Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 17th October 2023

Sheep Sales Reports

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

New Season Lambs – 835 Sold

Top price per kg: 307p – C Woodhead & Zoe Colville
Top price per head: £158 – J Metianu & S Aspital

A small entry of sheep forward this week but with numbers tight everywhere the trade is very good for the best meat on offer, as there just is not enough to go around and fill all orders. There is two tiers in the trade with leaner sorts selling in line with the store lambs but those that have got their lambs finished, and to a good weight, are seeing a big premium and topping at £158 this week from J Metianu and S Aspital. Other prices of note from Masters Farms and Chris Woodhead who sold over £145 head on a number of occasions. If you have lambs at weights of 44 kg and upwards, the finished price is certainly very strong now and we would certainly recommend taking this trade.

38kg – £106.00 (279p/kg) – C B Hope
39kg – £85.00 (218p/kg) – D W East
40kg – £119.50 (299p/kg) – N C & C Hedges
41kg – £110.00 (271p/kg) – N C & C Hedges
42kg – £117.50 (280p/kg) – K T D Axell
43kg – £121.00 (281p/kg) – R G Hobbs Farms
44kg – £120.00 (273p/kg) – L Stevens & Sons
45kg – £127.50 (283p/kg) – M J Ashworth
46kg – £136.50 (297p/kg) – C Woodhead & Zoe Colville
47kg – £144.00 (306p/kg) – N C & C Hedges
48kg – £147.50 (307p/kg) – C Woodhead & Zoe Colville
49kg – £140.50 (287p/kg) – P N & C Burden
50kg – £145.00 (290p/kg) – C Woodhead & Zoe Colville
51kg – £136.00 (267p/kg) – Masters Farms
52kg – £142.00 (273p/kg) – P N & C Burden
54kg – £147.00 (272p/kg) – Masters Farms
62kg – £145.00 (234) – Masters Farms

Averages (p/kg) 

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 84 – Top 279, Average 224.9
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 333 – Top 299, Average 256.7
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 351 – Top 307, Average 271.7
Other 52.1+ kgs – 67 – Top 287, Average 252.0

Cull Sheep -638 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Ewe: Top £113.00 – Leconfield Farms Ltd, Average £63.56

A consistent trade throughout with still very few well fleshed ewes on show and plenty of leaner sorts. The best ewes regularly £90 – £110 and to a top price of £113 from Leconfield Farms Ltd for strong Suffolk cross ewes. Medium sorts £70 – £85 on most occasions with leaner grazing types £45 – £65 and looking well sold. We have a good number of regular buyers for all grades of ewes so please do inform me of any large consignment of ewes that you have to sell.

Top prices included

Suffolk cross to £113 – Leconfield Farms Ltd, Texel cross to £96 – N A Vincent, Texel to £94 – L Stevens & Sons, Charollais to £93 – Ross Farms, Romney to £86 – G W Fuller & Son, Mule to £79 – Leconfield Farm Ltd

Store & Breeding Sheep – Friday 13th October – 4,880 Sold

Auctioneers: John Rossiter 07557 392903 and James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Another entry this week but numbers on offer do now seem to be in a slight decline as the season moves on. Buyers from around the UK around the ring for the 4,500 lambs on offer which really shows there is a demand for sheep for further farming in all areas and with the numbers now easing, the prices are staying strong. Forward and strong stores are selling from £90-105 with a top price of £112 from S W Batch. Medium lambs were traded in the £75-90 price bracket and only long-term sort and smaller offerings were below this. Romney wethers were in demand but the overall quality of these was not as strong as we have seen of late.

Still, plenty of interest and inquiries re store lambs – Please keep inquiries coming and keep in touch.

Breeding Ewe Tegs (644)

Top price £174.00 – Ave £133.09

A decent entry of tegs with most producers now coming to the end of their numbers left to sell. Trade remained at a good level throughout with the top spot on the day taken by Mr T Husk for superbly bred Texel cross ewes topping out at £174 with their second pen to £167. Suffolk x Mules in strong demand throughout and to £170 from G Hosmer & Son. Majority of the others £120 – £160 with a large variation in size and quality on offer. There will be more breeding sheep on Friday 27^th October plus a good sale of rams also included on this day.

