Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 20th September 2022

Sheep Sales Reports

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

New Season Lambs – 1,263 Sold

Top price per kg: 291p – T Husk
Top price per head: £136.00 – Master Beau Keeley

A bigger entry this week with the advent of the Bank Holiday closing many markets down on Monday. Trade was quite varied for the different qualities on offer. The best lambs were pushing on above 270p kg to a top of 291p from Mr Tom Husk, and top, in the lump, going to Master Beau Keeley for his spotted lambs at £136 hd. Several leaner sorts on offer again, which would be more in line with the store price but providing these have weight, they are just ahead of Fridays price level. Overall, the averages were returned at a shade under 250p kg which is ahead of recent weeks but the variation in the trade is very large, with lambs selling form £70-£136 hd.

Top Prices

35kg – £82.00 (234p/kg) – Kent Life
36kg – £90.00 (250p/kg) – D Thompson
37kg – £94.50 (255p/kg) – C R & G Daws
38kg – £97.50 (257pkg) – C R & G Daws
39kg – £102.00 (262p/kg) – W J Waters
40kg – £115.00 (288p/kg) – T Husk
41kg – £115.00 (280p/kg) – T Husk
42kg – £115.00 (274p/kg) – C Ballard
43kg – £125.00 (224p/kg) – T Husk
44kg – £119.00 (270p/kg) – M Keeley (Agri Services Ltd)
45kg – £120.50 (268p/kg) – W G Watkins & Sons
46kg – £126.50 (275p/kg) – T Husk
47kg – £127.00 (270p/kg) – T Husk
48kg – £136.00 (283p/kg) – Master Beau Keeley
49kg – £129.50 (264p/kg) – M Keeley (Agri Services Ltd)
50kg – £139.00 (278p/kg) – T Husk
51kg – £128.00 (251p/kg) – C & J Georgetti & Sons
52kg – £130.00 (250p/kg) – P N & C Burden
53kg – £134.50 (254p/kg) – M Keeley (Agri Services Ltd)
54kg – £134.50 (249p/kg) – M Keeley (Agri Services Ltd)
55kg – £135.00 (245p/kg) – M Keeley (Agri Services Ltd)

Averages (p/kg)

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 156 – Top 257, Average 235.2
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 579 – Top 288, Average 245.7
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 407 – Top 283, Average 257
Over 52.1 kgs – 118 – Top 268, Average 252

Cull Sheep – 596 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712246474

Ewes: Top £143 – M B Farms, Average £91.33
Rams: Top £147 – Luandy Farming Ltd, Average £139.33

Strong numbers available again today with a much larger selection of well fleshed ewes on offer in comparison to recent weeks. The best meat ewes regularly £110 – £130 with a top price of £143 from M B Farms for some cracking Charollais ewes. Medium sorts looking well sold around £80 – £110 with plainer grazing types generally £40-£65. A good all-around trade with the best fleshed ewes certainly being well rewarded.

Top prices included:

Charollais cross to £143 – M B Farms, Suffolk cross to £135 – C & J Georgetti & Sons, Texel cross to £127 – P & E Andreozzi, Beltex to £119 – A Denning, Mules to £109 – J R Lilley, Romney to £119 – Hadlow College

Store & Breeding Sheep – Friday 2nd September

6,623 Sold

The largest entry and best trade of the season with a good attendance of West Country buyers competing with a keener local interest following the recent rain. The sale included a large entry of Suffolk x Mule wether lambs following the sale of ewe lambs last week and these were keenly sort after with best up to £93 from Miss J A Biddle. The majority of stronger lambs in the £80 to £85 bracket and only small, longer term sorts below £70.
Very similar prices available for the Continental cross lambs on offer with the best £85 plus and up to £98 for Charollais cross ages from Miss J A Biddle and only small, long termers below £70.
The best Romney wethers looking well sold at £80 and an overall average of £70.
A small entry of tegs with smart North Country Mules topping at £186 from W G Vant & Sons.
Plenty of interest in the flock aged ewes on offer with young Lleyn ewes topping at £102, and full mouth £98, from Palmer Farms. Texel x Mules to £119, and Mules, mainly full mouth, to £94 from Somers Farms.

