Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 13th August 2024

Sheep Sales Reports

New Season Lambs – 1,280

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Top price per kilo – 351p – Miss Georgia Jackson
Top price per head – £200.00 – R H Smith & Partners

A few less on offer today with the warm weather making harvest a priority for many. This has been the case across the country for the last week, bringing numbers down and prices up in the finished lamb department. This was, certainly, the case today and the total entry averaged £130 head and 307p kg which for the month of August would, probably, be as high as we have ever seen it. The heavier the lambs are the dearer they are, with anything over 50 kg in weight being the most sought after and generally all over £170 with super runs from T R Holt and Miss Georgia Jackson both selling at over £175 head. However, it was Jason Smith that topped the day with some superb Charollais lambs at £200 head, probably the first time we have ever reached such a price in August!

34 – £99.00 (291p kg) – Roos Farm Partners
35 – £110.00 (314p kg) – Hope Bros
36 – £119.00 (331p kg) – P Tampin
37 – £94.00 (254p kg) – Thomas Hope
38 – £123.00 (324p kg) – G H Dean & Co
39 – £130.00 (333p kg) – G H Dean & Co
40 – £138.00 (345p kg) – G P King
41 – £136.50 (333p kg) – Miss Georgia Jackson
42 – £139.00 (331p kg) – Miss Georgia Jackson
43 – £148.00 (344p kg) – S C Gammon
44 – £149.00 (339p kg) – C & J Georgetti & Sons
45 – £149.00 (331p kg) – Link Bros
46 – £158.00 (343p kg) – T R Holt
47 – £159.00 (338p kg) – M R Woodroofe
48 – £168.00 (350p kg) – M R Woodroofe
49 – £153.00 (312p kg) – C B Hope
50 – £173.00 (346p kg) – Miss Georgia Jackson
51 – £179.00 (351p kg) – Miss Georgia Jackson
52 – £168.00 (323p kg) – S T Phillips
54 – £176.00 (326p kg) – T R Holt
55 – £160.00 (291p kg) – M R Woodroofe
60 – £200.00 (333p kg) – R H Smith & Partners

Averages (p/kg)

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 225 – Top 331, Average 297.4
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 772 – Top 345, Average 302.4
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 225 – Top 351, Average 325.8
Over 52.1 kgs – 56 – Top 333, Average 324.9

Cull Sheep – 377 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Top price ewe: £189.00 – D Ashlee – Ave £105.11

A super trade again with a large percentage of this week`s ewes carrying more flesh than they normally would for the time of year. The best strong ewes regularly £120 – £150 and to a top price of £189 from Mrs D Ashlee for a cracking Beltex ewe. Medium sorts plentiful on the day and were generally £90 – £110 with leaner grazing types £60 – £80 throughout with very few being sold below these figures. All grades are in demand and more ewes are wanted with a good number of competitive buyers on a weekly basis.

Top prices included

Beltex to £189 – Mrs D Ashlee, Charollais to £167 – N A Balcomb & Son, Texel cross to £166 – C A Worley Farming Ltd, Suffolk cross to £158 – S T Phillips, Romneys to £128 – N A Balcomb & Son, Mules to £110 – A J Budd.

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle –  46 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Another blazing hot day in the middle of the harvest season, but quality producers of the South East found another entry of well fleshed cattle ideal for our customers. Supplies nationally are tightening due to production but due, in part, largely to combining and bailing responsibilities. Trade, consequently holding very firm and likely to remain so.
Best beef bred cattle 280-310p with R F & E A Simmons taking double top honours with Limousin cross steers to 304p, £1715 and Limousin cross heifer 308p, £1799. A quality run of Limousin cross steers from A J Thompson & Sons sold heifers to 302p kg, £1734 with the best of their steers selling to 293p, £1896.
Dairy bred cattle from Alan Down maintain their strong rates with well covered Limousin x Friesians selling to 279p, £1772; Hereford x Friesian to 274p, £1717.
Native cattle an excellent trade with Sussex bred heifers from M A Piper & Son (Farms) to 290p, 286p, 280p, £1599, £1592 and £1523. Angus cross steers to 270p, £1711, heifer to 270p, £1532 from W S Furnival Ltd.

