Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 4th October 2022

Sheep Sales Reports

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

New Season Lambs – 948 Sold

Top price per kg: 266p – T Husk
Top price per head: £135.00 – T Husk

Nearly 1,000 lambs penned this week and trade similar to last week. Still a very mixed entry in terms of overall quality with a high number of leaner sorts. Best lambs are still selling in the 240-250p kg range with the top of 266p kg from Mr Tom Husk. Weight is still key to making the best prices with lambs over 44 kg really being the best sold on the current trade.  The leaner sorts on offer were selling in line with store prices, from £75-95 hd depending on weight and finish.

Top Prices

34kg – £85.00 (250p/kg) – I Hobden
35kg – £72.00 (206p/kg) – B J Barker
36kg – £85.00 (236p/kg) – I Hobden
37kg – £90.00 (243pkg) – M Godden
38kg – £88.00 (232p/kg) – A Body
39kg – £96.00 (246p/kg) – R G Hobbs Farms
40kg – £98.00 (245p/kg) – D Thompson
41kg – £100.00 (244p/kg) – Bungehurst Farms Ltd
42kg – £100.00 (238p/kg) – Swan Young Farmers
43kg – £108.00 (251p/kg) – H & J Noakes
44kg – £108.00 (245p/kg) – D Isaac
45kg – £113.00 (251p/kg) – W G Watkins & Sons
46kg – £122.50 (266p/kg) – T Husk
47kg – £118.00 (251p/kg) – C & J Georgetti & Sons
48kg – £120.00 (250p/kg) – W G Watkins & Sons
49kg – £126.00 (257p/kg) – P N & C Burden
51kg – £124.00 (243p/kg) – P N & C Burden
52kg – £135.00 (260p/kg) – T Husk
54kg – £128.00 (237p/kg) – C & J Georgetti & Sons

Averages (p/kg)

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 190 – Top 250, Average 218.1
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 414 – Top 251, Average 227.1
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 296 – Top 266, Average 246.2
Over 52.1 kgs – 19 – Top 260, Average 238.4

Cull Sheep – 588 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Ewes: Top £118 – P N & C Burden, Average £65.81
Rams: Top £141 – Bowley Farm Ltd, Average £83.26

A good number in the pens again but, with far fewer meat ewes forward, averages slightly down. The best ewes £80-£110 on most occasions with a top price of £118 from P N & C Burden for his Suffolk crosses. Mediums sorts regularly £65-£80, with leaner grazing types £40-£60, with a good number of regular buyers competing well for these to farm on.

Top prices included:

Suffolk cross to £118 – P N & C Burden, Border Leisters to £114 – M Friend, Texel cross to £112 – G Lawrence, Mules to £95 – Bowley Farm Ltd, Romney to £97 – A R Dunlop

Store & Breeding Sheep – Friday 2nd September

5,865 Sold

Auctioneers: Elwyn Davies: 07710 803901, Peter Kingwill 07795 200357 and John Rossiter 07557 392903

A most satisfactory Romney Day Sale with 54 vendors trading stock to 98 individual buyers at prices often in excess of expectations and once again highlighting the strength of the open market auction system.
The ewe lamb section attracted a similar entry to recent years with all but the very bottoms attracting a good premium over wether price with the bestselling readily in excess of £110 and up to £126 for 1^st Prize winners from Langrish Farmers. Medium sorts generally £90 to £100 and only the very small lambs below £70, and selling at prices reflecting store value.
The ewe teg section attracted twice the numbers of last year but despite the big entry trade was relatively buoyant throughout with prices often above initial expectations. The best tegs on offer sold in excess of £140 with a top of £168 from Swallow Mill Farm, £156 from Caleb Rayner Ltd and £150 from Eric Link and G L Boulden & Sons, in addition to the prize winners. Only smaller tegs below £120.
The majority of the flock aged ewes sold in excess of slaughter value with the highlight comprising the flock dispersal from the late Les Ramsden. These were well turned out and took the pick of the trade with the young ewes topping this section at £130 and full mouth to £111.

