Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 13th February 2024

Sheep Sales Reports

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Finished Hoggets – 1,217 Sold

Top price per kg: 351p – T Russell
Top price per head: £173 – P Gorringe

Trade is going from strength to strength in this section with another 10p per kg rise today. Numbers are still under pressure across the country and the best hoggets are selling incredibly well week in week out. Trade in Ashford genuinely is unrivalled, and we can make the very best of your sheep without any doubt. Top on the charts today were T Russell and Peter Gorringe with prices of 351p and £173 respectively – prices we are more used to seeing in the Christmas prime stock shows than on a wet Tuesday in February! Overall, the average price of a finished hogget was £130 – where it should be.

35kg – £123.00 (351p/kg) – T Russell
36kg – £116.00 (322p/kg) – M & R Morton Ltd
37kg – £118.00 (319p/kg) – D Napthine
38kg – £125.00 (329p/kg) – Beslee Farms
39kg – £130.00 (333p/kg) – M & R Morton Ltd
40kg – £136.00 (340p/kg) – J Wayman
41kg – £131.50 (321p/kg) – J Wayman
42kg – £140.00 (333p/kg) – Beslee Farms
43kg – £140.00 (326p/kg) – J Wayman
44kg – £138.00 (314p/kg) – J Wayman
45kg – £138.00 (307p/kg) – C B Hope
46kg – £148.00 (322p/kg) – Beslee Farms
47kg – £157.00 (334p/kg) – J Wayman
48kg – £158.00 (329p/kg) – J Wayman
49kg – £169.00 (345p/kg) – P Gorringe
50kg – £135.00 (270p/kg) – G Lawrence & Son
51kg – £153.50 (301p/kg) – Beslee Farms
52kg – £163.00 (313p/kg) – T Lyle & Partners
53kg – £173.00 (326p/kg) – P Gorringe 

Averages (p/kg) 

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 321 – Top 351, Average 328.6
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 535 – Top 340, Average 314.6
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 296 – Top 345, Average 305.4
Other 52.1+ kgs – 65 – Top 326, Average 284.6

Store Sheep – 1,073 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

A bumper entry of 1100 stores on offer today and what a trade. Topping at £136 for genuine stores, which I think could be a record in recent years. The overall average of £101 is certainly up with the highest we have seen in recent years. All strong stores were well in excess of £100 and generally in excess of £115. Pens from Robbie Woods, P G & N L Brightling, Wanstall Farms and E J & T H Gribble sold at £130+.

Cull Sheep – 296 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Ewe: Top £170.00 – H V Link Partnership – Ave £95.79
Ram: Top £137.00 –    R G Stevens – Ave £90.82

An absolute flyer from start to finish with a few less in the pens. The best ewes regularly £110 – £130 and to a top price of £170 for cracking Texel ewes from H V Link Partnership. Medium sorts £75 – £95 generally with the leaner grazing types £40 – £60 leaving only the very few worst below these figures. With numbers looking tighter I would have no hesitation in taking advantage of the current trade. Please get in touch if you have culls to sell.

Top prices included

Texels to £170 from H V Link Partnership, Texel cross to £140 from J Wayman, Suffolk cross to £131 from C & J Georgetti & Sons, Suffolk to £126 from Mr Henry Bullock, Beltex to £124 from J Davies, Mules to £102 from T Lyle & Partners, Romney to £103 from B & M Coleman Ltd

Breeding Ewes – 25 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

A small entry of in – lamb ewes saw keen interest for Cheviot flock aged ewes in lamb to a BFL x Beltex Ram, scanning at 144% and topping at £145 per head. Please do not hesitate to get in contact with me if you have any breeding sheep to sell or if you’re seeking any further advice.

 

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle –  59 Sold

Auctioneer:Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Not the overall quality of recent weeks but the trade was, certainly, firmer throughout with plenty of cover on the cattle, and more customers around the ring.
Quality from M B Farms again standing top of the lists but having to share heifer honours with R F & E A Simmons, both receiving 318p for outstanding homebred Limousin heifers. Strong Limousin steers from M B Farms to 310p £2120. Quality beef types 280-310p but buyers looking to see them well covered.
Well fleshed dairy bred cattle stronger with a smart shaped Limousin x Friesian to 285p £1750 from Alan Down; Blue x Friesian heifers from George Sim to 265p £1600
No fewer than 30 natives amongst the entry with a high proportion of well fleshed Hereford x cattle. Angus x heifers sold to 283p £1790 from Burden Bros; Hereford x heifers to 271p £1664 from R C &J L Pickering; Hereford x steers 276p £1667 North Kent College; Sussex steers 266p £1572 W S Furnival; Sussex heifers 268p £1525 R C & J L Pickering; British Friesian steers 260p £1518 A J Down.
Holstein Friesian bulls 24m+ well sold to 217p £1429.

