Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 29th July 2025

Sheep Sales Reports

New Season Lambs – 1,195 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Top price per kilo – 412p – S T Phillips, Kent.
Top price per head – £190.00 – C Watkins, East Sussex.

Less on offer but this seems to be the case around the country with most markets on Monday reporting improved prices with low numbers not being able to meet demand. Similar scenes in Ashford this week with less penned and prices lifting another touch on last week. Numbers are certainly going to tighten up in the coming weeks with less flocks choosing to feed lambs on concentrates nowadays due to the rising costs over the past few years. This year would though, certainly, show a clear margin. Two superb runs of lambs from G H Dean & Co and C & J Georgetti & Sons dominating the pens with marvellous lambs from both vendors, a real credit to the producers of these top-quality sheep. However, the top spots were taken by different names with S T Phillips & Daughter at 412p kg and Colin Watkins at £190 head. Trade is really flying at the moment, following on from Friday`s store sale where we saw a strong display of confidence in the longer term finished lamb price….

33 – £100.00 (303p kg) – E J Clough
34 – £114.00 (335p kg) – Lovejoy Farms Partnership
35 – £130.00 (371p kg) – A Head
36 – £129.00 (358p kg) – G H Dean & Co
37 – £116.00 (314p kg) – J R Lilley
38 – £144.00 (379p kg) – G H Dean & Co
39 – £159.00 (408p kg) – C A Worley Farming Ltd
40 – £148.00 (370p kg) – G H Dean & Co
41 – £154.00 (376p kg) – A Head
42 – £168.00 (400p kg) – C A Worley Farming Ltd
43 – £158.00 (367p kg) – T R & J R Kirk
44 – £165.50 (376p kg) – C & J Georgetti & Sons
45 – £185.50 (412p kg) – S T Phillips
46 – £169.00 (367p kg) – C & J Georgetti & Sons
47 – £176.00 (374p kg) – C & J Georgetti & Sons
48 – £168.00 (350p kg) – P N & C Burden
49 – £180.00 (367p kg) – C Watkins
50 – £184.00 (368p kg) – C & J Georgetti & Sons
54 – £187.00 (346p kg) – C Watkins
55 – £190.00 (345p kg) – C Watkins                               

Averages (p/kg) 

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 219 – Top 379, Ave. 337.3
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 599 – Top 412, Ave. 351.7
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 329 – Top 383, Ave. 355.5
Others 52.0 + – 42– Top 369, Ave. 352.0

Cull Sheep – 469 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678

Top price ewe: £270.00 – J Warnock & Sons, Kent. – Ave. £126.80

What a trade!! All grades dearer. More meat in the pens and a few less of the leaner sorts than we have seen in previous weeks. The best ewes regularly £150 – £180 to a top price of £270 for superb Texels from J Warnock & Sons, followed by Texel cross from G Nairn to £210. Medium sorts £110 – £140 on most occasions with the leaner grazing types £70 – £100 throughout with only very few sold below these figures.
More ewes of all grades are wanted to satisfy weekly buyers demands so do not hesitate to get in contact if you have ewes to sell.

Top prices included:

Texel to £270, £230 – J Warnock & Sons, Texel cross to £210 – G Nairn, Suffolk cross to £188 – T Hope, Crossbred to £179 – I Strang, Mules to £176 – T Hope, Romneys to £150 – A R Dunlop.

Sales Report – Friday 25^th July

Store Sheep – 5,373 Sold
Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

A great entry of lambs for the first sale of the season and smiling farmers were seen leaving the market following a very strong trade.
The first show and sale of store lambs took place and a very deserving first place went to Mr Alex Pynn, just pipping his father, William, into second place, and a notable third for Mrs Jan Biddle for some very strong Charollais lambs. It seems to be stating the obvious to say that the stronger the lambs the dearer they were but, in most cases, the bigger framed sheep had a lot more competition as most buyers want lambs that can be sold before Christmas. Smaller sheep were still well sold and made up the bulk of the entry as many lambs were showing signs of the dry summer we have seen so far.
Just under 5,500 lambs were penned with an average overall was £105, all included, with several runs of late born small lambs. Many other centres in “The North” have reported higher figures for their first lamb sales but a high proportion of these entries are going directly to slaughter and do boost the figures to a level that is not representative of the true store lamb values. In Friday`s sale, less than 5% of the entry did not go for further finishing and this shows a very strong demand and confidence in the longer term lamb price.
The best lambs on the day broke the £150 head barrier from the Pynn family twice with several other vendors including David Wade, H G Tompsett, D Howard Farms Ltd, J Biddle and P & R Locke selling lambs in the £130-140 price bracket. The second grade of lambs were selling from £100-120 with another step down to £90-100 for running lambs and then only the long-term types really only below the figure of £90. A few Romneys were penned this week, which is unusual for July, but these topped at £108 from Mr W T Kemp.
The next sale is on August 15^th and buyers are already expressing an interest for more so please do not hesitate to get some entered in the catalogue, with the closing date being August 8^th.

