Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 23rd January 2024

Sheep Sales Reports

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Finished Hoggets – 1,358 Sold

Top price per kg: 333p – S B & A E Martin
Top price per head: £153 – Tilley Farm Partnership

A good entry of hoggets this week with not only some very good quality on offer, but also a high percentage of lighter sheep in the pens. Hoggets had increased in price on Monday, due to the adverse weather reducing numbers on offer, and it was no exception with us, as we saw another 10-15p kg price increase on the week. Lighter lambs topped this week by S B & A E Martin at 333p for some Beltex crosses with heavies to £155 from Tilley Farm Partnership for the same breed. Prices are exceptionally high, for the time of the year, which may push those who traditionally sell later in the season to start drawing numbers. Please get in touch for any marketing advice.

36kg – £117.00 (325p/kg) – S B & A E Martin
37kg – £119.00 (322p/kg) – S B & A E Martin
38kg – £117.00 (308p/kg) – I Lucas
39kg – £130.00 (333p/kg) – S B & A E Martin
40kg – £121.00 (303p/kg) – S B & A E Martin
41kg – £127.00 (310p/kg) – M L Wilson & Sons Ltd
42kg – £124.00 (295p/kg) – M L Wilson & Sons Ltd
43kg – £137.50 (320p/kg) – S B & A E Martin
44kg – £130.00 (295p/kg) – I Lucas
45kg – £145.00 (322p/kg) – M L Wilson & Sons Ltd
46kg – £141.50 (308p/kg) – M Keeley (Agri Services) Ltd
47kg – £144.00 (306p/kg) – R F & E A Simmons
48kg – £133.50 (278p/kg) – C & J Georgetti & Sons
49kg – £153.00 (312p/kg) – Tilley Farm Partnership
50kg – £148.00 (296p/kg) – P Gorringe
52kg – £151.00 (290p/kg) – P Gorringe
55kg – £135.00 (245p/kg) – H V Link Partnership
56kg – £136.00 (243p/kg) – C & J Georgetti & Sons 

Averages (p/kg) 

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 333 – Top 325, Average 289.5
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 656 – Top 333, Average 284.5
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 351 – Top 322, Average 285.0
Other 52.1+ kgs – 18 – Top 269, Average 244.2

Store Sheep – 428 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Not a particularly good show of lambs on offer this week, with several end of season draws which depresses the overall averages. Top in the day were some good strong stores from Roy Hambrook at £96. Most stores are trading from £75-95.

Cull Sheep – 353 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Ewe: Top £124.00 – M L Wilson & Sons Ltd – Ave £89.80

A good trade with averages well up on the week. Demand for the strongest fleshed ewes looks positive going forward as seasonally numbers tighten. The best ewes regularly £95 – £115 and to a top price of £124 for Texel cross ewes from M L Wilson & Son Ltd. Medium sorts £65 – £85 generally with leaner grazing types £40 – £60 throughout, and looking a little scarcer, which is to be expected for the time of year. With scanning well under way and with many people already finished there should be no hesitation in getting your ewes booked in with us.

Top prices included

Texel cross to £124 – M L Wilson & Son Ltd, Suffolk cross to £118 – C & J Georgetti & Sons, Beltex cross to £112 – Giffords Farm, Border Leicester to £102 – R J & S E Whitcombe, Mules to £90 – M L Wilson & Son Ltd, Romney to £93 – C Apps

 

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle –  50 Sold

Auctioneer:Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Another very strong trade for the prime cattle and with fewer of the very best on offer rates possibly a shade firmer. There is no doubt that numbers are short with commentators in all sectors recognising the difficulties in the supply chain.
8 Cattle up over the 300p mark with top heifer honours from Paul Boulden with a pair at 317p and 305p; from Lawrence Smith with a pair at 310p, (£2003) and 304p; and William Alexander taking top steer at 308p, and a heifer also at 308p.
Generally, the smart beef bred cattle 270-300p with more of these well fleshed cattle wanted weekly.
Dairy bred fed cattle 250-280p with Alan Down selling Limousin x to 280p, £1832 and Friesian steers to 256p, £1444. A Blue x Friesian heifer from George Sim to 282p, his Hereford x Friesian steer to £1812.
Natives wanted with Angus x steers from Stephen Furnival to 282p, £1858, heifers to 272p, £1611; Angus x heifers from Tim Ashworth to 280p £1719; Sussex steers from Andrew Hoad to 283p, £1639; and a pair of Sussex heifers both at 268p, £1378 from the Sinden Family.
Young bulls well sold with lean Sussex to 260p £1367 from W J Hurley and a lean older Limousin at 244p, £1388 from John Berryman.