Please keep in touch and call to discuss future marketing of store lambs, Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

Female Show Results

Ewe tegs
1^st – £138 – Dan Mackelden, Maidstone
2^nd – £156 – G Homewood, Ashford
3^rd – £154 – A J Thompson & Sons
4^th – £160 – Les Ramsden, Appledore

Ewe lambs
1^st – £126 – Langrish Farmers, Rye
2^nd – £125 – W T Kemp, Wye
3^rd – £112 – £112 – Wright Farm Partnership, Rye
4^th – £105 – A Reeve & Son, Rye

Average prices:
Romney ewe lambs – 1,988 – to £138 – Ave £88.50
Romney ewe tegs – 2,003 – to £168 – Ave £130.00
Romney ewes – 871 – to £130 – Ave – £91.50
Romney rams – 90 – to £2,500 – Ave 465

Congratulations to all the prize winners and many thanks to Trevor Richards for judging.

Ram sale report – 82 sold Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903
Possibly, one of the most successful ram sales that the Society and Ashford Market have seen. Maybe not the record high price, but the overall clearance rate of 92% is unheard of and the average price of £565 head is another figure that is thought to be a record. A grand entry of rams from N A Balcomb & Son, from within which they were awarded the overall champion ram rosette, was judged against some tough competition, and sold for £800. Recorded rams were the order of the day with a great run from H V Link Partnership selling to a top price of £2,500 and others to £1700 and £1200.

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle – 42 Sold

Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

Quality finished cattle in short supply with many leaner types taken for further finishing as opposed to slaughter.
No change in trade with  a Blonde steer and heifer topping both sections at £1643 (244p) and £1483 (263p) respectively from G L Boulden & Sons, and a Limousin cross steer £1515 (241p) from J Berryman.
Dairy bred Limousin x Friesian steers around 235p and up to £1471 (236p), and a Hereford x Friesian steer £1324 (225p) from A J Down, while fleshed Sussex steers looked well sold with the best £1301 (223p) and £1245 (225p) from Earl de la Warr. Aberdeen Angus cross steer £1251 (224p) from P J Forknall and purebred Friesian steer £1011 (178p) from E T Ledger & Son Ltd.
A good trade for lighter leaner sorts for further finishing with Limousin cross steer £1225 (234p) and £1240 (224p) from J Hooker & Son; smart Limousin cross heifers £1234 (243p) and £1168 (244p) from T Beesley; and Simmental cross steer £1323 (239p) from Langrish Farmers.

Top Steers

G L Boulden & Sons – Blonde – 244p/kg (£1552)
J Berryman – Limousin cross – 241p/kg (£1515)
A J Down – Limousin x Friesian – 239p/kg (£1454)
A J Down – Limousin x Friesian – 239p/kg (£1395)
Langrish Farmers – Simmental cross – 239p/kg (£1323)

Top Heifers

G L Boulden & Sons – Blonde – 263p/kg (£1483)
T Beesley – Limousin cross – 244p/kg (£1168)
T Beesley – Limousin cross – 243p/kg (£1234)

Average Prices (p/kg)

Steers up to 550kg – 14 sold – Top 234 – Ave 220p
Steers over 551kg – 18 Sold – Top 244p – Ave 227p
Heifers up to 500kg – 3 Sold – Top 244p – Ave 224p
Heifers over 501kg – 5 Sold – Top 236p – Ave 225p
Bulls – 3 sold – Top 221p – Ave 215p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 41 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Far too few cows coming forward and very much reflecting the tightness in supply nationally. Suckler herds have been hard trimmed of passengers over recent years and with the dairy sector enjoying deserved reward for milk production it is hard to see any glut of cows coming forward this Autumn.
Trade remaining at very strong levels both for fleshed stock and those with feeding potential.
Best of the beef feeders pushing towards 240p with commercial meat types not far away from 200p. Plenty of returns £1200 – £1450. Keep finding them and ask the difficult question of non-performers at weaning, scanning or housing.
Limousin cross 237p £1324 (Non FA) K Husk, 189p, 188p £1268, £1197 J Berryman; Sussex 197p, 188p (2) £1436, £1181, £1153 Paley Farm; British Blue cross 190p £1294 J Berryman; Devon 176p £1167 (Non FA) S Pope.
Terrific demand for all dairy cows of all grades.
British Friesian OTM heifer 185p, £1022 B J Goodsell & Son; British Friesian cows 182p, 171p £1416, £1219 B J Goodsell & Son; Holstein Friesian cows 182p, £1416 W F Farms, 175p, 167p, 166p £1445, £1315, £1125 M A & F W Owen; 167p, £1140 J W Boyd & Sons; Jersey 154p, 138p Hickson Bros.
Stock Bulls are wanted. Simmental 155p £1607.
A few mixed overage sold very well again. Sussex steers 3yo+ 222p (2) £1406, £1340; Shorthorn cross steer 3yo+ 199p £1050.

