Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 18th October 2022

Sheep Sales Reports

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

New Season Lambs – 1,119 Sold

Top price per kg: 341p – Jack Pearce

Top price per head: £140 – Jack Pearce

A few more penned this week and, undoubtedly a better show in terms of quality. Trade was at a similar level despite the improved quality on offer, as we were furnished with less buying presence today due to the delays at the Dartford Crossing. We had some super Blue Texel lambs on offer from Jack Pearce this week which topped the market on both counts at both £140 head and 341p kg. Despite what appears to be a downturn in the trade there is still a good premium available for the best finished sheep on offer. The averages don’t necessarily reflect this, but the best lambs were generally trading from 240-260p kg, whilst the leaner types on offer were selling from £2/kg upwards and in line with store prices.

Top Prices

34kg – £79.00 (232p/kg) – W T Kemp
35kg – £68.50 (196p/kg) – M Keeley (Agri) Services
36kg – £82.00 (228p/kg) – L Atfield
37kg – £81.00 (219pkg) – W T Kemp
38kg – £80.00 (211p/kg) – G Tucker
39kg – £90.00 (231p/kg) – L Atfield
40kg – £104.00 (260p/kg) – Jack Pearce
41kg – £140.00 (341p/kg) – Jack Pearce
42kg – £115.00 (274p/kg) – T Husk
43kg – £108.00 (251p/kg) – P N & C Burden
44kg – £115.00 (261p/kg) – D Wade
45kg – £109.00 (242p/kg) – V Smith
46kg – £115.00 (250p/kg) – V Smith
47kg – £116.00 (247p/kg) – P N & C Burden
48kg – £119.50 (249p/kg) – David Beadle
49kg – £121.00 (247p/kg) – H V Link Ptnsp
50kg – £116.50 (233p/kg) – H V Link Ptnsp
51kg – £107.00 (210p/kg) – H V Link Ptnsp
54kg – £126.00 (233p/kg) – P N & C Burden
57kg – £128.00 (225p/kg) – H V Link Ptnsp

Averages (p/kg)

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 239 – Top 264, Average 206.0
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 602 – Top 341, Average 231.0
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 242 – Top 250, Average 232.5
Over 52.1 kgs – 6 – Top 223, Average 230.3

Cull Sheep – 516 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Ewes: Top £110 – P Taylor, Average £60.82
Rams: Top £135 – Mrs H Delaney, Average £82.38

A good number penned again with majority of these leaner sorts to graze on. Best ewes £80-100, to a top price of £110 from P Taylor for some well fleshed Texel ewes. Medium ewes trading between £65-£80 with the leaner sorts £40-£60 with plenty of buyers forward for these on the day.

Top prices included:

Texel cross to £110 – P Taylor, Texel to £93 – P Loveland, Suffolk cross to £94 – L Atfield, Mules to £85 – S Haydon, Mules to £85 – L Atfield, Romneys to £104 – Langrish Farmers

Store & Breeding Sheep – Friday 14th October

5,613 Sold

Auctioneers: Elwyn Davies: 07710 803901, Peter Kingwill 07795 200357 and John Rossiter 07557 392903

Another big entry of sheep and while prices were not quite at last week’s high this was still a very decent trade throughout.
The best of the crossbred store lambs attracted prices in excess of £85 and up to £93 for a pen of smart Texel cross from North Frith Farm and an overall average of £77.20. Medium stores generally £75 to £80 and only small long-term lambs below £70. The best of the Romney wethers sold exceptionally well with fleshed sorts topping at £94 and strong stores sold readily around £85 while a big percentage of smaller lambs ranged in the £55 to £65 bracket.
A more selective trade in the breeding sheep section and while the best sold at recent high levels in excess of £160 and up to £186 for strong North Country Mule ewe tegs from West Meston Farms. Suffolk x Mule ewe tegs a good trade. Second quality and tail enders proved more difficult to sell. 