Top Steers

W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 308p/kg (£1891)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 298p/kg (£1934)
A H Hoad & Son – Sussex – 283p/kg (£1639)
W S Furnival Ltd – Blonde cross – 282p/kg (£1858)
M J Ashworth – Aberdeen Angus cross – 280p/kg (£1719)

Top Heifers

G L Boulden & Sons – Limousin cross – 317p/kg (£1709)
L Smith – Limousin cross – 310p/kg (£1919)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 308p/kg (£1753)
D W Ferguson Ltd – Limousin cross – 307p/kg (£1594)
G L Boulden & Sons – Limousin cross – 305p/kg (£1614)

Average Prices

Steers up to 550kg – 5 sold – Top 268p – Ave 256p
Steers 551 to 650kg – 14 sold – Top 308p – Ave 277p
Steers over 651kg – 5 sold – Top 282p – Ave 264p
Heifers up to 500kg – 4 sold – Top 268p – Ave 253p
Heifers 501 to 590kg – 12 sold – Top 317p – Ave 291p
Heifers over 591kg – 7 sold – Top 310p – Ave 287p
Bulls up to 550kg – 2 sold – Top 260p – Ave 257p
Bulls 551 to 650kg – 1 sold – Top 244p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 101 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Another large entry met this continued high demand for the older cattle with the meat industry using its full ingenuity to process animals of different ages, in different ways, to different markets whilst reacting to the different regulations for animals at 36 mths, 48 mths, and over 72 months. Of course, there is no better place than the live market for this selection process to begin, throwing in the strength of the feeding sector for good measure. A few different faces representing our strong contingent of buyers. 13 Buyers successful with a few others trying but not succeeding this week.
Best of the younger (under 48 mths) cows for slaughter 190-235p with terrific gross returns. Commercial meat cows 170-200p with best feeders 170-220p, the harder feeder/grazer 140-170p.
Limousin x 233p, £1767 Burden Bros, 228p,224p, 218p £1809, £1707, £1700 M A Piper & Son, 194p, £1634 R F & E A Simmons; Angus x 214p, 204p, 202p (2) £1762, £1760, £1639, £1565 Burden Bros; British Blue x 212p, £1607 M J Ashworth, 196p, £1221 J Berryman; Simmental x £1639 Burden Bros, 188p, £1509 Oxenford Farms; Stabiliser x 202p, £1451 Burden Bros; Blonde x 191p, £1276 J Berryman; South Devon 173p, £1475 Oxenford Farms.
Not so much flesh forward amongst the dairy culls but some strong steakers pushing over 160p and the lean steakers looking a famous trade at 130-150p.
Holstein Friesian 166p, 162p, £1283, £1171 Goddard & Son; 161p, 160p, 158p, £1372, £1132, £1114 J E Scutt & Sons.
Overage (24) A real mixture of the best and the strangest! All wanted but age is a factor as to the jobs they can do!
Sussex OTM heifer 255p, £1451; Hereford OTM horned steer 218p, £1349; Charolais x OTM heifer 216p, £1325; South Devon OTM heifers 190p, 188p, £1556, £1440; British Blue x steer 3+ 181p, £1236; Jersey steers 48 mths + 131p, 129p (2), 128p (2) £867, £861, £829, £827.
Keep the numbers coming. Many Thanks.

Beef Cows – 65 Sold – Top 233, Average 172.5
Dairy Cows –14 Sold – Top 166, Average 148.4

Store Cattle – 76 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357 & James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

A small show of store cattle continue to meet a superb trade with demand exceeding supply at this early stage of the year.
The main part of the entry was from Ed and Tom Gribble with their homebred Angus x Friesian 13-17 mths from East Sussex. Plenty of spirit in the competition with steers to £1040, heifers to £1060. A nice run of reared yearlings from Mark Gammons saw Blue x Friesians to £930, Angus x Friesians to £870. Older cattle a marvellous trade with a Limousin x Friesian steer to £1335, Angus x Friesian steer £1170, both from David Ward. British Blue x steers 24m to £1030 from J H & A H Godden.

Store & Finished Pigs – 45 Sold

Auctioneer: Tom Hamplett 07966 104532

Finished (29) – Trade this week remains hard work with the two best pens topping at 130p from Mary Godden. Leaner and smaller types much more difficult to sell with buyers finding a glut of availability in a time when demand is traditionally lower. Average pigs today around the 100p mark. Currently the market is demanding well fleshed pigs with plenty of weight, leaner lighter pigs penalised.
Stores (16) – More demand for stores today but prices reflective of the finished trade. Middle whites from Kent Life to £25 whilst OSB weaners from the same home finding better trade to top at £26.
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 – 30th January 2024

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

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