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

Principal prices included

Suffolk x Mule ewe – £93 – Miss J A Biddle
Suffolk x Mule ewe – £89 – M A & F W Owen
Suffolk x Mule ewe – £83 – M E Carlton
Suffolk x Mule ewe – £83 – H J Hecks & Son
Suffolk x Mule ewe – £83 – E J Clough
Suffolk x Mule ewe – £82.50 – E & M Brundrett
Suffolk x Mule ewe – £82.50 – W J Hurley
Suffolk x Romney – £80 – W Stewart Wood
Suffolk x Romney – £80 – S G & G T Orpin
Beltex cross – £86.50 – G F Day & Son
Beltex cross – £86 – S Weeks & Sons
Beltex cross – £85 – P J & P B Wade
Charollais cross – £98 – Miss J A Biddle
Charollais cross – £93 – M Wickens
Charollais cross – £87.50 – S C L Gammons
Charollais cross – £85 – S G & G T Orpin
Texel cross – £90.50 – G Lawrence & Son
Texel cross – £89.50 – Pynn Contractors
Texel cross – £88.50 – J R Lilley
Texel cross – £87 – J G & M Bray
Texel cross – £86.50 – Somers Farm
Texel cross – £86 – C H Ellis Ltd
Texel cross – £85 – H G Tompsett & Sons Ltd
Romney wether – £80 – Langrish Farmers
Romney wether – £80 – K Wheeler & Sons

 

Principal averages – £ per head

Suffolk x Mule – 1,977 – Top £93, Ave £76.00
Texel cross – 2,082 – Top £90.50, Ave £75.50
Charollais cross – 602 – Top £98.00, Ave £80.00
Beltex cross – 215 – Top £86.50, Ave £76.00
Crossbred – 437 – Top £86.00, Ave £71.50
Romney – Top £80.00, Ave £70.00

 

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle – 48 Sold

Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

A quality show of heifers this week with superb Limousin cross topping the market at £1386 (275p) from D W Ferguson Ltd with plenty of the other best Continental cross selling in excess of 250p. A heavy weight Blonde cross heifer grossing well  to £1804 (226p) from Leggatt Farming Ltd.
In the steer section quality Limousin cross, again from D W Ferguson Ltd, topped at £1468 (270p) while the run of Limousin x Friesians from A J Down sold well in the 230 to 250p bracket and grossed favourably up to £1640.
Native bred cattle dominated by Aberdeen Angus cross attracting prices around 225p with a heavy weight steer to £1736 (226p) from W S Furnival Ltd, and heifers to £1211 (229p) from J & A Lyon.
A run of Friesian steers from B J Goodsell & Son looked well sold up to £1196 (216p)

Top Steers

D W Ferguson Ltd – Limousin cross – 270p/kg (£1468)
A J Down – Limousin cross – 250p/kg (£1584)
A J Down – Limousin cross – 244p/kg (£1412)
A J Down – Limousin cross – 239p/kg (£1395)
A J Down – Limousin cross – 238p/kg (£1520)

Top Heifers

D W Ferguson Ltd – Limousin cross – 275p/kg (£1386)
G L Boulden & Sons – Blonde – 264p/kg (£1594)
R F & A E Simmons – Limousin cross – 260p/kg (£258)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 259p/kg (£1525)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 258p/kg (£1583)

Average Prices (p/kg)

Steers up to 650kg – 19 sold – Top 270 – Ave 227p
Steers over 651kg – 6 Sold – Top 234p – Ave 228p
Heifers up to 500kg – 18 Sold – Top 275p – Ave 234p
Heifers over 501kg – 5 Sold – Top 264p – Ave 244p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 58 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

No stopping this cull and cow trade with demand and confidence for the cheaper product, amongst the retailers, rock solid. A decent sized entry of variable quality found customers for all grades with sharp competition.
Flesh is the number one call and good, but not the best, Continentals readily over 200p and up to £1546 whilst the Black and Whites stormed through the 200p level with a powerful young cow 209p £1585 from Appleton Farms.
Limousin cross 213p, 189p £1328, £1122 R F & E A Simmons, 193p £1546 J Berryman; Aberdeen Angus cross 207p, 193p, 189p £1254, £1156, £1154 (Non FA) J & A Lyon; British Blue cross 185p £1330 J Berryman; Hereford 180p £1182 (Non FA); Sussex 175p £1195 (Non FA) A Gaddie; Simmental cross 170p, 168p £1195, £1117 (Non FA) J & A Lyon.
A few more from the dairy sector and clear to see the benefit of winter feeding as cows now carrying more flesh. An outstanding trade.
Holstein Friesian 209p, 184p, 170p (2) £1585, £1279, £1259, £1220 Appleton Farms; 181p, 178p, 175p £1444, £1376, £1291 J W Boyd & Sons.
A wide range within the overage cull section but, whether feeders or flesh, they were strongly competed for to produce outstanding returns.
Limousin cross OTM steer 223p £1311; British Blue cross OTM steer 213p £1360; Sussex OTM steer 212p, £1248; Holstein OTM steers 188p, 181p £1406; Limousin cross 3yo+ steer 210p, £1404; Limousin cross 3yo+ heifer 209p £1230; Sussex 3yo+ steer 200p £1496; Sussex cross feeding steers 3-5yo (Non FA) 150-180p.
Bulls remain wanted. Limousin cross 159p; Hereford 146p, £1360; Dexter 136p.

