Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 30th July 2024

Sheep Sales Reports

New Season Lambs – 1,204

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Top price per kilo – 349p – G H Dean & Co
Top price per head – £169.00 – C & J Georgetti & Sons, Miss H Challis & G Lawrence & Son

Lamb numbers starting to show some signs of coming under pressure, regionally and nationally, with many of the smaller early flocks finishing their early lambs and the bigger singles that have been drawn off grass becoming harder to find each week. We will not see lambs coming back round from the store sales for another 6-8 weeks and this has firmed the price of the bigger and stronger lambs in the past few weeks. The average price has lifted about 10p on last week with 200 less lambs on offer. Most finished lambs over £3 kg with most heavies 320-340p kg. Top on the day with some very smart Beltex crosses at 349p kg was G H Dean & Co, and a three way tie at £169 took the top price in the lump from G & J Georgetti, Harriet Challis and G Lawrence & Sons.

34 – £105.00 (309p kg) – T Hope & Son
35 – £111.00 (317p kg) – Ms C Cox
36 – £115.00 (319p kg) – G H Dean & Co
37 – £118.00 (319p kg) – S G Barten
38 – £128.00 (337p kg) – G H Dean & Co
39 – £131.00 (336p kg) – C A Worley Farming Ltd
40 – £139.50 (349p kg) – G H Dean & Co
41 – £135.00 (329p kg) – G H Dean & Co
42 – £139.00 (331p kg) – G H Dean & Co
43 – £147.00 (342p kg) – G H Dean & Co
44 – £145.00 (330p kg) – C & J Georgetti & Sons
45 – £148.00 (329p kg) – C & J Georgetti & Sons
46 – £157.00 (341p kg) – G H Dean & Co
47 – £149.00 (317p kg) – Miss H Challis
48 – £154.00 (321p kg) – L E Humphreys & Sons
49 – £164.00 (335p kg) – P N & C Burden
50 – £161.00 (322p kg) – C & J Georgetti & Sons
51 – £169.00 (331p kg) – G Lawrence & Son
52 – £169.00 (325p kg) – C & J Georgetti & Sons
55 – £169.00 (307p kg) – Miss H Challis
57 – £159.00 (279p kg) – L E Humphreys & Son

Averages (p/kg)

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 189 – Top 337, Average 315.4
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 551 – Top 349, Average 314.6
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 382 – Top 341, Average 315.1
Over 52.1 kgs – 72 – Top 329, Average 316.9

Cull Sheep – 166 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Ewe: Top £134.00.00 – P Loveland – Ave £92.52

Numbers remain short, and even more so this week with people undoubtedly prioritising summer jobs while the sun was shining. Trade remains strong for all grades of ewes with the best £110 – £130 on most occasions to a top price of £134 from P Loveland for Texel ewes. Medium sorts regularly £80 – £100 with leaner grazing types £50 – £70 throughout. These leaner sorts now more plentiful because of weaning which is now starting to take place. The best ewes are well rewarded and there is a strong trade for all sound grazing ewes with plenty of grazing so do not hesitate to get them booked in with us.

Top prices included

Texels to £134 – P Loveland, Suffolk cross to £132 – T R & J R Kirk, Texel cross to £128 – J Highwood, Beltex cross to £124 – A Denning, Romneys to £126 – D Mackelden Ltd, Mules to £118 – Miss H Challis.

Sales Report – Friday 26^th July

Store Sheep – 5,711 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

The first of the Friday sheep sales of the 2024 season took place last week and with over 6,000 store lambs penned it was a big day with a considerable crowd around the ring, some with high expectations of the trade. Some vendors have assumed that store prices would increase exponentially due to the incredibly high hogget prices in spring. Unfortunately, this simply is not sustainable, and buyers are cautious of the trade moving forward. The overall average of £89 head is down on last year’s figure, but in my opinion, it was a very similar trade with the overall quality of the entry not at the same level as we saw 12 months ago. A large amount of the stronger, fleshed lambs have already been sold in the finished section this year, and we also had approximately 1,000 smaller, long term lambs on offer this year which in turn pulled the overall average down.
With August still ahead of us, and many finishers facing uncertain times ahead regarding winter keep crops due to the new arable schemes etc, to see the trade at a similar level to last year was really where expectations should have been. The cost and high associated risk to get a £90 store lamb to a £130 finished lamb is considerable and with many of these lambs looking at being finished on this side of Christmas, when the trade is never at its height , we must keep expectations realistic for this season and not expect record prices to be broken in every single sale.
Strong lambs, this time, generally pushed past £100 head and the best over £110, topping at £117 for some strong Charolais crosses from D Howard Farms Ltd. Top call in the Texel section went to Alex Pynn at £114, which was equalled by J Biddle with Charolais cross.

