Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 27th September 2022

Sheep Sales Reports

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

New Season Lambs – 781 Sold

Top price per kg: 290p – T Husk
Top price per head: £129.50 – T Husk

A smaller entry this week again with very varying quality on offer, with some well finished heavy sorts, down to lambs that were really only forward stores. Best finished types are still selling well from £2.50-£2.90 kg to a top price of 290p kg from Mr Tom Husk. Trade has been a bit harder around the country in the past couple of days with demand in the wholesale sector said to be less than in recent weeks. This coupled with the varying quality that is on offer brought the trade down below last week’s levels, to 236p kg.

Top Prices

34kg – £88.00 (259p/kg) – G H Dean & Co
35kg – £87.00 (249p/kg) – I Hobden
36kg – £92.00 (256p/kg) – I Hobden
37kg – £90.00 (243pkg) – R T J B & I Lockwood
38kg – £86.00 (226p/kg) – S Pierson
39kg – £110.00 (282p/kg) – R T J B & I Lockwood
40kg – £102.00 (255p/kg) – D Wimble
41kg – £119.00 (290p/kg) – T Husk
42kg – £90.00 (214p/kg) – D J Cole & Sons
43kg – £117.00 (272p/kg) – T Husk
44kg – £120.50 (274p/kg) – T Husk
45kg – £117.00 (260p/kg) – N C & C Hedges
46kg – £117.00 (254p/kg) – C R & G Daws
47kg – £129.50 (276p/kg) – T Husk
48kg – £111.00 (231p/kg) – S P Howard
49kg – £122.00 (249p/kg) – V Smith
53kg – £125.00 (236p/kg) – J Farrant
54kg – £106.00 (196p/kg) – K Lukehurst
55kg – £110.00 (200p/kg) – Mrs Jeanette Claringbould

Averages (p/kg)

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 246 – Top 282, Average 230.5
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 390 – Top 290, Average 240.0
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 112 – Top 276, Average 244.9
Over 52.1 kgs – 11 – Top 236, Average 217.8

Cull Sheep – 466 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Ewes: Top £139 – Priors Byne Farm, Average £73.32
Rams: Top £145 – R R Stickels & Son, Average £100.29

A few less in the pens this week with a large number of leaner ewes on offer in comparison to last week. The best ewes looking well sold with these looking short, regularly £90-£120 and to  a top price of £139 from Priors Byne Farm for a Texel ewe. Medium sorts £70-95 on most occasions with the plainer grazing types £50-£65 with plenty of buyers in attendance for leaner ewes following recent rainfall.

Top prices included:

Texel cross to £139 – Priors Byne Farm, Suffolk cross to £129 – P Bates, Charollais cross to £127 – Priors Byne Farm, Romney to £110 – K Heritage, Romney cross to £107 – G Lawrence & Son

Store & Breeding Sheep – Friday 2nd September

7,217 Sold

Auctioneers: Elwyn Davies: 07710 803901, Peter Kingwill 07795 200357 and John Rossiter 07557 392903

Another big entry of both store lambs and breeding sheep well received with lambs attracting prices on a par with recent weeks and a good attendance of buyers ensured competitive returns for all breeding sheep on offer.
Best crossbred stores £85 plus and those with flesh up to £97.50 for a pen of Texel cross from A K F Dod, medium sorts selling readily in the mid £70’s and only small long term lamb below £70. Similar trade for Romney wethers with the best just short of £80 and an overall average of £70.
A mixed trade for the breeders with strong demand for the Mule tegs with best £185 plus while Suffolk x Mules sold at lower levels with tops at £161 from D Page & Son. A small selection of Texel x Mule ewe tegs sold well up to £181 from W Pynn Contractors.
Lots of interest and buyers for breeding ewes with the best £120 plus and all a good premium above feeding and slaughter value.

Please keep in touch and call to discuss future marketing of store lambs, Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

Principal prices included

store lambs
Suffolk x Mule – £94.50 – G B Richards
Suffolk x Mule – £85.50 – E W & R E Hanks
Suffolk x Romney – £92.50 – S J Reeve & Son
Suffolk x Romney – £84.50 – West Court Farm
Texel cross – £97.50 – A K F Dod
Texel cross – £94.00 – A Laver
Texel cross – £93.00 – Hadlow College
Texel cross – £84.00 – A W Vincent
Texel cross – £84.00 – G Lawrence & Son
Texel cross – £84.00 – Mrs T Higgins
Charollais cross – £93.50 – M Wickens
Charollais cross – £93.50 – E W Homewood
Charollais cross – £88.50 – R George
Beltex cross – £90.00 – S Weeks & Son
Beltex cross – £83.50 – P M J & P B Wade
Romney wether – £78.00 – A Reeve & Son
Romney wether – £77.00 – G H Bates
Romney wether – £77.00 – K Wheeler & Sons

 Ewe tegs

Mules – £194.00 – Swallow Mill Farms
Mules – £193.00 – Brodie Farm
Mules – £192.00 – T Crick
Mules – £188.00 – Picketts Farm
Mules – £186 – Little Boarzell Farm Ltd
Suffolk x Mule – £161.00 – D Page & Son
Suffolk x Mule – £148.00 E W & R E Hanks
Texel x Mule – £181.00 – W Pynn Contractors