Top Steers

M B Farms – Limousin – 310p/kg (£2120)
M B Farms – Limousin – 306p/kg (£2077)
W S Furnival Ltd – Limousin cross – 290p/kg (£1723)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 288p/kg (£1668)
M A Piper & Son Farms – Limousin cross – 287p/kg (£1662)

Top Heifers

M B Farms – Limousin – 318p/kg (£1762)
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin cross – 318p/kg (£1667)
M B Farms – Limousin – 315p/kg (£2044)
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin cross – 309p/kg (£1604)
Burden Bros Farm – Stabiliser – 283p/kg (£1836)

Average Prices

Steers up to 550kg – 3 sold – Top 266p – Ave 260p
Steers 551 to 650kg – 20 sold – Top 290p – Ave 268p
Steers over 651kg – 7 sold – Top 310p – Ave 276p
Heifers up to 500kg – 1 sold – Top 279p
Heifers 501 to 590kg – 14 sold – Top 318p – Ave 276p
Heifers over 591kg – 11 sold – Top 315p – Ave 274p
Bulls up to 650kg – 2 sold – Top 214p – Ave 203p
Bulls over 651 – 1 sold – Top 217p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 45 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Numbers tightening, as predicted, and demand will remain strong. Too few cows this week with more variation in quality but everything readily taken under strong competition.
Best youngsters up to 250p; good commercial meat around 200p; and half meat types 170-190p. More wanted.
Limousin x 250p, 230p, 218p £1571, £1566, £1497 M A Piper & Son Farms, 195p £1459 R F & E A Simmons; Angus x 188p £1097 A J Thompson & Sons; South Devon 187p, 169p £1576, £1188 Gardners; Simmental 187p, 179p £1383, £1343 Lawrence & Sons; Sussex 164p £1398 Groundscare Ltd.
A few more from the dairy sector this week and a fabulous trade for mostly half meat types.
Holstein OTM heifer 237p £1738 D Murdoch & Sons; Holstein UTM heifer 234p £1483 R C & J L Pickering; Holstein cows 167p £1241 D Murdoch & Sons, 166p, 164p (2) £1365, £1324, £1202 R G Nash & Son; Foreign cows 138p £1141; Jerseys 90p, 88p £389, £318 S E Lane & Ptrs.
Angus stock bull 131p £1338.
Overage (16) Simmental x OTM steers 279p, 257p £1838, £1731; Angus x OTM heifer 228p £1366; Stabiliser x OTM steer 228p £1502; South Devon x 3+ heifer 228p £1160.

Beef Cows – 20 Sold – Top 250, Average 181.7
Dairy Cows –11 Sold – Top 170. Average 135.0

Store Cattle – 72 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

A small but good quality entry of largely strong cattle met a superb trade giving a strong indicator of the strength of this season’s trade. There is no doubt that supply is a major factor, both from the beef and dairy sectors.
Plenty of potential customers around the ring, and though it is still early, this is a good time to be selling the older framed cattle as well as the tough hardy yearlings for early turnout.
Quality runs of strong cattle saw Angus x 2 year olds from Andrew Dunlop head the day with homebred steers to £1485, heifers to £1380; Angus x Friesian steers from Ross Farms to £1330, Blue x Friesian heifers to £1170; Angus x Friesian steers from Cameron Kearl to £1305, Angus x Friesian heifers to £1240 and Friesian steers to £1230; and a Simmental x Friesian steer from H O Champneys Ltd at £1445.

Calves – 90 Sold

Auctioneer: Tom Hamplett 07966 104532

Better numbers this week with trade remaining firm.
A tremendous selection of quality calves from Appleton Farms topped the bulls today with Blues to £320, with most over £220. Angus bulls, again from Appleton Farms, topped at £280 with Kingcott Dairy, worthy of a mention, with their offering to £230. A pair of Limousin from Appleton Farms topped at £150 to complete the beef bulls.
Heifers well in demand with a solid trade throughout topped by Appleton Farms with Blues to £240, J W Boyd & Sons Ltd selling their regular consignment to £210, with Hickson Bros topping at £170. Angus heifers helping to produce the cheese with a top of £230 from Kingcott Dairy. A single Hereford from Goddard and Son trading hands at £100 which would look right for the day. Limousin heifers from Appleton Farms to £130.
A stronger trade for rearing dairy calves with tops of £155 for Norwegian Reds and £115 for Holsteins from D Murdoch & Sons. Slightly smaller types well sought after with bobbies a stand on trade.

Weanlings – 12

Good to see a few weanlings coming forward, and with a trade like it is I would hope to see some more over the coming weeks! Best Blue steers from Kent Game to £550 (6-9m) with Blue heifers from Mrs Clifford Baynes to £310 (4m). More expected in a fortnight!

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 – 18 – Ave £194.72 – Top £320.00 – Appleton Farms Ltd
Limousin cross – 2 – Ave £100.00 – Top £150.00 – Appleton Farms Ltd
Norwegian Red cross – 2 – Ave £137.50 – Top £155 – D Murdoch & Sons
Aberdeen Angus cross – 12 – Ave £144.17 – Top £280.00 – Appleton Farms

Heifer Calves

British Blue cross – 19 – Ave £148.68 – Top £240.00 – Appleton Farms Ltd
Limousin cross – 1 – Ave £130.00 – Top £130.00 – Appleton Farms Ltd
Aberdeen Angus cross – 15 – Ave £116.67 – Top £230.00 – Kingcott Dairy
Hereford cross – 1 – Ave £100.00 – Top £100.00 – Goddard & Son

Bull Weanlings

British Blue cross – 1 – Ave £390.00 – Top £390.00 – M S Clifford-Baynes
Limousin cross – 1 – Ave £250.00 – Top £250.00 – M S Clifford-Baynes

Heifer Weanlings

British Blue cross – 2 – Ave £310.00 – Top £310.00 – M S Clifford-Baynes
Aberdeen Angus cross – 2 – Ave £260.00 – Top £260.00 – M S Clifford-Baynes
Sussex cross – 1 – Ave £430.00 – Top £430.00 – Kent Game Shooting

Steer Weanlings

British Blue cross – 5 – Ave £550.00 – Top £550.00 – Kent Game Shooting

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Tuesday Livestock – 20th February 2024

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