Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 16th September 2025

Sheep Sales Reports

New Season Lambs – 897 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Top price per kilo – 371p – C & J Georgetti & Sons, Kent.
Top price per head – £183.00 – C & J Georgetti & Sons, Kent.

A smaller entry of lambs in common with the country as vendors react to the lower prices. Numbers slipping below 1,000 for the first time this season as supplies tighten, and also impacted by the breeding sheep season with more holdings tied up with replacement sheep moving on. Trade duly lifted on account of the shortening of supply and the better lambs on offer really rang the bell this week with a top price of £183 and 371p kg from C & J Georgetti & Sons, topping both sides of the sale charts. A lot of the better lambs on offer this week broke the 350p kg barrier with good runs from P N & C Burden, M L Wilson & Son Ltd, Miss May Hedges & Jamie Watt all over this figure. Numbers will ultimately dictate the prices we see in the coming months and today is prime example that if supply continues to tighten up, price could creep back to where we were 6 weeks ago.

34 – £107.00 (315p kg) – J H Millen
35 – £117.00 (334p kg) – M & D Prebble
36 – £118.00 (328p kg) – R T J B & I Lockwood
37 – £121.00 (327p kg) – M & D Prebble
38 – £126.00 (332p kg) – C K Axell
39 – £125.00 (321p kg) – D J Cole & Sons
40 – £139.00 (348p kg) – Mount Lodge Farms Ltd
41 – £143.00 (349p kg) – Jamie Watt
42 – £150.00 (357p kg) – Jamie Watt
43 – £147.00 (342p kg) – M & D Prebble
44 – £160.00 (364p kg) – M L Wilson & Son Ltd
45 – £165.00 (367p kg) – P N & C Burden
46 – £166.00 (361p kg) – M L Wilson & Son Ltd
47 – £170.00 (362p kg) – C & J Georgetti & Sons
48 – £178.00 (371p kg) – C & J Georgetti & Sons
49 – £171.00 (349p kg) – M L Wilson & Son Ltd
50 – £179.00 (358p kg) – P N & C Burden
51 – £168.00 (329p kg) – C & J Georgetti & Sons
54 – £179.00 (331p kg) – C & J Georgetti & Sons
57 – £140.00 (246p kg) – Murray Roos
58 – £154.00 (266p kg) – A Lewis
62 – £183.00 (295p kg) – C & J Georgetti & Sons

Averages (p/kg) 

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 191 – Top 334, Ave. 303.7
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 416 – Top 367, Ave. 312.7
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 225 – Top 371, Ave. 335.8
Others 52.1 + – 43 – Top 331, Ave. 294.5

Cull Sheep – 612 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678

Top price ewe: £208.00 – M Friend, Kent. – Ave. £89.33

All grades remain a very strong trade for the time of year with large numbers of lean ewes forward, and less and less of those best fleshed ewes seen everywhere. The best ewes regularly £150 – £170 and to a top price of £208 for smart Beltex ewes from M Friend. Medium sorts £110 – £140 on most occasions with leaner grazing types £70 – £100 throughout with only very few sold below these figures. Please keep these ewes coming forward with buyers present for all grades every week.

Top prices included:

Beltex to £208 – M Friend, Texel cross to £178 – P Bates, Blue Texel to £160 – S P Howland, Romneys to £148 – Link Bros, Mules to £145 – E W Homewood, Southdown to £131 – J White.

 

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle –  43 Sold
Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357.

Again, another mixed show in terms of overall quality but certainly more flesh on the cattle, and this growing trend is finding more favour with producers returns, and consumers palates!
A few more beef bred types today and more weight and finish. Limousin x steers from R F & E A Simmons topped at £390, £2279 whilst top heifer spot went to W Alexander (Shoreham) at 392p, £2251. Strong Limousin steers from Dan Mackelden to 386p, £2949 whilst big Stabiliser steers from Burden Bros sold to 365p, £2742. Strong Limousin x heifers from Burden Bros to 378p, £2454.
Amongst a mixed run overall of dairy bred cattle Alan Down`s Limousin Friesian steers stood out selling to 374p, £2297, Herefords to 361p, £2181. Angus x Friesian heifers from George Sim to 363p, £2030, his Herefords to 355p, £2145.
Plenty of flesh on some excellent homebred natives this week. Burden Bros Angus steers to 373p, £2545; W S Furnival Ltd Angus steers 373p, £2419; A C Hulme Angus heifers to 369p, £2314.
Young Bulls (1) A real cracker from W G Watkins & Sons proving a point to the big firms with a 17 month Limousin x bull 770kg selling at 388p, £2984.

