Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 21st May 2024

Sheep Sales Reports

New Season Lambs

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903
No – 524 Sold

Top price per kg: 428p – Dylan Isaac
Top price per head: £214.00 – M Critcher & Partners

More on offer again today and the lambs now beginning to show signs of replacing the hoggets for the first time, but still not quite enough to completely force the switchover.  Trade a little easier than in previous weeks, purely based on the increased numbers on offer nationally. The best still well over £4 kg and topping at 428p kg from Dylan Isaac. More lambs coming forward each week now and the inevitable switchover is likely to happen in the next couple of weeks.

35kg – £136.00 (389p/kg) – S W Mount & Sons Ltd
36kg – £150.00 (417p/kg) – K T D Axell
37kg – £145.00 (392p/kg) – C B Hope
38kg – £156.00 (411p/kg) – Laura Agley
39kg – £158.00 (405p/kg) – J G & D G D White
40kg – £164.00 (410p/kg) – M Critcher & Partners
41kg – £169.00 (412p/kg) – K T D Axell
42kg – £171.00 (407p/kg) – M J Ashworth
43kg – £184.00 (428p/kg) – Dylan Isaac
44kg – £182.00 (414p/kg) – C Moss & Sons
45kg – £180.00 (400p/kg) – S & V Bullock
46kg – £189.00 (411p/kg) – A J Down
47kg – £190.00 (404p/kg) – M J Ashworth
48kg – £200.00 (417p/kg) – D J Morphett
49kg – £204.00 (416p/kg) – M J Ashworth
54kg – £200.00 (370p/kg) – M Critcher & Partners
60kg – £214.00 (357p/kg) – M Critcher & Partners

Averages (p/kg) 

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 174 – Top 417, Average 390.1
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 271 – Top 428, Average 399.5
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 73 – Top 417, Average 405.8
Other 52.1+ kgs – 4 – Top 370, Average 363.1

Finished Hoggets – 499
Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

A smaller entry of hoggs this week, with varying quality on offer, in terms of meat and breeds. The best are still selling tremendously well provided they are well finished, and they are still the first choice of export buyers above the new season lambs. The best in excess of £4 kg again and dearer than the new season offerings with a top price of 459p kg. All the heavy finished sheep well over £200 head.

 

Cull Sheep – 496 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Ewe: Top £200.00 – T Husk – Ave £115.17

Strong numbers in the pens for the time of year with demand remaining at a good level for all grades. The best ewes regularly £130 – £160 and to a top price of £200 for cracking Texel ewes from T Husk. Medium sorts £90 – £120 on most occasions with leaner grazing types £50 – £80 throughout with very few sold below these figures. We have regular buyers every week for all grades of ewes so do not hesitate to get your ewes booked in with us.

Top prices included

Texels to £200 – T Husk, Beltex to £180 – T Husk, Texel cross to £151 – J Hooker & Son, Suffolk cross to £148 – R Wood & H F & J Glover, Romneys to £134 – M Hooker, Mules to £130 – G & A Wood.

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle –  34 Sold

Auctioneer:Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

A few less forward this week and probably just as well with national rates easing a shade as we sit in a quieter trading period for the prime product. With supplies still very tight nothing dramatic will happen but it is just part of the ups and downs of trade. Prices less than last week’s particularly fast trade but competition keen between buyers particularly for the best fleshed types and those requiring an extra month – a sure sign of confidence in the industry.
Some outstanding cattle, again, from MB Farms topping the results board with heifers to 309p and 304p, £1912, and steers to 298p twice £2335.
The smart beef bred types generally 270-290p with more commercial grades 250-270p.
Dairy bred Limousin x steers from Alan Down to 255p, £1820, his Herefords to 251p twice £1565; Friesians to 245p, £1491.
Natives saw Sussex heifers to 273p, £1431 A H Hoad & Son; Angus steers to 259p (2), £1797 W S Furnival.
Bulls from G L Boulden & Sons sold to 251p and 244p, £1631.

Top Steers

M B Farms – Limousin – 304p (£1912)
M B Farms – Limousin – 298p (£2276)
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin – 289p (£1789)
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin cross – 289p (£1558)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 267p (£1812)

Top Heifers

M B Farms – Limousin – 309p (£1758)
M B Farms – Limousin – 298p (£2335)
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin cross – 285p (£1451)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Blonde – 278p (£1526)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 276p (£1543)

Top Bulls

G L Boulden & Sons – Limousin cross – 251p (£1465)
G L Boulden & Sons – Blonde cross – 244p (£1631)

