Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 13th October 2026

Sheep Sales Report

New Season Lambs – 840 sold.

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Top Price Per Kilo – 369p – Michael Keeley (Agri services) Ltd.
Top Price Per Head – £202.00 – J Metianu & S Aspital.

A smaller number on offer and quite a high proportion of heavier and fed types on offer, which were well sold as trade has just sparked up a little in the past week for all types. Top on the day were some strong Rouge lambs from J Metianu and S Aspital that made £202/hd with other strong lambs selling in the £185-200/hd range from A B Jones & Partners, C & J Georgetti and C R & G Daws. Light lambs are very well sold at the moment in price per kg with a lot of these from 340-360p/kg. However, with a 40kg lamb at these levels around the £140/hd mark, it is hard to see the justification to finish them as there isn’t enough premium above store value, therefore many of these types are coming to us on a Friday as opposed to a Tuesday.

33 – £120.00 (364p kg) – P A Reeve
35 – £120.00 (343p kg) – B D & A R Simmons & H M Marks
36 – £114.00 (317p kg) – R Kirk
37 – £120.00 (324p kg) – B A Kirk Engineering Ltd
38 – £120.00 (316p kg) – A K F Dod
39 – £141.00 (363p kg) – W J Waters
40 – £133.00 (333p kg) – G L Harris
41 – £138.00 (337p kg) – G L Harris
42 – £130.00 (310p kg) – A K F Dod
43 – £154.00 (358p kg) – K Bugden
44 – £161.00 (366p kg) – Michael Keeley (Agri services) Ltd
45 – £158.00 (351p kg) – M Bullock
46 – £165.00 (359p kg) – H & J Noakes
47 – £164.00 (349p kg) – D Wade
48 – £174.00 (363p kg) – R G Hobbs Farms
49 – £181.00 (369p kg) – Michael Keeley (Agri services) Ltd
50 – £181.00 (362p kg) – R G Hobbs Farms
51 – £179.00 (351p kg) – R G Hobbs Farms & A B Jones & Partners
52 – £184.00 (354p kg) – D Wade
54 – £185.00 (343p kg) – C R & G Daws
55 – £184.00 (335p kg) – Link Bros
57 – £191.00 (335p kg) – J Metianu & S Aspital
58 – £180.00 (310p kg) – Michael Keeley (Agri services) Ltd
60 – £202.00 (337p kg) –  J Metianu & S Aspital
61 – £190.00 (311p kg) – C & J Georgetti & Sons

Prime NSL SQQ – 327.31

Lambs 32.1 to 39kgs – 42 – Top 364, Ave. 332.8
Lambs 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 235 – Top 366, Ave. 325.5
Lambs 45.6 to 52 kgs – 389 – Top 369, Ave. 339.7
Lambs 52.1 kgs – 172 – Top 354, Ave. 330.0

Cull Ewes & Rams – 403 Sold  

Auctioneers: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678.

Top Price – £215 from P N & C Burden – Ave. £126/hd

A very similar number penned with plenty of lean sorts forward on the day. The best regularly £150 – £180 and to a top price of £215 from P N & C Burden for a strong Texel cross ewe. Medium sorts £120 – £150 on most occasions with leaner grazing types £80 – £120 throughout with only 3 lots sold below these figures. We are seeing a firm trade for all grades and if you have ewes to sell, I would not hesitate with regular weekly buyers for all grades.

Top Prices Included:

Texel Cross to £215 from P N & C Burden
Suffolk Cross to £196 from R Thompson
Suffolks to £188 from I M Kirk
Romneys to £186 from Claygate Farms
Beltex Cross to £170 from B D & A R Simmons
Mules to £160 from P N & C Burden

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 –  37 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903.

Again the trade was flying and as a result, not enough to go around the buyers that were present to buy beef cattle. Less of the top end, suckler bred quality on offer today but those that were, sold exceptionally well with four breaking above £4/kg from M A Piper & Son, topping at 412p/kg and also selling at 408p/kg. Better types are all now above 360p/kg and nearer 380p/kg on a number of occasions. Cattle from the dairy herds were also improved with a good run from Alan Down trading from 360-376p/kg.  The trade in this section has certainly been lighting up in the past few weeks, as we predicted would happen for the run up to the Christmas period, which is good news for all those out there who battled to buy store cattle in the spring.