Breeding Ewes – 644 sold – Top £174.00 – Ave £133.09

Top prices include;

Texel cross – £174.00
Mules – £172.00
Suffolk cross – £170.00
Others – £152.00

We had more people looking to buy ewes than we had ewes to sell with the breeding season well under way. A great trade from start to finish with a F/R of Charollais ewes from D J Morphett to £150 and again at £130. Texel cross ewes from S P Howland reached highs of £138 whilst a F/D from Fountain & Sewell saw their Suffolk cross to £129 and their Mules to £104. Some older and slightly plainer Romney ewes sold to £93 with others regularly £70 – £80. If you have any to sell do not hesitate to get them booked in for Friday 27^TH October.

Breeding Older Ewes – 321 sold – Top £150.00 – Ave £88.72

Top prices include;

Charollais – £150.00
Texel cross – £138
Suffolk cross – £129.00
Mules – £104.00
Others – £104.00

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle –  58 Sold

Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

A very decent entry of 58 head comprising a big percentage of native bred cattle while beef bred continental crosses were in short supply.
The best, mainly Limousin cross, sold readily in excess of 280p and grossing well up to £1915 for a top quality steer from W Alexander (Shoreham).
Dairy bred cattle generally 250p plus with Limousin x Friesian steers to £1557 (269p), Angus x Friesian steer to £1476 (255p), Hereford x Friesian steer to £1370 (252p) and purebred Friesian steer £1336 (235p) all from A J Down.
Other native bred cattle included purebred Sussex, with the pick including steers at £1792 (270p) and £1680 (259p) from Sussex Herd Company Ltd; a run of grass finished steers around 240p and grossing up to £1532 from D W Page & Son; and a Sussex heifer looking well sold at £1540 (247p) from M Moncrieffe.
A good selection of Angus cross with the best including steers £1485 (244p) from W S Furnival Ltd, £1436 (244p) and £1390 (251p) from B W C Brooks and heifers £1382 (269p) from A J Britton and £1336 (248p) from Gary Stokes and Stabiliser cross well sold at £1609 (254p) from W S Furnival Ltd.
A small selection of bulls with a smart Blonde cross topping at £1913 (270p) from G L Boulden & Sons

Top Steers

W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 293p/kg (£1915)
S J Theobald & Sons – Limousin cross – 288p/kg (£1566)
J Hooker & Son – Blonde cross – 286p/kg (£1584)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 280p/kg (£1649)
Sussex Herd Company Ltd – Sussex – 270pkg (£1792)

Top Heifers

W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 296p/kg (£1625)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 293p/kg (£1433)
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin cross – 286p/kg (£1598)
A J Britton – Aberdeen Angus cross – 269p/kg – (£1382)
A J Down – Limousin cross – 258p/kg (£1184)

Average Prices

Steers up to 650kg – 30 sold – Top 288p – Ave 253p
Steers over 651kg – 4 sold – Top 293p – Ave 256p
Heifers up to 590kg – 15 sold – Top 296p – Ave 254p
Heifers over 591kg – 6 sold – Top 247p – Ave 234p
Bulls – 3 sold – Top 270p – Ave 247p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 95 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Terrific numbers of both cull cows and overage clean cattle. There are certainly more downward pressures in the meat trade just at present, particularly surrounding the cull cows, as the weather in the West and North brings many more dairy cows to market, as well as empty beef cows on scanning post weaning. Nevertheless, plenty of customers around the ring to compete strongly for all grades at the slightly lower rates with plenty of strong interest in the better shaped, younger beef cows for feeding. This is a seasonal pinch point and with stock in short supply we will see a turnaround in due course.
Plenty of best strong meat cows still 150-180p and young feeders regularly 170-220p. Older cows a little easier, 125-150p, as the grazing option disappears but with a consumer forever looking for cheaper food products this processing beef will find strong demand.
Sussex 231p, £1106 (Non FA) Paley Farms, 173p, £1242 L Stevens & Sons, 166p, £1208 Sussex Herd Co Ltd; Hereford 188p, £981 (Non FA) Mrs S E Ginger, 180p, £1130 (Non FA) M Worssam; Limousin x 186p R Martin (Non FA), 176p, 155p, £1406, £1071 (Non FA) Gallagher Farms; Beef Shorthorn x 185p, £1208 (Non FA) M Worssam; Angus  182p, 177p, 173p, 162p, £1412, £1394, £1363, £1298 (Non FA) Wilson Farm Ptrs; Blonde x 173p, £1242 (Non FA) M Worssam; British Blue x 170p, £1271 (Non FA) S J Theobald & Sons, 168p, £1013 (Non FA) M Worssam.
Dairy culls under a little more pressure than the beef cows with fewer feeding options. Fleshed cows still 140-160p but the lean parlour cows have eased back as numbers nationally increase.
Holstein Friesian 155p, 144p, £1066 J W Boyd & Sons; 154p, 142p, £1228 Huddlestone Farmers; 146p, 139p, £1106 P J Forknall; 145p, £1079 M S Clifford Baynes; British Friesian 151p, 150p (2) £1001 Debden Court Ltd, 144p B J Goodsell & Son; Foreign Cows to 128p, £975.
Overage (24) Some good cattle and plenty of interest in this prime beef going forward into a slightly lower market. Strong competition for both feeders and killing cattle.
Angus x OTM steers 234p, 227p, £1331, £1283; Angus x OTM heifers 231p, 220p, 219p, £1278, £1262, £1199; Charolais OTM heifers 258p, 256p, 248p (2) £1485, £1455, £1349; Holstein OTM steers 186p, £1299.

