Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 24th October 2023

Sheep Sales Reports

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

New Season Lambs – 721 Sold

Top price per kg: 304p – P N & C Burden
Top price per head: £150 – A Jull

Another small entry in the finished section, but trade shows no signs of easing for the best quality with the top prices well up in line with last week and ahead of many other centres late last week. To achieve these prices though the lambs really must be properly finished and good weights in excess of 44 kg. Leaner offerings are just still selling at the same trade as the strong stores. There is an obvious two-tier trade currently in place. Best lambs often, up to and over, £3 kg from Alan Jull, P N & C Burden, W & P New T/A Moorhouse Farm, and H G Tompsett & Sons with the top places taken by Alan Jull at £150 head and Paul Burden at 304p kg.

37kg – £110.00 (297p/kg) – H G Tompsett & Sons
38kg – £94.00 (247p/kg) – John Monnington Farms Ltd
39kg – £107.50 (276p/kg) – Langdon Farms
40kg – £116.00 (290p/kg) – G Sheriff & Ms C Lamacraft
41kg – £111.00 (271p/kg) – G H Dean & Co
42kg – £125.00 (298p/kg) – G Sheriff & Ms C Lamacraft
43kg – £111.00 (258p/kg) – J & C Kellett
44kg – £126.00 (286p/kg) – G H Dean & Co
45kg – £134.00 (298p/kg) – W & P New T/A Moorhouse Farm
46kg – £138.00 (300p/kg) – A Jull
47kg – £134.00 (285p/kg) – P N & C Burden
48kg – £141.00 (294p/kg) – P N & C Burden
49kg – £149.00 (304p/kg) – P N & C Burden
50kg – £150.00 (300p/kg) – A Jull
51kg – £140.00 (275p/kg) – G H Dean & Co
52kg – £139.00 (267p/kg) – K Lukehurst
53kg – £134.00 (253p/kg) – J Farrant
59kg – £129.00 (219p/kg) – A R Dunlop

Averages (p/kg)

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 90 – Top 297, Average 251.0
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 355 – Top 298, Average 259.4
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 252 – Top 304, Average 251.6
Other 52.1+ kgs – 14 – Top 253, Average 246.4

Cull Sheep -489 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Ewe: Top £95.00 – G H Dean & Co, Average £63.23
Ram: Top £192.00 – North Kent College, Average £71.92

A few less in the pens this week with the trade remaining much the same despite huge numbers coming forward in the North as a result of the weather. There were very few best ewes on offer with G H Dean & Co taking top spot with Texel cross ewes to £95. Majority of the other better sorts £80 – £90 throughout. Medium sorts plentiful and regularly £65 – £75 with leaner grazing sorts also out in good numbers, and £40 – £60 on most occasions. Please do not hesitate to get in touch for advice on the trade or if you have any large consignments of ewes to sell.

Top prices included

Texel cross to £95 – G H Dean & Co, Suffolk cross to £90 – G H Dean & Co, Charollais cross to £84 – G W Fuller & Son, Mules to £83 – John Monnington Farms Ltd – Romney to £81 – S G & G T Orpin

 

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle –  60 Sold

Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

Another cracking trade with a big premium for the best beef bred Continental crosses in excess of 300p. Well fleshed dairy and native bred cattle around 250p and strong competition from feeders for the leaner sorts.
Quality runs of Limousin cross steers and heifers from W Alexander (Shoreham), A J Thompson & Sons and G L Boulden & Sons took top honours while a run of Limousin x Friesian steers sold well in the 245-250p bracket grossing £1500 plus and up to £1827, and a Hereford x Friesian steer to £1559 (248p) from A J Down.
The best of the native bred cattle attracted strong prices around 250p with the pick including Sussex steer £1399 (255p) from D W Page & Son; Sussex steer and heifer £1395 (252p) and £1381 (254p) respectively from W S Furnival Ltd; and a run of Lincoln Red steers 245p plus and grossing up to £1667 from J H Pitts & Sons Ltd.

