Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 10th November 2026

Sheep Sales Report

New Season Lambs – 487 sold.

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Top Price Per Kilo – 390p – L Stevens & Sons.
Top Price Per Head – £206.00 – H & J Noakes.

Desperately short of numbers this week, with good, finished lambs hard to find, as is often the case in November.
Trade was flying for those on offer though with good heavy finished lambs up £10/hd on the week and the averages up to 349p/kg with all lambs included. A super run of these well finished sheep from Steve King returned a very pleasing average price of £186/hd with a top on the day taken by H & J Noakes at £206/hd. Smaller meat lambs were harder to source again today and many of these were changing hands from 350-380p/kg with some smart continental lambs topping the day at 390p/kg from L Stevens & Sons. More lambs could obviously be sold each week and with wetter and colder weather on the horizon, the trade should be sustainable in the run up to Christmas.

38 – £139.00 (366p kg) – L Stevens & Sons
39 – £132.00 (338p kg) – Hope Bros
40 – £148.00 (370p kg) – D Thompson
41 – £157.00 (383p kg) – P Ashlee
42 – £150.00 (357p kg) – P Ashlee, Hope Bros & D Thompson
43 – £159.00 (370p kg) – D Thompson
44 – £171.50 (390p kg) – L Stevens & Sons
45 – £161.00 (358p kg) – W G Watkins & Sons
46 – £179.00 (389p kg) – W G Watkins & Sons
47 – £170.00 (362p kg) – R & S L M Smith
48 – £174.00 (363p kg) – W G Watkins & Sons
49 – £187.00 (382p kg) – W G Watkins & Sons
50 – £188.00 (376p kg) – W G Watkins & Sons
51 – £188.00 (369p kg) – L Stevens & Sons
52 – £187.00 (360p kg) – W G Watkins & Sons
53 – £186.00 (351p kg) – S King
54 – £185.00 (343p kg) – W G Watkins & Sons
56 – £190.00 (339p kg) – H & J Noakes & S King
57 – £192.00 (337p kg) – S King
62 – £194.00 (313p kg) – S King
65 – £199.50 (307p kg) – S King
71 – £206.00 (290p kg) – H & J Noakes

Prime NSL SQQ – 348.39

Lambs 32.1 to 39kgs – 13 – Top 366.0, Ave. 346.8
Lambs 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 114 – Top 390.0, Ave. 353.9
Lambs 45.6 to 52 kgs – 274 – Top 389.0, Ave. 354.1
Lambs 52.1 kgs – 77 – Top 360.0, Ave. 332.5

Cull Ewes & Rams – 489 Sold  

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678.

Top Price – £180.00 – S J M Evans – Ave. £132.18

Slightly less numbers forward and plenty of lean sorts penned with customers plentiful for these.
The best short and what we did have were regularly £150 – £180 and to a top price of £180 from S J M Evans for well fleshed Suffolk cross. Medium sorts £120 – £150 on most occasions with leaner grazing types £90 – £120 with only a very small percentage sold below these figures.
More ewes are wanted on a weekly basis with customers present for all grades and larger numbers penned would be of no concern.
We are seeing large numbers of grazing types every week which are a good trade however those with better fleshed sorts are certainly being rewarded with these short.

Top Prices Included:

Suffolk cross to £180 – S J M Evans
Romneys to £163 – G & H Bates
Texel cross to £163 – Link Bros
Beltex cross to £140 – Hope Bros
Mules to £138 – Bowley Farm Ltd

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 –  65 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903.

A big entry again in the cattle ring, and with deadweight buyers trying week in week out to pull price down its hardly surprising that finishers are looking back to the live ring where we set the fairest trade for all types of cattle. Less of the top quality shapely cattle this week, and with more weight in general, price average were unsurprisingly down a touch on the heifers and maybe a little more on steers but no more than 10p/kg. Top call on the day was taken by A J Thompson & Sons at 379p/kg, with top price in the lump taken by a heavy steer from P W & P Sim. Middle quality cattle traded this week from 330-350p/kg but the top quality shaped cattle were not present this week to make comparison

Leading steer prices

Top Steers
A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – 379p (£2460)
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin – 374p (£2521)
A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – 370p (£2476)
G L Boulden & Sons – Blonde D’Aquitaine – 369p (£2487)
A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – 369p (£2248)

