Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 20th October 2026

Sheep Sales Report

New Season Lambs – 1,065 sold.

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Top Price Per Kilo – 389p – D Isaac & Holly Chandler.

Top Price Per Head – £194 – D Isaac & Holly Chandler & L E Humphreys & Sons.

A few more on offer this week and some great quality in all the weight brackets. More lighter weight but well finished lambs than we have seen for several weeks, which certainly helped to boost the SQQ figures to 348p/kg, one of the highest recorded around the country on the day. Some good runs of lambs with the real star show from Mr James Wayman with lambs selling to £191/hd and averaging just under 360p/kg but top spot was taken by Dylan and Holly at 389p/kg and £194/hd from L E Humphreys & Sons. Numbers are definitely tightening and this is helping the trade, with the best sorts really in demand as there are plenty of half meat lambs on offer around the country in the store rings to fulfil these orders at a lower price range.

36 – £134.00 (372p kg) – R Douglas
37 – £130.00 (351p kg) – R Douglas
39 – £148.00 (379p kg) – P Ashlee
40 – £144.00 (360p kg) – J Wayman
41 – £152.00 (371p kg) – J Wayman
42 – £157.50 (375p kg) – N C & C G Hedges
43 – £162.00 (377p kg) – P Ashlee
44 – £169.00 (384p kg) – P Ashlee
45 – £168.00 (373p kg) – J Wayman
46 – £176.00 (383p kg) – E R Eglington
47 – £183.00 (389p kg) – D Isaac & Holly Chandler
48 – £160.00 (333p kg) – S Wenham
49 – £180.00 (367p kg) – J Wayman & N C & C G Hedges
50 – £176.00 (352p kg) – R & S L M Smith
51 – £169.00 (331p kg) – L E Humphreys & Sons & R & S L Smith
52 – £182.00 (350p kg) – J Wayman
53 – £183.00 (345p kg) – R & S L M Smith
54 – £179.00 (331p kg) – Ross Farms
55 – £170.00 (309p kg) – Bowlay Farms
57 – £191.00 (335p kg) – J Wayman
58 – £182.00 (314p kg) – Masters Farms
60 – £192.00 (320p kg) – Masters Farms
62 – £190.00 (306p kg) – L E Humphreys & Sons
64 – £194.00 (303p kg) – D Isaac & Holly Chandler
69 – £194.00 (281p kg) – L E Humphreys & Sons

Prime NSL SQQ – 348.7

Lambs 32.1 to 39kgs – 96 – Top 379, Ave. 357.2
Lambs 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 300 – Top 384, Ave. 347.9
Lambs 45.6 to 52 kgs – 392 – Top 389, Ave. 341.6
Lambs 52.1 kgs – 125 – Top 350, Ave. 321.2

Cull Ewes & Rams – 744 Sold  

Auctioneers: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678.

Top Price – £290 from J Snart – Ave. £130.75/hd

A big show and a flying trade with large numbers of grazing to medium sorts penned rather than fleshed types. The best regularly £150 – £180 to a top price of £290 for a Charollais ram from J Snart and a Texel ram not far behind at £245 from Kingswood Farmesr. Medium sorts £120 – £150 on most occasions with leaner grazing types £90 – £120 with only a very small number sold below these figures.
As proven with averages up, more numbers in the pens are of no concern with a firm trade throughout and plenty of buyers every week for all grades.

Top Prices Included:

Suffolk cross to £195 – Masters Farms
Texel to £190 – C R & G Daws
Texel cross to £185 – G Johnson
Mules to £179 – Masters Farms
Berrichon to £175 – M Lakey
Romney to £175 – C W Avery
Chaollais cross to £174 – Ross Farms

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 –  57 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903.

A few more this week with nearly 60 fat cattle through the ring, trade would be on a similar level but the overall quality was not as good this week. Less star cattle to really ring the bell but the averages were still improved on last week and the top price in the lump too. This was taken by R F & E A Simmons at £2,882 for a heavy continental bullock. The regular weekly consignment of Limousin cross cattle from M A Piper & Son Farms topped today at 418p/kg, and also at 414p/kg twice, showing real demand for the lighter end of the finished cattle market. Trade is very lively in this ring currently and this is no doubt helped by the upcoming Christmas period, with many processors fearing that numbers are not going to be available going forward.

Leading Steer Prices

M A Piper & Son Farms Ltd – Limousin cross – 418p (£2234)
M A Piper & Son Farms Ltd – Limousin cross – 414p (£2233)
M A Piper & Son Farms Ltd – Sussex cross – 414p (£2192)
M A Piper & Son Farms Ltd – Limousin cross – 400p (£2337)
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin cross – 393p (£2394)

Leading Heifer Prices

A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – 388p (£2054)
A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – 388p (£1938)
A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – 386p (£2082)
A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – 385p (£1942)
A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – 380p (£2106)

Average prices

Steers 200 to 550 kgs – 5 – Top 418p, Ave. 395p
Steers 551 to 650 kgs – 19 – Top 400p, Ave. 363p
Steers 651 kgs + – 5 – Top 390p, Ave. 349p
Heifers 300 to 500 kgs – 2 – Top 388p, Ave. 353p
Heifers 501 to 590 kgs – 19 – Top 388p, Ave. 362p
Heifers 591+ kgs – 7 – Top 375p, Ave. 365p

OTM Cattle & Cull Cows – 49 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795200357.