Top Steers

W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 300p/kg (£1931)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 280p/kg (£1704)
G L Boulden & Sons – Limousin cross – 280p/kg (£1718)
A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – 278p/kg (£1359)
G L Boulden & Sons – Blonde – 265pkg (£1653)

Top Heifers

W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 311p/kg (£1676)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 310p/kg (£1826)
A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – 306p/kg (£1664)
A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – 305p/kg – (£1492)
A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – 299p/kg (£1343)

Average Prices

Steers up to 550kg – 16 sold – Top 278p – Ave 232p
Steers up to 551 to 650kg – 20 sold – Top 300p – Ave 252p
Steers over 651kg – 4 sold – Top 250p – Ave 245p
Heifers up to 500kg – 6 sold – Top 305p – Ave 275p
Heifers up to 501 to 590kg – 11 sold – Top 311p – Ave 268p
Heifers over 591kg – 2 sold – Top 288p – Ave 281p
Bulls – 1 sold – Top 158p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 81 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Another decent show of cull cows and overage beef. Trade just a shade firmer with the dairy culls now beginning to show a little more condition having been on their winter rations for some while now. Feeding cows variable with the older (10 year old +) cows harder but younger types finding plenty of customers. Two purebred British Blue cows from Price & Shelbourne to 228p kg, £1752 but fleshed cows from the dairy also continuing to impress topping at 165p kg (£1423) from Parrett & Son.
British Blue 228p, 225p, £1752, £1448 Price & Shelbourne; Simmental x 207p, £1074 A J Thompson & Sons; Hereford x 170p, £1314 E W & R E Hanks, 158p, £1063 High Chimney Farms; Limousin x 157p, 147p, £1142, £1011 (Non FA) A J Bray; Sussex 155p, £1082 (Non FA) J D Hickman; Angus cross 147p, £982 (Non FA) J T Miller, 141p, £1040 A MacDonald, 140p, £1158 R D E Spencer.
More fleshed, and less lean cows, amongst the dairy entry. Good cows 140-170p kg and very little below 120p kg.
British Friesian 165p, £1423 Parrett & Son; 163p, 158p, 150p, 147p, £1375, £1339, £1333 R & J Ledger; Holstein Friesian 153p, £1350 J S & M D Antrum & Son; Ayrshire 137p, £928 J Howie.
Overage (30) A big show this week and plenty of flesh on offer whatever the breeds! Plenty of interest and a good trade both feeders and the meat trade.
OTM Angus x steers (Non FA) 233p (2), 215p, 214p, £1465, £1384, £1345, £1325; OTM Angus x heifers (Non FA) 233p, 232p, 231p, 225p, 224p, £1313, £1279, £1227; Sussex OTM steers 235p, 233p, £1255, £1219; Sussex OTM heifers 237p, 223p, £1336, £1285; Hereford OTM steer 237p, £1324; Lincoln Red OTM steer 227p, £1484; Norwegian Red OTM steer 218p, £1327; Angus OTM steer 228p, £1388; Angus OTM heifers 223p, 220p, £1339, £1298.
Bulls (2) Lean stock bulls now coming forward. Sussex at 147p; Angus at 120p.

Beef Cows – 36 Sold – Top 228, Average 142.1
Dairy Cows –14 Sold – Top 165, Average 143.4

Breeding Cattle – 42 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

A good number of breeding cattle of all types included a herd dispersal from J C & P C Dallaway of mainly Angus cross cows, back in calf to a Limousin bull, and due February/March. The best of the younger cows sold to £1340 twice with the majority of the others £1000 – £1200. The highlight of the sale was the Hereford cross heifers, again in calf to a Limousin bull, reaching highs of £1440 (twice). A nice run of Sussex cattle from Mr M Gibb with a cow and calf to £960, and cows that have run with the bull to £1010. Some older maiden heifers from the same vendor, that have not yet seen a bull, to £1000 and £990, with smart 17 – 18 month old purebred Sussex heifers to £880. A pair of Blue Albion cross heifers with Blue Albion steer calves to £1100. Please do get in touch for advice or if you have any breeding cattle to sell.

Store Cattle – 463 Sold

Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

The biggest entry of the Autumn sale attracted a good attendance of buyers. While the best quality of all ages had plenty of bidders and competitive prices the lesser bred and plainer sorts were discounted, and selling at prices reflecting the long term and cost of wintering.
A small selection of quality youngsters sold very well with the pick comprising a run of 7 month Angus cross steers from Campbell Bros selling in the £775 to £890 bracket.
Medium term stores around £1000 and strong cattle to finish short term £1200 plus with Angus x Friesian steers topping the Market at £1390 from J S & M D Antrum & Son.
In the Continental cross section smart 11m Limousin steers topped at £1030 from Price & Shelbourne. Other top runs including 78 15/16m Limousin cross steers mainly £1000 plus and up to £1315 from E W & R E Hanks, and smart 18 mths Limousin cross steers and heifers £1315 and £1270 respectively from A J Bray.
Next sale Tuesday 31^st October – 350 already entered and further entries now invited.

