Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 16th May 2023

Sheep Sales Reports

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Finished Hoggets – 2,662

Top price per kg: 348p – P Gorringe
Top price per head: £175.00 – P Gorringe

Another big entry of hoggets this week with just under 2,800 in the pens, somewhat more than we anticipated but all sold on what is still marvellous trade all throughout. The heavy hoggets were flying to high prices with lots of £150 and some superb Beltex hoggets from Mr Peter Gorringe really rang the bell at top price of 348p kg and £175. Lighter lambs were maybe a shade easier on the trade with some of the purchasers of these now opting for new season lambs instead. We are now finding a large quantity of sheep with erupted teeth as we are now well into the month of May, but these are also selling very well and only discounted by approximately £10 hd on average. Numbers are bound to begin to ease in the coming weeks, but numbers of lambs will begin to rise considerably to meet the demand.

37kg – £102.00 (276p/kg) – W F Kirk
38kg – £115.00 (303p/kg) – R Douglas
39kg – £100.00 (256p/kg) – J D Hickman
40kg – £138.00 (345p/kg) – Miss H Dent
41kg – £119.00 (290p/kg) – R Douglas
42kg – £119.00 (283p/kg) – G W Fuller & Son
43kg – £143.00 (333p/kg) – S J Reeve & Son
44kg – £140.00 (318p/kg) – R L Pack
45kg – £140.00 (311p/kg) – M B Farms
46kg – £153.00 (333p/kg) – M B Farms
47kg – £150.00 (319p/kg) – R G Gibson & Son
48kg – £167.00 (348p/kg) – P Gorringe
49kg – £155.00 (316p/kg) – S J Reeve & Son
50kg – £161.00 (322p/kg) – P Gorringe
51kg – £175.00 (343p/kg) – P Gorringe
52kg – £161.00 (310p/kg) – R Gorringe
53kg – £153.00 (289p/kg) – C Ballard
54kg – £147.00 (272p/kg) – H Rivers
55kg – £159.00 (289p/kg) – R L Pack
56kg – £159.00 (284p/kg) – R G Gibson & Son
57kg – £155.00 (272p/kg) – R F & E A Simmons
58kg – £160.00 (276p/kg) – E Bourne
59kg – £161.00 (273p/kg) – E Bourne
60kg – £174.00 (290p/kg) – P Gorringe
61kg – £174.00 (285p/kg) – P Gorringe
62kg – £162.00 (261p/kg) – E Bourne
63kg – £161.00 (256p/kg) – E Bourne

Averages (p/kg) 

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 77 – Top 306, Average 287.0
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 647 – Top 345, Average 287.8
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 876 – Top 348, Average 286.5
Over 52.1 kgs – 877 – Top 310, Average 266.0

New season lambs – 227 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

A few more on offer this week with some good quality also. Fresh lambs with good finish that are now returning better weights and selling on average around 350p to a top price of 375p from Mr K Axell and to £159 from Eastlands Farm. More lambs expected to come out every week now but not enough to impact the trade majorly.

Store Hoggets – 420 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Less on offer today with quite a number of leaner sorts offered in the finished section as time is now running out in terms of teeth eruption etc. Best stores still selling well and topping at £130 from S W Batch.

Cull Sheep – 455 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Ewe: Top £200 – Eastlands Farm, Average £121.09
Ram: Top £199 – Harriet Heathcote, Average £139.40

Numbers in the pens were slightly less as to be expected for the time however trade was on fire from start to finish. The best ewes regularly £120 – £140 and to a top price of £200 from Eastlands Farm for some big strong Scotch half-bred type ewes. Medium ewes a strong trade with majority £80 – £100 and leaner grazing types £50 – £70 on most occasions throughout. We have a good number of competitive buyers present every week so do take advantage of this flying trade.

Scotch Half-bred to £200 – Eastlands Farm, Suffolk cross to £149 – Eastlands Farm, Charollais to £190 – K Tucker, Dutch Spotted to £190 – K Tucker, Texel cross to £157 – Langrish Farmers, Mules to £121 – Barleybrook Farm, Romney to £136 – R & S L M Smith

Ewes & Lambs – 39 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Top price: £288 (£115.20 per life) – D Light

Only a few pens of couples today with a good trade following a weekend of sunshine. Top price of the day was £288 (£115.20 per life) from D Light, for strong Texel ewes with smart Texel lambs at foot. Please do inform us of any further breeding sheep you have to sell.

Spring Fair & Rare Breeds Sale Saturday 13^th May

A successful first ever Spring Fair for Hobbs Parker with the sun shining and floods of people in attendance. We started off the day with the dead stock which was a big hit and sold very well. We had a variety of second hand equipment on offer including walk through sheep feeders making £125 and a lamb creep feeder making £142.

Commercial Sheep

There was a good selection of couples on offer on the day with the top call from H Challis to £192 (£96 per life) for Texel cross ewes with smart Texel cross lambs at foot. In close attendance was G Husk to £190 (£80.40) for Texel cross ewes again with Texel cross lambs at foot. Majority of the couples were regularly in excess of £60 – £70 per life throughout.

