Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 14th November 2023

Sheep Sales Reports

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

New Season Lambs – 802 Sold

Top price per kg: 356p – R J Adams

Top price per head: £145 – Miss Amy Hedges

A similar sized entry this week with just over 800 penned, and way short of the numbers we need for the orders of our buyers, but with recent weather conditions and the cost of concentrate feeds not helping there just isn’t the number of finished lambs on offer across the country. Trade shows no signs of easing with lambs this week getting up to a top price of 357p kg for Beltex crosses from R J Adams. Heavy sorts were most in demand, once again, with the trend seeming to move this way week on week with the top price in the section going to Miss Amy Hedges at £145 for some strong Charollais lambs. More lambs can be sold each week without the slightest impact on trade so please keep those numbers coming.

32kg – £114.00 (356p/kg) – R J Adams
33kg – £80.00 (242p/kg) – Clapwater Farm LLP
34kg – £87.50 (257p/kg) – D J Cole & Sons
35kg – £89.00 (254p/kg) – G L Harris
37kg – £92.00 (249p/kg) – S W Batch
38kg – £125.00 (329p/kg) – Clapwater Farm LLP
39kg – £100.00 (256p/kg) – Clapwater Farm LLP
40kg – £100.00 (250p/kg) – G L Harris
41kg – £129.00 (315p/kg) – Miss Amy Hedges
42kg – £122.00 (290p/kg) – Clapwater Farm LLP
43kg – £145.00 (337p/kg) – Miss Amy Hedges
44kg – £110.00 (250p/kg) – Clapwater Farm LLP
45kg – £130.50 (290p/kg) – K T D Axell
46kg – £121.00 (263p/kg) – D Thompson
47kg – £138.00 (294p/kg) – Miss Amy Hedges
48kg – £136.00 (283p/kg) – K T D Axell
49kg – £137.00 (280p/kg) – S King
50kg – £140.00 (280p/kg) – S King
54kg – £131.00 (243p/kg) – S W Batch 

Averages (p/kg)

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 107 – Top 356, Average 283.1
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 371 – Top 337, Average 271.0
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 285 – Top 294, Average 266.3
Other 52.1+ kgs – 4 – Top 243, Average 242.5

Cull Sheep – 593 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Ewe: Top £110.00 – Link Bros, Average £54.88
Ram: Top £80.00 – H Metcalfe, Average £57.73

Trade remaining very similar with a good number in the pens but very few best fleshed ewes forward. The best ewes regularly £80 – £100 and to a top price of £110 for well fleshed Texel ewes from Link Bros. Medium sort £60 – £80 on most occasions with leaner grazing types plentiful and £40 – £60 throughout with very few sold below these figures. If you have ewes to sell and are seeking advice do not hesitate to get in touch.

Top prices included

Texels to £110 – Link Bros, Texel cross to £91 – M A & F W Owen, Suffolk cross to £97 – W G Watkins & Sons, Mules to £85 – W G Watkins & Sons, Romney to £73 – Lovejoy Farm Partnership

Store Sheep – Friday 10th November

4,183 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Just over 4,000 lambs penned this week with numbers now coming under pressure as the season draws to a close for the autumn sheep sales. As is usually the case, as these numbers begin to decrease, the prices tend to increase, and this week was no exception with the cross bred lambs averaging £87.80 all included. The stronger lambs on offer were in strongest demand with many breaking the £100 barrier and topping at £117 head for genuine store lambs to farm on, whilst a small entry of Suffolk cross ewe lambs from L E Humphreys & Sons sold to a top of £125. Smaller, longer term lambs this week were, maybe, a touch easier with the horrific weather conditions dampening the spirits of these customers at the moment, but still a lot of these sorts traded from £75-85 head. Romney wethers were a mixed bunch on offer with a top price of £92.50 which was taken jointly by both A R Dunlop and M A & F W Owen.

 

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle –  48 Sold

Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

Overall trade slightly dearer on the week with few top quality Continental crosses on offer and a big percentage of native bred cattle.
A Limousin cross topped both sections with a heifer to £1656 (299p) and steer £1670 (270p) both from W Alexander (Shoreham). Dairy bred Limousin cross steers looked well sold at 250p plus with the best £1738 (258p) and £1654 (259p) from A J Down.
A large percentage of native bred cattle were particularly well sought after with runs from Masters Farms and A H Hoad & Son featuring well in the quoted leading prices.
Other top prices included Angus cross steer £1480 (258p) and heifer £1460 (248p) from W S Furnival Ltd.