Leading Steer Prices

J S & M D Antrum & Son – Aberdeen Angus cross – 366p (£2613)
P W & P Sim & Son – British Blue cross – 320p (£2524)
M A Piper & Son Farms Ltd – Limousin cross – 400p (£2456)

Leading Heifer Prices

P W & P Sim & Son – Hereford cross – 372p (£2489)
P W & P Sim & Son – Simmental cross – 341p (£2485)
P W & P Sim & Son – British Blue cross – 332p (£2386)

Average prices

Steers 200 to 550 kgs – 2 – Top 380p, Ave. 371p
Steers 551 to 650 kgs – 15 – Top 412p, Ave. 367p
Steers 651 kgs + – 4 – Top 366p, Ave. 349p
Heifers 300 to 500 kgs – 1 – Top 318p, Ave. 318p
Heifers 501 to 590 kgs – 7 – Top 372p, Ave. 360p
Heifers 591+ kgs – 8 – Top 372p, Ave. 345p

OTM Cattle & Cull Cows – 48 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795200357.

We are just beginning to see a few more cull cows as weaning commences on early calvers, and sensible decisions are made on empty or older cows. Feeding specialists are keen to take numbers and are buoyed up by the strengthening trade for the fleshed cattle. Expectations are that cull numbers will remain tight this winter with high numbers culled in recent years.

T rade strong throughout today with some terrific heavyweights on offer. Massive Angus from PR Baylis sold to 266p £2708 with tremendous British Blue x from JS & MD Antrum to 299p £2552. Nothing very flashy on the feeding front but lean commercial cows pushing close to 300p.

Sussex 300p, 266p £1887, £1514 West Court Farm, 285p, 264p £1977, £1634 JC & C Lewis, 258p £1712 G A Verity; British Blue 299p £2552 JS & MD Antrum, 283p £1596 M & C Farms, 270p, 262p £1913, £1804 NJ & AM Howlett, Saffron Walden, 257p £1988 G W Fuller & Son; Hereford 283p £1794 NJ & AM Howlett; Angus 276p £1309 M & C Farms, 266p £2708 P R Baylis; Beef Shorthorn 270p(2), 264p £1698, £1671, £1621 AG Young & Sons, Basildon.

A small show of culls from the dairy sector as producers enjoy a little more milk price and all stock enjoy this spell of open autumn weather. Heavyweight fleshed cows up over 250p and grossing up over £2100 twice for superb cows from JS&MD Antrum. Leaner British Friesian cows from PHR Farms 258p, 250p, 240p £1820.

Stock Bulls (4) A very good trade. Limousin 269p £3047; White Park 269p £2296; Devon 236p £2120; Lean Sussex 136p £1084.

Next Tuesday 6yr old Windsor bred Sussex Bull right for stock TB Low.

Overage (13) A very firm demand reflecting the current strength in the finished trade.

Beef Cows – 17 Sold – Top 300, Average 262.8
Dairy Cows – 18 Sold – Top 270, Average 244.9

Store & Breeding Cattle – 317 sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678.

A different show to last week saw different faces around the ring with the majority penned native and dairy bred sorts. Breeding cattle to start with young Longhorn cow and calf outfits topping at £1740 and a Dairy Shorthorn cross heifer with a Blue Albion calf from Garret and Mannering to £1920. Younger sorts have not yet started appearing in force, however, what we have sold look a good trade with Angus cross heifers 8-12 months to £1360 from R Brown and Angus cross steers 10 months from G S W Squire top at £1380. Well reared Blue x Friesian steers 12-14 months from N J & A M Howlett top at £1780 and Blue x Friesian heifers from I D Machin to £1660. Sussex cattle in demand with super sorts at 14 months from J C & C Lewis top at £1740 followed by West Court Farm with their annual consignment to £1810 for 17 month old steers with heifers to £1500 from the same home. Charolais x Friesian steers 21-29 months from J Gray & Sons top at £2010 with the heifers to £1800 and Limousin cross heifers 18 months from Langrish Farmers to £1750. A strong run of well done forward sorts from J S & M D Antrum & Son top at £2300 for 23 month Blue x Friesian steers with Blue x Friesian heifers 20 months to £2140 and Angus x Friesian steers 21 months to £2210.
We have a good entry of continental cattle already entered for Tuesday 20 October with entries still open.
Sales are now being built for every week going forward so do not hesitate to get in contact if you have store or breeding cattle to sell in the coming weeks so we can make sure your cattle are being placed into the most suitable sale.

