Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 25th April 2023

Sheep Sales Reports

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Finished Hoggets – 2,404

Top price per kg: 347p – P Gorringe
Top price per head: £166.50 – P Gorringe

Another good entry of hoggs this week, perhaps not surprising following last week’s prices. However, there was a slightly different feel to the trade, with smaller hoggets easing in price. This is predominantly due to the festival taking place over the weekend, which had really boosted last week prices. We have come back to reality now! The heavier sheep were not really affected by this with prices very much on a par with last week. A superb run of hoggets from Peter Gorringe stole the show topping both prices at £166.50 and 347p kg. It has been said that he has smiled for two consecutive weeks now, but this could be a vicious rumour? We offered some breeding sheep in the finished section this week with 250 Mules from Mr T Crick selling on a hot trade to £154 with Suffolks to £155 from A A Palmer & Son. We will have more females in the entry next week, which we will advertise later this week.

35kg – £101.00 (289p/kg) – A K F Dod
36kg – £100.00 (278p/kg) – L Atfield
37kg – £100.00 (270p/kg) – C A Worley Farming Ltd
38kg – £108.00 (284p/kg) – L Atfield
39kg – £120.00 (308p/kg) – J H & A H Godden
40kg – £120.00 (300p/kg) – F de Boer & Ptns
41kg – £125.00 (305p/kg) – T Crick
42kg – £144.00 (343p/kg) – N A Balcomb & Son
43kg – £138.00 (321p/kg) – W F Kirk
44kg – £135.00 (307p/kg) – J Seward
45kg – £149.00 (331p/kg) – A J W Smith & Son
46kg – £158.00 (343p/kg) – C A Worley Farming Ltd
47kg – £163.00 (347p/kg) – P Gorringe
48kg – £152.00 (317p/kg) – P Gorringe
49kg – £146.00 (298p/kg) – R E Jarvis
50kg – £154.00 (308p/kg) – T Crick
51kg – £166.50 (326p/kg) – P Gorringe
52kg – £158.00 (304p/kg) – T Crick
53kg – £155.00 (292p/kg) – A A Palmer & Son
54kg – £146.00 (270p/kg) – I Strang
55kg – £165.00 (300p/kg) – P Gorringe
56kg – £144.00 (257p/kg) – T Crick
57kg – £152.00 (267p/kg) – R H Smith & Ptns
58kg – £159.00 (274p/kg) – Stone Farms Ltd
60kg – £164.00 (273p/kg) – R H Smith & Ptns
62kg – £139.00 (224p/kg) – G Homewood

Averages (p/kg)

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 242 – Top 289, Average 275.8
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 412 – Top 343, Average 279.2
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 1154 – Top 347, Average 280.5
Over 52.1 kgs – 580 – Top 304, Average 262.1

Store Hoggets – 531 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Once again a flying trade for store sheep this week. Prices on a similar level to recent weeks with top stores up to £123. More on offer, than expected this week but this didn’t affect the trade returning an average of £93 head.

Cull Sheep – 592 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Ewe: Top £193 – R Nuth, Average £92.86
Ram: Top £161 – K Lukehurst, Average £114.44

Similar numbers on offer but with a higher percentage of leaner ewes penned. Trade overall very much the same as last week. The best ewes regularly £100 – £120 and to a top price of £193 from Robert Nuth for his Texel ewes. Medium sorts generally £70 – £90 with leaner grazing types £40 – £60, and very few sold under these figures. A good trade all round with plenty of buyers in attendance every week for all grades of ewes.

Texels to £193 – R Nuth, Suffolk cross to £144 – E A Chantler, Texel cross to £142 – S P Howland, Romneys to £122 – N A Balcomb & Son, Mules to £117 – Eastlands Farm

Ewe & Lambs – 129 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Top price: £165 – C Higgins, Ave £144.31
Top price per life: £77 – D T & K J Tester

A larger number of ewes and lambs with a few more buyers in attendance than recent weeks. Pick of the day at £154 (£77 per life) from D T & K J Tester for Mule ewes with single Texel lambs at foot. Please inform us of any further breeding sheep you intend to sell.

