Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 30th May 2023

Sheep Sales Reports

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

New Season Lambs – 690

Top price per kg: 350p – D Isaac & H Chandler
Top price per head: £159 – T Masters

More lambs this week as they begin to take centre stage in the finished sheep section with close to 700 on offer, a number which is likely to double quickly in the coming weeks. Trade is very good for them with the heavier sheep, obviously, not only coming to more per head but also a fraction dearer in price per kilo which is unusual for the time of year. Top of the tree today at 350p kg were some superb continental cross lambs from D Isaac & H Chandler, whilst Tom Masters topped in the lump at £159. Overall, the averages were 320p, all included, which is just a touch less than last week but purely reflecting the increased numbers on offer nationally.

35kg – £114.00 (326p/kg) – S W Mount & Sons Ltd
36kg – £118.00 (328p/kg) – S W Mount & Sons Ltd
37kg – £122.00 (330p/kg) – J G & D G D White
38kg – £131.00 (345p/kg) – S W Batch
39kg – £128.00 (328p/kg) – C Moss & Sons
40kg – £131.00 (328p/kg) – Friday Street Farmers
41kg – £136.00 (332p/kg) – M J Ashworth
42kg – £138.00 (329p/kg) – C Moss & Sons
43kg – £146.00 (340p/kg) – D Isaac & H Chandler
44kg – £154.00 (350p/kg) – D Isaac & H Chandler
45kg – £150.00 (333p/kg) – T Masters
46kg – £153.00 (333p/kg) – M J Ashworth
47kg – £157.00 (334p/kg) – G Tucker
49kg – £154.00 (314p/kg) – T Masters
50kg – £159.00 (318p/kg) – T Masters
51kg – £152.00 (298p/kg) – D Isaac & H Chandler
52kg – £155.00 (298p/kg) – T Masters

Averages (p/kg) 

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 175 – Top 345, Average 320.2
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 370 – Top 350, Average 319.4
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 122 – Top 334, Average 319.3
Over 52.1 kgs – 23 – Top 333, Average 324.7

Finished Hoggets – 1,061 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Top price per kg – 337p – Miss H Dent
Top price per head – £164.50 – Black Robin Farm

Still over 1,000 hoggets in the pens this week with all manner of hoggets and overage sheep on offer from 20kg up to 70kg. The trade is still strong for these, but several wholesalers are now switching over to New Season Lamb to ensure a more consistent supply of an even product. Best hoggets on offer today topped at £164.50 from Black Robin Farm, with some smart Beltex hoggs from Miss Hayley Dent reaching 337p.

Cull Sheep – 578 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Ewe: Top £204 – R & N Warnock, Average £102.38
Ram: Top £180 – R Nuth, Average £130.21

Another good number in the pens with overall quality stronger throughout. The best ewes regularly £110 – £140 and to a top price of £204 from R & N Warnock for some quality heavyweight Texel ewes. Medium sorts plentiful with majority £80 – £100 and leaner grazing types £50 – £70 on most occasions. Good numbers of buyers in attendance every week for all grades of ewes.

Texel to £204 – R & N Warnock, Charollais to £164 – G Tucker, Suffolk cross to £143 – L Atfield, Mules to £129 – R L Goodman & Son, Romney to £125 – A R Dunlop

Ewe & Lambs – 294 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Top price: £380 (£126.70 per life) – T Beesley

We had a good number of couples this week with the majority being Romney ewes with Texel lambs at foot from the Beesley family. Top price was £380 (£126.70 per life) for a ewe with two lambs sold for charity, on behalf of T Beesley. Other couples from T Beesley, £180 (£73.50 per life), £158 (£71.10 per life), £142 (£71.00 per life). Another highlight was a Southdown ewe and lamb from M Sladden which topped out at £172 (£86.00 per life). Please do inform us of any further breeding sheep you have to sell.

