Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 28th April 2026

Sheep Sales Reports

Finished Hoggets – 1,352 sold.

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Top price per kilo – 487p – Miss M Lakey, Norfolk.
Top price per head – £225.00 – Husk Farms Ltd, Kent.

A few more penned than expected this week, with numbers of hoggets tightening up across the country. Quality was in short supply this week, with many end of line hoggets and “clear ups” from some vendors as they now close the book on the 2025 lamb crop. Trade was also stronger than anticipated with some markets at the end of last week being quite a bit less than the recent prices we have been used to, with sheep travelling to Ashford from Hampshire to Norfolk, and all counties in between to avail of the best prices.
Good quality, export grade meat lambs are easily £4/kg and upwards on most occasions, with Michelle Lakey’s superb quality hoggets that made the journey from Norfolk once again, topping the day at 487p/kg. The same vendor sold hoggets to 458/kg and 449p/kg but the top price per head was taken by Husk Farms Ltd at £225/hd and also selling up to 475p/kg for lighter weighted Beltex crosses. Ollie Tilley took next place in the prices per head at £217/hd with a great run of well finished heavy weight hoggs. The hogget trade is still very strong despite a slight ease in the price for heavier types, as some of these had simply reached levels that were unsustainable for processors to continue to make a margin from, coupled with the lower quality that is now on offer.

Finished Hoggets

30 – £146.00 (487p kg) – Miss M Lakey
32 – £113.00 (353p kg) – Bagshaw Farming
33 – £151.00 (458p kg) – Miss M Lakey
35 – £157.00 (449p kg) – Miss M Lakey
36 – £143.00 (397p kg) – Miss M Lakey
37 – £160.00 (432p kg) – Miss M Lakey
38 – £161.00 (424p kg) – S B & A E Martin
39 – £163.00 (418p kg) – Miss M Lakey
40 – £166.00 (415p kg) – S B & A E Martin
41 – £168.00 (410p kg) – P A Reeve
42 – £164.00 (390p kg) – S B & A E Martin
43 – £169.00 (393p kg) – P Gorringe
44 – £209.00 (475p kg) – Husk Farms Ltd
45 – £201.00 (447p kg) – Husk Farms Ltd
46 – £209.00 (454p kg) – Husk Farms Ltd
47 – £195.00 (415p kg) – M R Woodroofe
48 – £192.00 (400p kg) – Lovejoy Farms Partnership
49 – £190.00 (388p kg) – D Stephens
50 – £215.50 (431p kg) – Husk Farms Ltd
51 – £206.00 (404p kg) – Husk Farms Ltd
52 – £220.00 (423p kg) – Husk Farms Ltd
53 – £194.00 (366p kg) – P M Langridge
54 – £197.00 (365p kg) – Oliver Tilley
55 – £216.00 (393p kg) – Husk Farms Ltd
56 – £217.50 (388p kg) – Husk Farms Ltd
57 – £204.00 (358p kg) – R E Jarvis
58 – £212.00 (366p kg) – Oliver Tilley
59 – £217.00 (368p kg) – Husk Farms Ltd
60 – £225.00 (375p kg) – Husk Farms Ltd

Averages (p/kg)

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 138 – Top 458, Ave. 413.4
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 389 – Top 475, Ave. 389.2
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 401   – Top 454, Ave. 376.5
Over 52.1 kgs + – 417 – Top 423, Ave. 340.7

Store Hoggets  378 – Sold

Auctioneers: John Rossiter 07557 392903.

Still, a few of these on offer this week with just under 400 penned, surprisingly for the time of year but still selling on a phenomenal trade and topping at £169/hd from J H & A H Godden and the average being just under £150/hd once again. There seems no stopping the prices here which shows confidence in the hogget trade standing strong for the next couple of months at least.

Cull Sheep – 601 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678

Top price ewes: £252.00 – Husk Farms Ltd, Kent. – Ave. £149.13

A solid trade throughout with more of the leaner sorts on offer.
Any lambing mishaps are being rounded up and cashed with worries rain might not come however the level of trade we are seeing is warranting this.
The best ewes were short this week with majority £160 – £190 and to a top price of £252 from Husk Farm Ltd for cracking Beltex ewes. Medium sorts remain the best sellers and £130 – £160 on most occasions with leaner sorts plentiful this week and £100 – £130 throughout with only very few sold below these figures.
Please do inform me of any large consignments of ewes you intend on selling in the coming weeks with customers present every week for all grades.

