Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 26 April 2022

3,098 Sheep and 663 Cattle Sold.

Finished Hoggets to £170 this week from T Husk and Store Cattle to £1585 from A J Thompson & Sons.

 


Sheep Sales Reports

Finished Sheep – 2,177 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

New Season Lambs

A few more new season lambs on offer this week but still not enough for the majority of our butchers to switch over to, to really boost the trade, this switch will occur in the next few weeks but until a consistent supply is available of bigger numbers, most will choose to stick with the hoggets. Saying this the best on offer are still selling very well but perhaps not as far ahead of the already high hogget price as many may expect.

Top spots are around 350p kg form Mark Gammons and James Farrant, with top price in the lump being £141 from James Farrant with Friday Street Farmers just £1 behind at £140.

Finished Hoggets

Top price per kilo: 340p/kg – T Husk Top price per head: £170 – T Husk

Over 2,000 hoggets entered this week which would be one of the biggest entries on the day nationally, with many producers now finished with last year’s lambs and now concentrating on this year’s crop. Most large numbers of hoggets are now in a small number of hands across the country and this has had a bearing on the trade with a considerable lift in the last two weeks with the SQQ return for this week up by another 13p to 294p kg!

Heavier types were also up considerably on the week with these up 10-15p kg also, but it is worth bearing in mind that once again the heavies made up 70% of the entry, with the largest amount of hoggets over 60 kg I have ever seen entered in one day at Ashford, with these extreme heavies selling from £130-145 hd consistently. Top of the tree once again went to Mr Tom Husk who’s very smart Beltex hoggs sold to £170 and 340p kg.

Several vendors sold over £3 kg this week, with this being the normal trade level for the lighter sheep now, with S J Reeve & Son run of over 300 well-bred continental hoggets selling to average 290p kg all through. Others with notable prices include M A Piper & Son Farms, G P King, N A Balcomb & Son and R J Adams.

More and more sheep with erupted teeth are coming forward every week and these are discounted by £10-20 hd but still very saleable with the bestselling over £130 hd to a top of £138 from Shaun Wickens.

Top Prices

37kg – £108.00 (292p/kg) – J Butchers
38kg – £111.00 (292p/kg) – E & J H Maylam
40kg – £130.50 (326p/kg) – S J Reeve & Son
41kg – £134.50 (328p/kg) – S J Reeve & Son
42kg – £134.00 (319p/kg) – M A Piper & Son Farms
43kg – £129.00.00 (300p/kg) – C Ballard
44kg – £138.00 (314p/kg) – G P King
45kg – £137.00 (304p/kg) – S J Reeve & Son
46kg – £137.00 (298p/kg) – S J Reeve & Son
47kg – £140.00 (298p/kg) – S J Reeve & Son
48kg – £138.00 (288p/kg) – S J Reeve & Son
49kg – £134.00 (273p/kg) – S J Reeve & Son
50kg – £170.00 (340p/kg) – T Husk
51kg – £138.00 (271p/kg) – B G & M A Tomsett
52kg – £158.00 (304p/kg) – T Husk

Averages (p/kg)

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs -65 – Top 294, Average 284.8
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs- 414 – Top 328, Average 296.4
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs- 799 – Top 340, Average 266.9
Others over 52.1 kg – 724 – Top 293, Average 227.7

Breeding Sheep – 71 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook O’Connell 07712 246474

A small entry of couples this week with M Hooker & Son leading the way with their double couples making £228 (£88.60 per life) with a very good overall average on the day of £82.50 per life. We do have a lot of interest in couples currently so if you are thinking of selling any please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sock Lambs – 29 Sold

Auctioneer: Mark Cleverdon 07741 845230

Demand was again sluggish. All lambs forward made from £3 to £31 and averaged £9.

Cull Sheep – 659 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook O’Connell 07712 246474

Ewes: Top £194 – Mrs R Vant & J Claringbould, Average £129.50
Rams: Top £176 – H V Link Ptnsp, Average £132

A fantastic trade throughout, with averages up once again, with more numbers forward on the day. Highlights to include a superb pen of Texel ewes to £194 from Mrs R Vant & J Claringbould.  Others £189 from K & P M Sinden & Sons, £184 from P J Gilbert and R Stevens, £177 from I Lucas, £176 H V Link Partnership and £167 from both H Edmonds and P Tampin. We had a Superb trade for all grades with the majority of sheep trading in the three-figure bracket and very few under. Demand is as strong as ever and I would advise that if you have ewes to sell that now would be a good time to do so.

Top Prices include

Texel to £194 – Mrs R Vant & J Claringbould, Suffolk cross to £167 – P Tampin, Charollais to £184 – P J Gilbert and R Stevens, Dorset to £166 from J Bensted, Romney to £165 – H Metcalfe, Mules to £146 – Bungehurst Farms and Hebridean to £68 from T Baker

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle – 51 Sold

Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

Another solid trade for an increased number of cattle with overall average very much on par with last week.

