Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 16th July 2024

Sheep Sales Reports

New Season Lambs – 1,559

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Top price per kilo – 359p – Eastlands Farm
Top price per head – £174.00 – E W Homewood

Just a few less lambs forward with fed lambs making up much of the entry with, perhaps, the leaner grass types being aimed for the store sales instead. This national trend has helped averages to recover somewhat and this week we were up 10p on last week, for a super quality entry of just under 1,600 lambs. We are seeing the same situation as last year with the heavier the lambs are the dearer they are, per kilo and per head.  These heavier types are the scarcest across the country and much wanted for the home trade.
Top on the day was E W Homewood with some super lambs peaking at £174 with many runs from M J Ashworth, C & J Georgetti & Sons and L E Humphreys & Sons selling in excess of £160 head.

32 – £115.00 (359p/kg) – Eastlands Farm
33 – £93.00 (282p/kg) – A W Vincent
34 – £80.00 (235p/kg) – C Hardwick
35 – £111.00 (317p/kg) – K Lukehurst
36 – £115.00 (319p/kg) – C B Hope
37 – £121.00 (327p/kg) – Miss R Thompson
38 – £120.00 (316p/kg) – Robert Woods
39 – £129.00 (331p/kg) – G H Dean & Co
40 – £129.00 (323p/kg) – L E Humphreys & Sons
41 – £135.00 (329p/kg) – G B Richard & Son
42 – £137.00 (326p/kg) – G P King
43 – £145.00 (337p/kg) – M J Ashworth
44 – £150.00 (341p/kg) – G H Dean & Co
45 – £151.00 (336p/kg) – M J Ashworth
46 – £150.00 (326p/kg) – C & J Georgetti & Sons
47 – £154.00 (328p/kg) – M J Ashworth
48 – £161.00 (335p/kg) – M J Ashworth
49 – £162.00 (331p/kg) – E W Homewood
50 – £163.00 (326p/kg) – M J Ashworth
51 – £155.00 (304p/kg) – C & J Georgetti & Sons
53 – £169.00 (319p/kg) – C & J Georgetti & Sons
55 – £145.00 (264p/kg) – R R Stickels & Son
59 – £174.00 (295p/kg) – E W Homewood

Averages (p/kg)

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 279 – Top 359, Average 297.8
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 875 – Top 341, Average 309.1
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 332 – Top 335, Average 312.8
Over 52.1 kgs – 73 – Top 336, Average 319.6

Cull Sheep – 330 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Ewe: Top £139.00 – A Boyd & Co – Ave £99.37

A consistent trade throughout with a respectable number in the pens and trade on par with the national average on the day. The current trade for the ewes is one not to be missed with the best ewes generally £110 – £130. Top spot on the day was taken by A Boyd & Co with their Texel cross ewes to £139. Medium sorts remain a good trade with the majority £75 – £105 and the leaner grazing types £50 – £70 with only very few sold below these figures.

Top prices included

Texel cross to £139 – A Boyd & Co, Suffolk cross to £137 – G H Dean & Co, Crossbred to £130 – M J Ashworth, Mules to £125 – F B & A H Speakman, Beltex to £121 – D Thompson, Romneys to £110 – Bosney Farms.

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle –  32 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

A tight entry mid-summer but another flying trade with plenty of flesh on offer and plenty of customers around the ring. Outstanding competition and certainly the way to get best returns with all sectors recognising the shortage.
Top honours in both sections to W Alexander (Shoreham) Ltd with Limousin cross heifers to 314p, £1842 and their Limousin cross steers to 303p, £1936. Best cattle 280-310p kg and more wanted.
Well fleshed dairy bred again outstanding. Alan Down’s Hereford x Friesian regularly 265- 280p kg topping at £1922; Limousin cross to 276p, £1804; and Friesians to 253p, £1578.
Natives a terrific trade with extra butcher support leading the demand. Sussex heifers to 270p, £1792 K & P M Sinden & Sons, 265p, £1309 N A Balcomb & Son; Hereford heifer 226p, £1420 W S Furnival Ltd.

Top Steers

W Alexander (Shoreham) Ltd – Limousin cross – 303p (£1936)
G L Boulden & Sons – Limousin cross – 294p (£1732)
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin cross – 290p (£1679)
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin cross – 286p (£1756)
W S Furnival Ltd – Limousin cross – 285p (£1735)

Top Heifers

W Alexander (Shoreham) Ltd – Limousin cross – 314p (£1787)
W Alexander (Shoreham) Ltd – Limousin cross – 310p (£1842)
W Alexander (Shoreham) Ltd – Limousin cross – 291p (£1453)
K & P M Sinden & Sons – British Blue cross – 289p (£1717)
K & P M Sinden & Sons – Sussex – 270p (£1792)

Average Prices

Steers 200 to 550kg – 1 Sold – Top 266p – Av 266p
Steers 551 to 650kg – 14 Sold – Top 303p – Av 274p
Steers 651kg + – 6 Sold – Top 277p – Av 269p
Heifers 300 to 500 kg – 4 Sold – Top 291p – Av 267p
Heifers 501 to 590 kg – 2 Sold – Top 314p – Av 290p
Heifers 591 kg + – 5 Sold – Top 310p – Av 271p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 40 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

