Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 2nd January 2024

Sheep Sales Reports

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Finished Hoggets – 1,010 Sold

Top price per kg: 339p – Miss A Hedges & D Whyman
Top price per head: £155.50 – S King

Happy New Year to One and All. A modest entry for a start to the new year directly following the bank holiday but following the good prices we saw in the run up to Christmas trade was particularly sharp, and we saw yet another lift with many lighter lambs now breaking the £3 kg price barrier. Top price this week at 339p kg for some smart lambs, with a lot of shape, from Amy Hedges and Danny Whyman, who we congratulate for welcoming baby Luca into the world just before Christmas. Heavier sorts were in short supply this week with considerably less on offer than before Christmas and trade once again lifted on these with prices in excess of £140 and topping at £155 from Steve King. These top price lambs are presented clean and dry, and have been shut in overnight. Never has this been more important than currently. Wet and full sheep that arrive in the morning are often £10-15 behind similar weighted lambs that have been overnight lairaged and presented dry. Our lairage facilities are available every Monday from 2pm.

36kg – £100.00 (278p/kg) – P R & H Vellacott
37kg – £113.50 (307p/kg) – Miss E Ashlee
38kg – £129.00 (339p/kg) – Miss A Hedges
39kg – £116.00 (297p/kg) – D Thompson
40kg – £125.00 (313p/kg) – A Denning
41kg – £135.00 (329p/kg) – C A Worley Farming Ltd
42kg – £129.50 (308p/kg) – M J Ashworth
43kg – £128.00 (298p/kg) – J Wayman
44kg – £134.50 (306p/kg) – J Wayman
45kg – £133.50 (297p/kg) – H & J Noakes
46kg – £136.00 (296p/kg) – P R & H Vellacott
47kg – £138.00 (294p/kg) – J Wayman
48kg – £147.50 (307p/kg) – J Wayman
49kg – £145.00 (296p/kg) – J Wayman
50kg – £139.50 (279p/kg) – P N & C Burden
51kg – £151.00 (296p/kg) – J Wayman
52kg – £139.00 (267p/kg) – W & P New T/A Moorhouse Farm
54kg – £154.00 (285p/kg) – A Denning
55kg – £135.00 (245p/kg) – P Furneaux
56kg – £149.00 (266/kg) – Miss A Hedges
58kg – £155.50 (268/kg) – S King
61kg – £140.00 (230p/kg) – A Town
64kg – £154.00 (241p/kg) – H V Link Partnership 

Averages (p/kg)

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 139 – Top 339, Average 284.3
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 438 – Top 329, Average 275.2
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 361 – Top 307, Average 265.8
Other 52.1+ kgs – 69 – Top 285, Average 253.4

Cull Sheep – 476 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Ewe: Top £153.00 – N C & C G Hedges – Ave £80.47

Ram: Top £101.00 – R George

Happy New Year to everyone. A good show of ewes saw a slight lift in the trade to kick off 2024. The best ewes regularly £90 – £110 and to a top price of £153 for superb Texel ewes from N C & C G Hedges. Medium sorts £65 – £85 on most occasions with leaner grazing types £40 – £60 throughout, with very few sold below these figures. Please do inform me of any large consignments of ewes that you intend on selling in the coming weeks.

Top prices included

Texel to £153 – N C & C G Hedges, Texel cross to £130 – T Lyle & Partners, Charollais to £128 – N C & C G Hedges, Beltex to £124 – C A Worley Farming Ltd, Suffolk cross to £118 – C & J Georgetti & Sons, Mules to £90 – P Smith, Romney to £90 – A R Dunlop & Langrish Farmers, Goats to £180 – D Sanders

 

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle –  27 Sold

Auctioneer:Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

A modest entry of quality cattle following the Bank Holiday met another firm enquiry with rates very similar to before Christmas. Supplies are short and will remain so for some time to come.
Best cattle topside of 280p kg with Limousin x heifers from W Alexander (Shoreham) topping at 306p kg, £1589 and Blue x steers from W G Vant & Sons to 299p, £1806.
Alan Down’s dairy bred steers a strong trade with Limousin x Friesian steers to 265p kg £1794 and Hereford to 244p, £1400.
Natives certainly wanted with Hereford steers to 266p kg, £1760 from P W & P Sim & Son whilst Angus x heifers from W S Furnival Ltd sold to 280p kg, £1411 and from M J Ashworth at 260p, £1557.
A good overage OTM Limousin x heifer at 264p kg, £1818 from M J Ashworth.