 

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle –  64 Sold

Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

Another marvelous trade for a quality entry of cattle with weekly consignment of top quality Limousin cross steers and heifers from M B Farms taking  the pick of the day`s trade at 310p plus with a heavy weight steer grossing up to £2468, ( Another Record). In addition to the leading prices quoted below, other top returns included a run of handyweight Limousin cross heifers attracting prices in excess of 280p and up to £1557 (289p) from R F & E A Simmons, Limousin heifers £1854 (288p) from W G Vant & Sons, £1852 (290p) from W S Furnival Ltd and Limousin cross steer £1739 (288p) from Gillshaw Farm Ltd.
Well fleshed dairy bred cattle again attracting favourable prices around 250p with Limousin x Friesian steers to £1692 (257p) and British Friesian steers £1327 (251p) from A J Down.
Native bred cattle well represented with the best in the 250 to 260p bracket notably a run of Sussex cross heifers topping at £1699 (266p) from Tom Masters; Aberdeen Angus cross steer to £1758 (261p|) from R C & J L Pickering, and a heifer to £1385 (257p) from Leggat Farming Ltd; South Devon heifer £1429 (258p) from W S Furnival Ltd and Beef Shorthorn cross steer £1621 (248p) from G L Boulden & Sons.

Top Steers

M B Farms – Limousin cross – 318p/kg (£2127)
M B Farms – Limousin – 312p/kg (£2087)
M B Farms – Limousin cross – 311p/kg (£2468)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 303p/kg (£2026)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 290p/kg (£1910)

Top Heifers

M B Farms – Limousin – 315p/kg (£1651)
M B Farms – Limousin – 314p/kg (£1849)
M B Farms – Limousin – 314p/kg (£1990)
W S Furnival Ltd – Limousin cross – 290p/kg (£1852)
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin cross – 289p/kg (£1557)

Average Prices

Steers up to 650kg – 19 sold – Top 288p – Ave 255p
Steers over 651kg – 11 sold – Top 318p – Ave 280p
Heifers up to 590kg – 18 sold – Top 315p – Ave 270p
Heifers over 591kg – 16 sold – Top 314p – Ave 267p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 87 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Another terrific entry of cull cows, overage clean cattle and bulls met a fabulous trade with rates continuing at very high levels.
Best of the meat cows 220p – 270p kg with plenty of good fleshed commercial types either side of 200p with 25 beef cows grossing over £1400, to a top of £1960 (269p kg) for a purebred, imported, Belgian Blue cow from Price & Shelbourne.
Feeding cows remain very much in favour with supplies of processing beef only going to get shorter in supply as time goes on.
Belgian Blue 269p, £1960 Price & Shelbourne; Limousin x 245p, £1455 (Non FA) Beaute Agri, 220p, 214p, 209, £1547, £1441, £1366 (Non FA) M B Farms, 219p, £1715 H J Emery & Son, 198p, £1304 (Non FA) E Stretton; Angus x 233p, 218p, 196p (2), £1220, £1202 P Parkes, 214p, 198, £1787, £1601 J C Loveridge, 194p (2) £1393 (Non FA) A K F Dod; Simmental x 230p, £1939 H J Emery & Son, 215p, 214p, 199p, £1612, £1555, £1439 C & J Georgetti & Sons; British Blue x 220p, £1438 R C & J L Pickering, 206p, £1418 J C Loveridge, 191p, £1362 K I Lingham & Son; South Devon 215p, 214p, 208p, £1608, £1566, £1537; Hereford x 216p, £1476 J C Loveridge; Sussex 213p, £1264 (Non FA) Wright Farm Partners.
A few more from the dairy sector and the best cows still breaking the 200p mark with plenty over 180p kg, and 7 grossing over £1400. A good show of Holstein Friesian empty heifers, under and over 30 months, found strong interest to kill and feed. Holstein Friesian heifers 235p, £1313 J W Boyd & Sons, 225p £1482 J E Scutt & Sons, 221p, 204p, 198p, £1433, £1070, £1018 H O Champneys Ltd; Holstein Friesian cows 200p, 197p, 194p, 186p (2), £1567, £1425, £1410, £1299 R C & J L Pickering; 198p, 183p, £1287, £1234 M S Clifford Baynes; 198p, £1550 J W Boyd & Sons; 189p, £1320 J E Scutt & Sons; lean foreign cows to 127p, 119p, £886, £871.
Stock bulls (4) Sussex 240p, £1784; Blonde 185p, £1098; Simmental 139p, £1427; Hereford 129p, £1285. Good trade.
Overage beef (13) Some outstanding cattle in the overage section and keenly taken by both slaughter and feeding markets. British Blue x OTM steers 268p, 267p (2), 264p (2), 262p, £1945, £1872, £1759, £1647; British Blue x OTM heifers 268p, 264p, £1699, £1265; British Blue x Friesian OTM steer 244p, £1461.

Beef Cows – 43 Sold – Top 269, Average 197.1
Dairy Cows – 28 Sold – Top 235, Average 165.4

Store Cattle – 437 Sold

Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

Another big show of store cattle and with a ringside packed with potential buyer’s trade was brisk throughout with prices on par with recent weeks.
Buyers were in attendance for all breeds and ages with majority of youngsters ranging in the £650 to £850 bracket with big premiums available for hard open yarded stock.
Again, smart beef bred continental crosses took the pick of the trade at £1300 plus with another superb run of Limousin crosses from A J Bray taking top honours with steers to £1580 and heifers to £1540.
Native bred cattle again well received with well-done youngsters up to £1335 for Aberdeen Angus cross steer from J Batchelor & Partners while a quality Beef Shorthorn steer topped the section at £1490 from Emily Wood.

