to £255 from J Boomaars
Charollais to £250 from N C & C G Hedges
Beltex to £250 from N C & C G Hedges
Suffolk Cross to £170 from O Tilley
Mules to £155 from O Tilley
Romneys to £146 from North Kent College

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 –  46 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357.

A much improved feel to the sale this week with buyers glad to see the back of January, and ready to take more cattle going forward. Prices a little firmer with a good consistent quality of fleshed animals on offer.
Not too many of the best this week with these beef bred types 370-385p topping with a nice run of Limousin heifers from DW Ferguson up to 385p £2562, whilst the steers were led today by Limousin x Friesian from AJ Down selling up to 374p £2389.
Quite a few dairy bred cattle this week with nice runs from AJ Down 358-368p; Hereford x Friesian steers from Hadlow College 355-365p £2508; and Hereford x Friesian  heifers from RC&JL Pickering 345-355p £2108.
Mostly Angus heifers amongst the natives this week with TNG Farms selling to 369p £2309; WS Furnival to 369p £2119; and DW Ferguson to 363p £2229. A Beef Shorthorn heifer from DR Thompson at 346p £2021.
A lean Sussex young bull at 324p £2281 from CE&WS Millson.

Leading steer prices

A J Down                                             Limousin cross                   £2185                  374p
AJ Thompson & Sons                       Limousin cross                   £2316                   371p
AJ Down                                              Limousin cross                   £2229                  369p
AJ Down                                              Limousin cross                   £2389                  368p
North Kent College                           Hereford cross                    £2138                   366p

Leading heifer prices       

D W Ferguson                                     Limousin cross                     £2194                    382p
G L Boulden & Sons                           Blonde D’Aquitaine cross  £2158                    379p
AJ Thompson & Sons                        Limousin cross                     £1958                   377p
D W Ferguson                                     British Blue Cross                £2107                    370p
Dan Mackleden Ltd                           Aberdeen Angus cross        £2309                    369p

Average prices

Steers 200 to 550 kg                             1          to 352p                  Ave. 352p
Steers 551 to 650 kg                            20          to 374p                  Ave. 361p
Steers 651 kg +                                       2          to 364p                  Ave. 357p
Heifers 300 to 500 kg                           2          to 361p                  Ave. 350p
Heifers 501 to 590 kg                          13          to 382p                  Ave. 359p
Heifers 591 kg +                                     7          to 385p                  Ave. 362p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 85 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357.

Another excellent day in our strong cull section with the counties of Norfolk, Essex, Kent, Surrey, East and West Sussex all well represented with cows and overage. Trade holding very positive for both the beef and dairy cows with mince and cheaper meals the order of the day for consumers and retailers. A little more flesh on offer overall with certainly less feeding cows forward this week.

Best beef cows well over 300p/kg again with plenty of returns over £2000/head. Some older empty outdoor cows looking well sold for feeding or grazing, later on.

Limousin 320p, 318p, 310p, 297p £2159, £2058, £2033 AJ Thompson, 298p £2053 RF&EA Simmons, 294p, 293p £2311, £2231 HJ Emery & Son; Angus 290p, 285p, 276p £1707, £1650, £1612 AJ Thompson, 256p £1840 RP Kent & Son; British Blue 284p, 270p £1857, £1817 AJ Thompson, 284p £1772 Hadlow College; Sussex 280p, 270p, 267p £1626, £1593 Trenchmore, 250p, 249p £2200, £1672 CE&WS Millson, 250p £1796 Torry Hill; Simmental 270p(2) £1719, £1711 WK Gutsell, 260p £1712 Parrett & Son; Beef Shorthorn 252p £1823 VE&MA Britton; South Devon 251p £1916 H&S Nesfield; Hereford 250p, 249p £2987, £1996 EW&RE Hanks.