Top Steers

W G Vant & Sons – British Blue cross – 299p/kg (£1806)
W G Vant & Sons – Limousin cross – 289p/kg (£1875)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 280p/kg (£1914)
P W & P Sim & Son – Hereford cross – 266p/kg (£1699)
A J Down – Limousin cross – 265p/kg (£1560)

Top Heifers

W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 306p/kg (£1589)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 297p/kg (£1571)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 286p/kg (£1499)
W S Furnival Ltd – Aberdeen Angus cross – 280p/kg (£1411)
M J Ashworth – Aberdeen Angus cross – 260p/kg (£1557)

Average Prices

Steers up to 650kg – 13 sold – Top 299p – Ave 262p
Steers over 651kg – 5 sold – Top 280p – Ave 255p
Heifers 501 to 590kg – 5 sold – Top 306p – Ave 277p
Heifers over 591kg – 4 sold – Top 280p – Ave 259p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 17 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Only a small offering after the New Year Bank Holiday but, as predicted, processing cattle sharper and wanted! Feeders benefitting from the message and whilst they are some distance away from being finished confidence for all suitable feeding animals remains very strong.
Check your scanning’s; highlight the bad tempered and awkward; and make a plan for their future!
A superb imported Blue cow from Price & Shelbourne topped at 237p kg, £1525. Strong feeding cows 170-180p kg. Heavy weight fleshed Black & Whites to 156p kg, £1397 from W F Farms.

Beef Cows – 7 Sold – Top 237, Average 173.0
Dairy Cows –7 Sold – Top 156, Average 113.3

Store Cattle – 5 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Yearling Ayrshire steers to £480.

Catalogued store sale for Tuesday 16^th January with 80 cattle already booked.

Please advise us of entries as soon as possible.

Calves – 40 sold

Auctioneer: Tom Hamplett 07966 104532

Very much starting 2024 on a high with the outstanding trade from the last sale of 2023 continuing.

Angus very much the most wanted for 2024 so far with trade topping at £385 from Kingcott Dairy, J W Boyd & Sons Ltd also benefiting with tops of £320 and £310.  Blues not taking much of a back seat with tops of £340 (x2) & £330 from J E Scutt & Sons with others from J W Body & Sons Ltd to £320 (x2).

Heifers a firm trade with a handful of Blues to £180 & £170 from J W Boyd & Sons Ltd and £170 from J E Scutt & Sons. Native heifers particularly Angus leading the way with tops of £260 and £200 (x3) from Kingcott Dairy. A nice selection of Herefords topped at £165 from Goddard & Son.

One Holstien bull forward today from Goddard and Son to £28.

More calves needed for a fortnights time to fulfil demand! Please advise of entries as soon as possible!

Bull Calves

British Blue cross – 7 – Ave £301.43 – Top £340 – J E Scutt & Sons
Aberdeen Angus cross – 12 – Ave £235.83 – Top £385 – Kingcott Dairy

Heifer Calves

British Blue cross – 5 – Ave £152 – Top £180 – J W Boyd & Sons Ltd
Aberdeen Angus cross – 12 – Ave £168.33 – Top £260 – Kingcott Dairy
Hereford cross – 3 – Ave £118.33 – Top £165 – Goddard & Son

 

Forthcoming Auctions

Tuesday Livestock – 9th January 2024

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

For our Auction Calendar and Catalogues click here