Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 15th August 2023

Sheep Sales Reports

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

New Season Lambs – 1,063

Top price per kg: 319p – G H Dean & Co
Top price per head: £180 – R H Smith & Partners

Less on offer this week with many vendors choosing to get on with harvest and haymaking. Trade was at a similar level to last week with averages just a fraction less. Bigger the better once again with a top price of £180 from Jason Smith (R H Smith & Partners) which is certainly a record for this year to date. Lighter weights for the export trade were selling towards £3 kg which is in line with last week’s prices but considerably ahead of other centres on Monday.

35kg – £90.00 (257p/kg) – L Atfield
37kg – £99.50 (269p/kg) – Ms C Cox
38kg – £104.50 (275p/kg) – A R Clough
39kg – £124.50 (319p/kg) – G H Dean & Co
40kg – £125.00 (313p/kg) – G H Dean & Co
41kg – £115.50 (282p/kg) – W J Waters
42kg – £127.00 (302p/kg) – A Denning
43kg – £123.00 (286p/kg) – R M Vidler
44kg – £125.50 (285p/kg) – C & J Georgetti & Sons
45kg – £134.50 (299p/kg) – D Wimble
46kg – £137.00 (298p/kg) – M R Woodroofe
47kg – £142.00 (302p/kg) – M R Woodroofe
48kg – £140.50 (293p/kg) – M J Ashworth
49kg – £144.00 (294p/kg) – P N & C Burden
50kg – £146.00 (292p/kg) – C & J Georgetti & Sons
51kg – £141.50 (277p/kg) – C & J Georgetti & Sons
52kg – £138.00 (265p/kg) – T R & J Kirk
53kg – £154.00 (291p/kg) – D Wimble
56kg – £159.50 (285p/kg) – R H Smith & Partners
58kg – £180.00 (310p/kg) – R H Smith & Partners
60kg – £150.00 (250p/kg) – P N & C Burden

Averages (p/kg)

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 84 – Top 275, Average 259.6
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 529 – Top 319, Average 277.4
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 426 – Top 302, Average 280.0
Other 52.1+ kgs – 23 – Top 310, Average 276.0

Cull Sheep – 627 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Ewe: Top £150 – Langrish Farmers, Average £91.48
Ram: Top £176 – J C Farming, Average £115

Similar numbers in the pens with a larger number of well fleshed ewes, as expected, with grass levels so plentiful. The best ewes regularly £100 – £120 and to a top price of £150 from Langrish Farmers for their smart Texel ewes. Medium sorts generally £80 – £100 with leaner grazing sorts £50 – £75 throughout with very few sold below these figures. Overall a strong trade.
Please do inform me of any large number of ewes that you have to sell.

Top prices included

Texel to £150 – Langrish Farmers, Texel cross to £137 – G H Dean & Co, Suffolk cross to £123 – S T Phillips, Romney to £125 – D & J Murray, Mule to £117 – S Wickens, Zwartbles to £132 – G Gribble

Store & Breeding Sheep – 5,243 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Top price per head – £114 – D Howard Farms Ltd

Back to reality this week with prices looking at a far more “realistic” level. Many might see this as a negative, but we must see the trade at the first sale as a bonus for those who sold that day and the levels we saw today more as we would expect. Overall, the average was £83 head for a good show of lambs, albeit somewhat smaller overall without the very large “first draw” lambs on offer to break the £100 head barrier. We would love to be able to repeat the trade of the first sale week in week out, but the reality of the situation is that the buyers must also be able to make it work for themselves. The top end of the sheep still was in excess of £100 head, to a top of £114 from D Howard Farms Ltd with others from L Bernard, Ross Farms, Todd Mitchell, E J Stanford and B C Ginger all over £100. Most of the lambs traded from £80-90 which in the second week of August is a very acceptable level.

Our next sale is on 25^th August and the deadline for entries is 5pm on Friday 18^th August. Entries received after this time will not be included in the catalogue.

Principal prices include

Store Lambs

Charollais cross – 1048 sold – Top £114 – Ave £87.26
Crossbred – 795 – Top £107 – Ave £77.38
Texel cross – 2375 – Top £106 – Ave £84.20
Suffolk cross – 653 – Top £98.50 – Ave £83.38
Beltex – 111 – Top £95 – Ave £87.77
Romney – 201 – Top £85.50 – Ave £72.88
Lleyn – 53 – Top £84 – Ave £80.98

 

