Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 18th April 2023

Sheep Sales Reports

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Finished Hoggets – 2,885

Top price per kg: 351p – R L Pack
Top price per head: £175.00 – Beslee Farms

A very busy day in the hogget department with a large proportion arriving on Tuesday morning. We would like to thank our hauliers and customers for their patience whilst we cleared the unloading docks. I usually harp on about supply and demand and that numbers dictate the price, but with numbers increasing every week now and the trade lifting consecutively week on week, it really does not stack up with my theories! A truly marvellous trade throughout the sale with every class of hogget selling on a flying trade and averaging over £3 kg. Handyweights over this figure consistently and heavies cruising to a top of £175 for some Texel hoggets that were well shown by Master Harvey Beslee – even exceeding his own price expectations by £5 head! Many East and West Sussex customers making the journey to Ashford were well represented on the price podium with silver going to F & J M Rumsey at £169 head and bronze to P Gorringe at £167 head.
The first proper entry of new season lambs today from Mrs K Tucker, with some lovely Charollais X which averaged at 350p kg for the run.

39kg – £126.00 (323p/kg) – L Atfield
40kg – £122.00 (305p/kg) – E & J H Maylam
41kg – £144.00 (351p/kg) – R L Pack
42kg – £140.50 (335p/kg) – Tilley Farm Ptnsp
43kg – £132.50 (308p/kg) – M A Piper & Son Farms
44kg – £142.00 (323p/kg) – Tilley Farm Ptnsp
45kg – £139.00 (309p/kg) – C Ballard
46kg – £153.00 (333p/kg) – J Watt
47kg – £162.00 (345p/kg) – P Gorringe
48kg – £143.00 (298p/kg) – G Husk
49kg – £156.50 (319p/kg) – F & J M Rumsey
50kg – £152.00 (304p/kg) – A J W Smith & Son
51kg – £148.50 (291p/kg) – F & J M Rumsey
52kg – £162.00 (312p/kg) – P Gorringe
53kg – £159.00 (300p/kg) – J Watt
54kg – £148.00 (274p/kg) – P Gorringe
55kg – £145.00 (264p/kg) – T R Holt
56kg – £156.00 (279p/kg) – G Nairn
57kg – £156.00 (274p/kg) – F & J M Rumsey
58kg – £169.00 (291p/kg) – F & J M Rumsey
59kg – £144.00 (244p/kg) – P Gorringe
60kg – £175.00 (292p/kg) – Beslee Farms
61kg – £167.00 (274p/kg) – P Gorringe
62kg – £136.00 (219p/kg) – G Homewood
63kg – £159.00 (252p/kg) – F & J M Rumsey
64kg – £148.00 (231p/kg) – J & C Kellett

Averages (p/kg) 

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 379 – Top 341, Average 314.5
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 680 – Top 352, Average 296.2
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 1057 – Top 345, Average 285.2
Over 52.1 kgs – 726 – Top 312, Average 261.7

Store Hoggets – 596 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

The trade here mirrors what took place in the finished sections today with prices through the roof and genuine stores regularly over £100. These prices are as high as we have seen them particularly for the standard of the sheep on offer and we advise any vendors to clear any remaining hoggets in the stores.

Cull Sheep – 488 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Ewe: Top £198 – Mrs K Tucker, Average £116.26
Ram: Top £178 – Mrs K Tucker, Average £127.09

A belter of a trade from start to finish with a good number of well fleshed ewes. The best ewes regularly £100 – £150 with the highlight of the day, £198, from Mrs K Tucker for some super Charollais ewes. Medium sorts £80 – £100 with leaner grazing types £50 – £70. Little sold below these figures.

Charollais to £198 – Mrs K Tucker, Texels to £195 – H V Link Ptnsp, Beltex to £170 – T Husk, Suffolks to £160 – D Lindon, Border Leicester to £156 – R J & S Whitcombe, Mules to £119 – W G Watkins & Sons, Romneys to £143 – F G Pierce & Sons

Ewe & Lambs – 167 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Top £245 – Miss H Challis, Average £144.59

More couples on offer today with an overall average of £144.59 per couple. Top price of the day was £245 (£81.70 per head) from Miss H Challis for some Texel cross ewes with smart Texel cross lambs at foot. Please do inform us of any breeding sheep you are looking to sell.

