Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 27th February 2024

Sheep Sales Reports

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Finished Hoggets – 1,674 Sold

Top price per kg: 420p – P Gorringe
Top price per head: £199.50 – T Husk

Well, what can I say……simply the best trade we have ever seen and, genuinely, the best trade in the country. Exactly what I said last week happened, and we raised the SQQ average by another 20p kg to 360p kg – levels that were totally out of reach in the past and were exclusively seen at prime stock shows. We aimed to break the £4 kg barrier this week and this was smashed by 20p with a top price of 420p kg, achieved by Peter Gorringe, making the early morning trip from West Sussex well worthwhile. Another interesting statistic is that the average price per head of the finished hoggs was £154, no doubt another record. The next goal to break is the £200 barrier, which was within touching distance today with £199.50 taken by Tom Husk. We will have to try harder next week! Truly a phenomenal day`s trading in the finished sheep section – let`s enjoy it while it lasts.

37kg – £145.00 (392p/kg) – R L Pack
38kg – £147.00 (387p/kg) – I Lucas
39kg – £149.50 (383p/kg) – A J W Smith & Son
40kg – £145.00 (363p/kg) – S P Howland
41kg – £161.00 (393p/kg) – P Gorringe
42kg – £161.00 (383p/kg) – I Lucas
43kg – £164.00 (381p/kg) – P Gorringe
44kg – £160.50 (365p/kg) – P Gorringe
45kg – £167.00 (371p/kg) – I Lucas
46kg – £193.00 (420p/kg) – P Gorringe
47kg – £166.00 (353p/kg) – George Pickering
48kg – £189.00 (394p/kg) – P Gorringe
49kg – £162.00 (331p/kg) – Harriet Heathcote
50kg – £167.00 (334p/kg) – P Gorringe
51kg – £175.00 (343p/kg) – C Woodhead
52kg – £165.00 (317p/kg) – W Mandry Ltd
53kg – £186.00 (351p/kg) – T Husk
54kg – £194.00 (359p/kg) – T Husk
57kg – £191.00 (335p/kg) – Miss E Husk
58kg – £199.50 (344p/kg) – T Husk
59kg – £183.00 (310p/kg) – B J Baker
60kg – £198.00 (330p/kg) – T Husk
61kg – £147.00 (241p/kg) – R F & E A Simmons
63kg – £198.00 (314p/kg) – T Husk
66kg – £197.00 (298p/kg) – Miss Z Husk 

Averages (p/kg) 

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 252 – Top 397, Average 375.5
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 710 – Top 393, Average 353.2
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 568 – Top 420, Average 338.8
Other 52.1+ kgs – 127 – Top 383, Average 322.3

Store Sheep – 834 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Another 800+ stores sold today on a simply astonishing trade. Genuine store hoggets now breaking the £150 barrier for the first time in history, to a top price of £154 from John Carden. The average price per head this week was almost the same as last week, but the sheep in the pens were certainly of smaller scale and of lower quality with more rare breeds and primitive breeds on offer. We sell more and more each week, so please keep the numbers coming forward.

Cull Sheep – 433 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Ewe: Top £180.00 – H V Link Partnership – Ave £79.39
Ram: Top £134.00 – C Woodhead

A good trade again with the best ewes at superb levels but remaining in short supply. The best ewes regularly £110 – £150 and to a top price of £180 for cracking Texel ewes from H V Link Partnership. Medium sorts generally £70 – £90 with leaner grazing types £40 – £60. Many of this week’s ewes were smaller, leaner sorts which are certainly being bought with growing confidence going forward. The best meat ewes are short in number, unsurprisingly, and are being well rewarded.

Top prices included

Texels to £180 – H V Link Partnership, Texel cross to £140 – R F & E A Simmons, Suffolk cross to £129 – C Woodhead, Romney to £102 – R P, G J & D R O’Brien, Mules to £97 – The Montreal Estate

 

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle –  36 Sold

Auctioneer:Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

There is no doubt that supplies of finished beef cattle are tightening, not only, regionally but also up and across the country.
M B Farms drew more of their high-quality cattle to top the market with Limousin heifers to 325p twice grossing up to £2142 and £2044 whilst their steers were not far behind at 322p and 319p, £2106, £2086.
Best beef bred types 280-310p kg with quality offerings from Paul Boulden 311p, £1646 and W Alexander (Shoreham) 308p kg, £1538.
Dairy bred cattle with finish stay high in demand. Alan Down’s Friesian bred cattle saw Limousin to 269p, £1678; Hereford cross to 264p; Beef Shorthorn cross to 242p, £1485 and pure Friesians to £1364, £1244. The Pickering family sold Hereford x Friesian heifers to 262p, £1628, steers to 256p, £1661.
Few natives on offer with Stephen Furnival selling Angus x steers to 273p, £1730; heifers to 280p, £1509. Sussex steers to 270p, £1496.
A smart sharp Limousin bull from R Coleman & Sons sold very well to 299p, £2224.

