Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 28th November 2023

Sheep Sales Reports

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

New Season Lambs – 1,392 Sold

Top price per kg: 343p – R J Adams
Top price per head: £158 – T R Holt

More on offer this week with over 1,500 lambs penned for the first time in quite a while. Noticeable that we were seeing far better quality this week with a few more sheep now coming from roots and cover crops, as opposed to just grass lambs. These better finished examples are seeing great prices still and with almost double the entry of 2 weeks ago, we did not see any drop away in prices. The very best lambs were £150 head, and several over on a few occasions this week from Mr Peter Gorringe and Mr Tom Holt, who topped the day at £158 head. Smaller export types, 40 kg and below, were slightly more abundant this week and were also well sold and topped out at 343p kg from R J Adams for Beltex crosses with second place taken by Mr Tom Husk at 334p kg for the same breed.

30kg – £103.00 (343p/kg) – R J Adams
32kg – £95.00 (297p/kg) – R J Adams
38kg – £107.50 (283p/kg) – David Clark (Farms) Ltd
39kg – £104.00 (267p/kg) – H & J Noakes
40kg – £109.50 (274p/kg) – David Clark (Farms) Ltd
41kg – £137.00 (334p/kg) – T Husk
42kg – £120.00 (286p/kg) – W & P New T/A Moorhouse Farm
43kg – £133.00 (309p/kg) – J Wayman
44kg – £127.00 (289p/kg) – N C & C G Hedges
45kg – £126.00 (280p/kg) – N C & C G Hedges
46kg – £150.00 (326p/kg) – P Gorringe
47kg – £139.00 (296p/kg) – J Wayman
48kg – £142.00 (296p/kg) – J Wayman
49kg – £120.00 (245p/kg) – T Hope
50kg – £150.00 (300p/kg) – P Gorringe
51kg – £146.00 (286p/kg) – Tilley Farm Partnership
52kg – £138.00 (265p/kg) – T Husk
53kg – £145.00 (274p/kg) – Tilley Farm Partnership
54kg – £146.00 (270p/kg) – T Husk
55kg – £149.00 (271p/kg) – T R Holt
58kg – £158.00 (272/kg) – T R Holt 

Averages (p/kg) 

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 288 – Top 314, Average 255.2
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 489 – Top 334, Average 260.2
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 458 – Top 326, Average 266.5
Other 52.1+ kgs – 128 – Top 274, Average 254.7

Cull Sheep – 546 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Ewe: Top £108.00 – D J Morphett
Ram: Top £120.00 – G Husk

Consistent strong numbers again with a good number of farmers tidying up their cull ewes ahead of the cold weather and saving the food for their breeding stock. The best ewes regularly £80 – £100 and to a top price of £108 for smart Charollais ewes from D J Morphett. Medium sorts £55 – £75 on most occasions with leaner grazing ewes £30 – £50 throughout and just a little harder to sell with the upcoming cold weather ahead. Please do inform me of any large consignments of ewes you intend on selling in the coming weeks.

Top prices included

Charollais to £108 – D J Morphett, Texel cross to £105 – E J Stanford & Sons, Suffolk cross to £90 – E J Stanford & Sons, Mules to £88 – D Howard Farms Ltd, Romney to £81 – A B Jones & Partners

Store Lamb Sale – Friday 24th November

2,694 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

A smaller entry of sheep, as expected for the time of year, but still a good number of buyers out there for the lambs on offer. The trade is certainly boosted by the finished price which is very high for the time of year which has two effects including the increased trade for the strong lambs but also gives the buyers confidence in the longer term. Top end lambs were all over £100 head and topped at £112 from W J Waters. Longer term lambs selling from £75-85 head. A handful of tidy ewe lambs sold to £102 from J & C Kellet for Suffolk x Mules.

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle –  34 Sold

Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

Another improved festive trade with the best Continental cross beef bred cattle 280p plus and yet again W Alexander (Shoreham) taking top honours.
Others to gross well included 2 Limousin cross steers around 280p and £1800 plus from W G Vant & Sons.
Well fleshed dairy bred cattle generally around 260p with the best Limousin x Friesian steer £1751 (283p), same breed heifer £1509 (280p) and Hereford x Friesian steer £1557 (260p) from A J Down.
A relatively large percentage of native bred cattle with well fleshed purebred Sussex selling exceptionally well with steer £1726 (279p) from W S Furnival Ltd and heifer £1601 (284p) from Masters Farms while Aberdeen Angus crosses topped at £1504 (274p) for a steer from Jan Boomaars.