Top Steers

W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 270p/kg (£1670)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 270p/kg (£1603)
Masters Farms – Sussex – 268p/kg (£1685)
Masters Farms – Sussex – 268p/kg (£1685)
Masters Farms – Sussex – 266pkg (£1606)

Top Heifers

W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 299p/kg (£1656)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 288p/kg (£1495)
A H Hoad & Son – Sussex – 266p/kg (£1367)
A H Hoad & Son – Sussex – 260p/kg – (£1479)
Masters Farms – Sussex – 259p/kg (£1266)

Average Prices

Steers up to 550kg – 8 sold – Top 256p – Ave 220p
Steers over 551kg – 22 sold – Top 270p – Ave 260p
Heifers up to 500kg – 7 sold – Top 259p – Ave 231p
Heifers over 501kg – 11 sold – Top 299p – Ave 260p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 60 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

A brighter trade throughout for a rather mixed show of cows and overage. This period is always difficult for the cow market as cutting plants focus on Christmas work but with cow numbers nationally tightening, I believe the easing is over, and once we are in the New Year supplies will be short! A lot of cows came out early, particularly in the North, when the heavy rains arrived and though it is still raining many have got their housing sorted earlier than normal.
Demand for feeders remains very strong as shown by a nice young (<3 yo) Limousin cow from P N & C Burden selling to 251p, £1465. More commercial types also a great trade with lean younger Blue x Friesian cows looking very well sold at 160-170p from P H Hope. Clearly the oldest, plainest, and most awkward remain very difficult and that won`t change.
Best beef meat cows 140-180p with again very little other than the horrors down below 100p.
Limousin x 251p, 169p, £1465, £1281 P N & C Burden, 175p, 165p, 162p, £1248, £1129, £1114 (Non FA) L Palmer & Sons; Hereford x 188p, £1153 J Berryman, 177p, 174p, £1466, £1250 E W & R E Hanks; British Blue x 167p, 160p, 158p (2), £885, £866 P H Hope, 164p, £1472 E W & R E Hanks; Sussex 142p, £1097 (Non FA) A H Hoad & Son.
Very few dairy culls forward this week and not a lot of flesh. The few fleshed cows sold very well.
Holstein 144p, 141p, £1205, £1054 P J Forknall.
Stock Bulls (3) A very lean offering but competitive. Sussex 118p, Blonde 97p, Limousin 80p.
Overage (10) Another very good trade for our ‘Under the Stairs’ section!
Angus x steers 36 mths + 189p, 176p, 170p, £1550, £1517, £1422; Angus x heifer 36 mths + 205p, £1339; Angus x OTM heifers 219p, 213p, £1322, £1129; Sussex OTM steer 212p, £1555.

Beef Cows – 38 Sold – Top 251, Average 141.0
Dairy Cows –9 Sold – Top 144, Average 110.6

Store Cattle – 269 Sold

Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

A smaller show this week but still some good quality on offer particularly amongst the suckled calves.
Youngsters attracted prices in excess of £700 with smart 8m Limousin cross steers topping at £1010 from Gardners and native bred to £860 for quality 10m Aberdeen Angus cross heifers from Mrs Hannah Harmer.
The best of the stronger cattle £1200 plus with Limousin cross heifers topping the market at £1365 from R A Wade and Angus cross steers topping the native section at £1335 from Wanstall Farms.
Next sale Tuesday 21^st November – 200 already entered.

Principal Prices include: 

Continental cross

8mths Continental cross steers – £1010 – Gardners
9mths Simmental cross steers – £940 0 Mrs L Townsend
18-20mths Limousin cross heifers – £1280 – J & S Baldwin
19mths Limousin cross heifers – £1365 – R A Wade
20mths Limousin cross steer – £1110 – Miss J J Butcher
20mths Blonde cross heifers – £1220 – Wanstall Farms

Native Bred

7mths Angus cross steers – £800 – Wey Street Farm
7mths Angus cross heifers – £670 – Wey Street Farm
9mths Angus cross steers – £800 – Llewellyn Farms
10mths Angus cross heifers – £860 – Mrs H Harmer
8mths Beef Shorthorn cross steers – £820 – M Pallet
18mths Hereford cross steers – £1190 – A G Dodd
18mths Hereford cross heifer – £1070 – A G Dodd
19mths Angus cross steer – £1335 – Wanstall Farms
20mths Angus cross steer – £1200 – R Fidler
22mths Angus cross heifer – £1220 – R A Wade
19mths Lincoln Red steers – £1280 – Stone Farms Ltd

Store & Finished Pigs – 31 Sold

Auctioneer: Tom Hamplett 07966 104532

An entry lacking in numbers and quality with mainly coloured pigs forward. Nevertheless trade remains strong with strong demand for all classes. Best finished today to £206.70 (159p) for a heavy white pig from A M & S Lerwill. Heavies averaged £155.82 or 124p. Cutting pigs topped by T Beesley at 152p or £141.36 with averages of £138 in the head with Bacon pigs to 150p or £147 averaging 138p or £136 per head. As can be seen from the averages a large entry of coloured forward which would look well sold on the day. Several buyers requiring better quality pigs to fill orders, please do let me know if you have finished pigs to sell!
Cull (5) – A few sows and one boar selling on a dearer trade than last time out with best fleshed sows 70p plus and topping at 75p or £210 from F Dowling. Sows continue to be in demand here at Ashford, it might be worth considering moving them on sooner rather than later.
Stores (12) – I am pleased to be able to finally report an entry of stores and weaners today, and what a trade for them! Welsh weaners from D J Finch flying away to £87 per head for the gilts with the boars not far behind! Average per head for stores/weaners £75. More needed to fulfil a tremendous 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 – 21st November 2023

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

For our Auction Calendar and Catalogues click here