Top prices included:

Beltex to £252 – Husk Farms Ltd, Texels to £220 – Husk Farms Ltd, Texel cross to £199 – Bagshaw Farming, Crossbred to £193 – M J Ashworth, Suffolk cross to £189 – D Isaac, Mules to £180 – R L Goodman & Son, Romneys to £180 – R L Goodman & Son.

Ewes & Lambs 51 sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678

Just a small number of couples penned again this week with top call going to M S D Wood for Crossbred ewes with Texel lambs to £121 per life followed by A Cowell with Romney ewes and Romney lambs to £102.50 per life.
Customers are keen for couples and we will have a section available every Tuesday if you have any to sell.

Ear Tags in Sheep
Please be aware of your responsibilities with regard to the tagging of sheep of all ages and in all sections of the market.

Cattle Reports

Finished Cattle –  33 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357.

A few signs of improvement as wholesalers begin to move a bit more beef at the lower prices of late.
Stimulating trade is critical in any sector, and with farm prices regularly experiencing up and downs in all commodities, all parts of the chain play their part.
A few outstanding animals on offer with quality heifers from D W Ferguson Ltd to 389p, 385p, & 378p, £2284, £2249 & £2078 whilst steer honours went to S J Theobald & Sons with Limousin to 380p, £2030. Generally, the nice fed beef heifers 340-360p.
Better dairy bred and fed cattle also a little firmer with Limousin x British Friesian from A J Down to 344p, 340, £2242, £2231 whilst the more Holstein Friesian bred types still finding it harder going at 290-330p.
Fewer natives this week with a particularly nice Black Hereford heifer from High Chimney Farm at 355p, £2180 and a Sussex heifer from G L Boulden & Sons at £339p, £2065.

Leading steer prices

S J Theobald & Sons – Limousin – 380p (£2030)
A J Down – Limousin cross – 344p (£2044)
A J Down – Limousin cross – 340p (£2088)
A J Down – Limousin cross – 338p (£2076)
J Berryman – Hereford cross – 337p (£1985)

Leading heifer prices

D W Ferguson Ltd – Limousin cross – 389p (£2078)
D W Ferguson Ltd – Limousin cross – 385p (£2249)
D W Ferguson Ltd – British Blue cross – 378p (£2284)
Dan Mackleden Ltd – Limousin – 373p (£2179)
High Chimney Farms – Hereford cross – 355p  (£2180)

Average prices

Steers 200-550 kg – 1 – Top 380p – Ave. 380p
Steers 551 to 650 kg – 7 – Top 344p – Ave. 335p
Steers 651 kg + – 3 – Top 336p – Ave. 315p
Heifers 300 to 500 kg – 1 – Top 328p – Ave. 328p
Heifers 501 to 590 kg – 11 – Top 389p – Ave. 347p
Heifers 591+ kg – 10 – Top 378p – Ave. 336p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 59 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357.

