Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 28th October 2025

Sheep Sales Reports

New Season Lambs – 1,054 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Top price per kilo –356p – Activate Learning, Surrey.
Top price per head – £177.00 – R G Hobbs Farms, Kent.

Trade has been tighter than we have been used in September, but trade reports suggest that retail and catering demand, at this sluggish time of year, is lower than it has been all year.
Prices are not that bad, they are just a little less, and I am confident that they may well recover in the run up to Christmas. Many sellers seem to be misled that the current spike in the prices of store lambs should push prices up in the finished pens, but this simply is not the case. The price of a store lamb on a Friday, that is destined for slaughter next spring, has little or no relevance to the price today of the meat on a butcher`s counter, making this an inaccurate comparable to draw.
Top end lambs are still able to make good money, all the heavy sorts are £150 head and upwards and generally the lighter offerings are selling from 310-330p kg, returning a sqq average figure of 313p kg.

32 – £114.00 (356p kg) – Activate Learning
35 – £121.00 (346p kg) – E J Clough
36 – £124.00 (344p kg) – K T D Axell
37 – £119.00 (322p kg) – R E & P E Jordan
38 – £127.00 (334p kg) – D Nixon
39 – £129.00 (331p kg) – K T D Axell
40 – £135.00 (338p kg) – J Wayman
41 – £127.00 (310p kg) – D Thompson
42 – £139.00 (331p kg) – Wey Street Farm
43 – £144.50 (336p kg) – J Wayman
44 – £150.00 (341p kg) – J Wayman
45 – £158.00 (351p kg) – C R & G Daws
46 – £153.50 (334p kg) – J Wayman
47 – £152.00 (323p kg) – P West
48 – £154.00 (321p kg) – M R Woodroofe
49 – £164.50 (336p kg) – D Isaac & H Chandler
50 – £165.00 (330p kg) – S P Howland
51 – £153.00 (300p kg) – W G Watkins & Sons
52 – £160.00 (308p kg) – J Wayman
53 – £170.00 (321p kg) – D Isaac & H Chandler
54 – £160.00 (296p kg) – R G Hobbs Farms
55 – £166.00 (302p kg) – R G Hobbs Farms
57 – £171.00 (300p kg) – C R & G Daws
61 – £177.00 (290p kg) – R G Hobbs Farms
Averages (p/kg)

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 111 – Top 356, Ave. 322.1
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 351 – Top 351, Ave. 310.4
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 452 – Top 347, Ave. 303.2
Others 52.1 + – 119 – Top 321, Ave. 219.5

Cull Sheep – 579 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678

Top price: £210.00 – C R & G Daws, East Sussex. – Ave. £109.97

A super trade with buyers present in force for all grades of ewes.
The best ewes regularly £150 – £180 and to a top price of £210 for smart Texels from C R & G Daws. In close attendance J Wayman with Suffolk crosses to £184. Medium sorts £110 – £130 on most occasions with leaner grazing types plentiful and £70 – £100 throughout with only a very small few sold below these figures.
With the current trade remaining strong do not hesitate to get your ewes booked in for the coming weeks.

Top prices included:

Texels to £210 – C R & G Daws, Suffolk cross to £184 – J Wayman, Texel cross to £170 – C R & G Daws, Crossbred to £160 – M J Ashworth, Mules to £140 – Little Boarzell Farm, Romneys to £136 – S G & G T Orpin.

Cattle Reports

Finished Cattle –  47 Sold
Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357.