A larger show from the dairy sector as February arrives to give the sector another kicking. Thankfully cull and calf prices remain a positive with demand strong despite more numbers nationally. Maiden Black and White heifers close to 300p, and good dry fed cows over 240p and close to £2000 sold to a competitive trade ready to take numbers right through to the leanest and lightest.

Maiden Holstein heifers 298p, 291p £1743 Goddard & Son; British Friesian 254p, 242p £1736, £1727 D Murdoch & Sons; Holstein Friesians 246p, 238p, 236p (3) £1978, £1954, £1948, £1908 J Warnock & Sons; 244p, 238p, 236p £1936, £1637, £1583 WG&TA Manford; Jersey maiden 220p £1054 SE Lane & Ptrs; cows 184p, 170p £872, £754 Hickson Bros.

Overage (10) Some good well fleshed types forward this week and trade firmer.

OTM Limousin steer 358p £2199, 3+ Limousin steer 340 £2156 RF&EA Simmons; OTM Saler heifers 316p, 310p £2228, £2082 Gardners; 3+ Hereford steers 300p £2082, 3+ Friesian steer 297p £1942, 3+ Angus heifer 288p £1768 R Scott.

Beef Cows – 45 Sold – Top 320, Average 260.3
Dairy Cows – 30 Sold – Top 298, Average 219.5

Store & Breeding Cattle – 43 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678

A small show this week with better numbers already coming forward for Tuesday 10^th February. To kick off we had Stilwell Farms, Hampshire with 11 month Hereford x Fr steers to £920 and older hard Angus to £1080. A  run from Mrs J Cargill, Norfolk with 10 month Angus bulls to £1360 followed by heifers from the same home to £1340. A Beef Shorthorn dairy heifer 19 months from Goddard & Son to £1370 and Blue x Fr steers 27 months   from C Kearl to £1650. Please do inform me of any store or breeding cattle you have to sell with a firm trade seen for all grades.

Principal prices:

Continental:

British Blue x steers 28 mths                             £1650                    C Kearl
British Blue x heifers 26 mths                           £1580                    C Kearl

Native:

Aberdeen Angus x steers 26 mths                    £1080                    Stilwell Farms Ltd
Hereford x steer 12 mths                                    £920                      Stilwell Farms Ltd
Sussex x steer 11 mths                                         £900                     E Jolliffe
Beef Shorthorn x heifer 19 mths                       £1370                    Goddard & Son
Aberdeen Angus heifers 11 mths                      £1340                    J Cargill
Holstein Friesian heifer 20 mths                     £900                      Goddard & 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.

Calves – 34 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357.

Another outstanding day in the calf section with clear evidence of the strength of market forces with supply remaining restricted but demand continuing to grow.
Calves, generally, well shown at 3-6 weeks and customers to take all breeds and types. A big attendance of buyers from far and wide.
A smart run of calves from R&J Ledger saw their month old Simmental bulls fly to £675, £655 and £640 with Angus bulls to £540, generally £450- £500, and Angus heifers to £470.
Top Angus bull, 3 weeks, from  PJ Forknall up there at £585 whilst a run from J Warnock & Sons to £515; Angus heifers from Parrett & Son to £340.
No Blue x Friesians this week but well done crossbred Blue calves with good shape from Hickson Bros saw bulls to £500, heifers to £450. Other Blue crossbred bulls to £495 GR Edgar & Son, their Angus crossbred bulls £250, heifers £255.
Clearly more calves wanted each fortnight, and whilst private arrangements are convenient are you maximising your returns?

Bull Calves 

Simmental cross – 3 – Ave. £656.67 – Top £675.00 – R & J Ledger
Aberdeen Angus cross – 15 – Ave. £427.14 – Top £585.00 – P J Forknall
British Blue cross – 4 – Ave. £411.25 – Top £500.00 – Hickson Bros

Heifer calves

Aberdeen Angus cross – 10 – Ave. £339.29 – Top £470.00 – R & J Ledger
British Blue cross – 2 – Ave. £367.50 – Top £450.00 – Hickson Bros

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