Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 12th March 2024

Sheep Sales Reports

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Finished Hoggets – 1,793 Sold

Top price per kg: 473p – T Husk
Top price per head: £242 – Jan Boomaars

Well, it goes on upwards once more, when can it stop? I am not going to make any further predictions on this as nobody knows anymore. Finished hoggets at 473p kg, not just one in a pen either, a pen full of tremendous Beltex crosses from Tom Husk to top the day, the year and the highest priced commercial sheep on record, since records began. 50kg at £236.50, Simply unheard of prices, which didn’t even top the day in price per head! That was taken by Jan Boomaars for some heavy hoggets at £242.

Only once this season had we broken the £4 kg price bracket which was a few weeks back and, at the time, again we considered to be the top of the peak, but yesterday, the top 29 prices per kilo broke the £4 kg barrier. The trade was simply on fire and has shown no signs of easing whatsoever despite the fasting period of Ramadan commencing this week. Simply an incredible trade. Can we beat it? Probably.

34kg – £133.00 (391p/kg) – P Taylor
35kg – £140.00 (400p/kg) – S B & A E Martin
36kg – £145.00 (403p/kg) – C B Hope
37kg – £148.00 (400p/kg) – G Tucker
38kg – £153.00 (403p/kg) – S B & A E Martin
39kg – £161.50 (414p/kg) – S J Reeve & Son
40kg – £169.00 (423p/kg) – S B & A E Martin
41kg – £167.00 (407p/kg) – P Taylor
42kg – £165.00 (393p/kg) – S J Reeve & Son
43kg – £184.00 (428p/kg) – T Husk
44kg – £179.00 (407p/kg) – S J Reeve & Son
45kg – £196.50 (437p/kg) – T Husk
46kg – £196.00 (426p/kg) – T Husk
47kg – £197.00 (419p/kg) – T Husk
48kg – £193.00 (402p/kg) – T Husk
49kg – £207.00 (422p/kg) – T Husk
50kg – £236.50 (473p/kg) – T Husk
51kg – £217.00 (425p/kg) – T Husk
52kg – £201.00 (387p/kg) – D Moss
53kg – £220.00 (415p/kg) – T Husk
54kg – £228.00 (422p/kg) – T Husk
55kg – £197.00 (358p/kg) – Jan Boomaars
56kg – £156.00 (279p/kg) – P H & P E Skinner
57kg – £166.00 (291p/kg) – C B Hope
61kg – £226.00 (370p/kg) – Jan Boomaars
66kg – £216.00 (327p/kg) – F G Pierce & Sons Ltd
67kg – £242.00 (361p/kg) – Jan Boomaars 

Averages (p/kg) 

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 277 – Top 403, Average 374.6
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 698 – Top 437, Average 372.8
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 587 – Top 473, Average 374.2
Other 52.1+ kgs – 230 – Top 422, Average 353.7

Store Sheep – 1,087 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

This trade started the day with the sale order disrupted by the traffic issues on the M25. As expected, prices were off the scale with prices rising along the same trend as the finished sheep and topping this week at £160 from A J Thompson & Sons, closely followed by Groombridge Farms Ltd at £159. These sheep are being further finished also, many may assume they will be slaughtered, but this is not the case. Overall, the entry of over 1000 store hoggets averaged £130 and hardly any were sold under £100. A different era in pricing!

Cull Sheep – 536 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Ewe: Top £204 – Jan Boomaars – Ave £107.21
Ram: Top £161 – M R Woodroofe – Ave £112.49

An outstanding trade from start to finish with plenty of well fleshed ewes on the day and a few less of the medium and grazing types. The best ewes regularly £115 – £135 to a top price of £204 from J Boomaars for cracking Texel ewes. Medium sorts £85 – £105 on most occasions with the leaner grazing types £50 – £70 throughout with very few sold below these figures. The best ewes are certainly being rewarded however we have a good number of competitive buyers every week for all grades of ewes.

Top prices included

Texels to £204 – Jan Boomaars, Texel cross to £165 – P & E Andreozzi, Charollais to £150 – M R Woodroofe, Suffolk cross to £148 – T Husk, Mules to £129 – E W Homewood, Romneys to £114 – C Woodhead

 

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle –  45 Sold

Auctioneer:Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

A few more numbers this week but more dairy bred cattle forward with 13 Friesian steers amongst the entry. Trade continuing at similar levels with the best bred and fed beef cattle 290-330p kg topping at 336p kg, £2114 for Limousin steers from M B Farms whilst heifers honours went to a smart handy weight British Blue from Sean Marsh at 331p kg, £1834.

Dairy bred cattle with flesh again very firm with Alan Down’s Limousin x Friesians to 277p, £1811, his Friesians to 254p, £1439; Whilst Brian Goodsell’s best Friesians sold to 260p kg, £1453.

Strong interest in the native sired cattle. Angus cross steers to 271p, £1496, heifers to 259p, £1681 from M J Ashworth; Angus cross heifers to 264p, £1489 W S Furnival Ltd; Hereford cross steer 262p, £1621 and Lincoln Red cross heifer 267p, £1466 both W S Furnival Ltd. Sussex always in demand with smaller types forward today with heifers selling to 260p, £1440 A H Hoad & Son.