Leading heifer prices
G L Boulden & Sons – Blonde D’Aquitaine – 378p (£2473)
D W Ferguson Ltd – Aberdeen Angus – 365p (£2078)
R G Gibson & Son – Limousin cross – 362p (£2368)
D W Ferguson Ltd – Aberdeen Angus cross – 358p (£2109)
D W Ferguson Ltd – Aberdeen Angus cross – 358p (£1984)

Average prices
Steers 200 to 550 kgs – 6 – Top 338p, Ave. 331p
Steers 551 to 650 kgs – 23 – Top 379p, Ave. 349p
Steers 651 kgs + – 18 – Top 374p, Ave. 339p
Heifers 300 to 500 kgs – 1 – Top 280p, Ave. 280p
Heifers 501 to 590 kgs – 13 – Top 365p, Ave. 341p
Heifers 591+ kgs – 4 – Top 378p, Ave. 348p

OTM Cattle & Cull Cows – 71 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795200357.

A few more beef cows now coming forward as weaning and scanning take place. Customers remain firm in their commitment to secure numbers and trade held very firm for all beef types; lean dairy culls still coming under pressure.
With generally good scanning’s on the back of increased herd immunity to Blue Tongue, in the South East, at least, there seems less likelihood of high cull numbers this winter putting further pressures on processing beef supplies.
Best of the fleshed meat cows and smart feeders well over 300p topping at 334p/kg, £2134 for Limousin from R F & E A Simmons whilst heavy Aberdeen Angus grossed up to £2398, 286p from Llewellyn Farms.
Limousin 334p, 310p, £2134 R F & E A Simmons, 306p, £2215 Campbell Bros; Beef Shorthorn 326p, £1709 Ed Tilley, 249p, £1852 D R Thompson; Aberdeen Angus 302p, £2005 Campbell Bros, 286p, 276p, 273p, £2398, £2356, £1956 Llewellyn Farms, 264p, 254p, £2307, £1858 W K Gutsell, 252p, 246p, £1952, £1874 A MacDonald; Sussex 298p, 292p, 278p, 275p, £1749, £1711, £1685, £1565 Langrish Farmers; Simmental 260p (2), £1596, £1505 Mrs L Townsend; Hereford 260p, £1544 R C & J L Pickering; Blonde 254p (2), £1901 Ed Tilley; Red Poll 245p, £1504 L Bogie; Trad Hereford 235p, £1583 E Matebalavu.
Short of flesh amongst the dairy culls and rates a little easier. Half meat Holstein Friesians to 222p, £1739 P J Forknall with the plain wet bagged types 150-180p, £800- £1300. Jersey heifers to 220p, £1088, cows 190p, £985 S E Lane & Partners.
Stock Bulls (4) Not a great selection but all selling very well indeed. Charolais 239p, £1944; 3 Lean Red Polls to 203p, £1144.
Overage (2) Suffering, a little, along with the prime beef. Heavy 3 year+ British Blue steers to 277p, £2060.

Beef cows – 50 Sold – Top 334.0, Ave.261.8
Dairy cows – 20 Sold – Top 222.0, 174.3

Store & Breeding Cattle – 375 sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678.

Our biggest show of suckled calves penned this autumn with other types also on offer and customers forward in abundance.
There was a massive range of quality, size and condition in the suckled calves with the best all exceeding £1400 per head and a large number of £1100 – £1300 per head.