 

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle –  54 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

It is the finished cattle prices that are driving confidence forward in the whole cattle industry and their short supply the country over is going to remain in place for a long while yet, with no alternative supply available from Europe or around the world.
Once again headlines won by a wonderful run of well finished cattle from M B Farms that saw their Limousin steers to 320p kg grossing up to £2360, with their heifers to 318p, £1966.
Best cattle regularly 270-300p kg with other quality types 302p, £2020 from W Alexander (Shoreham) Ltd, 298p, £1607 from M A Piper & Son Farms and 293p, £1667 from G L Boulden & Sons.
Dairy bred cattle to 265p for Limousin x Friesian from A J Down; their Friesians to 239p, £1407.
As always plenty of interest in the native bred cattle with Sussex steers from W S Furnival Ltd to 271p, £1498; Aberdeen Angus steers to 266p, £1779 B G & M A Tompsett; Aberdeen Angus heifers to 261p, £1485 W S Furnival Ltd, and Beef Shorthorn cross heifers to 249p, £1342 D W Page & Son.

Top Steers

M B Farms – Limousin – 320p/kg (£2124)
M B Farms – Limousin – 318p/kg (£2047)
M B Farms – British Blue cross – 303p/kg (£2359)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 302p/kg (£2020)
W S Furnival Ltd – Sussex – 271p/kg (£1487)

Top Heifers

M B Farms – Limousin – 318p/kg (£1841)
M B Farms – Limousin cross – 315p/kg (£1965)
M B Farms – Limousin – 306p/kg (£1924)
M B Farms – British Blue cross – 306p/kg (£1634)
M A Piper & Son Farms – Limousin cross – 298p/kg (£1532)

Average Prices

Steers up to 550kg – 8 sold – Top 271p – Ave 251p
Steers 551 to 650kg – 17 sold – Top 318p – Ave 259p
Steers over 651kg – 6 sold – Top 320p – Ave 284p
Heifers up to 500kg – 4 sold – Top 256p – Ave 249p
Heifers 501 to 590kg – 15 sold – Top 318p – Ave 277p
Heifers over 591kg – 4 sold – Top 315p – Ave 285p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 41 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

No surprise to see fewer cows now coming forward as stock begins to go to grass. Trade remaining on fire with buyers desperate to secure numbers.
Beef cows with flesh generally 200-225p with some best shaped types and younger feeders 250-290p. Very little below 160p. Gross returns magnificent with plenty over £1500 with South Devon cross to £1764; Hereford cross £1725 and Limousin cross to £1785 and £1654.
Limousin cross 288p, £1265 Price & Shelbourne, 243p, £1091 (Non FA) A J Britton, 255p, 218p, £1654, £1338 L E Humphreys & Sons, 225p, £1785 Gardners; Sussex 224p, £1516 (Non FA) Brede Valley, 211p, £1379 C E & W S Millson, 211p, £1210 (Non FA) M G Izard, 206p, £1325 Birt Bros; Saler cross 222p, 217p, £1764, £1418 Gardners; Aberdeen Angus cross 209p, £1439 (Non FA) Scaynes Farm; South Devon cross 208p, £1442 J S Tilley; British Blue cross 195p, £1585 (Non FA) T Maddocks; Simmental cross 195p, £1459 R Coleman & Sons; Hereford cross 186p, £1725 R Carr & Ptnrs; Dexter 120p, £508 Brede Valley.
A small show of dairy culls bur everyone badly wanted with the best over 200p and £1600.
Holstein Friesians 209p, 197p, 188p (2), 186p (2), £1601, £1477, £1434, £1407, £1391 Appleton Farms; 188p, 186p, £1519, £1345 P J Forknall.
Overage (1) Just a single 3 year old Sussex heifer at 218p, £1490.