Another pleasing entry for the time of year and trade remaining extremely positive for both meat and feeding cows. Very few of the very best fleshed meat cows with the majority half meat types able to continue being feed if required.
Best types continue at well over 300p with Limousin cows from Gallagher Farms to 330p and £2458, with younger Charolais feeders to 336p, £1980 from R C & J L Pickering & Sons.
Charolais 336p, £1980 R C & J L Pickering; Limousin 330p, 288p, £2458, £1845 Gallagher Farms; British Blue 322p, 276p, £1763, £1608 R C & J L Pickering; Sussex 290p, £1621 Trenchmore LLP; Angus 288p, 274p, £1928, £1883 A J Thompson & Sons, 270p, £1846 A & S Woodford, 265p, £1952 Trenchmore LLP; Wagyu 276p Trenchmore LLP; Dexter 275p, £2100; South Devon 263p, 259p, 249p, £2087, £2068, £2050 Gardners; Simmental 258p, £2009 A J Thompson & Sons.
Few from the dairy sector this week. A number of maiden Black & White heifers, under and over 30 mths, well sold at 270p-300p. Cows very similar with another good entry of Jersey cows finding strong competition.
Holstein Friesian heifers 294p, 292p, £1618 J W Boyd & Son, 280p, £1625 R C & J L Pickering; Flekvieh heifer 291p, £1725 C Kearl; Norwegian Red heifers 282p, 271p, £1830 D Murdoch & Sons, 274p, 271p, £1641 R C & J L Pickering; Jersey cows 182p, 173p, £808 Hickson Bros, 177p, 165p, 163p, 161p, £997, £869, £839, £803 S E Lane & Ptnrs.
Stock Bulls (8) A big entry and another excellent trade for all grades.
Limousin 310p, £2615; Simmental 252p, 234p, £2502; Sussex 251p, £2467; Angus 233p, £2778; Lean Limousin 226p, £1917; Lean Charolais 222p, £1705; Lean Simmental 214p, £1815.
Overage (13) A little brighter overall with strong OTM Angus steers to £2548, 319p from B G & M A Tomsett
Sussex x Holstein OTM heifers 320p, 319p, £2058, £2022, Angus x Holstein OTM steers 304p, 299p, £2343, £2140 E & J H Maylam; Angus OTM steer 317p, £2548 B G & M A Tomsett; Angus x Holstein OTM heifer 300p C Kearl; Black & White 3+ steers 297p, 296p, 293p, £2461, £2106 R Scott.

Beef Cows – 27 Sold – Top 336, Average 270.3
Dairy Cows – 15 Sold – Top 294, Average 219.4

Store & Breeding Cattle – 478 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678

Yet another big show of store & breeding cattle in the pens with buyers still keen for those longer term grazing types despite lack of rainfall.
Cows and calves from A Boyd & Co started the day off topping at £2100 for aged Sussex cross cows with Limousin calves at foot followed by a herd reduction from S & D Broad topping at £2120 for a Limousin cross cow in calf to a Limousin bull.
More store bulls forward than usual topping £1950 from Bull Bridge Farm for Charollais 10 mths and Aberdeen Angus bulls 13 mths from W S Furnival (Brookland) to £1570.
A good lot of grazing types in the pens this week with the first of these R Carr Partnership for Hereford cross steers 8 mths to £1350 and heifers from the same home to £1260 followed by younger types from E & J Beer topping at £990 for well reared British Blue x Friesian heifers. A run of hard Galloway Cross steers and heifers 12-14 mths from R Seymour top at £1260 and Black & Whites 12-14 mths from R T J B & I Lockwood top at £1260. Stabilisers 10-16 mths from A & N Bullen top at £1630 and Aberdeen Angus cross heifers 12 mths from D R Miles to £1270. T Lyle & Partners had their annual consignment of mainly Aberdeen Angus crosses 12 – 15 mths topping at £1580 for the steers and £1590 for the heifers and strong Aberdeen Angus cross steers 13 mths from J & A Lyon to £1980. H W Richards topped at £1580 for long term Limousin x Sussex steers 12 mths well done Sussex steers 13 mths from L Stevens & Sons to £1640. Cracking Limousin heifers 26 mths from Gallagher Farms to £2160 and smart Limousin steers 11 mths from R Coleman & Sons to £1960 with R D E Spencer in close attendance topping at £1740 from 11 mth Limousin cross steers. Charolais 13 mths from J F E Goodsell reach £1710 for the steers with the heifers to £1640 and Blue x Friesian heifers 16 mths from M E Wrout to £1750 and were bought to bull. Well done Angus x Friesian steers 20 mths from B Sutton top at £1880 and well done Limousin x Friesian steers 14 mths from A J Down look well sold to £1810.
We will have a larger catalogued sale of store and breeding cattle on Tuesday 12^th May so if you have cattle to sell please to not hesitate to get in touch.

