Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 19 April 2022

2,287 Sheep and 336 Cattle Sold.

Cull Ewes to £236 this week from Mr James Vine and Breeding Bull to £6,600 from Messrs Vaughan.

 


Sheep Sales Reports

Finished Sheep – 1,638 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

New Season Lambs

Just one run of New Season Lambs this week from James Farrant which sold to average 322p/kg, to a top price of £140/hd. We expect to see number grow in this section in the coming weeks.

Finished Hoggets

Top price per kilo: 341p/kg – Lucy Young Top price per head: £166 – Mr Tom Husk

A few less forward this week, following the Bank Holiday, as we get into the latter stages of the hogget season. This drop in numbers nationally has certainly helped the trade to lift by about £5/hd or 10-15p/kg across the board, and the averages will reflect that.

The most desirable hoggs at the moment are in the 38-44kg weight bracket with these breaking £3/kg on regular occasions this week to a top of 341p/kg from Lucy Young. Dylan Isaac, M A Piper & Son Farms and Peter Taylor also selling above the £3 price mark. Heavier hoggets were once again plentiful and made up over 75% of the entry but trade has certainly improved here, also by about £5/hd, with some superb shaped Beltex hoggets from Mr Tom Husk selling to £167 this week, with his uncle, Graham Husk, selling Texels to £154/hd to take second spot.

Hoggets are now coming forward with erupted teeth and we urge vendors to be mindful of this. We can still sell these very well, but they are discounted in comparison to the main hogget price.

Top Prices

37kg – £113.00 (305p/kg) – D Isaac
38kg – £116.00 (305p/kg) – P Taylor
39kg – £112.00 (287p/kg) – P Taylor
40kg – £124.00 (310p/kg) – D Isaac
41kg – £115.00 (280p/kg) – D Stephens
42kg – £124.00 (295p/kg) – Ross Farms
43kg – £129.50.00 (301p/kg) – M A Piper & Son Farms
44kg – £132.00 (300p/kg) – W F Kirk
45kg – £126.50 (281p/kg) – Langrish Farmers
46kg – £128.50 (279p/kg) – N Hutley
47kg – £128.50 (273p/kg) – M A Piper & Son Farms
48kg – £141.50 (295p/kg) – A J W Smith & Son
49kg – £135.00 (276p/kg) – M A Piper & Son Farms
50kg – £166.00 (332p/kg) – S Husk
51kg – £130.00 (255p/kg) – M A Piper & Son Farms
52kg – £142.00 (273p/kg) – S Husk

Averages (p/kg)

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs -46 – Top 341, Average 315.5
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs- 314 – Top 310, Average 276.5
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs- 750 – Top 332, Average 254.1
Others over 52.1 kg – 490 – Top 273, Average 220.1

Breeding Sheep – 69 Sold

A small entry of couples today with Swanley Farm leading the way with 10 ewes and 10 lambs making £160 (£80 per life). H Challis also sold 4 ewes and 8 lambs to £220 (£73 per life) with an overall average on the day of £74 per life. Please contact me if you have couples to sell as we do have demand for couples each week.

Cull Sheep – 580 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook O’Connell 07712 246474

Ewes: Top £236 – S J & J L Vine Ptnrs, Average £127
Rams: Top £165 – Mrs V McDonald, Average £145

Trade remains very strong. Plenty of numbers continuing to come forward from far and wide. Top call today went to S J & J L Vine Partners with a lovely run of Texel ewes topping at £236, their second pen making £189; J Goffin to £204, T Husk to £168 and £167; C & J Georgetti & Sons to £167 (twice); M J Ashworth to £157 and C B Hope to £156. Ben Foy Ltd sold a big run of Texel cross ewes which topped at £151. We continue to have a very good trade for all grades of ewes. I would advise that you take advantage of the current trade if you have them to sell.

Top Prices include

Beltex to £168 – Mr T Husk, Texel to £236 – S J & J L Vine & Ptnrs, Suffolk cross to £167 – C & J Georgetti & Sons, Charollais to £168 – S Husk, Romney to £141 – R J Grover, Mule to £144 – T Tilley and Southdown to £136 – C B Hope

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle – 51 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795200357

Top price per kilo: 273 p/kg – R J Husk Top price per head: £1660 – K & P M Sinden

Good numbers immediately after the Bank Holiday which shows the confidence in the beef trade. Overall a little less flesh on offer this week but the lean cattle are keenly taken by feeders able to put on that extra coat of paint!