Top Steers

W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 298p/kg (£1606)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 296p/kg (£1773)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 289p/kg (£1803)
G L Boulden & Sons – Limousin cross – 288p/kg (£1768)
W G Vant & Sons – Limousin cross – 283pkg (£1808)

Top Heifers

W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 309p/kg (£1866)
Masters Farms – Sussex – 284p/kg (£1601)
Masters Farms – Sussex cross – 280p/kg (£1579)
A J Down – Limousin cross – 280p/kg – (£1509)
K & P M Sinden & Sons – Sussex cross – 277p/kg (£1617)

Average Prices

Steers up to 550kg – 5 sold – Top 298p – Ave 273p
Steers over 551kg – 22 sold – Top 296p – Ave 264p
Heifers up to 500kg – 6 sold – Top 26p – Ave 253p
Heifers over 501kg – 15 sold – Top 309p – Ave 264p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 57 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

A very similar trade to recent weeks with strengthening demand for flesh and the younger better keeping cows but a reluctance to invest heavily in the older cows whether for slaughter or long term keeping. In fact, 36 out of the 50 cows forward today were over 10 years with 2 over 20! Producers getting tidy before the Christmas period, not surprisingly.
Best feeders 180-205p, with very few Continental fleshed cows though selling well to £1496 for Simmental from G Bates and £1478 for Charolais from Vexour Livestock.
Charolais 204p, 190p, 183p, 176p, £1478, £1323, £1316, £1129 J Boomaars, 198p, £1275 (Non FA) D R Thompson, 183p, £1223 (Non FA) Seymour Stevens Ltd; Angus x 190p, 180p, £919 J Boomaars, 181p, £1218 (Non FA) T Lyle & Ptnrs; Limousin x 186p, £1113 (Non FA) F W Hare & Sons; Saler x 168p, £1089 (Non FA) Seymour Stevens Ltd; Simmental x 158p, £1496 (Non FA) G Bates Ltd; Sussex 144p, 136p, £961 (Non FA) City of London, 139p, £1137 (Non FA) Mincing Court; Dexter 95p, £288 J Boomaars.
Not a dairy cull in the market as herds settle into their winter routine.
Stock Bulls (2) A little more flesh on offer helped. Angus 152p, £1379; Hereford 123p, £1274.
Overage (5) All wanted. OTM Devon heifers 200p, £1067; 3+ Limousin x heifer 208p, £1038; 3+ Hereford steer 188p, £1416.

Beef Cows – 48 Sold – Top 204, Average 137.4

Store Cattle – 186 Sold

Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

Fabulous trade late in the season with smart Continental cross youngsters selling exceptionally well at £800 plus and topping at £1000 for 8 mths Limousin cross steer from E Chantler & Son
A big percentage of native bred cattle were well received with South Devon cross youngsters looking well sold at £880 from Messrs Gardners and £800 from I Tapsell.
The pick of the other prices included 20 mths purebred Sussex steers £1340 from C E & W S Millson and a run of 27 proper Friesian steers topping at £1180 and an overall run average of £1100 from M Muggeridge.
Next sale Tuesday 12^th December – 100 + anticipated.

Principal Prices include: 

Continental cross

6mths Limousin cross steers – £865 – D J Miles
7mths Charolais cross steers – £955 – J Boomaars
7mths Charolais cross heifers – £860 – J Boomaars
8mths Limousin cross steer – £1000 – E Chantler & Son

Native Bred

7-8mths South Devon cross steers – £880 – Gardners
8-10mths South Devon cross steers – £800 – I Tapsell
10mths Sussex steers – £760 – City of London
12mths Sussex cross steer – £800 – A B Jones & Partners
14mths Angus cross steer – £890 – Langdon Farms
15mths Angus cross steer – £1035 – J B Marshall
18mths Angus cross steers – £1125 – Brightleigh Farm
20mths Sussex steers – £1340 – C E & W S Millsom
26mths Friesian steers – £1180 – M Muggeridge

Store & Finished Pigs – 46 Sold

Auctioneer: Tom Hamplett 07966 104532

Finished (23) – A larger entry consisting of a high percentage of light weight coloured pigs added to the season and overall supply but created a harder trade than we have become accustomed to. Best pigs still selling well although these are certainly a little easier than we have seen them in recent months. Topping the trade today was a tremendous pen of white pigs from C K Guest which sold to 202p or £181.80. Mary Godden also seeing rewards for quality with £204 per head for a pair which reached 170p. Weight and flesh very much required for buyers today and it is advised that producers try to put more weight on pigs prior to selling.
Cull (3) – Two boars and 1 sow, all of which were coloured with the sow topping trade at 40p. Trade a little less than last time out, again same remarks regarding a large quantity of pigs not in spec in the system.
Store (20) – More than expected and certainly more than advertised. Trade reflecting this with buyers probably not aware that they were going to be entered. Please let us know your entries. Topping the trade from Mr & Mrs Howard with 2 Large Black stores to £32. 

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 – 5th December 2023

Regular Weekly Market including the Ashford Primestock Sale

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