Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 20th December 2022

Sheep Sales Reports

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

New Season Lambs – 652

Top price per kg: 321p – Mrs E Sargent
Top price per head: £157 – Mrs E Sargent

A small seasonal entry of lambs this week and a much-improved trade. Averages were well up on last week, but the quality was also better. A quality run of lambs from Mrs Lizzy Sargent topped the day with some superb lambs selling to £157 head and 321p/ kg, with another run of note, from shearing legend Ed Gingell, also reaching up to £149 head. We appreciate these vendors who make the long trips to Ashford from the west, with the reward for their efforts evident to all. Less lambs on offer this week in the run up to Christmas but also due to the fact that very few vendors are choosing to feed concentrates this year, which is where a number of finished sheep would come from at Christmas/ New Year in years past.

The Team would like to wish all our vendors, buyers and staff a very Merry Christmas, and we will see you all on the 27^th!

Top Prices

34kg – £100.00 (294p/kg) – C Sargent
35kg – £89.00 (254p/kg) – G L Harris
37kg – £113.00 (305p/kg) – Mrs E Sargent
40kg – £119.50 (299p/kg) – Mrs E Sargent
41kg – £107.00 (261p/kg) – G Jackson
42kg – £135.00 (321p/kg) – Mrs E Sargent
43kg – £119.00 (277p/kg) – N C & C Hedges
44kg – £113.00 (257p/kg) – Mrs E Sargent
45kg – £106.00 (236p/kg) – Langrish Farmers
46kg – £117.00 (254p/kg) – E Bourne
47kg – £149.00 (317p/kg) – E Gingell
48kg – £132.00 (275p/kg) – S & V Bullock
49kg – £157.00 (320p/kg) – Mrs E Sargent
50kg – £127.00 (254p/kg) – E Bourne
51kg – £122.00 (239p/kg) – A Gingell
52kg – £142.00 (273p/kg) – S J M Evans

Averages (p/kg)

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 50 – Top 305, Average 256.2
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 339 – Top 321, Average 245.7
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 247 – Top 320, Average 248.6
Over 52.1 kgs – 16 – Top 244, Average 244.0

Cull Sheep – 484 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Ewes: Top £156 – N A Balcomb & Son, Average £83.58
Rams: Top £134 – M A Piper & Son, Average £78.39

A superb trade all round with yet another good show of ewes in the pens. The best ewes regularly £90-£120, to a top price of £156 from N A Balcomb & Son for his smart Charollais ewes. Medium sorts £70-£90 on most occasions with leaner grazing sorts mostly £45-£65. There are a good number of competitive buyers present every week for all grades of ewes.

Top prices included:

Charollais to £156 – N A Balcomb & Son, Charollais to £136 – N C & C G Hedges, Texel to £148 – C Sargent, Texel cross to £127 – M A Piper & Son, Suffolk cross to £121 – J Merricks, Mules to £81 – Plumpton College, Romney to £95 – Langrish Farmers

Store & Breeding sheep sales report

Friday 16th December – 2,032 sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

A smaller sale in December with just over 2,000 lambs on offer. Trade was flying for the stronger types with most up towards and above £90 head and those with flesh over £100; and a few strong ewe lambs from L E Humphreys & Sons selling to £111. Longer term types of lambs would look better value to buy now but many of these are “end of the run” type of lambs and may not reach big weights when finished. This sale concludes the Friday sheep sales for 2022. With scanning now underway around the farms, we are ready to start all over again!

 Thank you to all the vendors, buyers and staff for their support throughout the season.

 

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle – 6

Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

Just a handful of cattle and all requiring further finish for another day.
A smart lightweight Limousin cross steer at 219p £1103 from C & E Leach whilst a dairy bred Flekvieh x Holstein made 186p £1030 from C Kearl.

No cattle on the 27^th December but stock will be required on the 3^rd January 2023 as the meat industry starts up again.

Happy Christmas and a successful and healthy New Year.

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 18 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Not surprisingly, just a small show of cows in the week before Christmas. Good competition for all grades with mostly feeders on offer both from the beef and dairy sectors.
A strong Charolais cow from A G Upton at 178p £1437 with leaner feeders to 160p £989 from D G & J W Gore.
Brown Swiss to 150p £1069 from the Falconhurst Estate; Holsteins to 148p from R C & J L Pickering.

Culls will be keenly wanted in the New Year as processors and retailers recognize that the discount end of the consumer market is going to be driven hard by demand.

Happy Christmas

Beef Cows – 7 Sold – Top 178, Average 149.3
Dairy Cows – 11 Sold – Top 150, Average 117.6

 

Store and Breeding Cattle – 0

Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710803901

 

Calves – 25 sold

Auctioneer: Thomas Hamplett 07966 104532

Calves Sold – 25

A seasonal entry from a handful of regular supporters concluded this year’s calves` sales here at Ashford with a similar trade to the last few sales.
Bulls to £190 for Charolais from Falconhurst Estate, £180 from British Blues from J W Boyd & Sons Ltd, and £170 for Aberdeen Angus from P J Forknall. Heifers to £125 for British Blues from J W Boyd & Sons Ltd and Limousins from Falconhurst Estate.
Wishing all calf vendors and buyers a Merry Christmas and prosperous New Year, we look forward to welcoming you back on Tuesday 3^rd January for our next calf sale.

Bull Calves

British Blue cross – 4 – Average £171.25 – Top £180 – J W Boyd & Sons
Charolais cross – 1 – Average £87.23 – Top £240 – John Gormley
Hereford cross – 5 – Average £190.00 – Top £190 – Falconhurst Estate
Aberdeen Angus cross – 2 – Average £150.00 – Top £170 – P J Forknall
Hereford cross – 1 – Average £40.00 – Top £40 – Falconhurst Estate

Heifer Calves

British Blue cross – 8 – Average £91.25 – Top £125 – J W Boyd & Sons
Limousin cross – 1 – Average £125.00 – Top £125 – Falconhurst Estate
Charolais cross – 2 – Average £75.00 – Top £80 – Falconhurst Estate
Aberdeen Angus cross – 1 – Average £60.00 – Top £60 – J E Scutt & Sons

Forthcoming Auctions

Tuesday Livestock – 27th December 2022

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

For our Auction Calendar and Catalogues click here