Beef Cows – 52 Sold – Top 231, Average 153.4
Dairy Cows –25 Sold – Top 155, Average 126.9

 

Store Cattle – 242 Sold

Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

A very strong trade for all quality forward cattle to feed short term while plainer sorts are discounted reflecting the cost of wintering and the time scale.
Several runs of recently weaned calves were keenly sought after with Limousin cross steers topping the section at £960 from A J Britton, 7/8 mths Aberdeen Angus cross steers at £860 from M S Worssam. Yearling purebred Sussex steers looked well sold at £990 from Claygate Farm.
Stronger short term cattle included 20 month Charolais cross steers, topping the market, at £1350 from R & H Vincent; 14 mths purebred Sussex steers to £1180 from J C & C Lewis; and 19 mths Hereford steers to £1120 from Mrs S E Ginger.
Next sale Tuesday 24^th October – 350 already entered and further entries now invited.

Principal Prices include:

Continental Cross 

8 mths Limousin cross steers – £960 – A J Britton
8 mths Limousin cross heifers – £920 – A J Britton
8/9 mths Simmental cross steers – £890 – High Chimney Farms
15 mths Charolais cross heifers – £1000 – Langrish Farmers
20 mths Charolais cross steers – £1350 – R & H Vincent

Native Bred

7/8 mths Aberdeen Angus cross steers – £860 – M S Worssam
7/8 mths Aberdeen Angus cross heifers – £770 – M S Worssam
11/12 mths Sussex steers – £990 – Claygate Farm
12 mths Sussex bull – £955 – J C & C Lewis
14 mths Sussex steers – £1180 – J C & Lewis
16 mths Aberdeen Angus cross steers – £1095 – P C Coleman
19 mths Pure Hereford steers – £1120 – Mrs S E Ginger

Store & Finished Pigs –  40 Sold

Auctioneer: Tom Hamplett 07966 104532

Finished (19) A decent trade, considering the entry, with best fat pigs still achieving strong returns. An entry with plenty of out of spec and coloured pigs making the averages not look quite as pretty as sometimes! Porkers to 182p pk or £154.70 from J Hodson averaging 160p pk or £123.38. Cutters to 225p pk or £208.13 from High Barn Farm averaging 170p pk or £160. Bacon pigs 192p pk £201.60 from J Hodson averaging £176.69 or £180. Heavy pigs to 162p pk 0r £226.80 again from J Hodson averaging £159.25 or £217.
Cull (9) More life in the sow trade this week with a heavy non breeding gilt from North School YFC to 95p pk, sows to 82p pk or £255 from Brooker & Son, with all sows averaging 68.07p pk. One single boar forward to 30p pk.
Stores (12) A tale of two halves, or pens should I say! A smart pen of Berkshire x Pietrein weaners from S & D Butler sold for £58 per head whilst a pen of potbelly types were significantly harder work.
A polite request to all vendors to please pre enter all pigs on the Monday morning prior to a pig sale. This

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Tuesday Livestock – 17th October 2023

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

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