Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 13th June 2023

Sheep Sales Reports

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

New Season Lambs – 1,590

Top price per kg: 328p – Beslee Farms
Top price per head: £167 – M J Ashworth

More lambs on offer everywhere this week and the inevitable easing in national prices has started, purely due to supply and demand in the marketplace. There is, also, a definite two tiers in the trade, with smaller grass-fed lambs on a different price band to the fed lambs that are coming in at bigger weights. This is clearly demonstrated with the top prices on the day like last week yet averages often down by 15-20p. I would assume this is likely to remain to be the case for some time now with the South East rapidly drying up and the flush of grass lambs may slow coming forward, keeping the best sheep up at these levels.

35kg – £104.00 (297p/kg) – J Vocking & K May
36kg – £113.00 (314p/kg) – K T D Axell
37kg – £107.00 (289p/kg) – S W Mount & Sons Ltd
38kg – £120.50 (317p/kg) – K T D Axell
39kg – £122.50 (314p/kg) – G H Dean & Co
40kg – £125.00 (313p/kg) – D Isaac
41kg – £133.00 (324p/kg) – Beslee Farms
42kg – £131.00 (312p/kg) – D Isaac
43kg – £135.00 (314p/kg) – D Isaac
44kg – £139.00 (316p/kg) – P & E Andreozzi
45kg – £147.00 (327p/kg) – M J Ashworth
46kg – £139.00 (302p/kg) – L Stevens & Sons
47kg – £150.00 (319p/kg) – P & E Andreozzi
48kg – £152.00 (317p/kg) – D Isaac
49kg – £156.00 (318p/kg) – T Masters
50kg – £164.00 (328p/kg) – Beslee Farms
51kg – £162.50 (319p/kg) – M J Ashworth
52kg – £162.00 (312p/kg) – M J Ashworth
55kg – £167.00 (304p/kg) – M J Ashworth

Averages (p/kg) 

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 276 – Top 317, Average 286.7
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 947 – Top 327, Average 293.8
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 307 – Top 328, Average 300.8
Over 52.1 kgs – 25 – Top 312, Average 304.7

Finished Hoggets – 469 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

A real end of season selection with 470 on offer this week. Fewer wholesalers are now trading in hoggets and trade very mixed due to this. Bigger meated hoggs still well sold on the day and above £150 but these pens are now few and far between. Sheep with erupted teeth now trading form £90-£120.

Cull Sheep – 334 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Ewe: Top £190 – Kingswood Farmers, Average £97.34
Ram: Top £175 – Kingswood Farmers, Average £94.32

A few less this week, as to expected for the time of year, but the trade remaining at a good level. The best ewes regularly £100 – £120 and to a top price of £190 from Kingswood Farmers for some superb Texel ewes. Medium sorts £70 – £90 on most occasions with leaner grazing types £40 – £60 throughout. Buyers in attendance every week for all grades of ewes, please do inform us of any larger consignments of ewes you intend on selling so we can inform buyers.

Top prices included

Texel to £190 (twice) – Kingswood Farmers, Texel cross to £174 – L Stevens & Sons, Suffolk cross to £125 – A A Palmar & Son, Mules to £107 – M Woodroofe, Romney to £94 – M C Contracting

 

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle –  44 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

A good entry for the season and mostly cattle from the yards. There is a little downward pressure coming from the retailers and, certainly, the hot weather with be affecting the carcase balance but no complaints in Ashford with another strong and competitive trade.
Top of the tables to a quality fleshed Blue x heifer from Lydden Court at 316p £1956 with homebred Limousin heifers from L Smith not far behind at 294p £1790. Limousin x steers from W Alexander (Shoreham) sold to 284p £1843, with a homebred Limousin x from L E Humphreys & Sons at 283p £1808.
Dairy bred steers from Alan Down saw Limousin x to 263p £1641, Hereford x to 258p £1648 and Friesians to 236p £1331. A smaller show of natives this week with Angus steers from Dan Mackelden Ltd to 259p £1570 and Sussex steers from A H Hoad & Son, also, to 259p.
A young Angus bull sold well at 268p £1645 from B G & M A Tomsett.

Top Steers

W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 284p/kg (£1842)
L E Humphreys & Sons – Limousin cross – 283p/kg (£1808)
G L Boulden & Sons – Limousin cross – 279p/kg (£1754)
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin cross – 279pkg (£1476)
G L Boulden & Sons – Limousin cross – 278p/kg (£1665)

Top Heifers

Lydden Court – Limousin cross – 316p/kg (£1956)
L Smith – Limousin cross – 294p/kg – (£1790)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 291pkg (£1597)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 287p/kg (£1833)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 286p/kg – (£1655)

Average Prices

Steers to 550kg – 11 sold – Top 279p – Ave 252.8
Steers 551 to 650kg – 25 sold – Top 284p – Ave 259.9
Heifers to 590kg – 3 sold – Top 291p – Ave 275.9
Heifers over 591kg – 4 sold – Top 316p – Ave 294.9
Bulls – 1 sold – Top 268p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 26 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Hard to find numbers when the sun is shining and hay making is in full swing! No doubting the strength of the trade and more wanted. Some good fed cows on offer and terrific returns.
Limousin x 245p £1443 Scaynes Farm, 209p £1355 L & L Colbourne; Angus x 237p, 232p, 210p, 203p £1786, £1728, £1702, £1600 A C Hulme & Sons; Sussex 225p, 215p, 196p £1538, &1386, £1281 (Non FA) A H Hoad & Son; Simmental x 202p £1723 A C Hulme & Sons;
Holstein Friesian 179p, 176p £1285, £1202 W P Hope & Sons
Sussex Stock Bull 148p £1136.

Beef Cows – 18 Sold – Top 245, Average 204.5
Dairy Cows – 3 Sold – Top 179, Average 167.3

Store Cattle – 24 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

A small entry dominated by another quality entry of British Blue x Friesian heifers from North Kent College, ready for the bull, which sold to average £1150. A few other young stores found strong interest with Sussex heifers 12m £515, and Sussex steer 5m £505 from Tom Wood. Limousin x heifers 10m from N D Cannon at £700, £640, and £580. Cattle remain wanted.

 

Store & Finished Pigs – 33 Sold

Auctioneer: Tom Hamplett 07966 104532

Finished (27) – An entry overall lacking in the quality of last time out with more lighter and less well fleshed pigs forward. That said a strong trade for what was on offer with the top end stronger again. Porkers to 221p per kg or £171.28 from Snowfield Academy averaging 163p or £120. Cutters to 158p or £139.04 from C B Hope and averaging 129p or £113.81. Heavier pigs few and far between with 3 Baconers from C B Hope topping at 158p or £170.64 and averaging 121p or £129.13. One single heavy boar forward selling at 128p or £160 from Mrs D Ashlee.
Cull (1) – Trade again strong on a diminished supply with a lightweight sow from C Higgins selling to 130p or £162.50.
Stores (5) – Two lots of Pietrain cross from C Higgins attracting plenty of demand and topping at £58 per head averaging £46 per head. More needed to satisfy a strong demand!

A polite request to all vendors to please pre enter all pigs on the Monday morning prior to a pig sale. This is to help us to help you by ensuring that buyers are kept up to date with entries.

Forthcoming Auctions

Tuesday Livestock – 20th June 2023

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

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