Principal Prices include:

Continental cross

7mths Charolais cross steers – £870 – H F Brown & Son
8mths Charolais cross heifers – £810 – H F Brown & Son
12mths Limousin cross steers – £1360 – P N & C Burden
12mths Limousin cross steers – £1500 – M L Williams
12-14mths Limousin cross steers – £1540 – A J Bray
14mths Limousin cross heifers – £1580 – A J Bray
15mths Simmental cross steers – £1210 – George Gregory
15mths Simmental cross heifers – £1110 – George Gregory
16mths Limousin cross heifers – £1260 – L Palmer & Sons
18mths Limousin cross steers – £1460 – G D Black & Son
20mths British Blue cross heifers – £1140 – P & G & J Carden

Native Bred

12mths Sussex steers – £1125 – L Stevens & Sons
14mths Beef Shorthorn steers – £1140 – I M Symonds
24mths Beef Shorthorn steers – £1490 – Emily Wood
14mths Aberdeen Angus cross steers – £1335 – J Batchelor & Ptns
14mths Aberdeen Angus cross heifers – £1090 – J Batchelor & Ptns
23mths Aberdeen Angus cross steers – £1440 – Lucketts Farm

Breeding Cattle – 34 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

A nice selection of breeding bulls forward today and good interest from farmers already thinking of next season. Great interest in three well-bred and smartly presented Limousin bulls from E Vaughan from Pembrokeshire selling at £4400 (twice) and £4200. Angus bull sold to £2000 and £1660, whilst a 5 year old Beef Shorthorn stayed to breed again at £1510.
Strong interest in the cow & calves with Boty Farms selling Angus cows with matching calves to £1800 and £1760.
A fine run of Hereford cows from L J Webber Ltd with Autumn Hereford calves and back in calf sold very well to £1660 (twice), £1620, £1580, £1500. In calf Sussex cows due early summer looked value at £870 – £960. In calf Hereford cross heifers sold to £1010 (2).

Calves –  82 Sold

Auctioneer: Tom Hamplett 07966 104532

Calves – 81 – Better numbers this week with a strong trade to match with a few more farmer buyers out this week looking to restock.
Bulls to £380 for the strongest British Blues from H O Champneys Ltd, younger British Blues to £260 and £220 from J W Boyd & Sons Ltd. Simmentals from R & J Ledger topping at £290 and £260. Native bulls to £345 for strong Aberdeen Angus from Kingcott Dairy and £300 from H O Champneys Ltd. Younger Aberdeen Angus to £210 from J Warnock & Sons and £190 from J E Scutt & Sons. Herefords from Goddard and Son topped at £140 (x2). Slightly more unusual in these parts and all the way from Baddlesmere in the Far East were a run of Wagyu from J E Scutt & Sons topping at £120.
Heifers to £400 for a tremendous British Blue from H O Champneys Ltd, Aberdeen Angus to £240 from Kingcott Dairy, Hereford’s to £160 from Plurenden Partnership and the essence of the Orient (Wagyu) to £100.
Dairy bulls topped at £45 from J W Boyd & Sons with fleshy calves generally £25-£40, bobbies £10 – £15.

Weanlings – 1
One single Holstein Frisian bull to £200 from J E Scutt & Sons. 

Bull Calves

British Blue cross – 11 – Ave £136.36 – Top £380 – H O Champneys Ltd
Simmental cross – 2 – Ave £275 – Top £290 – R & J Ledger
Wagyu cross – 4 – Ave £110 – Top £120 – J E Scutt & Sons
Aberdeen Angus – 14 – Ave £190 – Top £345 – Kingcott Dairy
Hereford cross – 7 – Ave £94.86 – Top £140 – Goddard & Son

Heifer Calves

British Blue cross – 5 – Ave £120 – Top £400 – H O Champneys Ltd
Wagyu cross – 2 – Ave £95 – Top £100 – J E Scutt & Sons
Aberdeen Angus cross – 24 – Ave £133.33 – Top £240 – Kingcott Dairy
Hereford cross – 4 – Ave £102.30 – Top £160 – Plurenden Partnership

Bull Weanlings
Holstein Friesian – 1 – Ave £210 – Top £210 – J E Scutt & Sons

Forthcoming Auctions

Tuesday Livestock – 2nd May 2023

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

For our Auction Calendar and Catalogues click here