Top Steers

R F & E A Simmons – Limousin cross – 390p (£2279)
Dan Mackelden Ltd – Limousin cross – 386p (£2949)
Dan Mackelden Ltd – Limousin cross – 380p (£2789)
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin cross – 375p (£2172)
Burden Bros Farm – Aberdeen Angus cross – 374p (£2465)

Top Heifers

W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 392p (£2251)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 388p (£2189)
W S Furnival Ltd – Simmental cross – 382p (£2270)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Bazadaise cross – 382p (£1850)
Burden Bros Farm – Limousin – 378p (£2454)

Average prices

Steers 200 to 550 kg – 6 – Top 368p – Ave. 352p
Steers 551 to 650 kg – 12 – Top 390p – Ave. 366p
Steers 651 kg + – 11 – Top 386p – Ave. 357p
Heifers 300 to 500 kg – 1 – Top 382p – Ave. 382p
Heifers 501 to 590 kg – 7 – Top 392p – Ave. 366p
Heifers 591 kg + – 5 – Top 382p – Ave. 367p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 60 Sold

Good to see a few more culls and overage this week but desperately short of flesh amongst the cows though more better, younger feeders. Few Black & Whites from the dairy sector though Jerseys well represented.
An outstanding Sussex x Simmental cow from W G Watkins & Sons to 329p, £2907 whilst a run of 3 year old Simmental x feeding cows from Mrs L Townsend regularly 300-345p, topping at £2048.
Simmental x 346p, 345p, 339p, 337p, 332p, £2048, £1911; Sussex x 329p, £2907 W G Watkins & Sons, 266p, £2097 Swanley Farm; Limousin x 316p, £2161 C W Jones; British Blue x 314p, £2022 Mrs L Townsend, 290p, £1411 T G Chapman, 288p, £2027 J Berryman; Trad Hereford 274p, £1504 Mrs N Ridge.
A mixed show of dairy culls and generally little flesh forward. Maiden heifer to 313p, £1875 Goddard & Son, their cows to 258p, £2021; Jerseys 182p, 178p (2) £808, £781, £780 T G Chapman.
Stock Bulls (2) Lean working Shorthorn to 214p, £2007; Long horned Highland to 130p, £978.
Overage (17) Again a mixture of meat and feeders but solid competition throughout.
OTM Angus x Friesian heifers 328p, £2178, Hereford x Friesian heifers 315p T G Chapman; Hereford x OTM steer 323p, £2129 J Berryman; Holstein Friesian 3+ steers 295p, 293p, 289p, £2208, £1988, £1985 R Scott.

Beef Cows – 26 Sold – Top 346, Average 269.6
Dairy Cows – 15 Sold – Top 313, Average 197.5

Store & Breeding Cattle – 274 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678