Breeding ewes

Mules 1 lamb – £132.00 – Somers Farm
Suffolk x Mule 2 lambs – £118.00 – J & M Carr
Texel cross 1-3 lambs – £118.00 – T Crick

Store lambs 4,838 sold to Av £75.40

Beltex cross – 134 – Top £90, Ave £81.60
Texel cross – 1,684 – Top £97.50, Ave £77.00
Charollais cross – 1,050 – Top £93.50, Ave £80.40
Suffolk cross – 1,203 – Top £94.50, Ave £76.30
Crossbred – 72 – Top £71.00, Ave £70.00
Romney wether – 695 – Top £78.00, Ave £70.00

Ewe tegs1,107 to Av £94.00

Mule – 478 – Top £194.00 – Av £177.00
Suffolk cross – 418 – Top £161.00 – Av £120.00
Texel cross – 75 – Top £181.00 – Av £177.00
Others – 136 – Top £153.00 – Av £115.00

 

Breeding ewes 1,054 to Av £94.00

Mules – 546 – Top £132.00 – Av £96.50
Suffolk cross – 385 – Top £118.00 – Av £96.00
Texel cross – 28 – Top £118.00 – Av £108.00
Romney – 56 – Top £90.00 – Av £86.50
Cheviot cross – 31 – Top £81.00 – Av £61.50

Ram Sales Reports

Breeding Rams – 144 Sold Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903 and James Cook-O’Connell 07712246474

Our first single ring commercial ram sale took place on Monday 26^th and we are delighted to report that it was quite possibly the most successful sale we have held to date. The trade was literally on fire all throughout the sale with producers having to dig very deep in their pockets to secure some of the best rams on offer. Overall, we had a clearance rate of 88% which is a figure that in the past has been unheard of in any ram sale, and an overall average price of £530 hd. The joint top spot on the day was taken by a Suffolk ram from N A Balcomb & Son and a Texel ram from J Warnock & Son, both at £800.

 

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle – 33 Sold

Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

Not the quality show of cattle compared to recent weeks and trade probably a shade easier. A smart Limousin cross heifer topped the market at £1443 (256p) from W Alexander (Shoreham) while other top prices included Limousin cross steer £1552 (245p) from same vendor, Limousin cross heifer £1467 (245p) from W S Furnival Ltd and Blonde cross heifer £1400 (244p) from G L Boulden & Sons. The best of the dairy bred cattle around 230p with the top Limousin x Friesian steers from A J Down selling at £1506 (234p) and £1484 (238p).
Native bred cattle with weight grossed well at £1608 (232p) and £1521 (231p) for Aberdeen Angus cross steers from W S Furnival Ltd and £1540 (227p) from R C & J L Pickering while purebred Friesian steers sold well up to £1357 (216p) from B J Goodsell & Son.

Top Steers

W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 245p/kg (£1552)
A J Down – Limousin cross – 238p/kg (£1484)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Stabiliser cross – 238p/kg (£1389)
A J Down – Limousin cross – 236p/kg (£1413)
Langrish Farmers – Simmental cross – 236p/kg (£1413)

Top Heifers

W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 256p/kg (£1443)
W S Furnival Ltd – Limousin cross – 245p/kg (£1467)
G L Boulden & Sons – Blonde – 244p/kg (£1400)
W S Furnival Ltd – Limousin cross – 237p/kg (£1300)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 231p/kg (£1267)

Average Prices (p/kg)

Steers up to 650kg – 20 sold – Top 245 – Ave 228p
Steers over 651kg – 4 Sold – Top 232p – Ave 226p
Heifers up to 500kg – 7 Sold – Top 256p – Ave 234p
Heifers over 501kg – 2 Sold – Top 245p – Ave 237p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 88 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Numbers pushing close to 100 cattle as the weather begins to change and a few beef suckler herds get on with scanning. Certainly, more leaner cows on offer after a hard summer but no shortage of customers keen to buy feeders but all wary of condition and length of time to finishing. Meat cows a right real trade again as supplies are going to be tight and this lower cost product is going to be consistently in demand.
Good beef cows with flesh and weight either side of 200p, plenty 160-185p, and the leaner older feeders still a good trade at 130-160p. Heavy cows often £1200-£1500.
Limousin cross 208p, 195p, 187p £1527, £1349, £1112 Burden Bros; 196p £997 P N & C Burden; 190p £1080 (Non FA) J H & A H Godden; Simmental cross 192p £1314 R C & J L Pickering; Aberdeen Angus cross 186p £1224 J & H Robinson; 179p £1196 (Non FA) Gallagher Farms; 178p £1287 (Non FA) Miss J Biddle; 175p £1050 Burden Bros; Sussex cross 177p (2) £1138, £1033 K & P M Sinden.
More culls from the dairy sector forward today. Meat cows fully holding their rates but perhaps the lighter leaner cows a little less. Competition remains very positive, but we will nationally see more culls on the market as more herds go into full winter mode.
Best flesh and shaped Friesians 160-185p whilst the best of the Holsteins weren’t far behind.
Holstein maiden heifer 186p £1169 Huddlestone Farmers; British Friesian cows 188p, 185p, 178p £1349, £1292, £1274 Debden Court; 176p £1141 B J Goodsell & Son; 166p, 162p £1284, £1274 R & J Ledger; Holstein Friesian 181p £1327 W F Farms; 174p, 163p, 157p £1241, £1178, £1103 R C & J L Pickering; 160p £1302 P J Forknall; 159p £1236 J W Boyd & Sons; Jersey 153p, 130p £824, £680 Hickson Bros, 128p £657 S E Lane & Ptnrs.
Stock bulls an outstanding trade but, to be fair, they were a good sample!
Blonde 187p £2025; Hereford 155p £1908; Sussex 161p £1693, 139p £1191 (Non FA); Limousin 189p £1574, 169p £1356.
A small show of overage but all keenly wanted.
OTM Hereford heifer 198p £1136; OTM Holstein Friesian steers 185p, 173p £1172, £1095.