Best of the finished cattle clearly to a smart Limousin heifer from S Marsh at 270p £1334 whilst leaner Limousin heifers with potential from R J Husk up to 273p.Other smart finished heifers 268p £1535 from W Alexander (Shoreham); 256p £1589, 250p G L Boulden & Sons; and 250p £1472 D W Ferguson Ltd. Sussex heifers from A H Hoad & Son to 232p & 229p £1259.

Quality Limousin steers from R F & E A Simmons topped the steer section at 258p(twice) grossing up to £1612. Other Limousin  from W Alexander (Shoreham) sold to 250p £1659. Blondes from G L Boulden & Sons to 255p £1616 whilst Blues from K & P M Sinden & Sons sold to £1660. Sussex grossed up to £1587 from the Sinden Family. Dairy bred steers from A J Down continue strongly with Continentals to 239p £1479, British Friesians to 226p £1296.

Top Steers

R F & E A Simmons – Limousin Cross – 158 p/kg (£1565)
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin Cross – 158 p/kg (£1611)
G L Boulden & Sons – Blonde Cross – 255 p/kg (£1616)
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin cross – 252 p/kg (£1659)
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin Cross – 250 p/kg (£1422)

Top Heifers

R J Husk – Limousin Cross – 273 p/kg (£1362)
S Marsh – Limousin Cross – 270 p/kg (£1334)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin Cross – 268 p/kg (£1535)
R J Husk – Limousin Cross – 257 p/kg (£1064)
GL Boulden & Sons – Blonde – 256 p/kg (£1589)

Average Prices (p/kg)

Steers up to 650kg – 15 Sold – Top 258 – Av 234.80
Steers over 651kg – 4 Sold – Top 252 – Av 240.20
Heifers up to 590kg – 20 Sold – Top 273 – Av 242.60
Heifers over 591kg – 2 – Sold Top 256 – Av 213.50

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 65 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795200357

A very good entry following the Easter weekend and another rip roaring trade for an entry not over done with flesh in either beef or dairy sector. Buyers competing hard for numbers. At this time of the year numbers will only be shortening as stock goes to grass so no let up in the trade is likely. Grazing and feeding demand remains very positive which is a good sign for the future.

Very few of the real best but readily over 200p with tidy meat cows 180-210p; gross returns massive and getting to £1800 for a South Devon from Messrs Gardners and £1641 for a Sussex from R Killingbeck; best grazers and feeders up over 200p, little below 160p.

Limousin x 215p £1255 L Palmer & Son, 210p £1404 M J Ashworth, 193p £1473 J & S Harmer, 192p £1377 (Non FA) J Bower; Simmental x 195p, 193p £1507, £1338 R P Kent & Son, 195p, 190p £1344, £1332 M J Ashworth; Angus x 195p £1186 (Non FA) J Bower, 187p £1257 (Non FA) K Vincent; South Devon 194p(2), 188p £1800, £1538, £1393 Gardners, 190p, 189p £1480, £1336 H & S Nesfield; Sussex 190p £1099 (Non FA) R Denyer, 189p £1093 D A Innes, 189p, 175p(3) £1140, £1091, £1038 Wright Farm Ptrs, 188p, 175p £1108 J & S Harmer; British Blue x 185p, 180p £1007 (Non FA) Will Agri.

A few more from the dairy sector this week and well received with a superb trade for all grades. Good, fleshed cows up over 180p with Black and Whites grossing up to £1606 from R & J Ledger. Little below 130p. Don’t waste your flesh on low yielders by turning out the wrong ones!?

Ayrshire 191p, 174p, 172p, 163p £1105, £1091 J Howie; British Friesian 185p, 180p, 176p, 171p £1606, £1365, £1279, £1272 R & J Ledger; Holstein Friesian 183p, 175p £1526, £1379 W G & T A Manford, 161p £1225 Huddlestone Farms; Holstein 180p, 178p £1562, £1491 P J Forknall; Norwegian Red 178p £1221 WF Farms; Guernsey 169p, 163p £1138, £1070 W G & T A Manford; Imported Danish Red 160p £1300; Jersey 141p £724 J Howie.

Overage clean cattle very dear. Longhorn heifer 207p £1507; Sussex heifer 205p £1186; Angus x heifer 200p.

Stock bulls wanted. Angus 165p £1694.