Top Steers

M B Farms – Limousin – 336p/kg (£2114)
M B Farms – Limousin – 322p/kg (£2106)
M B Farms – Limousin – 321p/kg (£1827)
M B Farms – Limousin – 311p/kg (£1708)
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin – 287p/kg (£1733)

Top Heifers

S Marsh – British Blue cross – 331p/kg (£1834)
M B Farms – Limousin – 322p/kg (£1977)
G L Boulden & Sons – Blonde cross – 305p/kg (£1736)
G L Boulden & Sons – Blonde cross – 295p/kg (£1796)
W S Furnival Ltd – Lincoln Red – 267p/kg (£1466)

Average Prices

Steers up to 550kg – 9 sold – Top 311p – Ave 257p
Steers 551 to 650kg – 17 sold – Top 336p – Ave 260p
Steers over 651kg – 3 sold – Top 322p – Ave 276p
Heifers up to 500kg – 2 sold – Top 253p – Ave 252p
Heifers 501 to 590kg – 10 sold – Top 331p – Ave 269p
Heifers over 591kg – 4 sold – Top 322p – Ave 280p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 61 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Getting harder by the week to find these cows suitable for the processing market or for a feeding future. Certainly, flesh is scarce and plenty of age amongst the beef cows (12 over 12) as the question is asked of those not pulling their weight, particularly at this wet time when space is a premium.

Trade holding firm at recent rates though outside older grazing cows finding the going a little harder with no dry ground to be found anywhere!

No top beef cows today but good commercial types 170-190p and only oldest and lightest below 150p kg.

Limousin x 190p, 185p, £1310, £1241 R F & E A Simmons, 161p, £1197 (Non FA) S J M Evans; Charolais 185p, £1357 (Non FA) J Tapley; Hereford 184p, £1239 (Non FA) T J & S I Purchese; Sussex 180p, £1888 S Gammons, 176p, £1167 A J Thompson & Sons; Simmental x 176p, £1279 Mrs J Fuller.

A bit more strength amongst the dairy culls and well received with handy weights 160-180p kg and a few young, calved heifers either side of 200p kg.

British Friesian UTM cows 220p, 195p, £1255, £1174 J E Scutt & Sons; British Friesian cows 178p, 172p, 164p, 161p, £1329, £1322, £1276, £1124 B J Goodsell & Son; Holstein Friesian 170p, 167p, 163p, £1415, £1315, £1251 Appleton Farms Ltd, 168p, 163p, £1430, £1307 D Murdoch & Sons; Holstein 163p, £1308 P J Forknall.

Stock bulls (4) A very good trade. Charolais (under 48 mths) 194p, £1712; Limousin 170p, £1627; Beef Shorthorn 155p, £1715; Sussex 145p, £1553.

Overage (8) Continued strong interest. British Blue x Friesian OTM heifer238p, £1449; Holstein Friesian OTM steer 232p, £1366; South Devon x  heifer 3 year old + 226p, £1567.

Beef Cows – 21 Sold – Top 190, Average 159.0
Dairy Cows –27 Sold – Top 220, Average 146.9

Store Cattle – 6 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Only a few but what a few! Quality strong Limousin cross steers from Richard Husk to £1500 and £1330.

 

Calves – 59 Sold

Auctioneer: Tom Hamplett 07966 104532

A lovely entry of calves today with trade just that bit firmer particularly at the top end of the quality stakes.

Bulls topped by a lovely pair of Simmentals from R & J Ledger, both trading at £400. Blues a decent trade with H O Champneys Ltd entry to £350, J E Scutt & Sons selling a nice run to £340 (x3), younger Blues from Appleton Farms Ltd to £210 and £200. Limousin’s from the same home to £180 and £150. A decent selection of Angus for all buyers to choose from with tops of £300 from J E Scutt & Sons. Younger Angus from J W Boyd & Sons Ltd seeing plenty of demand with tops of £160.

Heifers topped at £300 for a lovely Blue from H O Champneys Ltd, J E Scutt & Sons also selling quality stock to £290. A single Simmental from H O Champneys Ltd sold for £280. Angus heifers only for the natives this week with £260 tops from H O Champneys Ltd. Trade for younger calves a little stronger as well.

Dairy calves remain a solid trade with best strong Norwegian Reds to £100 from D Murdoch & Sons with most rearing calves £70 plus.

Please note, we have a number of customers looking for registered sired native breed calves, please remember to record the sire ear tag on the birth registration to ensure it appears on the passport!

Bull Calves

British Blue cross – 15 – Ave £205 – Top £350 – H O Champneys Ltd
Simmental cross – 2 – Ave £400 – Top £400 – R & J Ledger
Limousin cross – 3 – Ave £156.67 – Top £180 – Appleton Farms Ltd
Aberdeen Angus cross – 8 – Ave £176.25 – Top £300 – J E Scutt & Sons
Norwegian Red cross – 2 – Ave £92.50 – Top £100 – D Murdoch & Sons

Heifer Calves

British Blue cross – 17 – Ave £158.82 – Top £300 – H O Champneys Ltd
Simmental cross – 1 – Ave £280 – Top £280 – H O Champneys Ltd
Aberdeen Angus cross – 9 – Ave £138.89 – Top £260 – H O Champneys Ltd

Forthcoming Auctions

Tuesday Livestock – 19th March 2024

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

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