No stopping this store cattle trade with buyers out in force and determined to secure cattle in all age groups, but certainly focusing on this winter’s fatteners which undoubtedly are going to remain desperately short in number.
A few bulls and rigs of all ages started the day finding good competition, and if you have doubts about any of your calves get them sold this Autumn before housing, not next Spring!!
A run of 5-8 mths dairy stirks saw Angus steers to £700, heifers to £560, Blue x heifers to £640 from D Goodwin & Sons. Devon steers 6 mths to £1060 Mount Lodge Farms. Quality 9 mths Limousin x steers from Mrs L Townsend sold to £1680, others to £1520.
Amongst the wintering cattle Hereford steers 14 mths £1600, Shorthorn heifer 15 mths £1490 R & J Brightling. Sussex steers very well followed with 15-17 mths steers from Henry Moorhead to £1510; others to £1290 from Polly Dumbreck. Hereford x heifers 15-17 mths from Hadlow College to £1670, £1560, and £1500 with a nice Blue Hereford steer 13 mths £1670. Dick Lanham`s well reared Angus x Friesian steers 13 mths to £1890.
A smart Limousin x steer 15 mths £1780 was the very last from Nick Cooper`s period at Snowfields/ High Weald/ Angley School. So many pupils and parents have much to owe him -a real supporter of young people in farming.
Nick Herbert`s Parthenais x steers 15 mths £1400, heifers £1510, £1370. A quality run of steers from Ian Machin saw Beef Shorthorns 16-18 mths to £2170, others £1770, his Limousin x to £1990, £1890 & £1760. Howard & James Noakes, solid staff in the market every Tuesday, saw their run of Angus steers 14-18 mths sell to £1940, £1700, £1550 with heifers £1810 and £1680. Hard conservation cattle from Ian Lockwood saw 24 -30 mths Devon heifers to £1460, 24-32m Belted Galloway steers to £1080 and Friesian steers 24 mths £1190.
Amongst the older and more forward cattle R & H Vincent sold Angus x heifers 19 mths £1940, Shorthorn heifers 18 mths £1680. Paul Lanham sold Blue x Friesian steers 20 mths £1770. Dairy bred Blue steers 20-22 mths from Barry Sutton £2200 and £1840, heifers £1960 & £1780. A run of aged cattle, some with shape some without, from Tom Chapman met a ripping trade with Angus steers 28 mths to £1850, heifers 30 mths £1590; Saler steers 27 mths to £1700; Sussex steers 28-30 mths £1680, £1600, £1480.
To end the day an outstanding purebred Charolais heifer 28 mths from Highfields Park Farm, having failed to hold to the bull, sold to £2280.
A crowded ring attended the dispersal sale of Chris Jones suckler herd from Sevenoaks, and with confidence in the sector strong and quality in the herd well respected there was an excellent trade for cows of all ages, with Angus calves, and generally back in calf to the Shorthorn bull.
Limousin x and Blue x cows with bull calves sold to £2560, heifer calves to £2440 and generally £2000-£2500. Sussex cows with Angus calves £1920-£2220. Richard Parsons, Wadhurst had a good trade for smaller crossbred Blue cows with good June/July Limousin calves £1680 – £1860.

Calves – 61 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357.

A nice entry of, mainly, younger calves was met with a larger company of prospective buyers from far and wide! Trade much in the same place with a very strong trade for the best of all breeds; secondary types good and competitive but reflecting supply; and the crossbred dairy bred calves easier.
Good British Blue bull calves (4weeks) to £505 from J W Boyd & Sons with others £300-£450 from Appleton Farms and W G & T A Manford. Blue heifers to £440 (4 Weeks) Appleton Farms, others £300- £380. Best Angus x bulls £300-£400, topping at £405 from J W Boyd & Sons whilst Angus heifers were a good trade at £150- £300, topping at £330 from P F Forknall. Simmental heifers from R & J Ledger to £345 and £340; Hereford bulls to £310, heifers to £310 both Goddard & Son. A few Black & White bulls and all sizes sought after selling to £210 from PJ Forknall, £200 Goddard & Son. Stronger crossbred Blues (6-8 weeks) saw bulls to £290, heifers to £230 but Angus x difficult to £55. Sussex x Friesian weaned calf 4 mths £350.

Bull Calves
British Blue cross – 12 – Ave. £366.67 – Top £505.00 – J W Boyd & Sons
Aberdeen Angus cross – 4 – Ave. £346.25 – Top £405.00 – J W Boyd & Sons
Hereford cross – 1 – Ave. £335.00 – Top £335.00 – Goddard & Son
Holstein Friesian – 4 – Ave. £151.25 – Top £200.00 – Goddard & Son
British Friesian – 1 – Ave. £210.00 – Top £210.00 – P J Forknall
Crossbred British Blue – Ave. £255.00 – Top £290.00 – Hickson Bros
Heifer Calves
British Blue cross – 9 – Ave. £296.11 – Top £440.00 – Appleton Farms Ltd
Simmental cross – 2 – Ave. £342.50 – Top £345.00 – R & J Ledger
Aberdeen Angus cross – 12 – Ave. £234.58 – Top £330.00 – P J Forknall
Hereford cross – 3 – Ave. £266.67 – Top £310.00 – Goddard & Son
Crossbred British Blue – 2 – Ave. £212.50 – Top £230.00 – Hickson Bros

Bull Weanlings
Sussex – 1 – Ave. £350.00 – Top £350.00 – W G & T A Manford.

Cattle Passports
We remind producers that on no occasion should the details on a cattle passport be changed other than by returning it to BCMS.
If details are incorrect return and advise BCMS or advise the auctioneers on market day without writing on the passport.

Forthcoming Auctions

Tuesday Livestock – 23rd September 2025

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

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