The best beef bred Continental cross selling readily in excess of 250p with smart Limousin cross topping both the heifer and steer section at £1557 (269p) and £1597 (259p) respectively from W Alexander (Shoreham). Cattle with weight grossed well with the pick £1781 (255p) for a British Blue cross steer and £1572 (241p) for British Blue cross heifer from K & P M Sinden & Sons and Limousin cross steer £1687 (249p) from R F & E A Simmons.

A dairy bred Limousin cross steer sold well at £1554 (236p) and £1528 (245p), Hereford cross x Friesian look well sold at £1482 (234p) and £1454 (237p) and purebred Friesian steer to £1365 (219p) from A J Down. Other native bred cattle to attract favourable prices included Aberdeen Angus cross steers £1664 (238p) and £1472 (240p) from F Sole & Sons, purebred Sussex steer £1407 (235p) and £1395 (237p) from Gillshaw Farms Ltd, Hereford cross steer £1439 (229p) from C W Jones and Hereford heifer £1232 (233p) from Miss W Howland.

Top Steers

W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin Cross – 259p/kg (£1597)
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin Cross – 256p/kg (£1533)
K & P M Sinden & Sons – British Blue Cross – 255p/kg (£1781)
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin cross – 249p/kg (£1687)
M J Ashworth – Limousin Cross – 246p/kg (£1212)

Top Heifers

W Alexander (Shoreham – Limousin Cross – 269p/kg (£1557)
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin Cross – 264p/kg (£1407)
D W Ferguson Ltd – Limousin Cross – 260p/kg (£1375)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin Cross – 254p/kg (£1495)
D W Ferguson Ltd – Limousin cross – 253p/kg (£1489)

Average Prices (p/kg)

Steers up to 650kg – 23 Sold – Top 259 – Av 233.30
Steers over 651kg – 5 Sold – Top 255 – Av 242.40
Heifers up to 590kg – 19 Sold – Top 269 – Av 240.00
Heifers over 591kg – 3 – Sold Top 241 – Av 230.00

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 83 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795200357

This record breaking trade simply continues at a furious pace with great numbers, for this time of the year, being easily taken up by customers keen for this less expensive processing beef. Certainly with some of the younger cows some primal cuts will be taken but it is the insatiable demand for mince that drives the sector. Again nothing that could be described as outstanding but nevertheless good beef cows flying readily past 200p with plenty 200p -220p and good meat of any age 170p – 200p. Gross returns fantastic. Feeders and grazers remaining very dear and very little below 150p per kg.

Limousin cross 221p 197p £1375 £1281 A J Thompson & Sons, 220p £1185 A J Husk; Sussex 219p 196p £1377 £1221 (Non FA) H W Richards, 214p 206p £1346 £1142 V McDonald, 187p £1212 (Non FA) A B Jones & Ptnrs; Simmental cross 215p 197p £1415 £1405 M J Ashworth, 207p £1600 A J Thompson & Sons, 200p £1406 C & J Georgetti & Sons; Aberdeen Angus cross 203p 198p £1352 £1316 (2) A J Thompson & Sons, 194p £1341 Miss J A Biddle; Beef Shorthorn 198p £1503 (Non FA) P Court; Longhorn 195p £1245 (Non FA) M R Cullen.

Dairy culls getting closer to the 200p for the best, with heifers well past! Again plenty of half fleshed cows looking a fabulous price at 150p – 170p. Best meat 170p – 190p, returns outstanding.

Holstein Friesian heifers 210p 207p 196p £1634 £1300 £1260 Appleton Farms; Holstein Friesian cows 189p £1542 J S & M D Antrum & Son; 189p 185p 180p £1439 £1404 £1239 J W Boyd & Sons, 170p (2) £1288 £1254 W G & T A Manford, 170p J E Scutt & Sons, 168p 166p 159p £1271 £1197 £1155 Appleton Farms; British Friesian 188p 183p 182p 179p £1239 £1181 £1062 £1032 Debden Court; Imported Swedish Red 157p £1127.

Quite a selection amongst the overage clean cattle and what a price!

Hereford steer OTM 227p £1665; Beef Shorthorn steer OTM 229p £1773; Holstein OTM steers 214p 208p £1612 £1502; Sussex steer 3yo+ 219p £1377; Hereford cross steer 4yo+ £1553; Norwegian Red steer 4yo+ £1465; Aberdeen Angus cross steer 4yo+ £1331; Belted Galloway 4yo+ 199p £1340; Holstein steers 5yo 178p 154p £1771 £1558. Amazing!

Stock bulls a very firm trade indeed. Please check out your bulls fertility and take advantage of these rates if this next season is going to be a step too far for him!?

Sussex 168p £1583; Hereford 157p £1430; Limousin 186p £1308.

Beef Cows – 41 Sold – Top 229p/kg, Average 187.0p/kg
Dairy Cows – 29 Sold – Top 214p/kg, Average 170.0p/kg

Store Cattle – 492 Sold

Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

A big entry of store cattle with several vendors concerned about recent grass growth and opting to sell now rather than later. The sale was well attended with 30 individual successful buyers and several more represented and while prices not quite at the record prices of late this was still a very decent trade throughout for the range of quality and breeds on offer.