 

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle –  34 Sold

Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

Another strong trade and on a par with recent weeks with the only disappointment been the shortage of numbers and many more could be sold at favourable prices.
Smart beef bred Continental crosses sold readily in excess of 290p with a Blonde cross heifer topping at £1820 (299p) from G L Boulden & Sons and a well-shaped Limousin cross steer with weight grossed well at £2127 (294p) from W Alexander (Shoreham).
Dairy bred cattle around 260p notably Limousin x Friesian steer £1595 (260p), Hereford x Friesian steer £1608 (260p) and purebred Friesian steer £1235 (238p) all from A J Down.
Increased number of native bred cattle on offer this week. Majority 250p plus with a Sussex steer topping this section at £1646 (266p) from W S Furnival Ltd, Sussex cross heifers £1328 (261p) from E & J H Maylam, Angus cross heifer £1619 (266p) and Hereford cross heifer £1529 (262p) from R C & J L Pickering and Angus cross steer £1584 (256p) from Leggat Farming Ltd.

Top Steers

W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 294p/kg (£2127)
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin cross – 277p/kg (£1659)
W S Furnival Ltd – Sussex – 266p/kg (£1646)
W S Furnival Ltd – Limousin cross – 261p/kg (£1589)
R C & J L Pickering – Limousin cross – 261p/kg (£1576)

Top Heifers

G L Boulden & Sons – Blonde cross – 299p/kg (£1820)
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin cross – 295p/kg (£1605)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Bazadaise cross – 294p/kg (£1672)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 291p/kg (£1684)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 280p/kg (£1537)

Average Prices

Steers up to 650kg – 17 sold – Top 277p – Ave 255p
Steers over 651kg – 1 sold – Top 294p
Heifers up to 590kg – 11 sold – Top 295p – Ave 269p
Heifers over 651kg – 5 sold – Top 299p – Ave 263p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 41 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

More variety in the entry this week with more lightweight leaner beef cows on offer, and noticeably less flesh on the dairy culls. Trade remaining at recent rates with full flesh and tidy feeders in particular demand.
Best beef cows 200 – 230p with nothing particularly exceptional this week. Several good Sussex cows forward again giving tremendous returns.
A few leaner medium weight grazing cows coming out as we end the calving period and generally 170 – 200p kg.
Charolais 233p, 230p, 206, £1639, £1584, £1367 J Boomaars; Angus x 220p, £1482 Goddard & Son, 216p, £1692 (Non FA) J Bayley, 215p, £197p (2), £1641, £1502, £1258 J Boomaars; Limousin x 218p, 200p,£1707, £1616 (Non FA)  B Luck Ltd; Sussex 218p, £1457 (Non FA) Price Whitehead, Hereford 210p, £1330 J Boomaars, 194p, £1316 (Non FA) Grace Natural Foods; Simmental x 207p, £1384 Betchworth Estate; Charolais x 195p, £1362 Betchworth Estate; British Blue x 190p, £1279 Betchworth Estate; Highland 186p, £955 Moorhouse Farms.
Short of flesh amongst the dairy culls but still no shortage of demand for all grades.
Holstein Friesian 194p, 190p, £1703, £1516 P J Forknall, 188p, 185p, £1556, £1328 Goddard & Son; Jersey 155p, 130p, £780 S E Lane & Partners.
Stock bull (1) Just the one traditional Hereford bull selling at 132p.

Beef Cows – 30 Sold – Top 233, Average 190.7
Dairy Cows – 9 Sold – Top 194, Average 171.3

Store Cattle – 7 Sold

Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

A small entry today with 2 stores and 5 weanlings on offer. Plenty of interest and selling very well. British White x and British Blue x heifers 20 mths to £770.

Weanlings 3 to 5 mths well sold at £260 – £410.

Pigs – 42 Sold

Auctioneer: Tom Hamplett 07966 104532

Finished – (34) An absolutely flying trade today from start to finish with several lots over the 200p mark. Porkers to 205p or £169.32 from C B Hope. Cutters to 208p, £194 again from C B Hope and averaging 194p. Canterbury Oast Trust dominating the heavier end of the scale today with Bacon pigs to 180p or £196.20 and heavies to 180p or £208.80! As always best fleshed pigs attracting a real premium but leaner types now more in demand.
Cull – (3) More spark with the culls today with well fleshed sow from D Meeham to 75p or £112.50. Fatter more traditional types topped at 52p with a single boar to 42p.
Stores – (5) Pleased to be able to report on some store pigs at last! A sterling trade for weaners from Mr & Mrs Howard which sold for £64 per head! Several buyers looking on looking for more stores!

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 -6th June 2023

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

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