Average Prices

Steers 200 to 550kg – 2 Sold – top 289p – Av 273p
Steers 551 to 650kg – 16 Sold – top 304p – Av 256p
Steers 651kg + – 5 Sold – top 298p – Av 268p
Heifers 300 to 500 kg – 2 Sold – top 276p – Av 263p
Heifers 501 to 590 kg – 6 Sold – top 309p – Av 279p
Heifers 591 kg + – 1 Sold – top 298p – Av 298p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 51 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Another very good seasonal entry and trade staying right at the very top with supplies desperately tight nationally as herds, beef and dairy, have keep themselves tidy over a long and hard winter. Quality again very variable as producers, rightly, ask the question of futures and there was certainly more keepers than killers.
The top end beef cows to kill or keep 200p-250p; commercial types 175-200p; and very little except the very lightest and oldest below 160p.
Limousin x 237p, 230p, £1419, £1366 (Non FA) R Martin, 203p, £1569 R F & E A Simmons; British Blue x 229p, £1325 (Non FA) MB Farms, 192p, £1379 H & J Noakes; Angus x 226p, £1285 (Non FA) A K F Dod, 219p, £1333 (Non FA) T Lyle & Ptnrs, 200p, £1337 W S Furnival; Hereford x 200p, £908 G D K George; Sussex 185p, £1098 (Non FA) Cobtree YFC, 178p, £1349 (Non FA) D R Miles, 178p, £1180 (Non FA) H W Richards; Simmental 184p, £1248 Lawrence & Son.
A few more from the dairy sector but mostly lean working cows which sold marvellously well at 130-170p; a few better fleshed types to 187p, £1539.
Holstein Friesian cows 187p, 176p, 173p, £1539, £1251, £1225 Appleton Farms.
Bulls (7) The seasonal tidy up continues and bulls remain a good trade for all types. Limousin 151p, 135p, 129p; British Friesian 135p; Angus 125p.
Overage (7) The strong trade for the older beef continues finding a wider customer base at slightly lower prices.
Blue x OTM heifer 242p, £1389; Blue x 3+ steer 231p, £1637; Holstein OTM steers 228p, 225p, 220p, 219p, £1342, £1336, £1289, £1240.

Beef Cows – 25 Sold – Top 242, Average 184.2
Dairy Cows – 12 Sold – Top 187, Average 153.6

Store & Breeding Cattle – 136 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

A decent entry of cattle for the time of year with the trade remaining very firm. We had a good number of smaller grazing cattle forward this week, and it is safe to say that these were certainly in demand. Miss Hayley Dent sold a 5yr old Limousin breeding bull to £2200 and saw the best of her homebred heifers to £1550. S C Gammon had a run of Angus cross and Simmental cross11-15 mths old cattle with the steers to £910 and the heifers to £800. A run of good dairy bred Blue cross and Angus cross 20 – 22 mths old from Mr B Sutton with steers to £1295 and heifers to £1250. A great trade all round with a few more expected on 4^th June which will also be the day to enter store cattle for if you have any to sell.

Native:

Angus x Fr steers 22 mths – £1280 – Mr B Sutton
Hereford x steers 24 mths – £1145 – A G Dodd
Hereford heifers 24 mths – £1070 – A G Dodd
Angus x steers 13 mths – £975 – A K F Dod
Angus x heifers 14mths – £1020 – A K F Dod
Angus x steers 15 mths – £910 – S C Gammon
Beef Shorthorn heifers 25 mths – £895 – Mrs Hannah Harmer
Angus x steers 11 mths – £870 – P Court
Angus x heifers 10 mths – £830 – P Court

Continental:

Limousin heifers 21 mths – £1550, £1370 – Miss H Dent
Blue x Fr steers 22 mths – £1295 – Mr B Sutton
Blue x Fr heifers 22 mths – £1250 – Mr B Sutton
Limousin x steers 13 mths – £1005 – Mr R Martin
Limousin x heifers13 mths – £960 – Mr R Martin
Blue x Fr heifers 12 mths – £1000 – M E Wrout
Limousin x heifers 14 mths – £830 – M Keeley (Agri Services) Ltd

Calves – 41 Sold

Auctioneer: Tom Hamplett 07966 104532

A tremendous entry of calves met a flying trade from start to finish. More would be sold to vendors advantage!
Bulls well sought after with a decent selection of older weaned Blues leading the trade from J C & S K Williams who sold a quality run of 3-4m calves to £400 with all over £350. Younger Blues also well sought after with a cracking month old calf from J W Boyd & Sons Ltd to £300 with plenty over the £220 mark. A small selection of Angus topped at £245 from J W Boyd & Sons averaging £205 all in!
A similar tale in the heifers today with tops from J C & S K Williams to £370 for Blues with those younger calves also well sought after again from J W Boyd &Sons Ltd whose run topped at £240. Appleton Farms Ltd entry topping at £190. Angus topped again by the Boyd Family at £240 with all Angus heifers averaging £206!!
A handful of bobbies forward with prices very much reflective of the quality forward topping at £15. Demand for stronger rearing types still very much there, just no stock forward to meet the demand today!
Weanlings – 1
A single Blue Albion Bull from Garrett & Mannering traded at £390.

Bull Calves
British Blue cross – 23 – Ave £252.39 – Top £400.00 – J C & S K Williams
Aberdeen Angus cross – 4 – Ave £227.50 – Top £245.00 – J W Boyd & Sons Ltd

Heifer Calves
British Blue cross – 7 – Ave £252.86 – Top £370.00 – J C & S K Williams
Aberdeen Angus cross – 4 – Ave £206.25 – Top £240.00 – J W Boyd & Sons Ltd

Bull Weanlings
Blue Albion – 1 – Ave £390.00 – Top – £390.00 – Garrett & Mannering

Please note, we have a number of customers looking for registered sired native breed calves, please remember to record the sire ear tag on the birth registration to ensure it appears on the passport!

Forthcoming Auctions

Tuesday Livestock – 28th  May 2024

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

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