Principal prices include:

Texel cross – £151.00 – A Pynn
Texel cross – £150.50 – W Pynn
Texel cross – £139.00 – D Wade
Charollais cross – £139.00 – D Wade
Charollais cross – £135.00 – J A Biddle
Charollais cross – £132.00 – R Mair & Son & D Howard Farms Ltd
Suffolk cross – £126.00 – J A Biddle
Suffolk cross – £124.00 – Beslee Farms
Suffolk cross – £122.00 – J & C Kellett
Romney – £108.00 – W T Kemp
Romney – £95.00 – J Freeman

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 Sales Reports

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

An excellent summer entry of well fleshed commercial finished cattle, with just a smattering of best bred beef types, met another very positive trade with more butchers and wholesalers present around the sale ring.
A few best red Limousin heifers from R F & E A Simmons and William Alexander pushing through 400p/kg with strong Limousin steers from Will & Petra New to 390p, £2590.  Heavyweight lean Wagyu steers from Trenchmore to 346p, £2546.
Limousin x Friesian steers from Alan Down to 369p (2), £2529, and generally 360-368p. George Sim`s Limousin x Friesian heifers to 369p, £2074.
More natives forward today and great competition throughout. Homebred Angus steers to 374p, £2353, heifers to 372p, £2322 from W S Furnival; Sussex steers to 370p, £2199, heifers to 364p, £2072 from Dan Mackelden.
Young Bulls (2) Strong Charolais bulls from Highfields Park Farm to 356p, twice, £3022.

Top Steers

W & P New T/A Moorhouse Farm – Limousin cross – 390p (£2590)
W S Furnival Ltd – Limousin cross – 380p (£2694)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 380p (£2429)
W & P New T/A Moorhouse Farm – Limousin cross – 379p (£2593)
W S Furnival Ltd – Aberdeen Angus – 374p (£2353)

Top Heifers

R F & E A Simmons – Limousin – 404p (£2260)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 401p (£2183)
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin cross – 397p (£1903)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 388p (£2073)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 387p (£2242)

Average prices

Steers 200 to 550 kg – 2 – Top 367p – Ave. 365p
Steers 551 to 650 kg – 16 – Top 380p – Ave. 364p
Steers 651 kg + – 9 – Top 390p – Ave. 363p
Heifers 300 to 500 kg – 1 – Top 397p – Ave. 397p
Heifers 501 to 590 kg – 12 – Top 404p – Ave. 373p
Heifers 591 kg + – 5 – Top 372p – Ave. 363p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 50 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357.

Excellent numbers for the time of year and trade firmer on the week. Certainly, more flesh amongst the beef cows, and the overage, and with more buyers present around the ring rates were strong throughout.
A few better shaped beef cows well over 300p for both meat and feeding types with commercial cows regularly 260-290p. As grass reappears more interest in the longer term grazing types. Yard feeders remain strong.
Limousin 330p, 308p, 272p, £2158, £1996, £1876 A J Thompson & Sons, 309p, 294p, £1937, £1876 Trenchmore Ltd, 300p, £1992 W & P New; Blue Albion 307p, £2084 A J Thompson & Ptnrs; Angus 291p, £2048 W S Furnival; Sussex 288p, 283p, 277p, £1768, £1728, £1723 H W Richards, 280p, 265p, 260p, £1998, £1679, £1674 Trenchmore Ltd; Hereford 280p, £1970 Trenchmore Ltd; White Park 230p, £1584 Dr A Martin.
Little on offer from the dairy sector but all wanted. Good Jersey cows from Hickson Bros to 248p, £1324 whilst a few lean Holstein types 220-245p £1418.
Overage (13) A wide range in terms of type but generally well fed and fleshed! Trade superb showing that the wide coverage of the open marketplace gives the very best returns to what main stream outlets would consider as out of spec!
Limousin 3+ steer 370p, £2476 J Berryman; Limousin OTM heifer 370p, £2162 J Berryman; Angus 3+ heifer 358p, £2181, Angus 3+ steer 322p, £2395, Dexter 3+ steer 318p, 298p, £1524, £1458, Dexter 3+ heifer 312p, £1215, Dexter OTM heifer 311p, £1211 S Marsh; Angus 3+ steer 312p, £2523 R Thomas; Sussex 6+ steer 314p, £2477 AD Bentley.

Beef Cows – 29 Sold – Top 330, Average 257.6
Dairy Cows – 8 Sold – Top 248, Average 200.3

Store & Breeding Cattle – 17 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678

Just a few rough coated stores in the pens with Blue x Friesian from K Wood to £720 and Sussex x on behalf of the late A D Bentley to £700.
Store cattle are wanted with recent rainfall restoring grazing confidence. Fatteners are looking for short term cattle to be ready this side of Christmas. Numbers are short, and the stronger and aged cattle really wanted moving onto a fattening ration.
Please do not hesitate to get in contact if you have any store or breeding cattle to sell in the coming weeks.

Cattle Passports
We remind producers that on no occasion should the details on a cattle passport be changed other than by returning it to BCMS.
If details are incorrect return and advise BCMS or advise the auctioneers on market day without writing on the passport.

Store & Finished Pigs – 22 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678

A super trade for the best pigs with top call going to C K Guest with 90kg Pietrain gilts to 198p per kg and £178.20 per head. S Cook took second spot with 90kg crossbred types to £152 per head followed by C Higgins topping at 158p per kg and £147.50 per head. The best results are achieved with the better bred pigs that are 85 – 100kg. Please inform me of any pigs you intend on selling in the next sale on Tuesday 12^th August.

Forthcoming Auctions

Tuesday Livestock – 5th August 2025

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

For our Auction Calendar and Catalogues click here