Please keep in touch and call to discuss future marketing of store lambs, Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

Average prices: Store lambs 4,860 sold to Ave £73.50

Beltex cross – 99 – to £83 – Ave £79
Texel cross – 1,722 – to £93 – Ave £75.50
Charollais cross – 970 – to £91.50 – Ave £78.30
Suffolk x Mule ewe – 101 – to £121 – Ave £95
Suffolk cross – 274 – to £89 – Ave £80.50
Crossbred – 285 – to £81 – Ave £73.70
Romney wether – 1,406 – to £94 – Ave £66

Ewe tegs: 567 to Ave £145
Mule – £195 – to £186 – Ave £155
Suffolk x Mule – 276 – to £172 – Ave £146
Romney – 96 – to £129 – Ave £120

Breeding ewes

Breeding ewes – 160 – to £112 – Ave £78

Principal store lamb prices included

Suffolk x Mule ewe – £121 – E Morris & Son
Suffolk x Beulah ewe – £81.50 – R Haydon & Ptns
Suffolk x Mule wether – £89 – L E Humphreys & Sons
Suffolk x Romney – £81 – R P, G J & D R O’Brien
Charollais cross – £91.50 – M Wickens
Charollais cross – £91 – S Roper
Texel cross – £93 – North Frith Farm
Texel cross – £88.50 – G Lawrence & Son
Texel cross – £88 – H G Tompsett & Sons Ltd
Beltex cross – £83 – Maytham Wharf Farm
Romney wether – £94 – N Connell
Romney wether – £86.50 – S G & G T orpin
Romney wether – £84.50 – E J & A I Fenton
Romney wether – £84 – G L Boulden & Sons

Ewe tegs

North Country Mule – £186 – West Meston Farms
Suffolk x Mule – £172 – T Jones
Romney – £129 – D M Brown

 

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle – 63 Sold

Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

A more variable quality entry of cattle and while the best sold well attracting prices in the 250 to 276p bracket, the leaner sorts sold at prices reflecting their store value.
Smart heifers took the pick of the trade with a top quality British Blue cross heifer topping the market at £1529 (276p) from W G Vant & Sons while other leading heifers attracted prices in excess of 265p. Top prices in the steer section included Limousin crosses at £1662 (273p) from W Alexander (Shoreham) and £1658 (268p) from W G Vant & Sons.
The regular run of Limousin x Friesian steers from A J Down ranged mainly in the 230 to 240p bracket and grossed well up to £1650 (242p) and the best of the native bred cattle included Aberdeen Angus cross steers £1638 (245p) from W S Furnival Ltd and £1330 (226p) from B G & M A Tompsett, Purebred Sussex heifer £1147 (237p) from The Montreal Estate and Sussex steers £1347 (220p) from Earl de la Warr.

Top Steers 

W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 273p/kg (£1662)
W G Vant & Sons – Limousin cross – 268p/kg (£1658)
G L Boulden & Sons – Blonde cross – 249p/kg (£1354)
W S Furnival Ltd – Aberdeen Angus cross – 245p/kg (£1638)
G L Boulden & Sons – Blonde cross – 244p/kg (£1400)

Top Heifers

W G Vant & Sons – British Blue cross – 276p/kg (£1529)
S Marsh – Limousin cross – 274p/kg (£1531)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 272p/kg (£1528)
A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – 271p/kg (£1460)
A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – 267p/kg (£1361) 

Average Prices

Steers up to 550kg – 9 sold – Top 249p – Ave 206p
Steers over 551kg – 22 Sold – Top 273p – Ave 230p
Heifers up to 500kg – 14 Sold – Top 259p – Ave 216p
Heifers over 501kg – 17 Sold – Top 276p – Ave 255p
Bulls – 1 sold – Top 188p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 74 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Again, no doubting that the live market is the place for best returns with the strength of the market for flesh combining with the intensity and confidence of the feeding sector and creating another superb trade for all grades of cows, bulls and overage clean cattle.
More beef cows now coming forward as early scanning takes place and, with a hard summer behind them, these are ideal for the finishers particularly when carrying some cover and when they have age on their side. The best 200-250p, with fleshed cows 170-220p. Plenty of older lean cows 130-160p.
British Blue cross 250p, 232p, 217p, 204p £1655, £1447, £1428 D G & J W Gore; Limousin cross 209p £1230 (Non FA) E Tilley, 205p, 200p, 195p £1432, £1357, £1323 Burden Bros, 196p £1398 W G Vant & Son; Simmental cross 197p, 188p, £1406, £1393 Burden Bros; 196p, 188p £1406, £1394 Dr R J & C S Wratten, 195p £1381 (Non FA) B G & M A Tomsett; Charolais cross 195p £1634 Burden Bros; Stabiliser cross 195p £1332 (Non FA) F S Husk; Hereford cross 194p £1134 (Non FA) F S Husk; Aberdeen Angus cross 190p £1279 Burden Bros, 189p £1433 A J Thompson & Sons; Beef Shorthorn 189p £1433 (Non FA) Emily Wood; Sussex 185p £1017 Langrish Farmers, 179p £1160 Beaute Agri.
Very quiet this week from the dairy sector with just a handful on offer. All wanted and more needed!
British Friesian 183p £1106 B J Goodsell & Son; Holstein Friesian 171p £1296 W F Farms, 168p £1332 M A & F W Owen.
Stock bulls remain very dear. Aberdeen Angus 173p £1846, Hereford 155p £1692, Sussex 149p £1463, Stabiliser 146p £1433, Longhorn 129p £1195.
A few overage and another excellent trade. OTM Aberdeen Angus heifer 218p £1401; OTM Stabiliser heifer 204p £1048; 3yo+ Sussex heifer 204p £1221.