Principal Prices include:

Native Bred

7-8mths Angus cross steers – £890 – Campbell Bros
16mths Hereford cross steers – £1000 – Bocketts Farm Ltd
16mths Angus cross heifers – £950 – P C Coleman
18mths Angus cross steers – £1180 – F Sole & Sons
18mths Angus cross steers – £1200 – G D Venner
18mths Angus cross heifers – £1080 – G D Venner
18mths Angus cross steers – £1230 – J & H Robinson (Ilford Farms) Ltd
20mths Angus cross steers – £1390 – J S & M D Antrum & Son
20mths Angus cross heifer – £1215 – J S & M D Antrum & Son
20mths Hereford steers – £1010 – B C Ginger
24mths Hereford heifers – £1050 – B C Ginger
18mths Holstein Friesian steers – £750 – J D Trunkfield Farms Ltd 

Continental cross

11mths Limousin steer – £1030 – Price & Shelbourne
18mths Limousin heifers – £1230 – Price & Shelbourne
15-16mths Limousin cross steers – £1315 – E W & R E Hanks
18mths Limousin cross steers – £1315 – A J Bray
18mths Limousin cross heifers – £1270 – A J Bray
18mths Blue cross heifers – £1030 – J D Trunkfield Farms Ltd
18mths Simmental cross heifers – £990 – S J Edmed & Sons

Calves – 55 Sold

Auctioneer: Tom Hamplett 07966 104532

Trade, generally, remains strong with best calves still very highly sought after; second grades a touch stronger too with smallest and Channel Island bred types harder work.
A quality entry of bulls topping at £355 for Blues from P J Forknall, £290 from J W Boyd & Sons Ltd and £175 from M S Clifford-Baynes. Angus in strong demand with £285 the bell ringer for the day from J W Boyd & Sons Ltd with P J Forknall selling to £250 and J E Scutt & Sons on the podium at £200. Beef Shorthorns from A L Betts Ltd to £150 and a single Limousin from M S Clifford-Baynes to £150.
Heifers in demand particularly for the best with £345, £315 and £300 topping the day’s trade for Blues from J W Boyd & Sons Ltd. Limousins to £180, not once, not twice but three times from M S Clifford -Baynes. Angus heifers lacking the quality of other weeks with a good percentage of Channel Island crosses making the averages less exciting; a top of £125 from Goddard & Son.
Dairy bulls, particularly the better rearing types, in demand with younger Holstien Friesians to £65 from J W Boyd & Sons Ltd, with most £30 – £50. Ayrshire steers and bulls from J Howie with a little age about them look well sold with tops of £150.
A polite request to all vendors, please do advise of entries on the Monday morning before a sale to ensure we can communicate numbers to buyers!

Bull Calves

British Blue cross – 8 – Ave £172.50 – Top £355 – P J Forknall
Limousin cross – 1 – Ave £150 – Top £150 – M S Clifford-Baynes
Aberdeen Angus cross – 10 – Ave £122.90 – Top £285 – J W Boyd & Sons Ltd
Beef Shorthorn cross – 2 – Ave £105 – Top £110 – A L Betts Ltd

Heifer Calves

British Blue cross – 10 – Ave £188.50 – Top £345 – J W Boyd & Sons Ltd
Limousin cross – 4 – Ave £172.50 – Top £180 – M S Clifford-Baynes
Aberdeen Angus cross – 8 – Ave £42.50 – Top £125 – Goddard & Son

Steer Calves

Aberdeen Angus cross – 1 – Ave £290 – Top £290 – J T Miller

Bull Weanlings

Ayrshire – 3 – Ave £123.33 – Top £150 – J Howie

Steer Weanlings

Ayrshire – 1 – Ave £130 – Top £130 – J Howie

Forthcoming Auctions

Tuesday Livestock – 24th October 2023

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

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