MORE WANTED

Top Steers

M B Farms – Limousin – 322p/kg (£2106)
M B Farms – Limousin – 319p/kg (£2086)
G L Boulden & Sons – Limousin cross – 299p/kg (£1836)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 296p/kg (£1477)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 288p/kg (£1696)

Top Heifers

M B Farms – Limousin – 325p/kg (£2142)
M B Farms – Limousin – 325p/kg (£2044)
G L Boulden & Sons – Limousin cross – 311p/kg (£1646)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 308p/kg (£1538)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 298p/kg (£1592)

Average Prices

Steers up to 550kg – 5 sold – Top 296p – Ave 254p
Steers 551 to 650kg – 14 sold – Top 299p – Ave 268p
Steers over 651kg – 2 sold – Top 322p – Ave 320p
Heifers up to 500kg – 1 sold – Top 308p – Ave 308p
Heifers 501 to 590kg – 8 sold – Top 311p – Ave 272p
Heifers over 591kg – 5 sold – Top 325p – Ave 281p
Bulls over 651 – 1 sold – Top 299p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 49 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Short of cattle this week and more wanted to satisfy this level of trade. Short, also, of flesh with certainly no best shaped types on offer. A few feeding beef cows but mostly with age.
No best beef cows forward but good commercial types 170-200p kg. Older leaner cows 150-180p kg to feed. The plain and ancient 80-120p kg.
Sussex 198p, £1274 Sussex Herd Company, 189p, 174p, £1536, £1180 The Montreal Estate; Angus x 187p, £1296 R F & E A Simmons, 169p, £1289 Mrs J Fuller; Limousin x 176p, £1114 R F & E A Simmons; Hereford 170p, £1034 (Non FA) P J Goldsmith; Highland (Horned) to 119p, £533.
Mostly lean steakers from the dairy section and another very firm trade for all grades.
Holstein Friesian OTM heifers to 235p, £1524 H O Champneys Ltd; UTM heifers to 232p, £1343 H O Champneys Ltd; British Friesian cows to 174p, £1319 H O Champneys Ltd; Holstein Friesian cows to 168p, £1240 J W Boyd & Sons Ltd; 167p, 166p, £1265, £1233 Goddard & Son; 158p, £1244 H O Champneys Ltd; Foreign cows to 130p, £887.
Bulls (2) Good bulls and well sold, Limousin to 180p, £1714, Angus to 137p, £1563.

Beef Cows – 25 Sold – Top 198, Average 147
Dairy Cows –19 Sold – Top 174, Average 126.3

Store Cattle – 12 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Just a handful forward today but still no doubting the strength of the trade, even with the mixed offering on show today. Cattle with some strength and age from Cameron Kearl sold to £1135 for an Angus x Friesian heifer 31 mths whilst a Beef Shorthorn x Friesian heifer 30 mths sold at £1080. Their Angus x Friesian steer 31 mths sold to £1055.

Calves – 106 Sold

Auctioneer: Tom Hamplett 07966 104532

Calves – 98

More calves again this week with the relaxation of Blue Tongue restrictions helping both vendors and buyers to start getting stock moving again. A flying trade for the youngest and middling calves, though the best were a little easier than the last few months.
Plenty of choice on offer for all buyers with continental bulls topping at £280 for Blues from W G & T A Manford; J W Boyd & Sons Ltd worthy of a mention with their entry to £270. Good to see the fantastic run of calves from T Castle & Son back in the ring with tops of £250 and £230 on the Blues, Limousin’s from the same home topping at £260 and £250. A vast array of differing types of natives on offer with best Angus topping at £280 and £260 from Kingcott Dairy. Appleton Farms sold their run to £250 whilst younger models from J W Boyd & Sons Ltd and Goddard & Sons topped at £200.
A decent selection of heifers on offer. Blues to £250 for a tremendous calf from W G & T A Manford with £240 from both T Castle & Son and H O Champneys Ltd. A nice selection of Limousins from T Castle & Son topped at £185, £180 and £170. Angus heifers leaving buyers a little more choosey with tops of £175 from Appleton Farms for older examples whilst younger types topping at £120 from Goddard & Son with most £90 – £115.
Dairy bulls better in quality and better in trade. British Friesians leading the way with some nice young rearing calves from Parrett & Son in high demand and topping at £155. Holstein Friesian and associated breeds fewer in numbers with trade similar to last time out with the best over £100, middles £60 – £80 and bobbies £20-£30.

Weanlings – 8

A few less than expected with tops of £430 for Blue bulls from T Castle & Son with Limousin heifers from the same home to £410. Again, this week showing that whilst these lots were younger than a fortnight ago the trade remains firm for them!

Please note, we have a number of customers looking for registered sired native breed calves, please remember to record the sire ear tag on the birth registration to ensure it appears on the passport!

Bull Calves

British Blue cross – 26 – Ave £175.96 – Top £280.00 – W G & T A Manford
Limousin cross – 4 – Ave £245.00 – Top £260.00 – T Castle & Son
Aberdeen Angus cross – 22 – Ave £188.86 – Top £280.00 – Kingcott Dairy
Hereford cross – 1 – Ave £110.00 – Top £110.00 – Goddard & Son
Ayrshire – 2 – Ave £160.00 – Top £175.00 – J Howie
British Friesian – 4 – Ave £135.00 – Top £155.00 – Parrett & Son

Heifer Calves

British Blue cross – 17 – Ave £149.71 – Top £250.00 – W G & T A Manford
Limousin cross – 5 – Ave £164.00 – Top £185.00 – T Castle & Son
Simmental cross – 1 – Ave £240.00 – Top £240.00 – H O Champneys Ltd
Aberdeen Angus cross – 11 – Ave £104.09 – Top £175.00 – Appleton Farms Ltd
Hereford cross – 1 – Ave £100.00 – Top £100.00 – Goddard & Son

Steer Calves

Dairy Shorthorn – 1 – Ave £390.00 – Top £390.00 – Garratt & Mannerings

Bull Weanlings

British Blue cross – 2 – Ave £430.00 – Top £430.00 – T Castle & Son
Limousin cross – 1 – Ave £410.00 – Top £410.00 – T Castle & Son
Ayrshire – 1 – Ave £245.00 – Top £245.00 – J Howie

Heifer Weanlings

Limousin cross – 3 – Ave £410.00 – Top £410.00 – T Castle & Son

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Tuesday Livestock – 5th March 2024

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