Beef Cows – 40 Sold – Top 208, Average 156.3
Dairy Cows – 38 Sold – Top 188, Average 149.8

Store cattle – 266 Sold

Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

Although reduced numbers this was another good show of store cattle comprising two big runs of 58 16-18 mths Continental and Aberdeen Angus crosses from J & H Robinson (Iford Farms) Ltd and 68 15-18 mths mainly Continental cross heifers from Langrish Farmers. Generally, cattle are leaner and not carrying the flesh expected this time of year with the drought condition having an impact and this in addition to increased costs of wintering is being reflected in overall returns.
However, strong stores to finish short term attracted prices in excess of £1100 and up to £1150 for Simmental cross steer from R White and majority of 15-18 mths store ranging in the £750 to £1000 bracket.

Principal Prices

Continental
17 mths Blonde cross steer – £1110 – J & H Robinson (Iford Farm) Ltd
16 mths Blonde cross heifer – £1050 J & H Robinson (Iford Farm) Ltd
16 mths Charolais cross heifer – £850 Langrish Farmers
17 mths Simmental cross steer – £1150 R White
17 mths Simmental cross steer – £1100 M & C Farms Ltd
17 mths Simmental cross heifers – £860 M & C Farms Ltd
24 mths Charolais cross steer – £1110 J Gray & Sons
20 mths Charolais cross heifer – £930 J Gray & Sons

Native Bred

5 mths Sussex steer – £560 R White
14 mths Hereford cross steer – £810 Mrs K Butt
16 mths South Devon steer – £850 E & J Beer
16 mths Hereford heifers – £810 M J & C W Barnes
18 mths Hereford heifers – £950 M J Burton
17 mths Aberdeen Angus cross steer – £900 D R Miles
17 mths Aberdeen Angus cross steer – £1110 J & H Robinson (Iford Farm) Ltd
17 mths Aberdeen Angus cross heifers – £865 J & H Robinson (Iford Farm) Ltd
24 mths Friesian steers – £790 Langrish Farmers

Breeding Cattle – 11 Sold

Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

A small selection of in calf cows topped at £1,170 for recently served Sussex cows from R White and lean Hereford cross cows having ran with the bull to £900 from Mrs L M Howard.

Calves – 80 Sold

Auctioneer:Tom Hamplett 07966 104532

80 Calves

Calves for all budgets today with a plentiful supply for buyers to choose from. Trade is certainly nowhere near where we have seen it in previous months as the effects of high costs continue to bite.
Best bulls look well enough sold, particularly with age about them with tops of £285, £275 and £265 from T Castle & Son for British Blues. Limousins from the same home to £235 with Simmentals topping at £200 from H O Champneys Ltd. Aberdeen Angus bulls topped at £180 from Kingcott Dairy at £160 with J E Scutt & Sons entry topping at £165. Herefords on offer today for the first time in a while with a top of £150 from R C & J L Pickering.
Heifers were harder work particularly in the native bred department which reflects returns at the other end of the market. British Blues to £280 & £220 from Hickson Bros. Aberdeen Angus heifers to £250 for a strong pen from A & W J Hitchcock with next in line being J E Scutt & Sons at £130. Herefords topped at £135 from R C & J L Pickering.
Dairy calves still look a fair trade compared to the other sections although certainly a little easier this week. Tops of £80 from A & W J Hitchcock with plenty selling in the £40 – £50 region.

Weanlings – 6 sold

Trade similar to inside the calf shed today with a top of £230 for a 4mths British Blue steer from M Elphick.

Bull Calves

British Blue – 22 – Top £285 – Average £153.95
Simmental – 3 – Top £200 – Average £110.00
Limousin – 2 – Top £235 – Average £202.50
Aberdeen Angus – 12 Top £180 – Average £126.25
Hereford – 3 – Top £150 – Average £135.00
Dairy Shorthorn – 4 – Top £110 – Average £110.00

 

Heifer Calves

British Blue – 17 – Top £300 – Average £170.29
Aberdeen Angus – 13 – Top £150 – Average £95.00

 

 

Forthcoming Auctions

Tuesday Livestock – 4th October 2022

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

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