Tegs

We had a good selection of ewe tegs on offer with the top spot taken by Summerdown Farm with their run of Mules topping out at £161. Texel cross to £148 from H Challis and not far behind were S J Palmer with their Romneys to £146.

Rare Breed Sheep

A selection and a half in the rare breeds department with plenty of buyers in attendance for all shapes and sizes. Top call of the day was from C Bull for his pedigree Southdown ewes and lambs which made £218 (£109 per life) and pedigree Southdown ewe tegs topping out at £185 per head. Pedigree Jacob ewe tegs to £148 and Pedigree Jacob ewes and lambs to £165 (£55 per life) from City of London. Herwick rams to £165 from N & D Attwood and Kerry Hill rams to £137 from A Lewis.

Goats

A variety of Goats on offer on the day and it’s safe to say that there were more buyers than there were goats. Top Price £305 (£152.50 per life) from C Woodhead for a Pygmy nanny and Pygmy kid. Boer Doelings to £150 from South Brookwells Farm and Toggenburg Nannies to £180 from R Nuth.

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle –  55 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Another very strong trade for all grades of finished cattle with perhaps not so many of the very best this week.
Top spot to an outstanding Limousin x steer from W S Furnival Ltd, Honeychild selling at 316p, £1814, with heifers topping at 298p, £1487 from R F & E A Simmons, Hythe. Young bulls sold to 265p, £1674 from Chandler & Dunn, Ash.
Dairy bred Limousin x steers from A J Down 255p-275p. Friesian heifers from T Castle & Son 240-250p. Native bred cattle remain a very positive trade with Sussex steers from W S Furnival Ltd to 282p, £1576 with their Angus x at 278p, £1750.
Strong interest in cattle that can be taken forward a little with Limousin x heifers from S J Theobald & Sons to 295p, £1726 and Hereford x steers from C W Jones to 275p, £1653.

Top Steers

W S Furnival Ltd – Limousin cross – 316p/kg (£1814)
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin cross – 299p/kg (£1746)
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin cross – 288p/kg (£1667)
W S Furnival Ltd – Sussex cross – 282p/kg (£1576)
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin cross – 279p/kg (£1726)

Top Heifers

R F & E A Simmons – Limousin cross – 298p/kg (£1487)
S J Theobald & Sons – Limousin cross – 295p/kg (£1634)
S J Theobald & Sons – Limousin cross – 293p/kg (£1725)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 289p/kg (£1702)
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin cross – 286p/kg (£1598)

Average Prices

Steers up to 551 to 650kg – 20 sold – Top 316p – Ave 269p
Steers over 651kg – 2 sold – Top 253p – Ave 245p
Heifers up to 501 to 590kg – 18 sold – Top 295p – Ave 264p
Heifers over 591kg – 5 sold – Top 276p – Ave 254p
Young Bull – 3 sold – Top 265p – Ave 248p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 38 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

A smaller show of cattle as the weather improves and cows, finally, go out. Many dairy farmers are now on with silaging so numbers will certainly remain tight.
A good show in terms of flesh both with beef and dairy culls. Feeders badly wanted as everyone recognises the shortage in the pipeline. Best feeders 220-260p, best beef meat cows 210-230p, commercial cows either side of 200p!
Limousin x 268p, 226p, £1766, £1533 (Non FA) M B Farms, 226p, £2030 (Non FA) Miss H Dent; Simmental x 228p, £1342 H & S Nesfield, 214p, £1954 (Non FA) R J Southey; Belted Galloway 226p, £1128 (Non FA) S Paget-Brown; Sussex 220p £1690 H F & J H Glover, 217p, 216p, 215p, £1509, £1448, £1375 J C & C Lewis; Hereford 215p, £1909 J S & M I Tilley; British Blue x 218p, £1457 J Berryman.
Just a small show of dairy culls but all good cows and a fabulous trade.
British Friesian 202p, £1541 Debden Court; Holstein Friesian 199p, 193p (2), 190p £1752, £1528, £1502, £1364 Huddlestone Farmers.
Bulls (3) All wanted despite being, largely, old and plain. Hereford 165p, £1563; South Devon 130p, £1243; Simmental 126p, £1060.
Overage Clean (8) Trade remains on fire. Sussex OTM heifer 259p, £1163; Sussex steer 3yo+ 224p, £1129; Beef Shorthorn x OTM steers 229p, 213p, £1645, £1413; Beef Shorthorn x heifers 219p, 217p, £1451, £1355.

Beef Cows – 21 Sold – Top 268, Average 209.6
Dairy Cows – 6 Sold – Top 202, Average 192.0

Breeding Cattle – 22 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Much interest in a small show of bulls and a few more cows and calves. A very strong trade and more required.
Angus cows with month old calves £1300 – £1600 from K Vincent; Belted Galloway heifer and calf at £1030 S Paget- Brown; Beef Shorthorn heifer and calf £1640 A G Young & Sons.
A Blonde bull 2yo £2300 G L Boulden & Sons; 42 mths Angus bull £2500 Leggat Farming; Hereford bull 4yo £1430 J Berryman.