Principal prices include:

Native:
Aberdeen Angus cross steers 13 mths – £1980 – J & A Lyon
Aberdeen Angus x Friesian steers20 mths – £1880 – B Sutton
Aberdeen Angus cross steers12 mths – £1850 – Pynn Contractors
Aberdeen Angus x Friesian heifers 21 mths – £1850 – B Sutton
Aberdeen Angus cross heifers 13 mths – £1850 – J & A Lyon
Aberdeen Angus heifers 13 mths – £1640 – J F E Goodsell

Continental:
Limousin steers 11 mths – £1960 – R Coleman & Sons
British Blue x Friesian steers 22 mths – £1850 – B Sutton
British Blue x Friesian steers 21 mths – £1840 – M E Wrout
Limousin heifers 26 mths – £2160 – Gallagher Farms
British Blue x Friesian heifers16 mths – £1750 – M E Wrout
Limousin heifers10 mths – £1680 – S & D Broad

Calves – 47 Sold

Auctioneer: Tristan Howell 07917024340.

The record prices we saw two weeks ago have been beaten once again, with 11 single-suckled calves boosting the entry and therefore the average to £702/hd. Dairy-bred calves still in high demand, bull calves topping at £740 for J W Boyd & Sons Ltd and heifers £545 for an Aberdeen Angus cross making the trip from Stilwell Farms Ltd, Hampshire.
An unexpected entry of beef-bred calves bolstered the day’s trading and headlining with two cracking Limousin calves from Gallagher Farms at £890 and a 10-day-old bull at £820. A J Thompson & Sons with a large run of Limousin cross calves that were all north of £700 except one, topping at £790, £770, £760 etc. A single bull calf from J Prior & Son at £570, and a Longhorn cross bull calf from Kent Wildlife Trust making £385.
Smaller show of continental in the dairy-bred rearing calves, with British Blue cross calves from W G & T A Manford at £625 and £600, and British Blue x Jersey heifers from Hickson Bros at £445, their Wagyu cross making £355 and £325. Plenty of natives entered, Sussex crosses from J Warnock & Sons realising £535, and Aberdeen Angus bulls from the same home realising £560, £540. Stilwell farms having the top call for the crossbred heifers on the day at £545 and £540.
More in the weanlings this week, V & C Smith having Aberdeen Angus cross steers to £650 and Black & White British Friesian steers at 6 mths, £750. Two strong British Blue crosses from W G & T A Manford, a bull and heifer realising £795 and £805. Tom Hope concluding the sale with smaller 9-mth Angus’ topping at £630 and a similarly aged Black & White bull at £480.

Bull Calves
British Blue cross – 5 – Ave. £635.00 – Top £740.00 – J W Boyd & Sons Ltd.
Limousin cross – 7 – Ave. £752.86 – Top £890.00 – Gallagher Farms.
Wagyu cross – 1 – Ave. £355.00 – Top £355.00 – Hickson Bros.
Aberdeen Angus cross – 4 – Ave. £496.25 – Top £560.00 – J Warnock & Sons.
Longhorn cross – 1 – Ave. £385.00 – Top £385.00 – Kent Wildlife Trust.
Heifer Calves
British Blue cross – 3 – Ave. £341.67 – Top £445.00 – Hickson Bros.
Limousin cross – 3 – Ave. £690.00 – Top £760.00 – A J Thompson & Sons.
Wagyu cross – 1 – Ave. £325.00 – Top £325.00 – Hickson Bros.
Charolais cross – 1 – Ave. £520.00 – Top £520.00 – P J Forknall.
Aberdeen Angus cross – 8 – Ave. £418.75 – Top £545.00 – Stilwell Farms.
Sussex cross – 2 – Ave. £425.00 – Top £535.00 – J Warnock & Sons.
Bull Weanlings
British Blue cross – 4 – Ave. £795.00 – Top £795.00 – W G & T A Manford.
British Friesian – 2 – Ave. £750.00 – Top £750.00 – V & C Smith.
Holstein Friesian – 1 – Ave. £480.00 – Top £480.00 – Thomas Hope.
Heifer Weanlings
British Blue cross – 1 – Ave. £805.00 – Top £805.00 – W G & T A Manford.
Aberdeen Angus – 2 – Ave. £650.00 – Top £650.00 – V & C Smith.
Steer Weanlings
Aberdeen Angus cross – 4 – Ave. £532.50 – Top £680.00 V & C Smith.

Ear Tags

Producers are reminded that all cattle require two ear tags with at least one large distance readable tag. Please inspect stock in good time to order replacement tags as, regrettably, any stock that are incorrectly tagged may not be offered for sale. Local authority inspectors will be taking note as stock comes to market.

 

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