Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 3rd January 2023

Sheep Sales Reports

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

New Season Lambs – 647

Top price per kg: 298p – John Monnington Farms Ltd
Top price per head: £136 – A Jull

A smaller entry this week, which certainly helped to boost the trade, with prices lifting all the way through the sale. Reports suggest that the wholesale outlets enjoyed a very good weeks trading last week between Christmas and New Year and this was the first decent opportunity to restock the fridges. Top prices were well up with 298p kg taken for a big pen of Texel crosses from John Monnington Farms Ltd, and averages would be up, maybe, 10p kg and £4-6 hd on last week. Shortages of numbers across the country are helping the trade to lift a little, with hoggets not having favourable farming conditions in the last couple of weeks, making it hard to draw big numbers.

Store Hoggets – 310 Sold

The first decent Tuesday entry of stores with a few buyers keen to secure numbers. Many on offer would be longer term types with a top price taken by G W Fuller & Son at £86 hd. Longer termers trading from £60-72 hd.

Top Prices

35kg – £80.00 (229p/kg) – R J Parsons
36kg – £74.00 (206p/kg) – Miss H Challis
37kg – £104.00 (281p/kg) – R J Parsons
38kg – £89.50 (236p/kg) – T Hope & Son
39kg – £100.50 (258p/kg) – T Hope & Son
40kg – £108.00 (270p/kg) – John Monnington Farms Ltd
41kg – £122.00 (298p/kg) – John Monnington Farms Ltd
42kg – £119.00 (283p/kg) – John Monnington Farms Ltd
43kg – £117.00 (272p/kg) – John Monnington Farms Ltd
44kg – £112.50 (278p/kg) – John Monnington Farms Ltd
45kg – £126.50 (281p/kg) – A Jull
46kg – £131.00 (285p/kg) – John Monnington Farms Ltd
47kg – £125.00 (266p/kg) – Shaun Wickens
48kg – £132.00 (275p/kg) – H & S Nesfield
49kg – £131.00 (267p/kg) – John Monnington Farms Ltd
50kg – £136.00 (272p/kg) – A Jull
54kg – £130.00 (241p/kg) – A Jull

Averages (p/kg)

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 102 – Top 281, Average 249.4
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 332 – Top 298, Average 248.5
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 196 – Top 285, Average 261.6
Over 52.1 kgs – 5 – Top 241, Average 240.7

Cull Sheep – 260 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Ewes: Top £125 – L & L Colbourne, Average £71.02
Rams: Top £140 – M G M Contracts, Average £115.50

A small number penned, post Bank Holiday, which is not a surprise given the time of year however a fair trade throughout. The best ewes £85-£110 to a top price of £125 from L & L Colbourne for Texel Cross ewes. Medium ewes remain well sold and regularly £65-£80 with plainer grazing types £40-£60 on most occasions.

Top prices included:

Texel cross to £125 – L & L Colbourne, Texel to £120 – N A Balcomb & Son, Charollais to £109 – N A Balcomb & Son, Suffolks to £108 – N A Balcomb & Son, Mules to £93 – C B Hope, Romneys to £90 – H & J Noakes

 

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle – 32 Sold

Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

Generally, the trade was where we finished the end of 2022 with the cream 260p plus and the majority of dairy and native bred cattle in the 225 to 235p bracket.
A run of smart Limousin crosses took top honours in both the steer and heifer section from W Alexander (Shoreham), while a top quality heifer sold well at 266p from W G Vant & Sons to gross a top of £1646.
The regular consignment of Limousin x Friesian steers from A J Down ranged in the 227 to 239p kg with heavyweight grossing up to £1667 and a favourable average of £1540.
A relatively small entry of native bred cattle on offer with a purebred Sussex steer topping at £1571 (256p) from P W & P Sim & Son with other top prices including Aberdeen Angus cross steer £1507 (236p) from W S Furnival Ltd and Aberdeen Angus cross heifer £1448 (236p) from Leggat Farming Ltd.

More cattle wanted to satisfy strong demand

Top Steers 

W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 261p/kg (£1628)
W G Vant & Sons – British Blue cross – 258p/kg (£1519)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 257p/kg (£1615)
P W & P Sim & Son – Sussex – 256p/kg (£1571)
G L Boulden & Sons – Blonde cross – 240p/kg (£1640)

Top Heifers

W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 268p/kg (£1524)
W G Vant & Sons – Limousin cross – 266pkg (£1646)
D W Ferguson Ltd – Limousin cross – 264p/kg (£1515)
D W Ferguson Ltd – Limousin cross – 260p/kg (£1453)
D W Ferguson Ltd – South Devon cross – 259p/kg (£1447)

Average Prices

Steers up to 650kg – 12 sold – Top 261p – Ave 243p
Steers over 651kg – 10 sold – Top 240p – Ave 232p
Heifers up to 590kg – 7 sold – Top 268p – Ave 255p
Heifers over 591kg – 3 sold – Top 266p – Ave 243p

 

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 26 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Sadly, not more cows forward to start the year with rates at extraordinary levels as processors look to get the wheels turning again in a competitive, and tightly supplied, sector.
All grades dearer with a good quality entry from the dairy sector hitting new heights with a RECORD return for a Holstein cow from P J Forknall at £1694!
Very short of beef cows and if you have empty cows about this is surely the time to take advantage of fierce demand.
Charolais cross 191p £1086 J Berryman; Limousin cross 181p, 176p £1140, £1110 J Berryman, 174p, 162p £1110 L & L Colbourne; Sussex 173p, 171p £1164, £1014.
Holstein Friesian 187p, 180p, 177p, 166p £1380, £1337, £1307, £1306 M A & F W Owen; Holstein 178p, 177p £1694, £1393; Jersey 145p, 129p £867, £662 S E Lane & Ptnrs.
Plenty of interest in the overage clean cattle and another opportunity to look at empty heifers or some old favourites!
Sussex OTM heifers 229p, 218p, 215p £1325; Hereford cross heifers 3yo+ 210p, 200p £1446, £1177.

Beef Cows – 7 Sold – Top 191, Average 175.4
Dairy Cows – 14 Sold – Top 187, Average 149.6

Store Cattle – 9 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Just a few on offer but what a trade and certainly cattle can be sold with confidence even at this early stage of the year.
Nice dairy bred Aberdeen Angus steers 14 mths from Dick Lanham £880. Dairy bred British Blue steers 16 mths from Mark Lavender at £855.  Holstein steer 18 mths at £840.
Give us a call if you have stock to sell.

Calves – 62 sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Calves – 43

A tough day around the calf ring with buyers in short supply and being very selective over their purchases. Quality overall mixed with a high proportion of calves of Channel Island heritage.
British Blue bulls just about struggling to £200 from W G & T A Manford and J W Boyd & Sons, with Aberdeen Angus bulls from J W Boyd & Sons, perhaps the best trade of the day, at £198-178. British Blue heifers from the Manford’s £140-£154. Secondary types hard work throughout at £20-£80.

Weanlings -19

A few hard done weanlings found new homes with Blue x Friesian steers to £318.

Bull Calves

British Blue cross – 13 – Ave £123.46 – Top £200 – W G & T A Manford
Aberdeen Angus cross – 9 – Ave £90.11 – Top £198 – J W Boyd & Sons Ltd

Heifer Calves

British Blue cross – 11 – Ave £115.73 – Top £154 – W G & T A Manford
Aberdeen Angus cross – 4 – Ave £18.75 – Top £26 – S E Lane & Ptnrs

 

 

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