Beef Cows – 57 Sold – Top 250, Average 169.9
Dairy Cows – 8 Sold – Top 183, Average 137.3

Store cattle – 285 Sold

Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

A very similar report to recent weeks with the strong cattle in forward condition attracting the most interest and the best prices while younger sorts particularly the dairy bred and leaner sorts proving more difficult to sell at prices reflecting the long term costs.Nevertheless, smart youngsters sold in excess of £800 notably Aberdeen Angus cross steers from Gallagher Farms and Kent Wildlife Trust and dairy bred British Blue x Friesian steers to £810 from Hall Place Farms.
At the stronger end of the market 18mths Aberdeen Angus cross steers sold well at £1120 from M A & F W Owen and 26 mths Limousin cross heifers with size and shape topped the market at £1170 from Langrish Farmers.
The best of the native bred cattle with age and condition looked well sold notably pure Sussex heifers at £1100 from The Montreal Estate and purebred Hereford steers £1000 from Mrs S E Ginger.

Principal Prices

10mths Aberdeen Angus cross steers – £830 – Gallagher Farms
12mths Aberdeen Angus cross steers – £825 – Kent Wildlife Trust
16mths Aberdeen Angus cross steers – £915 – Kent Wildlife Trust
14mths Aberdeen Angus cross heifers – £970 – D J Miles
16mths Aberdeen Angus cross heifers – £880 – P C Coleman
18mths Aberdeen Angus cross steers – £1120 – M A & F W Owen
17mths Aberdeen Angus cross heifer – £910 – M A & F W Owen
17mths Aberdeen Angus cross steer – £1180 – R L Brown
16mths Simmental cross steer – £1070 – S J Edmed & Sons
13mths British Blue x Friesian steers – £805 – Hall Place Farms
19mths Limousin cross steers – £1000 – Ed Tilley
18mths Limousin cross heifer – £840 – Ed Tilley
26mths Limousin cross heifer – £1170 – Langrish Farmers
18mths Sussex steer – £1005 – The Montreal Estate
18mths Sussex heifer – £1100 – The Montreal Estate
20mths Hereford steer – £1000 – Mrs S E Ginger
18mths Hereford heifer – £800 – Mrs S E Ginger

Pigs – 34 sold

Auctioneer:Tom Hamplett 07966 104532

Finished – 13 sold – Trade for finished pigs a little easier particularly for pigs with a little less style and flesh about them. Gilts being more easy selling; Boars a little harder work. Top pence per kilo and per head to N Dance for a tremendous Pietrein cross Baconer to 147p (£144). Porkers from the same home to 130p. J Sanders sold a pen to £110 per head and H W Richards’ heavy gilt to £109.52.
Cull Pigs – 13 sold – Trade remains firmer for cull pigs with returns looking significantly sprightlier than earlier this year.  Best in the lump today to £147.50 (50p) from I D Machin, £138.60 (63p) and £129 (58p) from C B Hope. Sows of all shapes, sizes and conformations seeing returns here at Ashford with top weight today of 335 kgs for a very traditional looking Saddleback from G A Verity to £117.25! Boars a little sharper but arguably an improved entry with two forward to top at £85 (34p) from D & J Murray.
Stores – 8 sold – A mixed pen of stronger Gloucester and Berkshire Boars forward selling for a respectable £25.

 

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Tuesday Livestock – 25th October 2022

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

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