Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 3rd September 2024

Sheep Sales Reports

New Season Lambs – 1,055

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Top price per kilo – 345p – C A Worley Farming Ltd
Top price per head – £164.00 – P N & C Burden

Just over 1,000 lambs penned this week which is still low numbers to what we are used to but with the national flock decreasing, this is the time of year we will see the drop in greater numbers as Friday sheep sales take away quite a lot of the lesser type of lambs from a Tuesday. Best lambs can still really sell well and with lambs topping at 345p kg today from C A Worley Farming Ltd, it is safe to say that we seem to of now entered a new era of pricing in the finished lambs sector which is well deserved for those who choose to stick with sheep farming. Several pens also over £150 hd to a top price of £164 from P N & C Burden.

35 – £108.00 (309p kg) – G L Harris
36 – £100.00 (278p kg) – Miss Victoria Clayton
37 – £107.00 (289p kg) – H J Brown & Son
38 – £111.00 (292p kg) – R T J B & I Lockwood
39 – £127.00 (326p kg) – K T D Axell
40 – £127.00 (318.p kg) – Miss Victoria Clayton
41 – £139.00 (339p kg) – C A Worley Farming Ltd
42 – £145.00 (345p kg) – C A Worley Farming Ltd
43 – £140.00 (326p kg) – M R Woodroofe
44 – £149.00 (339p kg) – W G Watkins & Sons
45 – £149.00 (331p kg) – Friday Street Farmers
46 – £146.00 (317p kg) – W G Watkins & Sons
47 – £151.00 (321p kg) – P N & C Burden
48 – £141.00 (294p kg) – Miss Victoria Clayton
49 – £157.00 (320p kg) – W G Watkins & Sons
50 – £164.00 (328p kg) – P N & C Burden
51 – £157.00 (308p kg) – C & J Georgetti & Sons
52 – £142.00 (273p kg) – H V Link Partnership
53 – £154.00 (291p kg) – I Strang
54 – £157.00 (291p kg) – C & J Georgetti & Sons
56 – £140.00 (250p kg) – Masters Farms

Averages (p/kg)

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 180 – Top 309, Average 268.4
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 489 – Top 345, Average 299.7
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 305 – Top 328, Average 297.6
Over 52.1 kgs – 61 – Top 291, Average 268.7

Cull Sheep – 959 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Top price ewe: £160.00 – Link Bros – Ave £77.52

Another large show of ewes met a slightly easier trade for the leaner ewes as big numbers come out across the country with weaning largely having taken place. The best meat ewes remain every bit as dear with competition keen for a product that is in short supply. Plenty of good ewes £110-£130 with Texels topping the day at £160 from Link Bros with quality Suffolk x Mules from Masters Farms to £155. Plenty of customers crowding the alleys to buy grazing ewes with dry ground now just turning green again. Plenty £50-£70, generally with very little other than the smartest and plainest under £40.

Top prices included:

Texels to £160 – Link Bros, Suffolk cross to £155 – Masters Farms, Beltex to £145 – C A Worley Farming Ltd, North Country Mule to £143 – S Batch, Romney to £136 – Fay Underwood, Charollais to £136 – J Saunders.

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle –  59 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

More numbers forward and trade remaining at current extraordinarily levels with a strong support from buyers. Very much a steer day today with a shortage of smart beef bred fed heifers, and a few heifers straight from grass.
Top price steer 308p, £1600 for Limousin cross from George Sim whilst heifer honours to W Alexander (Shoreham) at 305p, £1675.
A tremendous run of homebred Limousin cross steers from A J Thompson & Sons to 300p, £1932 (12 av. 288p, £1856).
Dairy bred cattle from A J Down saw Hereford x Friesian to 280p, £1691, Limousin x Friesian to 276p, £1706 and Friesian to 230p, £1320. Sussex x Friesian to 279p, £1727, Hereford x Friesian heifers to 279p, £1504, Swedish Red steer to 229p, £1531 from R C & J C Pickering & Sons.
Native saw Sussex steers to 276p, £1501 and Aberdeen Angus cross heifers to 284p, £1531 from W S Furnival Ltd. Traditional Hereford steers to 253p, £1439 E Matebalavu. Aberdeen Angus heifers from grass 274p, £1422 from Gallagher Farms.
Young bulls (2) A good shape young Aberdeen Angus to 266p, £1606 G L Boulden & Sons.

Top Steers

P W & P Sim & Son – Limousin cross – 308p (£1599)
A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – 300p (£1932)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 295p (£2076)
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin cross – 293p (£1638)
A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – 291p (£1787)

Top Heifers

W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 305p (£1675)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 286p (£1627)
W S Furnival Ltd – Aberdeen Angus – 284p (£1531)
W S Furnival Ltd – Aberdeen Angus – 281p (£1487)
R C & J L Pickering & Sons – Hereford cross – 279p (£1504)

Average Prices

Steers 200 to 550kg – 2 – Top 308p – Ave. 291p
Steers 551 to 650 kg – 32 – Top 300p – Ave. 276p
Steers 651 + – 10 – Top 295p – Ave. 281p
Heifers 300 to 500 kg – 1 – Top 259p – Ave. 259p
Heifers 501 to 590 kg – 9 – Top 305p – Ave. 275p
Heifers 591 + – 3 – Top 252p – Ave. 248p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 49 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Into September and immediately more of a cattle month feeling! Increased numbers but little sign of very much flesh on offer, not surprisingly, but slaughter trade holding very firm for all grades and feeding men keen for the younger, better shaped cows that will respond to the food in the yards.
No top quality types amongst the beef cows but tidy feeders still up over 200p, and the better fleshed cows 180-200p kg. Feeding commercial types 140-170p and only the plainest and lightest under 120p kg.
Limousin cross 205p, £1442 G W & B Bridges, 189p, £1272 W J Hurley; Sussex 197p, 194p, 190, 187p, 186p, £1464, £1413, £1336, £1325, £1252 G W & B Bridges, 183p, £1132 (Non FA) H W Richards, 180p, 175p (2), £1352, £1265, £1230 (Non FA) A H Hoad & Son; Hereford 186p, £1308 (Non FA) T J & S I Purchese; Simmental cross 179p, £1080 (Non FA) H & S Nesfield.
Short of dairy culls this week and mostly leaner cows. Good trade. Holstein Friesian 178p (20< 167p, £1376, £1243, £1107 R C & J L Pickering.
Stock bulls (2) Strong trade continues with two fine examples today. Sussex 188p, £1969; Hereford 177p, £1933.

Beef Cows – 33 Sold – Top 205, Average 163.7
Dairy Cows – 8 Sold – Top 178, Average 141.83

Store Cattle -10 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Few forward this week but still customers in attendance and very keen for the right things! Aberdeen Angus cross heifers 18 mths £1290. Denon steers 17 mths £930 both from E T Ledger & Sons Ltd. Traditional Hereford heifers 8-12 mths £340.
Please do not hesitate to contact Peter Kingwill or James Cook at any time.

Pigs – 91 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Finished 29 – Very short of the best fleshed pigs with quality, White pigs (91kg) from C K Guest to 200p kg (£182) with secondary, lean, or coloured, pigs 100-150p kg.
Store pigs 62 – Big numbers but largely coloured natives which remain difficult to move. Strong White stores to £70 and £62 from P & R Marshall; Weaners to £42 and £40 from the same vendor.

Forthcoming Auctions

Tuesday Livestock – 10th September 2024

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

For our Auction Calendar and Catalogues click here