Beef Cows – 28 Sold – Top 213, Average 167.6
Dairy Cows – 15 Sold – Top 209, Average 162.3

 

 

Store cattle – 454 Sold

Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

The largest entry of the season comprising a complete range of ages, and quality, and both beef and dairy bred stores. While there was a good attendance of buyers at ringside, with several fresh faces, trade was selective with good prices and plenty of competition for the stronger and better bred cattle on offer while second quality younger sorts sold at levels reflecting the increased costs of wintering.
Smart beef bred Continental cross youngsters sold exceptionally well with a run of Limousin cross topping at £1070 for steers and heifers from L Palmer & Sons, the best of the 16-18 mths Continental stores generally £1100 to £1200 and heavy weight older stores up to £1440 from J Berryman.
A good selection of native bred stores with purebred Friesian steers to £695 from G Bowers & H Osborne; Hereford cross yearlings looking well sold with steers and heifers £870 and £850 respectively from Alpha Farms. Much of this section comprised Aberdeen Angus crosses with yearling steers to £940 from R Brown & Daughter; 18 mths cattle generally £1000 to £1150 and strong stores to finish short term £1285 and £1230 for steers and heifers respectively from P J Mannington.

Principal Prices

Continental

9 mths Limousin cross steer – £1070 – L Palmer & Sons
9 mths Limousin cross heifer – £920 L Palmer & Sons
16 mths Simmental cross steer – £1220 Richard R White
16 mths Simmental cross heifer – £1025 – Richard R White
17 mths Limousin cross steer – £1130 – P N & C Burden
17 mths Limousin cross heifer – £1065 – P N & C Burden
18 mths Limousin cross heifer – £1135 – Pynn Contractors
19 mths Charolais cross steer – £1200 – G D Venner
20 mths Limousin cross heifer – £1140 – Mrs R A Wade
26 mths British Blue cross steer – £1260 – J S Tilley
26 mths British Blue cross heifer – £1155 – D W Page & Son
29 mths Charolais cross steer – £1440 – J Berryman
29 mths Blonde cross steer – £1405 – J Berryman

Native Bred

12 mths Friesian steer – £580 – Burnt Oak Farm & Kennels
22 mths Friesian steer – £695 – G Bowers & H Osborne
12 mths Hereford cross steer – £870 – Alpha Farms
12 mths Hereford cross heifer – £850 – Alpha Farms
12 mths Aberdeen Angus cross heifer – £940 – R Brown & Daughter
18 mths Aberdeen Angus cross steer – £1130 – J Farrant
18 mths Aberdeen Angus cross steer – £1090 – Weystreet Farm
18 mths Aberdeen Angus cross steer – £1045 – M S Worssam
18 mths Aberdeen Angus cross heifer – £1150 – J S Tilley
20 mths Aberdeen Angus cross steer – £1260 – G D Venner
26 mths Aberdeen Angus cross steer – £1285 – P J Mannington
26 mths Aberdeen Angus cross heifer – £1230 – P J Mannington

 

Pigs – 64 Sold

Auctioneer: Thomas Hamplett 07557392903

Finished (29) – An improved overall entry of finished pigs this week with an improved trade to match. Plenty of pigs 140p plus with only smaller poorer fleshed, generally native bred, less money. Tops per kilo this week of 162p (£144.64) from T F Russell, 152p (£126.16) from A Ward and 150p (£124.50) from C Higgins. Top price in the lump of £154.10 (134p) from Kingswood, with others to £144.64 (162p) from T F Russell and £143.32 (127p) from Woodlands Farm Trust.
Cull (16) – Trade continues to strengthen with best well fleshed sows easy to sell, plainer types and boars still harder work. Tops of 68p (£153) from Lydden Court with others to 60p (£159) from C Higgins and 59p (£103.25) from N Woitrin.
Store Pigs – (15) An entry of two groups of weaners lacking any real style with trade reflecting this with a top of £5. Store pigs are being reported nationally as being harder work with feeders aware of tight margins as a result of high input costs.

Forthcoming Auctions

Tuesday Livestock – 27th September 2022

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

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