Beef Cows – 40 Sold – Top 215p/kg, Average 185.9p/kg
Dairy Cows – 29 Sold – Top 191p/kg, Average 163.1p/kg

Store Cattle – 166 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 077952003571

A smaller show of stores this week but in combination with the breeding cattle sale there was a large crowd around the ring. With grass now growing and turnout upon us demand for all cattle, big and small, is remaining very strong indeed. Mostly dairy bred youngsters this week with a nice entry of purebred Sussex stores to go along with the breeding day. Plenty of interest in cattle suitable for bulling. Young bulls a good trade.

More cattle wanted each week to satisfy this level of demand

Continental Cross

24-28 months Limousin cross heifers – £1190 – R J Husk
18-22 months Limousin cross heifers – £1100 – R J Husl
15 months Limousin cross steers – £1055 – P M Langridge
20 months British Blue x Friesian steers – £920 – R Winstone
20 months British Blue x Friesian heifers – £880 – R Winstone
21 months Limousin cross steer – £1490 – H & J Noakes
12-16 months Charolais cross heifers – £910 – N Morgan
12-13 months Simmental cross steers – £1235 – R P Kent & Son

Native Bred

11-14 months Sussex steers – £870 – Henry Moorhead & Co
9 months Hereford steer – £800 – P J Goldsmith
13 months Aberdeen Angus steers – £960 – I M Symonds
13 months Aberdeen Angus cross heifers – £800 – I M Symonds
12-15 months Aberdeen Angus cross heifers – £920 – N Morgan
15-16 months Aberdeen Angus cross heifers – £1010 – K Clayson
14-18 months Beef Shorthorn x Friesian steers – £850 – A L Betts
14-18 months Beef Shorthorn x Friesian heifers – £960 – A L Betts
24 months Beef Shorthorn x Friesian steers – £1040 – R Winstone
24 months Aberdeen Angus cross steer – £1140 – R P Kent & Son
20-24 months Sussex steers – £1130 – Wright Farm Partnership

Breeding Cattle – 54 Sold   Auctioneer: Tom Hamplett 07966 104532

Report on trade: A tremendous entry of breeding cattle forward today which met very strong demand from the outset with a record top price of £6,600!

A total of 8 breeding bulls forward today and all looking well sold with a top price of £6,600 for a superb 23m Limousin from Messrs Vaughan who also sold their other Limousin for £4,200. A 23m Angus Bull from W S Furnival Ltd reached £2,000, whilst a 24m Simmental from Geoffrey Bates Ltd changed hands at £1,700. Sussex bulls forward showing a little more age with a top of £1,850 for a 48m improved Pedigree Sussex from P Ashby, older stock bulls from Mrs V McDonald topped at £1,700 for a 60m bull in his working clothes.

Slightly fewer Cows and Calves than expected as a result of an unfortunate accident involving the vendor of one of the consignments to whom we would like to wish a speedy recovery. A total of 23 outfits forward meeting strong demand with Sussex outfits topping at £1,460 for a 90m Pedigree cow and 2m calf at foot, other similar outfits from the same vendor reached £1,450 (x4), and £1,400 (x3). Sussex outfits from R Denyer, as part of his full dispersal, sold to £1,280. Commercial young Beef Shorthorn cross heifers  with Blue Albion calves at foot from Garrett & Mannering well sold with both achieving £1,320.

23 In calf and maiden heifers forward and all meeting strong demand. Trade of the day would have been for Sussex maiden heifers with some quality cattle on offer and vendors justifiably rewarded. L Stevens & Sons came away with £1,680 for their run of 24m heifers. Chandler and Dunn Ltd sold a pair of 24m heifers for £1,560 whilst R Denyer’s pen topped at £1,460 for 23 – 25m heifers.

Breeding cattle are in strong demand and we have already received various enquiries from buyers looking for more cattle. We are looking to have an entry of breeding cattle on Tuesday 3rd May, please do make contact to discuss cattle from this sale.

Pig Sales Reports

Store and Finished Pigs – 38 Sold

Auctioneer: Mark Cleverdon 07741 845230

Following 2 better sales in the last month the bank holiday (as it often does!) completely upset the spot market (which the auction is) and demand was limited for what was thankfully a small entry.

The entry of finished pigs saw one pen from P J & P B Wade made 80p per kg with the rest 50p to 77p reflecting weight and quality. Again, no records broken this week on gross prices with the top being £70.

The cull trade was not good with limited demand and abattoirs reporting no spare capacity for slaughter this week.

A consignment of in pigs gilts looked value to the buyer at £32 to £44.

Forthcoming Auctions

Tuesday Livestock – 26th April 2022

Regular Weekly Market with catalogue sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

400 Store and Breeding Cattle will be catalogued for this sale.

For our Auction Calendar and Catalogues click here