Beef trade continuing along at much the same rate as recent weeks with the retail and catering always finding conditions difficult in this quiet period before Christmas makes its appearance! A real mixture in the entry but with feeding customers as well as the slaughter outlets present rates holding up. Quite a bit of weight in many cattle but generally well fleshed, and plenty grossing up over £2500.
Smart fed Limousin heifers from A J Thompson & Sons topping the day at 396p, others 380-394p, £2492, £2440, £2422. R F & E A Simmons just behind at 394p and 391p. Weight in the beef bred steers with Charolais x from R Haydon & Ptnrs, Arundel 363p, 362, 360p, £2621, £2600; their heifers to 371p, 370p, £2574, £2516. John Berryman`s heavyweight Charolais gross to £2747, 355p.
A J Down`s Limousin x Friesian steers consistent in quality and price 360-370p, £2334, £2296, £2265. Herefords to 360p, £2283. Blue x Friesian steer from W F Farms to 362p, £2729.
W S Furnival`s Angus steers sold to 374p, £2278, heifers to 360p, £1978. Welsh Black steer to 367p, £2456 R W Jones & Son, Chelmsford; Highland steer 318p Rosie Ross, Chobham; Traditional Hereford to 339p, £1946 E Matebalavu.
Young Bulls (4) A good trade with smart Red Angus from G A Innes to 354p, £2209, well fleshed Shorthorn from D W Ferguson to 340p, £1800.

Top Steers

W S Furnival Ltd – Aberdeen Angus – 374p (£2278)
A J Down – Limousin cross – 370p (£2199)
A J Down – Limousin cross – 370p (£2180)
A J Down – Limousin cross – 368p (£2334)
A J Down – Limousin cross – 368p (£2223)

Top Heifers

A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – 396p (£2492)
A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – 394p (£2440)
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin cross – 394p (£2066)
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin cross – 391p (£2070)
A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – 383p (£2161)

Average prices

Steers 200 to 550 kg – 1 – Top 318p – Ave. 318p
Steers 551 to 650 kg – 16 – Top 374p – Ave. 360p
Steers 651 kg + – 6 – Top 367p – Ave. 360p
Heifers 300 to 500 kg – 1 – Top 340p – Ave. 340p
Heifers 501 to 590 kg – 9 – Top 394p – Ave. 373p
Heifers 591 kg + – 10 – Top 396p – Ave. 372p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 82 Sold

Another terrific entry of cows and overage, and with a ringside packed with buyers it clearly demonstrates the fundamental importance to both the farming and abattoir sectors that this liveweight competition ensures that the right stock ends up in the right place at the right price in the right time maximising the potential of cattle to get much needed meat into an obviously short supply market. It is a scandal that some dairy companies do not stick to their milk and butter products, and let their farmers take their own appropriate decisions.
Plenty of good younger feeding beef types 300-350p whilst the best of the meat cows also up over 300p as home and export opportunities give so many outlets for stock of varying condition and age. From the fattest to the thinnest, from the oldest to the youngest the open market finds the right answer.
Angus 346p, 340p, 332p,328p, 296p, 291p £2228, £2227, £2174, £2069 P C Stovold & Son; Limousin 324p, £2685 A J Thompson & Sons, 308p, £2091 Old England Farm, 292p, 288p £2099 T Martin; Sussex 312p, £1807 W J Hurley, 300p, £1542 D Light, 296p, 272p (2) 2113, £1819 Trenchmore LLP, 274p, £1600 H W Richards, 264p, £1937 Faulkner Farm Ptnrs; Lincoln Red 308p, £1514 G A Innes; Hereford 291p, £1903 K Bugden, 260p, £2465 Miss T Maddocks; Beef Shorthorn 287p £2106 Trenchmore LLP; Simmental 278p, 272p, £2579, £2234 A J Thompson & Sons; British Blue 276p, 270p, £2116, £1915 A J Thompson & Sons; Trad Hereford 264p, 256p (2) £1418, £1265 Grace Natural Foods.
A quiet day from the dairy sector but lean dry cows coming to double what they would if going straight to slaughter. In a winter when food is a major issue dairy farmers ought to be getting flexibility from their dairy companies not the rigour of standards dreamt up in offices, not worked out on farms.
Stock Bull (1) Selling well with an older Angus 252p, £2427.
Overage (20) A quality show of overage with plenty of weight and finish, in general, and trade remaining very strong for all. Plenty over 330p, to 372p and grossing up to £2851.
Limousin OTM steer 372p, £2192, Angus OTM steer 346p, £2108, Angus 3+ steers 320p, 308p £2106 R W Jones & Son; Angus OTM heifer 354p, £1962 J & H Robinson; Limousin OTM steer 348p, £2780, Charolais OTM steer 344p, £2851, Hereford OTM steer 335p, £2576 J Berryman; Limousin OTM heifer 340p, Angus OTM heifers 320p (2) £1901 J Hooker & Son; Sussex OTM heifer 323p, £2062 W J Hurley; Blue Albion OTM heifer 315p, £1745 V E & M A Britton.

