Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 28th May 2024

Sheep Sales Reports

New Season Lambs

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903
No – 408 Sold

Top price per kg: 456p – P & E Andreozzi
Top price per head: £219.00 – P & E Andreozzi

A decent entry as the 2024 crop of lambs finally start to do a bit better with the occasional sunny day over the past few weeks. Some super quality lambs on offer today with a tremendous run from P & E Andreozzi topping the charts on both sides to £219 and 457p. Other lambs generally over £4 kg and averaging 420p kg, with only leaner grass types selling below these figures. More lambs will come out now week on week, and prices are being sustained for the moment, but it remains to be seen if we can keep them where they are currently. Numbers will dictate what will happen overall, and predictions nationally are that they will be down on last year in the finished sections.

34kg – £143.50 (422p/kg) – Friday Street Farmers
35kg – £145.00 (414p/kg) – M Hooker & Son
36kg – £158.00 (439p/kg) – S W Mount & Sons Ltd
37kg – £160.00 (432p/kg) – Friday Street Farmers
38kg – £166.00 (437p/kg) – W Pynn Contractors Ltd
39kg – £159.00 (408p/kg) – Mrs Carol Wimble
40kg – £175.00 (438p/kg) – Link Bros
41kg – £178.00 (434p/kg) – C Moss & Sons
42kg – £181.00 (431p/kg) – T R & J Kirk
43kg – £196.00 (456p/kg) – P & E Andreozzi
44kg – £189.00 (430p/kg) – W G Watkins & Sons
45kg – £195.00 (433p/kg) – P & E Andreozzi
47kg – £215.00 (457p/kg) – P & E Andreozzi
48kg – £215.00 (448p/kg) – T R & J Kirk
49kg – £219.00 (447p/kg) – P & E Andreozzi

Averages (p/kg) 

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 208 – Top 439, Average 420.2
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 182 – Top 456, Average 416.4
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 18 – Top 457, Average 438.8

Finished Hoggets – 487
Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

A mixed entry again with many end of season types on offer. Quality sheep in the pens can still really make tremendous prices, and over £4 kg was taken by S J Reeve & Sons, with £209 head also taken by J Barnes. These best hoggets are really in demand and will remain so until the Eid-al Adha Festival in a couple of weeks’ time. Following that I would expect numbers to drop away rapidly. If you intend to have any numbers in the coming weeks, please let us know in advance so we can keep the buyers informed.

 

Cull Sheep – 198 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Ewe: Top £165.00 – Leconfield Farms Ltd – Ave £111.68

A quiet day after the Bank Holiday but a super trade from start to finish with the lesser numbers in the pens pushing demand. The best ewes regularly £120 – £150 to a top price of £165 from both Leconfield Farms Ltd & C Woodhead. Medium sorts £80 – £110 on most occasions with leaner grazing types £50 – £70 throughout. Demands are strong for all grades so do not hesitate to get any ewes you have to sell booked in with us.

Top prices included

Suffolk cross to £165 – Leconfield Farms Ltd, Texel cross to £165 – C Woodhead, Charollais to £148 – J Butchers, Mules to £142 – Leconfield Farms Ltd, Romneys to £134 – S J Reeve & Son.

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle –  34 Sold

Auctioneer:Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

A similar trade overall with the wholesale and retail trade just sitting in the doldrums for a while as consumers manage household budgets in the run up to summer holidays. If anything, the very best were just a little firmer with a few more leaner lightweights just a little less.
The best beef bred cattle 270-310p kg with M B Farms topping at 313p, £1875 and 306p, £2093 for Limousin heifers and steers, respectively. A smart Bazadaise cross heifer from William Alexander (Shoreham) not far behind at 300p, £1662. Strong Blue steers from K & P M Sinden to £1838.
Hereford x Friesian steers from A J Down to 256p, £1610; Friesian to 237p, £1454.
Native cattle from W S Furnival Ltd saw their Angus cross to 264p, £1643 and 259p, £1609 for steers and heifers, respectively. Sussex steers to 263p, £1575 M Moncrieffe.

Top Steers

M B Farms – Limousin – 306p (£2093)
M B Farms – Limousin – 305p (£1812)
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin cross – 277p (£1521)
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin cross – 273p (£1581)
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin cross – 271p (£1555)

Top Heifers

M B Farms – Limousin – 313p (£1875)
M B Farms – Limousin – 308p (£1691)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Bazadaise cross – 300p (£1662)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 285p (£1479)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 280p (£1523)

Average Prices

Steers 200 to 550kg – 3 Sold – top 277p – Av 267p
Steers 551 to 650kg – 13 Sold – top 305p – Av 256p
Steers 651kg + – 4 Sold – top 306p – Av 273p
Heifers 300 to 500 kg – 5 Sold – top 251p – Av 234p
Heifers 501 to 590 kg – 7 Sold – top 308p – Av 272p
Heifers 591 kg + – 2 Sold – top 313p – Av 284p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 25 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

It is always disappointing not to have more stock following the Bank Holiday, and Heathfield Show, as we always seem to have a very strong trade at a time of year when the cows are particularly in demand. It was, again, the case today with a very strong trade for all grades.
Nothing outstanding in terms of quality but some good shaped older beef cows pushing close to 200p kg. Little flesh on offer with a tidy Sussex cow 184p, £1349.
Limousin cross 195p, 193p, 190p, £1420, £1348, £1147 (Non FA) M B Farms; Sussex 184p, £1349 J G & D G White; South Devon 170p kg.
A decent entry from the dairy sector and certainly no let-up in the department with buyers keen to secure numbers.
Holstien Friesian 189p, 188p, 171p, 169p, £1489, £1406, £1117, 31087 J W Boyd & Son; British Friesian 178p 2, 176p, 171p, £1393, £1381, £1365, £1296 R & J Ledger; Jersey 91p, 78p, £394, £326 S E Lane & Partners.
Overage (2) Wanted. Sussex OTM steer 217p, £1299; Beef Shorthorn OTM steer 188p, £1256.

Beef Cows – 6 Sold – Top 195, Average 181.8
Dairy Cows – 17 Sold – Top 189, Average 158.3

 

Pigs – 33 Sold

Auctioneer: Tom Hamplett 07966 104532

Finished (17) – A flying trade, once more, for all classes of finished pigs on offer. Demand is really strong at the moment with numbers not there to supply! Best pigs from P & R Marshall to 208p pk or £160.16. C K Guest sold another good run which topped at 184p pk or £143.52 whilst coloured pigs well sought after with Miss Judge selling a cutter to 170p pk or £149.60.
Cull (1) – One sow forward selling for 30p pk from Mrs C Wilson.
Stores (15) – Keen demand from several buyers for the two pens of store pigs on offer. A lovely pen of white weaners from P & R Marshall saw keen competition eventually selling for £65 with a smaller pen of Gloucester Old Spot stores from J & S Baldwin selling well at £54.

A polite request to all vendors to please pre enter all pigs on the Monday morning prior to a pig sale. This is to help us to help you by ensuring that buyers are kept up to date with entries.

Forthcoming Auctions

Tuesday Livestock – 4th June 2024

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

For our Auction Calendar and Catalogues click here