Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 21st March 2023

Sheep Sales Reports

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Hoggets – 2,917

Top price per kg: 328p – Church Street Farm
Top price per head: £140.00 – T Husk

Another increased entry with close to 2,500 finished hoggs in total. The trade, certainly, on an upward trajectory improving again on what we have seen for the last couple of weeks. Today’s lighter lamb trade was boosted by this week’s Muslim feast day in advance of the Ramadan Fast which starts at the end of this week. We saw all sections increase in price with continental export weight hoggets really the bestselling trade on the day, with many selling from 260-300p kg and a top price of 328p kg from Church Street Farm. Big numbers of finished sheep have come on to market in the past few weeks, and this should begin to reduce the number of hoggets remaining nationally; helping the prices to sustain at this current level. Heavier sheep are the majority of what is on offer nationally and the price for these is being restricted by this fact. This may change in coming weeks but predicting this year’s trade has been a very difficult task!
Only 400 stores this week, with less on offer now as we go on through the season. Prices a little more positive than last week, with better quality and the increase in the finished trade both helping with the prices. Top on the day was a pen of smart Blue Texel crosses from M Wickens at £99 head and most other strong stores were selling around the £80 mark. Longer terms stores now from £50-70 with very little below this price point.

36kg – £118.00 (328p/kg) – Church Street Farm
37kg – £116.50 (315p/kg) – P Ashlee
38kg – £117.00 (308p/kg) – K Loveridge
39kg – £123.00 (315p/kg) – A Holt
40kg – £129.00 (323p/kg) – T Husk
41kg – £121.00 (295p/kg) – M B Farms
42kg – £128.00 (305p/kg) – T Husk
43kg – £122.00 (284p/kg) – A Holt
44kg – £132.00 (300p/kg) – T Husk
45kg – £124.00 (276p/kg) – A Holt
46kg – £133.50 (290p/kg) – T Husk
47kg – £118.00 (251p/kg) – A Holt
48kg – £122.50 (255p/kg) – E Bourne
49kg – £124.00 (253p/kg) – L Stevens & Sons
50kg – £126.50 (253p/kg) – S Wickens
51kg – £127.00 (249p/kg) – S Wickens
52kg – £128.00 (246p/kg) – S Wickens
53kg – £126.00 (238p/kg) – A Holt
54kg – £140.00 (259p/kg) – T Husk 

Averages (p/kg)

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 415 – Top 328, Average 252.0
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 956 – Top 323, Average 244.7
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 750 – Top 290, Average 237.1
Over 52.1 kgs – 328 – Top 276, Average 217.3

Cull Sheep – 693 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Ewe: Top £186 – K Tucker, Average £89.89
Ram: Top £206 – K Tucker, Average £129.68

A tremendous trade throughout, with a good number of well fleshed ewes in the pens. Shout out of the day goes to K Tucker for their tremendous Charollais rams which topped out at £206. The best ewes regularly £90 – £120 to a top price of £186 from K Tucker for some superb Charollais.  Medium sorts were regularly £65 – £85 with plainer grazing sorts in short supply and generally in the £40 – £60 region.

Charollais to £186 – K Tucker, Beltex to £142 – D Isaac, Texel cross to £131 – T Husk, Suffolk cross to £130 – T Husk, Mules to £100 – E W & R E Hanks, Romneys to £94 – Langrish Farmers

 

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle –  60 Sold

Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

A quality show of finished cattle with runs of Limousin cross from both M B Farms and M A Piper & Son Farms taking top honours with many prices in excess of 300p and up to 318p and grossing up to £2198. Other top prices in the Continental cross beef bred sector include Limousin cross steers £1984 (282p) and £1939 (290p) L E Humphreys & Son; Limousin cross heifer £1861 (296p) W G Vant & Sons; Limousin cross steer £1699 (296p) R F & E A Simmons; Limousin cross steer and heifer £1868 (288p) and £1802 (296p) respectively W Alexander (Shoreham); Blonde cross heifer £1621 (285p) G L Boulden & Sons and a run of well fleshed handyweight heifers around 300p and grossing up to £1617 from D W Ferguson Ltd.
A good selection of native and dairy bred cattle with majority ranging in the 250 to 270p bracket with the top prices including Limousin x Friesian steers £1673 (262p) and Friesian steer £1406 (254p) A J Down; Hereford cross steers 255 to 265p and up to £1737; Aberdeen Angus cross steer £1806 (255p) R C & J L Pickering; Aberdeen Angus cross heifers £1447 (271p) W S Furnival Ltd, £1769 (257p) B G & M A Tomsett and £1642 (272p) Leggat Farming Ltd; Sussex steer £1630 (270p) W S Furnival Ltd and Hereford cross steer £1706 (259p) W & P New.