Beef Cows – 14 Sold – Top 237, Average 161.2
Dairy Cows – 16 Sold – Top 182, Average 144.1

Store cattle – 376 Sold

Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

Another good show of store cattle comprising mainly smart bred yearlings and stronger 15-20 mths store to finish this winter. Generally, trade a little firmer than recent weeks with a good attendance of buyers at ringside. However, as per previous sales, cattle with condition were the most keenly sought after while leaner plainer sorts sold to levels reflecting the high cost of feed.
Majority of cattle ranged in the £800 to £1100 bracket with strong forward stores topping at £1430 for well-shaped Limousin cross steers from J Berryman and a smart Charolais cross steer £1280 from R & H Vincent.
A 19 mths Limousin bull topped at £1850 purchased for breeding from D Maskell.

Principal Prices

Continental

12 mths Charolais cross steer – £1200 – M Wickens
12 mths Continental cross steer – £1085 – H & S Nesfield
12 mths Limousin cross heifer – £950 – H & S Nesfield
16 mths Continental cross steer – £1030 – Langrish Farmers
16 mths British Blue cross steer – £930 – Cobtree Young Farmers
16 mths British Blue cross heifer – £860 – Cobtree Young Farmers
15 mths Limousin cross steer – £1080 – Hawkfibre Ltd
16 mths Limousin cross steer – £1170 – J Latham
16 mths Limousin cross heifer – £1110 – J Latham
17 mths Limousin cross heifer – £1120 – Hawkfibre Ltd
17 mths Limousin cross steer – £1140 – G Huntley & Son
18 mths Limousin cross steer – £1250 – R & H Vincent
20 mths Charolais cross steer – £1280 – R & H Vincent
19 mths Blonde cross steer – £1140 – Wanstall Farms
23 mths British Blue cross steer – £1119 – G B Nicholson & Son
20 mths Limousin cross steer – £1430 – J Berryman
20 mths Limousin cross heifer – £1090 – J Berryman

Native Bred

12 mths Aberdeen Angus x Friesian steer – £910 – R Haydon & Partners
20 mths Aberdeen Angus cross heifer – £1160 – R Haydon & Partners
16-18 mths Aberdeen Angus cross steer – £900 – Weystreet Farm LLP
16-18 mths Aberdeen Angus cross heifer – £855 – Weystreet Farm LLP
18 mths Sussex steer – £860 – A Barr & Son
23 mths Aberdeen Angus cross steer – £1020 – R Winstone
23 mths Aberdeen Angus cross heifer – £1090 – R Winstone
18 mths Friesian steer – £910 – R Winstone

Pigs – 121 sold

Auctioneer:Tom Hamplett 07966 104532

Finished – 51 Sold. A sizeable entry of finished pigs with strong demand, and trade for all classes. Some smart white pigs forward today with cutters topping in the lump from J & M Carr at £148.76 (154p) and £140.54 (144p); C K Guest sold cutters again to £147.20 (126p). Pence per Kilo topped at 160p (£147.20) from C K Guest, 158p (£132.72) from N Dance and 154p (£148.76) from J & M Carr.
Cull – 38 sold. A bumper entry of sows with a top of 74p from J Felce; 70p from D Bank and 67p from C B Hope. Boars an improved trade with the better quality this week topping at 50p, others to 40p.
Stores – 32 sold. A tale of two halves in the store section this week. Tremendous Pietrain cross from Boyd Roberts well followed and topping at £40 and £34. Smaller much harder done types remain harder work.
A polite request to all pig vendors – please ensure pigs are presented in the market no later than 8am to enable weighing and presale entry to be completed. We also request that every effort is made to ensure all pigs are clearly identifiable and comply with all legislative requirements for identification.

 

Forthcoming Auctions

Tuesday Livestock – 11th October 2022

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

For our Auction Calendar and Catalogues click here