Top Steers

R F & E A Simmons – Limousin cross – 304p (£1715)
A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – 293p (£1814)
A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – 290p (£1896)
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin cross – 290p (£1592)
A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – 289p (£1717)

Top Heifers

R F & E A Simmons – Limousin cross – (308p) £1799
A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – (302p) £1734
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin cross – (299p) £1537
M A Piper & Son – Sussex cross – (290p) £1592
M A Piper & Son – Simmental cross – (286p) £1599

Average Prices

Steers 200 to 550 kg – 2 Sold – Top 290p – Av 279p
Steers 551 to 650kg – 18 Sold – Top 304p – Av 274p
Steers 651kg + – 4 Sold – Top 290p – Av 272p
Heifers 300 to 500 kg – 2 Sold – Top 156p – Av 151p
Heifers 501 to 590 kg – 18 Sold – Top 308p – Av 277p
Heifers 591 kg + – 2 Sold – Top 285p – Av 284p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 30 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Demand for cow beef shows no sign of quietening with a rather mixed entry, in terms of quality, meeting another fierce trade as supply is far outweighed by demand.
A few fleshed commercial beef cows 180-195p with leaner older cows 140-170p kg.
Angus cross 194p, £1548 B G & M A Tomsett, 194p, £1277 A J Thompson & Sons; Sussex 186p, £1169 B G & M A Tomsett; Simmental cross 162p, £1276 A J Thompson & Sons.
More culls from the dairy with some half fleshed, but strong, cows 165-185p kg whilst plain cows still 130-150p, and only the leanest of the boners under 1309 kg.
Holstein Friesian 185p, 173p £1319, £1162 WG&TA Manford; 178p, 177p, 175p, 170p, £1500, £1326, £1306, £1297 Appleton Farms Ltd; 177p, 168p, £1465, £1164 J W Boyd & Son.
Overage (3) Blue x Friesian OTM heifer 243p, £1382, OTM steers to 240p, £1473.
Stock Bull (1) Lean Angus well sold at 150p £1346

Beef Cows – 11 Sold – Top 194, Average 164.1
Dairy Cows – 16 Sold – Top 185, Average 161.4

Store & Breeding Cattle – 25 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

A small show on offer with many people prioritising other jobs while the sun is shining.
Sussex breeding cows, in calf to a Sussex bull, due March 2025 from D Britton sold to £1260 and averaged £1190. Angus cross stores 13/14 mths from S E Lane & Ptnrs sold to £615 for the steers and £510 for heifers. B P Britton had stronger cattle with 24 mths dairy steers to £1170 and 17 mths Simmental cross heifers to £1065.
Trade is strong and cattle are in demand so do not hesitate to get in touch if you have anything to sell in the coming weeks.

Calves – 49 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Good to see a few more calves and a “Thank You” to vendors for informing us of entries so that buyers can be kept advised.
Very much a Black & Blue day with just three Black & Whites to accompany the British Blue cross and Angus cross calves today. Plenty of customers in attendance.
Trade excellent from start to finish. British Blue cross bulls to £332 from Appleton Farms Ltd, & W G & T A Manford with plenty of young bulls £200-£300 Not the quality amongst the heifers but selling to £265 from J W Boyd & Sons Ltd.
Angus cross bulls to £270, £252, £240 from W G & T A Manford; £245 Appleton Farms Ltd and £235 P J Forknall. Angus cross heifers to £272 from A & W J Hitchcock but, generally, £140-£180.
A strong Holstein Friesian bull £140 from A & W J Hitchcock whilst a nice shaped British Friesian calf £120 from Parrett & Son.
Three 4mths British Blue cross weaned bulls well sold at £420.

Bull Calves

British Blue cross – 15 – Ave £239.80– Top £332.00 – W G & T A Manford & Appleton Farms Ltd
Aberdeen Angus – 6 – Ave £205.17 – Top £245.00 – Appleton Farms Ltd
British Friesian – 1 – Ave £120.00 – Top £120.00 – Parrett & Son
Holstein Friesian – 2 – Ave £95.00 – Top £140.00 – A & W J Hitchcock

Heifer Calves

British Blue cross – 14 – Ave £204.21 – Top £270.00 –  W G & T A Manford
Aberdeen Angus cross – 7 – Ave £147.14 – Top £272.00 – A & W J Hitchcock

Bull Weanling

Aberdeen Angus cross – 3 – Ave £420.00 – Top – £420 – W G & T A Manford

Forthcoming Auctions

Tuesday Livestock – 20th August 2024

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

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