Not the most polished of entries with cattle showing generally, the effects of a long, hard, dry summer. The fleshed cattle getting dearer, along with the smarter, younger feeding cows which sold readily in excess of 300p/kg, and up to 331, £2,033 A W Vincent and 330p £2,257 W F Kirk both for well shaped Limousin cows.
Quite a high proportion of older beef cows (12-16yrs) which continue to sell well at generally, 200-260p/kg.
Limousin 331 £2,033 A W Vincent, 330p £2,257 W F Kirk, 272p £1,710 A J Bray, Sussex 304p £1,502 Brookside Garden Centre, 289p £2.020 K & PM Sinden & Sons, 277p £2,074 J D Hickman, 270p £1,841 W J Hurley, Angus 296p £1,581 A J Bray, Simmental 268p £2,207 The North School, Hereford 265 £1,455 R J Parsons.
A good trade for fleshed black and white cows with good shaped British Friesian types up to 248p from PHR Farms, but the plain Holstein types generally 170p – 210p/kg.
Holstein Friesian maiden heifers 270p £1,509 J Warnock & Sons, Holstein Friesian cows 204p £1,496 J Warnock & Sons, British Friesian cows 248p 247p 245p 242p £1652 £1641 £1,531 PHR Farms Ltd.
Stock bulls (2) Strong demand for the two well bred Sussex working bulls 6-7yrs selling to 252p £2,817 and 249p £2,709.

Beef Cows – 23 Sold – Top 331, Average 256.5
Dairy Cows – 24 Sold – Top 270, Average 205.3

Store & Breeding Cattle – 410 sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678.

A quality show with the majority continental bred cattle and good numbers penned brought plenty of customers ringside. The breeding section saw Hereford cows with plenty of age back in-calf with Hereford calves at foot top at £2400 and an Angus x cow with an Angus calf at foot from R & J Brightling to £2160. A smart run of Angus calves 6-9 months off the cows from G H Strivens Farm Partnership topped at £1500 for the steers and £1440 for the heifers. Blue x Fr steers 13 months from C Moss & Sons topped at £1510 and Sussex steers 19 months from Price – Whitehead Ltd topped at £1650. Angus x Fr steers 23 months from D Lanham to £1970 and well done Shorthorn steers 18 months from H Harmer to £2180 and £1900. A smart run of Lim x and Sim x from H & S Nesfield 12-18 months topped at £2030 for the steers with the heifers to £1980 and Sim x steers 22 months from M Wickens to £2160. A big run of Lim x heifers 16-19 months, harder sorts from E W & R E Hanks, topped at £1940 with majority £1700 – £1900 and smart Lim x steers 19 months from P N & C Burden to £2100 with the heifers to £2010 from the same home. Strong sorts from A J Bray topped at £2210 for 16-10 month Lim x steers and saw the heifers to £2000 followed by T G V Chapman topping at £1800 for 20 month Angus x heifers. Super Sussex x steers 17 months from Masters Farms topped at £2040 with R J Husk on par topping at £2040, also for 27 month Lim x heifers.
We will have store and breeding cattle sales most weeks going forward with good entries already forward for Tuesday 27^th October, do not hesitate to get in contact if you have cattle to sell.

Continental:

Limousin cross steers 19 mths – £2210 – A J Bray
Simmental cross steers 22 mths – £2160 – M Wickens
Limousin cross steers 19 mths – £2100 – P N & C Burden
Limousin cross heifers 27 mths – £2040 – R J Husk
Limousin cross heifers 20 mths – £2010 – P N & C Burden
Limousin cross heifers 19 mths – £2000 – A J Bray

Native:

Shorthorn cross steers 18 mths – £2180 – H Harmer
Sussex cross steers 19 mths – £2040 – Masters Farms
Angus x Friesian steers 23 mths – £1970 – D Lanham
Angus x Friesian heifers 22 mths – £1800 – TGV Chapman
Sussex cross heifers 19 mths – £1500 – TGV Chapman
Angus x Friesian heifers 16 mths – £1490 – P & M Haylock Farms

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.

Pigs – 27 Sold

Auctioneer: Tristan Howell 07917024340.

The finished section seeing more lean pigs which are harder to place but those ready to kill seeing more demand, as seen by Mr C Higgins with his white pig at £1.48p/kg. Better, younger sows from Mr C Watkins saw £40/head, yet other sows still hard to shift.

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