Native:

Aberdeen Angus x Friesian steers 21 mths – £2210 – J S & M D Antrum & Son
Aberdeen Angus x steers 23 mths – £2180 – P Ibbott
Aberdeen Angus x Friesian steers 23 mths – £2010 – D Lanham
Aberdeen Angus x heifrs 23 mths – £1980 – P Ibbott
Aberdeen Angus x Friesian heifrs 20 mths – £1900 – J S & M D Antrum & Son
Sussex x heifrs 30 mth – £1580 – West Court Farm

Continental:

British Blue x Friesian steers 23 mths – £2300 – J S & M D Antrum & Son
Charolais x Friesian steers 23 mths – £2010 – J Gray & Sons
Limousin x Friesian steers 21 mths – £1840 – D Ward
British Blue x Friesian heifrs 20 mths – £2140 –  J S & M D Antrum & Son
Limousin x heifrs 19 mths – £1830 –  P R Baylis
Charolais x Friesian steers 26 mths – £1800 – J Gray & Sons

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.

Calves – 90 Sold

Auctioneer: Tristan Howell 07917024340.

90 calves entered and sold through the ring, with a wholly decent trade. Today saw vendors returning after prolonged periods away from the ring, with big consignments to make an impact. Higher than usual numbers of Angus calves met a good customer base.
J C & S K Williams Ltd with part-weaned Angus x steers to £570, Angus x heifers to £500 and Appleton Farms Ltd, who saw good, younger British Blue calves to £550 and their heifers to £490. Elsewhere with the continentals, R & J Ledger Ltd found £580 to top the fresh calves for a smart British Blue bull.
A reduced supply of dairy bulls which only boosted the trade, Mr P J Forknall and R & J Ledger Ltd sold British Friesians to £300 and £280 respectively and a Holstein Bull from Appleton Farms Ltd saw £310. Highlighting this section was an older Ayrshire steer from J Howie at £340.
A mix of sorts through the stirk ring, British Blue X Jersey heifers to £620 and Angus X Jersey heifers to £570 from Mr T Carter with another Angus heifer from Kent Game Shooting to £830.

Bull Calves                 

British Blue cross – 16 – Ave £469.00 – Top £580.00 – R & J Ledger Ltd
Charolais cross – 1 – Ave £540.00 – Top £540.00 –
Aberdeen Angus cross – 10 – Ave £447.00 – Top £510.00 – A & W J Hitchcock
Dairy Bulls – 3 – Ave £297.00 – Top £310.00 – P J Forknall
British Blue x Jersey – 3 – Ave £223.00 – Top £240.00 – G R Edgar & Son
Aberdeen Angus x Jersey – 2 – Ave £230.00 – Top £250.00 – G R Edgar & Son

Heifer Calves

British Blue cross – 5 – Ave £420.00 – Top £490.00 – Appleton Farms Ltd
Aberdeen Angus cross – 4 – Ave £406.00 – Top £500.00 – J C & S K Williams Ltd
British Blue x Jersey – 4 – Ave £256.00 – Top £380.00 – T Carter
Aberdeen Angus x Jersey – 9 – Ave £211.00 – Top £350.00 – T Carter

Steer Calves

Aberdeen Angus cross – 6 – Ave £491.67 – Top £570.00 – J C & S K Williams Ltd
British Blue x Jersey – 4 – Ave £299.00 – Top £400.00 – T Carter
Aberdeen Angus x Jersey – 2 – Ave £245.00 – Top £380.00 – T Carter
Dairy Steers – 2 – Ave £290.00 – Top £340.00 – J Howie 

Steer Weanling

Aberdeen Angus cross – 2 – Ave £745.00 – Top £800.00 – Kent Game Shooting

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