Best yearling Continental cross selling readily in excess of £1000 with very smart Parthenais cross heifers topping the section at £1270 from J Batchelor & Ptnrs and steers to £1160 for Limousin cross from Ross Farms.

Exceptional trade for the few 24 mths old cattle with top prices in excess of £1500 and up to £1585 for Charolais cross steer from A J Thompson & Sons.

A big percentage of native bred cattle on offer with exceptional pen of two year old outwintered Hereford cross steers topping the section at £1560 from C W Jones while the best of the younger stock generally ranged in the £700 to £1000 bracket.

Continental Cross

10 months Charolais cross heifer – £960 – D G & J H Jackson
12 months Simmental cross heifer – £1000 – Lawrence & Sons
12 months Simmental cross steer – £1100 – G Gregory
12 months Simmental cross heifer – £950 – G Gregory
12 months Limousin cross heifer – £1020 – M J Ashworth
12 months Limousin cross steer – £1160 – Ross Farms
12 months Parthenais cross steer – £1095 – J Batchelor & Ptnrs
12 months Parthenais cross heifer – £1270 – J Batchelor & Ptnrs
12 months Charolais cross steer – £1015 – G Huntley & Son
14 months Simmental cross steer – £1140 – J & S Baldwin
13 months Limousin cross steer – £1140 – R & H Vincent
15 months Limousin cross steer – £1165 – R Coleman & Sons
17 months British Blue cross heifer – £1170 – Geoffrey Bates Ltd
20 months British Blue cross heifer – £1160 – J S & M D Antrum & Son
22 months British Blue cross steer – £1525 – J S & M D Antrum & Son
22 months Limousin cross steer – £1170 – R J Husk
24 months Charolais cross steer – £1585 – A J Thompson & Sons
20 months Charolais cross steer – £1250 – R W Jones & Son
24 months Limousin cross heifer – £1300 – Hawkfibre Ltd
25 months British Blue cross heifer – £1260 – D J Cornforth

Native Bred

12 months Aberdeen Angus cross steer – £1105 – M A & F W Owen
11 months Aberdeen Angus cross steer – £995 – N A Vincent
12 months Aberdeen Angus cross heifer – £770 – Lucketts Farm
13 months Aberdeen Angus cross heifer – £950 – G L Boulden & Sons
24 months Aberdeen Angus cross steer – £1265 – Lucketts Farm
12 months Hereford heifer – £900 – Miss W Howland
12 months Hereford cross steer – £990 – Alpha Farm
25 months Hereford cross steer – £1560 – C W Jones
15 months South Devon cross steer – £1100 – E Chantler & Son
12 months Sussex cross steer – £890 – M G Izard
12 months Sussex cross heifer – £810 – M G Izard
14 months Sussex steer – £990 Mrs V McDonald

Calves – 37 Sold

Auctioneer: Tom Hamplett 07966 104532

A little light on numbers this week however vendors with calves forward well rewarded with another flying trade.

Continental bulls in high demand and topping at £345 from W G & T A Manford for British Blues, others to £305 from J E Scutt & Sons and £240 from J W Boyd & Son Ltd for their usual consignment of younger calves. Native bulls led by a very strong trade for Aberdeen Angus with a top of £320 from J E Scutt & Sons and £310 from A & W J Hitchcock. A Dexter cross steer from J Howie had a strong following with the hammer eventually falling at £125.

Heifers showing a little more variety with regards to breeding with Angus leading the day’s trade at £315 from A & W J Hitchcock, Blues topped at £280 for J E Scutt & Sons with R & J Ledgers heifer following not far behind at £240. Sussex heifers topped at £270 with the dexter from J Howie to £100.

Dairy calves a tale of two halves with the stronger rearing types a flying trade with a top of £190 for a Flekvieh from J E Scutt & Sons, stronger black and whites £70-£105 with bobbies harder work around the £20 mark.

Weanlings – 4 Sold

A small but good quality entry of weanlings today with trade topping at £460 for a 10 mths Blue Bull from W G & T A Manford. G A & H Vicary & Son sold two Blue Bulls to £440 (6mths) and £380 (2mths). A single weanling heifer from Freshfields Mill Farm completed the set selling for £400.

Bull Calves

British Blue – 10 – Top £345 – Average £225.00
Aberdeen Angus – 3 – Top £320.00 – Average £310.00
Flekvieh – 1 – Top £190.00 – Average £190.00

Heifer Calves

British Blue – 7 – Top £280 – Average £185.71
Aberdeen Angus – 2 – Top £315 – Average £262.50
Sussex – 2 – Top £270 – Average £257.50
Dexter – 1 – Top £100 – Average £100

Bull Weanlings

British Blue – 3 – Top £460 – Average £453.30

Heifer Weanlings

British Blue – 1 – Top £400 – Average £400

Forthcoming Auctions

Tuesday Livestock – 3rd May 2022

Regular Weekly Market with a catalogued sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

60 Store and Breeding Cattle will be catalogued for this sale.

For our Auction Calendar and Catalogues click here