 

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle –  31 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

No surprise to see less cattle forward on a baking hot day with hay on the ground and combines making a start on the wheat.
Trade a little firmer overall with again plenty of flesh and finish on offer.
Limousin heifers from D W Ferguson Ltd sold to 308p kg, £1661 with the steers led today by Alan Down with Limousin x Friesians selling to 277p, £1806.
Generally best beef bred heifers 280-300p kg with W S Furnival Ltd Limousins to 299p, £1701 and a fine run of Sussex cross heifers from M A Piper & Son to 291p, 289p, 285p, £1821.
Dairy bred steers from A J Down saw Limousin x Friesian to 277p, £1806; Hereford cross to 270p, £1746; and pure Friesians to 261p, £1563.
Good fit Angus from W S Furnival Ltd well in demand with steers to 270p kg, £1719: heifers to 274p, £1641. Sussex steers to 275p, £1647, again, from W S Furnival Ltd.

Top Steers

A J Down – Limousin cross – 277p (£1756)
W S Furnival Ltd – Sussex cross – 275p (£1647)
W S Furnival Ltd – Aberdeen Angus cross – 270p (£1617)
A J Down – Hereford cross – 270p (£1604)
A J Down – Hereford cross – 270p (£1550)

Top Heifers

D W Ferguson Ltd – Limousin cross – 308p (£1661)
W S Furnival Ltd – Limousin cross – 299p (£1701)
M A Piper & Son – Sussex cross – 291p (£1728)
M A Piper & Son – Simmental cross – 289p (£1731)
M A Piper & Son – Limousin cross – 285p (£1821)

Average Prices

Steers 551 to 650kg – 11 Sold – Top 277p – Av 264p
Steers 651kg + – 4 Sold – Top 275p – Av 268p
Heifers 501 to 590 kg – 9 Sold – Top 308p – Av 268p
Heifers 591 kg + – 7 sold – Top 291p – Av 256p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 31 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Another tremendous trade for an entry of mostly dairy cows with rates holding very firm for all grades. MORE WANTED.
A good Sussex bred and fed cow from M A Piper & Son sold to 206p, £1654 with some thick Hereford cross cows to 180p, £1463. Angus cross feeders to 182p kg.
A terrific run of British Friesian cows from T Castle & Son sold to 186p kg grossing up to £1257. Holstein Friesians from R G Nash & Son to 178p, £1464. Lean Danish Red to 147p, £967.
Stock bulls (2) A huge Simmental bull in good condition sold to 167p, £2181 whilst an Angus in similarly good condition made 158p kg, £1677.

Beef Cows – 11 Sold – Top 206, Average 157.2
Dairy Cows – 18 Sold – Top 190, Average 172.2

Store & Breeding Cattle – 24 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Just a few stores this week and many more wanted with a keen trade for all shapes and sizes. A few pens of 12 month Hereford crosses from D Light saw the steers to £600 and the heifers to £500. Stronger Angus cross heifers 22 months from I D Machin to £1200 with Blue cross heifers 23 months from D Beaney to £1240. Please do inform us of any store cattle you intend on selling in the coming weeks.

Calves – 48 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

A show of young calves met a good trade from a good attendance of buyers on a scorching hot day. Calves just need to be strong enough and forward enough to show their potential and to encourage buyers to part with better money.
Mostly British Blue cross forward today selling to £275 for bulls from J W Boyd & Sons Ltd others to £255, £240 and £230 whilst Appleton Farms Ltd Blue cross bulls sold to £265, £245, £228. Blue cross heifers from Appleton Farms Ltd sold to £182.
Angus cross bulls sold to £245 & £238 from P J Forknall with a nice pair of Angus cross heifers from J W Boyd & Sons Ltd at £185.
Hereford cross bull £215 from Goddard & Son; A good rearing Friesian bull at £75 from P J Forknall whilst a poor show of Bobbies £15-20.

Bull Calves
British Blue cross – 15 – Ave £202.40– Top £275.00 – J W Boyd & Sons Ltd
Aberdeen Angus – 7 – Ave £162.29 – Top £245.00 – P J Forknall Hereford cross – 2 – Ave £150.00 – Top £215.00 – Goddard & Son

Heifer Calves
British Blue cross – 13 – Ave £123.69 – Top £182.00 –  Appleton Farms Ltd
Aberdeen Angus cross – 4 – Ave £166.50 – Top £185.00 – J W Boyd & Sons Ltd

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