Top Steers 

M B Farms – Limousin – 316p/kg (£2050)
M B Farms – Limousin – 315p/kg (£2059)
M B Farms – Limousin – 312p/kg (£1900)
M B Farms – Limousin cross – 308p/kg (£2198)
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin cross – 296p/kg (£1699)

Top Heifers

M B Farms – Limousin cross – 318p/kg (£1920)
M B Farms – Limousin – 316p/kg (£1798)
M B Farms – British Blue cross – 312p/kg (£1837)
M A Piper & Son Farms – Limousin cross – 312p/kg (£1588)
M A Piper & Son Farms – Limousin cross – 306p/kg (£1451) 

Average Prices

Steers up to 550kg – 21 sold – Top 316p – Ave 270p
Steers over 651kg – 9 sold – Top 315 – Ave 278p
Heifers up to 590kg – 21 sold – Top 316p – Ave 282p
Heifers over 591kg – 8 sold – Top 318p – Ave 284p
Bull – 1 – Top 202p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 63 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Good numbers again for the time of year with more dairy culls within the entry. Trade certainly no less with feeding and slaughter cows competed for at the strongest levels. Customers for every grade from the fattest to the thinnest, the oldest (18yo+) to the youngest, and from the powerful continentals to the diminutive Channel Islanders.
No fleshed Continental cows this week but feeders readily over 200p whilst good meat natives were readily 200-230p.
Aberdeen Angus cross 226p, £1725 (Non FA) F Sole & Sons, 206p, £1367 A J Thompson & Sons; Hereford cross 219p, £1344 R C & J L Pickering; Simmental cross 212p, 209p, £1459, £1438 W & P New; Sussex 208p, 201p, £1505, £1393 Chandler & Dunn, 200p, £1496 (Non FA) J D Hickman, 199p, £1340 Torry Hill Farms, 187p, £1306 (Non FA) D G & J H Jackson; Limousin cross 196p, £1329 W & P New; British Blue cross 198p, £1462 A J Thompson & Sons, 190p (2) £1213, £1104 (non FA) J Farrant.
A good quality show of cows from the dairy sector and, as is so often the case, once a level has been broken so it happens again with 3 strongly fleshed Holstein Friesian cows from Appleton Farms making well over 200p in a row!
Holstein Friesian 209p, 208p, 203p, £1620, £1515, £1312 Appleton Farms; 194p, 184p, £1538, £1349 P J Forknall; 181p, £1345 D Murdoch & Sons; 178p, £1313 W G & T A Manford; British Friesian 190p, 186p, 185p, 183p, £1531, £1412, £1363, £1276 G D & E E Field; Guernsey 172p, 168p, 162p, £1179, £1166, £1122 W G & T A Manford; Jersey 110p, 99p, £498, £433 S E Lane & Ptnrs.
Stock Bulls (3) A terrific trade. Young OTM Danish Red 230p, £1825; Limousin 159p, £1633; Sussex 149p, £1388.
Overage remain a flying trade with a small entry this week. OTM Limousin cross steer 262p, £1647; 3 year old + Simmental cross steer 228p, £1615; Holstein OTM heifers 218p, 216p, £1686, £1379.

Beef Cows – 25 Sold – Top 226, Average 182.8
Dairy Cows – 33 Sold – Top 218, Average 171.8

Store Cattle – 55 Sold

Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

A small selection of stores following last weeks bumper entry were well received and despite the few numbers on offer trade was brisk and competitive with regular and local buyers in attendance.
The few strong cattle on offer topped at £1280 for 2 year old Aberdeen Angus from Ells Farm LLP and hard done Limousin x Aberdeen Angus steers of similar age to £1275 from D Ward.
Most of the rest of the entry comprised of native and dairy bred stock which ranged in the £700 to £900 bracket.

Principal Prices include: 

8mths Beef Shorthorn heifers – £790 – D R Thompson
12mths Sussex cross steers – £850 – S H Gribble
12mths Sussex cross heifers – £675 – S H Gribble
11mths Charolais cross steers – £885 – J F E Goodsell
16mths Charolais cross heifers – £870 – J F E Goodsell
18mths Beef Shorthorn cross heifers – £770 – A L Betts Ltd

Pigs –  53 Sold

Auctioneer: Tom Hamplett 07966 104532

Finished – (42) An entry lacking the real quality of a fortnight previous with plenty of leaner pigs about. Best pigs still selling on a strong improved trade with tops of 158p (£186.44), 152p (£156.56) and 148p (£167.24) from C B Hope. M Godden had a lovely pen of Porkers to 138p. Leaner pigs much harder to sell with a fair few boars also not helping the fleshing levels. Best fed pigs with flesh and size very much the order of the day with significant premiums for these.
Sows – (4) Only a very small entry with no real superstars to shout home about, tops of £96.75 from Grace Natural Foods Ltd.
Stores – (7) More interest in stores today with some lovely, shaped Saddlebacks from Kent College to £38. Several enquiries regarding stores but unfortunate to have to advise of a small entry.

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 – 28th March 2023

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

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