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle –  61 Sold

Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

An increased entry of finished cattle with a high percentage of grass fed and native bred cattle on offer which is reflected in the overall averages.
Top grade yard fed Continental cross in short supply and those available continue to attract premium prices notably a smart Limousin cross steer which topped the market at £1897 (288p) from W S Furnival Ltd; Limousin cross steers & heifers selling in the 268 to 284p bracket from W Alexander (Shoreham) and a run of British Blue cross heifers from first time vendor R C Knock, Suffolk attracting prices mainly in excess of 240p and grossing up to £1647.
Dairy bred cattle a similar trade with the Limousin x Friesian steers around 250p and gossing up to £1639 and Hereford x Friesian steers looking well sold up to £1436 (246p) from A J Down.
A big percentage of grass fed native bred cattle on offer with the best 225 to 235p bracket notably, Sussex steer £1233 (231p) from D J Miles, Sussex heifer £1252 (239p) from K Wheeler & Sons, Hereford cross heifers £1377 (230p) from D W Page & Sons and £1463 (224p) from R & J Silvester, and heavyweight Aberdeen Angus cross steer £1683 (215p) from Nick Tong and heavyweight Stabiliser cross steers to £1580 (217p) from K Wheeler & Sons.

Top Steers

W S Furnival Ltd – Limousin cross – 288p/kg (£1897)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 274p/kg (£1832)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 268p/kg (£1471)
A J Down – Limousin cross – 252pkg (£1597)
A J Down – Limousin cross – 250p/kg (£1472)

Top Heifers

W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 284p/kg – (£1587)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 279p/kg – (£1476)
R C Knock – British Blue cross – 256p/kg – (£1558)
R C Knock – British Blue cross – 255p/kg – (£1437)
R C Knock – British Blue cross – 254p/kg – (£1647)

Average Prices

Steers up to 650kg – 11 sold – Top 268p – Ave 240p
Steers over 651kg – 9 sold – Top 288p – Ave 238p
Heifers up to 590kg – 21 sold – Top 284p – Ave 230p
Heifers over 591kg – 18 sold – Top 256p – Ave 232p
Bulls – 2 sold – Top 220p – Ave 185p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 32 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

A few more forward today but very little flesh on offer. All lean and plain cows from the dairy sector though a nice run of younger grazing/feeding Sussex sold well in a short entry of beef cows.
Trade very similar to recent weeks with the plain types, obviously, carrying a lot of processing costs with them, though the few fleshed cows would be firmer. A nice fleshed overage Longhorn heifer sold well at 208p, £1183.
Sussex 186p, 184p, 182p, £1147, £1002, £972 D A Innes, 172p, £1149 J Hooker & Son.
Holstein Friesian 156p, £1190 W G & T A Manford, 152p, £1151 J E Scutt & Sons; Guernsey 138p, £894 W G & T A Manford; Dairy Shorthorn 145p, £881 J Howie.
Stock Bulls (2) Limousin 132p, £1065; Lean Angus 95p, £737.

Beef Cows – 11 Sold – Top 186, Average 161.0
Dairy Cows –13 Sold – Top 156, Average 105.2

Store Cattle – 49 Sold

Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

A small selection of store cattle on offer comprising mainly dairy bred smaller sorts with very few stronger cattle on offer.
Best cattle topped at £970 for 15 mths British Blue cross steer from Nick Tong with the majority of younger stores ranging in the £250 to £450 bracket and reflecting the over wintering costs and time scale involved.

Calves – 52 Sold

Auctioneer: Tom Hamplett 07966 104532

Calves – 52

A quieter feel around the market today with the weather finally providing a welcome window to crack on and get some harvesting done. Best calves in strong demand with buyers being a little pickier with the second grades.
Bulls to £290 for Blues from W G & T A Manford with A L Betts Ltd also selling a smart run to £255. Beef Shorthorn topping the natives with A L Betts Ltd to £255, Angus to £210 and £180 from J Warnock & Sons; Sussex completing the natives and topping at £80 from the same home.
Heifers to £260 and £250 for Blues from W G & T A Manford, Angus to £260 from J Warnock & Sons and £255 from A & W J Hitchcock. Other breeds not quite the same level of quality with a small Hereford heifer to £45.
A plentiful supply of dairy bulls with best calves with more size a respectable trade. The smaller bobbies and processing calves harder work with a large entry of calves with not a lot of size and lacking flesh. Tops of £85 for Friesians with size and flesh on their side.

A polite request to all vendors, please do advise of entries on the Monday morning before a sale to ensure we can communicate numbers to buyers!

Bull Calves

British Blue cross – 10 – Ave £157.50 – Top £290 – W G & T A Manford
Aberdeen Angus cross – 6 – Ave £149.17 – Top £210 – J Warnock & Sons
Sussex cross – 2 – Ave £80 – Top £80 – J Warnock & Sons
Beef Shorthorn cross – 1 – Ave £255 – Top £255 – A L Betts Ltd

Heifer Calves

British Blue cross – 6 – Ave £160 – Top £260 – W G & T A Manford
Aberdeen Angus cross – 8 – Ave £144.38 – Top £260 – J Warnock & Sons
Hereford cross – 2 – Ave £37.50 – Top £45 – G R Edgar & Son

Forthcoming Auctions

Tuesday Livestock – 22nd August 2023

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

For our Auction Calendar and Catalogues click here