Beef Cows – 27 Sold – Top 288, Average 206.1
Dairy Cows – 13 Sold – Top 209, Average 172.8

Store Cattle – 407 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

The store cattle section was already in a good place, but it took another step forward (maybe helped by the drying conditions out at grass) but with a yard full of quality cattle and a ring full of buyers from across the country we enjoyed a superb trade from start to finish whether big or small!
Plenty of cattle of note but mention to outstanding runs of Limousin cross steers (13-14 mths) from Robert Humphreys and John Emery who sold to £1720 and £1700 respectively.
Confidence is driven by the finished trade, but it is clear for all to see that cattle numbers nationally are in decline and that situation is here to stay with so many pressures coming from above driving out farming for production and into environmental schemes!

Principal Prices include:

12-13mths Limousin cross steers – £770 – G F Hawkins
12-14mths Longhorn steers – £780 – M R Cullen
12-15mths Longhorn heifers – £730 – M R Cullen
10mths Limousin steers – £1090 – Price & Shelbourne
12-13mths Limousin cross steers – £970 – J J Butcher
7-8mths Charolais cross steers – £770 – Goodsell Farm Ptns
11mths Limousin cross steers – £890 – Burden Bros
12mths Aberdeen Angus cross steers – £870 – Burden Bros
11mths Limousin cross heifers – £750 – Burden Bros
11mths Aberdeen Angus cross heifers – £750 – Burden Bros
11-13mths Aberdeen Angus cross steers – £1160 – J & A Lyon
12-14mths Aberdeen Angus cross heifers – £1235 – J & A Lyon
9-11mths Aberdeen Angus cross steers – £1040 – P Ashlee
10-11mths Aberdeen Angus cross heifers – £880 – P Ashlee
12mths Limousin cross steers – £1220 – J Prior & Son
11mths Limousin cross steers – £1110 – R Coleman & Sons
11-12mths Limousin cross heifers – £985 – R Coleman & Sons
11mths Limousin cross steers – £1360 – S & D Broad
11mths Limousin cross heifers – £1140 – S & D Broad
12-14mths Limousin cross steers – £1180 – P J S Farms
13-14mths Limousin cross heifers – £1065 – P J S Farms
12-13mths Simmental cross steers – £1360 – M G Izard
13mths Simmental cross heifers – £1115 – M G Izard
13-14mths Limousin cross steers – £1720 – L E Humphreys & Sons
13-14mths Limousin cross steers – £1700 – H J Emery & Son
12-14mths Limousin cross heifers – £1545 – H J Emery & Son
11-13mths Limousin cross steers – £1300 – M J Ashworth
22mths Limousin cross heifers – £1420 – Hawkfibre Ltd
11mths Limousin cross steers – £1190 – Hawkfibre Ltd
12mths Limousin cross steers – £965 – G W Bridges
12mths Sussex steers – £800 – G W Bridges
12-14mths Sussex steers – £890 – Mrs V McDonald
21-24mths Hereford steers – £1280 – B C Ginger
25-26mths Hereford heifers – £1300 – B C Ginger
21-22mths Limousin cross steers – £1165 – P Langridge
28mths Hereford cross heifers – £1175 – J P J Wanstall
26mths Limousin cross heifers – £1460 – C D Millen
19-21mths Sussex heifers – £1005 – Coles Agricultural

Pigs –  31 Sold

Auctioneer: Tom Hamplett 07966 104532

Finished (25) – A better entry forward this week but still lacking in best pigs. Those that were forward were well rewarded with tops of 161p (£127.59) or £146.73 (155p) from C B Hope. Plainer leaner types harder work as to be expected but all trading at a price.
Cull (6) – A serious trade for the best sows today with tops of 103p (£193.13) from D Light. Overall average for culls today 64p with a mix of shapes sizes and weights all in.
Stores – Disappointing to not have any stores forward today with demand high. Please call to discuss trade and book stores in to meet spring demand!

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 – 25th April 2023

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

For our Auction Calendar and Catalogues click here