Well reared British Blue x Friesian steers and heifers 8 mths from E Stretton topped at £1260 with well reared Hereford x Friesian steers this time 10 mths from H W Clayson topping at £1350. Kingcott Dairy had their home bred and reared Aberdeen Angus cross 7 – 12 mths topping at £1420 for the steers and £1340 for the heifers with Suckle bred Aberdeen Angus cross 9 mths from Llewellyn Farms to £1280. Harder sorts from I Tapsell topped at £1180 for 9 mth South Devon cross steers with Limousin cross and Charolais cross steers and heifers 5 – 8 mths top at £1400. Strong Shorthorn steers 7 – 8 mths from V E E & M A Britton to £1400 and cracking sorts from A Boyd & Co to £1460 for 7 mth Limousin steers. Just ahead of these figures was L Townsend to £1560 for 9 mth Limousin cross steers with the heifers to £1180 from the same home. Gardners had forward the first of their annual consignment which were steers 6 – 8 mths topping at £1470 for the Limousin cross and £1280 for the South Devon cross. D G & J W Gore topped at £1390 for their Limousin cross steers 8 mths followed by the heifers £1200 from the same home.
Slight change of styles this time from B J Goodsell & Son with Limousin x Friesian heifers 22 mths to £1740 and Hereford steers 18 mths from B C Ginger to £1580. K I Lingham & Son saw £1780 for nicely reared Limousin x Friesian steers 15 mths and £1800 for Aberdeen Angus x Friesian steers from the same home with Aberdeen Angus steers 16 mths from W K Gutsell to £1710. Top call on the day went to Gallagher Farms with 20 mth Limousin steers to £2240 and R & H Vincent not far behind with their Aberdeen Angus cross steers 19 mths to £2070.
More entries are wanted for next weeks catalogued sale with good numbers already coming forward.
If you have store or breeding cattle to sell do not hesitate to get in contact for our next sale on Tuesday 17^th November.

Principal Prices Include:

Continental:
Limousin steers 20 mths – £2240 – Gallagher Farms
Limousin cross steers 19 mths – £1990 – R & H Vincent
British Blue x Friesian steers 18 mths – £1880 – I M Symonds
Limousin x Friesian heifers 22 mths – £1740 – B J Goodsell & Son
Simmental cross heifers 10 mths – £1590 – C E Price & Son
Limousin cross heifers 17 mths – £1480 – I M Symonds

Native:
Aberdeen Angus x Friesian steers 15 mths – £1800 – K I Lingham & Son
Aberdeen Angus cross steers 19 mths – £1990 – R & H Vincent
Aberdeen Angus steers 16 mths – £1710 – W K Gutsell
Aberdeen Angus cross heifers 24 mths – £1980 – P Ibbott
Aberdeen Angus x Friesian heifers 22 mths – £1740 – B J Goodsell & Son
Aberdeen Angus heifers 16 mths – £1580 – W K Gutsell

 

Calves – 27 sold

Auctioneer: Tristan Howell 07917024340.

The smallest number of calves seen since the height of summer, signalling the start of winter and the end of the autumn calving period. 230 Calves and weanlings sold in the past 3 sales, leaving a smaller sale due – however, this is not affecting trade and keeping prices in line. Mr P J Forknall saw the top price on the day, a Charolais cross bull calf finding £630 with J W Boyd & Sons Ltd just behind with a British Blue cross Bull at £625. Natives again seeing a good trade, W G & T A Manford’s Sussex cross to £555 and Aberdeen Angus to £510 for Mr P J Forknall’s 3-week-old heifer. Jersey crosses to £460 for a stronger British Blue heifer for S E Lane & Partners and G R Edgar & Son’s British Blue bull calf selling well to £300.
Two weanlings, both well-sold, with W G & T A Manford’s British Blue cross to £830 and a pure Dairy Shorthorn steer, 3-mths-old, to £790 from Garratt & Mannerings.

Principal Prices Include:
Bull Calves
British Blue cross – 5 – Ave. £457.00 – Top £625.00 – J W Boyd & Sons
Charolais cross – 1 – Ave. £630.00 – Top £630.00 – P J Forknall
Aberdeen Angus – 4 – Ave. £478.75 – Top £500.00 – J W Boyd & Sons
Sussex cross – 1 – Ave. £555.00 – Top £555.00 – W G & T A Manford
British Friesian – 1 – Ave. £310.00 – Top £310.00 – P J Forknall
Heifer Calves
British Blue cross – 5 – Ave. £424.00 – Top £490.00 – J W Boyd & Sons
Aberdeen Angus cross – 3 – Ave. £461.67 – Top £510.00 – P J Forknall
Dairy cross – 2 – Ave. £375.00 – Top £460.00 – S E Lane & Ptnrs
Heifer Weanlings
British Blue cross – 1 – Ave. £830.00 – Top £830.00 – W G & T A Manford
Steer Weanlings
Dairy Shorthorn – 1 – Ave. £790.00 – Top £790.00 – Garratt & Mannerings

 

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.

 

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