 

Beef Cows – 58 Sold – Top 346, Average 274.0
Dairy Cows – 6 Sold – Top 255, Average 206.7

Store & Breeding Cattle – 200 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678

A few less in the pens today with all shapes, sizes, and ages to suit the large number of buyers ringside.
As we are getting closer to the end of the year it is clear that cattle numbers are disappearing quickly and remain desperately short nationally.
Just a few breeding cattle to start the day saw a young Hereford cross cow with a Shorthorn calf to £1870 from D Light. Then on with the stores and to start off we had Malcolm Wimble with 11 mths Angus x Friesian steers to £1080, with Blue x Friesian heifers from the same home to £990. Mary Godden followed with 7 mth Angus x Friesian steers to £1000. High Chimneys Farms 9 mths Sussex steers to £1160, and smart Shorthorn steers 8 mths from M Britton topped at £1320. Hall Place Farms 14 mths Angus x Friesian steers topped at £1390 with the Blue x Friesian steers to £1300. Angus x Friesian steers 21 mths from D Lanham to £1750. A lovely run of Angus steers 14 mths from A Macdonald topped at £1500, with Angus heifers 18 mths from A K F Dod to £1460. Birt Bros had their Angus steers 19 mths to £1890 and Limousin cross heifers to £1650. Strong Angus cross steers 18 mths from J Hooker & Son to £1960 and Angus cross steers 18 mths from G A Innes to £1980. Following the steers last week, we had Angus cross heifers 18 mths from J & H Robinson topping at £2040 with others £1810 and £1760. K Bugden Angus steers 19 mths to £2080 with Sussex steers 25 mths from Price – Whitehead to £1820. Top call of the day going to R W Jones with Continental cross steers 26 mths to £2340. A super trade all round so do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any store or breeding cattle to sell in the coming weeks.

Principal prices include:
Native:
Aberdeen Angus cross steers 19 mths – £2080 – K Bugden
Aberdeen Angus cross steers 18 mths – £1980 – G A Innes
Aberdeen Angus cross heifers 18 mths – £2040 – J & H Robinson (Iford Farms) Ltd
Sussex heifers 19 mths – £1580 – Faulkner Farm Partnership
Continental:
Limousin cross steers 18 mths – £1890 – Birt Bros
British Blue x Friesian steers 22 mths – £1660 – P R Lanham
British Blue x Friesian heifers 22 mths – £1740 – C Kearl
Limousin cross heifers 18 mths – £1650 – Birt Bros

Calves – 71 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357.                   

A different day in the calf section with a small show of 30 fresh calves split between Kent and East Sussex holdings, and a run of reared calves 3-7 mths from Plumpton College. Customers from across the South East and Eastern Counties.
Fresh Angus x bull calves to £400 from J W Boyd & Son, generally £250-£350 for smaller types. Angus x heifers £200-£265 with a few smaller calves £150.
Blue x bulls to £360, heifers to £330 J W Boyd & Son. Plumpton Blue x bull calves to £300 (2), heifers to £220.
Charolais x bulls from PJ Forknall to £330 and £300; Friesian bulls to £130 Plumpton.
Weanlings (41) British Blue steers 4-5m £570, 3m £505, heifers 3 mths £400; Angus x steers 5-6 mths £530, 3-4 mths £445, heifers 3-5 mths £430, 2-3 mths £350; Norwegian Red heifers 8 mths £695; Holstein steers 3-7 mths £450, £330.

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, the local immediate option at Denimex no longer exists. Local authority inspectors will be taking note as stock comes to market.

Tuesday Livestock – 4th Novemberr 2025

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

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