Store Cattle – 359 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

A tremendous number as we approach the end of the season, but it was, certainly, no oil painting with too few good runs of suckler bred types and a predominance of lesser bred dairy cattle.
Nevertheless, the grass is growing, the ground is drying, and customers are keen for cattle. Trade remains very firm as all predictions suggest tightening supplies. Grass is plentiful and first cuts of silage are bountiful.
Buyers from across the South and East Anglia competing strongly to secure all grades of all shapes and all sizes.
A big thank you to everyone involved in a long and successful day. Particular mention to the hauliers who had a very early start and a very late finish. Thank You.

Principal Prices include:

Continental cross

13mths Charolais cross steers – £850 – P J Goldsmith
10-12mths Charolais cross steers – £950 – Goodsell Farm Ptnrs
12mths Simmental cross steers – £985 – E Tilley
12mths Simmental cross heifers – £920 – E Tilley
15mths Limousin cross heifers – £1160 – Gallagher Farms
17mths Limousin cross steers – £970 – Newline Learning
18-20mths Limousin cross heifers – £1180 – Miss H Dent
14mths Limousin cross steers – £1170 – J Prior & Son
12mths Limousin cross heifers – £1020 – J Prior & Son
16mths Limousin cross steers – £1230 – F W Hare & Son
16-20mths Limousin cross heifers – £1285 – F W Hare & Son
15-18mths British Blue x Friesian steers – £860 – D Manser & Son
15-18mths British blue x Friesian heifers – £815 – D Manser & Son
13mths Limousin cross steers – £1000 – H & S Nesfield
20mths Blonde x Friesian steers – £1150 – J & S Baldwin
20mths Blonde x Friesian heifers – £1105 – J & S Baldwin
18mths Simmental cross steers – £1270 – R J Southey
22mths British Blue x Friesian steers – £1100 – Ross Farms
20mths British Blue x Friesian steers – £880 – E & J H Maylam
20mths British Blue x Friesian heifers – £830 – E & J H Maylam
24mths Limousin cross heifers – £1130 – R M Vidler
21mths British Blue cross heifers – £1430 – S J Taylor

Native Bred 

12mths Angus cross heifers – £765 – D R Miles
6-8mths Angus cross heifers – £740 – Vexour Pedigree Cattle
6-8mths Hereford cross heifers – £670 – Vexour Pedigree Cattle
12mths Longhorn steers – £700 – N Hutley
10-12mths Sussex steers – £780 – M Wragg
10-12mths Sussex heifers – £595 – M Wragg
13mths Angus cross steers – £1050 – S Marchant
10-13mths Angus cross heifers – £935 – S Marchant
11-13mths Angus cross steers – £1080 – J & A Lyon
13-14mths Angus cross steers – £1020 – V & C Smith
13-14mths Angus cross heifer s- £855 – V & C Smith
16-18mths Angus x Friesian steers – £940 – H & S Nesfield
17-20mths Angus x Friesian heifers – £920 – H & S Nesfield
19mths Angus x Friesian steers – £1200 – Ross Farms
22mths Sussex x Friesian steers – £960 – E & J H Maylam
22mths Sussex x Friesian heifers – £885 – E & J H Maylam
24mths Angus cross steers – £1290 – K Vincent
24mths Angus cross heifers – £1590 – K Vincent
24mths Angus cross steers – £1360 – Ells Farm

Bulls 

11mths Sussex – £570 – M Wragg
24mths Angus – £1040 – Ells Farm
8mths Sussex – £770 – J C & C Lewis
17mths British Blue cross – £1020 – R Adcock
6-8mths Angus cross – £780 – Vexour Pedigree Cattle
5-6mths Charolais cross – £650 – Vexour Pedigree Cattle
12mths Hereford – £880 – Vexour Pedigree Cattle

Pigs –  31 Sold

Auctioneer: Tom Hamplett 07966 104532

Finished – (26) A much better show of fleshed pigs this week with trade reflecting this. Tops of 198p per kilo! Porkers more of a mixed bag with best fleshed pigs well sought after but leaner types harder work, averaging 133.27p or £106 and topping for C B Hope at 160p (£128.80). Cutters not quite hitting the dizzy heights of some of the other pens but a solid middle road entry averaging 143p with a top of 148p or £135.79 from C B Hope. Heavy pigs the cream of the day with two tremendous pens of well covered pigs from C K Guest weighing 98 and 100 kgs respectively and selling for 198 and 190p to return £194 and £190 per head! Demand for fleshy pigs is getting stronger sale by sale, more needed to fill orders!
Cull – (5) A handful of sows and boars today with trade a little easier than previous weeks, although a entry of lighter sows and boars not helping this with commercial type sows over 200 kgs most in demand but none forward! Tops of £66 for a sow from Lovejoy Farm Partnership.
Stores – None forward but demand growing ever stronger sale by sale. Several customers ready and waiting to buy them!

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 -23rd May 2023

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

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