A decent show for mid-summer and whilst generally short of well fleshed stock there was a good show of feeding cows. Cows from the dairy in short supply. Trade outstanding throughout and if you have cattle that are right for marketing there is no better time.
No best meat cows but good commercial beef cows up and around 200p kg with the feeding types pushing on to 230p kg.
Angus cross 226p, £1297 (Non FA) R Adcock, 195p (2), £1002 (Non FA) Lucketts Farm, 194p, £1306 R F & E A Simmons; Sussex 209p, 199p, 187p, £1115, £1042, £1026 (Non FA) H W Richards, 195p, £1264 N A Balcomb & Son, 185p (2), 183p, £1070, £1049 (Non FA) J Muscat; Simmental cross 201p, £1554 Betchworth Estate, 198p, £1274 (Non FA) R Adcock; Limousin cross 197p, £1258 (Non FA) G Stokes, 191p, £1286 A J Thompson & Sons, 187p, £1044 Campbell Bros; White Park 194p, £1055 R F & E A Simmons; Beef Shorthorn cross 183p, £1396 (Non FA) J Saunders; Charolais cross 192p, £1513 (Non FA) D R Thompson.
Only a handful of Black & Whites. All Wanted.
British Friesian 181p, £1182 R & J Ledger; Holstein Friesian 177p, £1324 R G Nash & Son.
Maiden OTM Holstein heifers 226p, 203p, £1443, £1123 R G Nash & Son; Jersey 148p, £649 J Howie.

Beef Cows – 32 Sold – Top 226, Average 189.3
Dairy Cows – 6 Sold – Top 226, Average 187.3

Store & Breeding Cattle – 174 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

An excellent show of store cattle for the time of the year and with a high proportion of older, forward cattle it was exactly what the finishers are screaming out for and a marvellous trade resulted.
Younger cattle, of all grades, with so much more grass on offer and fodder made, were similarly in demand as producers recognise the shortage ahead and that securing numbers is vital to their farming businesses.
An outstanding run of 18-24 mths homebred British Blue cross and Angus cross from the Owen family led the line but excellent strong cattle also from J Carden, B Sutton, and Ian Machin. A good run of Angus cross youngsters from Simon Kilham found tremendous prices.

Principal Prices include:

Continental

22 mths Blue x Friesian steers – £1520 – M A & F W Owen
22 mths Blue x Friesian heifers – £1395 – M A & F W Owen
24 mths Blue x Friesian heifers – £1340 – B Sutton
12 mths Charolais x Friesian steers – £1120 – S Kilham
12 mths Simmental x Friesian steers – £945 – S Kilham
12 mths Charolais x Friesian heifers       – £1045 – S Kilham
7 mths Charolais x Friesian steers – £690 – S Kilham
5 mths Simmental steers – £590 – K Hamilton

 Native

20 mths Angus x Friesian steers – £1340 – M A & F W Owen
22 mths Angus x Friesian heifers – £1370 – M A & F W Owen
15 mths Angus steers – £1250 – M A & F W Owen
15 mths Angus heifers – £1170 – M A & F W Owen
23 mths Hereford x Friesian steers – £1325 – I D Machin
17 mths Beef Shorthorn steers – £1270 – I D Machin
12 mths Angus x Friesian steers – £1025 – S Kilham
12 mths Angus x Friesian heifers – £910 – S Kilham
7 mths Angus x Friesian steers – £595 – S Kilham

Calves – 44 Sold

Auctioneer: Tom Hamplett 07966 104532

A decent entry of calves although just a touch short on numbers to meet the ever-growing demand.
Bulls showing a variety of outcomes with value perhaps to be had on some of the continentals. Blues topped at £300 from J C & S K Williams with others from the same home to £240 and £235. A lovely run of younger Angus topped at £200 (x2) from both J W Boyd & Sons Ltd and P J Forknall with others form the same homes to £190 (x2) and £180. Sussex from the Manford family topped at £210 with others to £185 and £170.
Blues topped the heifers with J C & S C Williams selling to tops of £195 and £190. Natives fewer in number with Angus to £170 from J W Boyd & Sons Ltd whilst Sussex from the Manford family topped at £175.
Dairy bulls few and far between with well grown Holstein Friesian and Ayrshire steers from J Howie to £170 and £155, bobbies topped at £30.
The fall of the hammer on the last calf of the day today also ends my tenure as an auctioneer here at Ashford Market. I would like to thank all vendors, buyers and in particular staff who have made my time here at Ashford so enjoyable. All calf enquiries should now be directed to Peter Kingwill or the livestock office from now on.

Please note, we have several 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 – 8 – Ave £206.88– Top £300.00 – J C & S K Williams
Aberdeen Angus – 8 – Ave £175.00 – Top £200.00 – P J Forknall
Sussex – 5 – Ave £179.00 – Top £210.00 – W G & T A Manford

Heifer Calves

British Blue cross – 11 – Ave £167.27 – Top £195.00 J C & S K Williams
Aberdeen Angus cross – 4 – Ave £155.00 – Top £170.00 – J W Boyd & Sons Ltd
Sussex – 5 – Ave £135.00 – Top £175.00 – W G & T A Manford

Steer Calves

Ayrshire – 1 – Ave £170.00 – Top £170.00 – J Howie
Holstein Friesian – 1 Ave £155.00 – Top £155.00 – J Howie

Forthcoming Auctions

Tuesday Livestock – 23rd  July 2024

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

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