Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 5th July 2022

Sheep Sales Reports

Finished Sheep – 2,789 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

New Season Lambs – 2,705 Sold

Top price: 369p p/kg – M J Ashworth

Top price per head: £169.50 – Beslee Farms

A big entry this week, in advance of the festival this weekend, with some big draws of well finished lambs on offer form G H Dean & Co, A J C & J M Georgetti & Sons, M J Ashworth, and Mrs V McDonald to name a few. We saw a superb trade for all the lambs on offer with an average returned at 320p kg, and several lambs selling in excess of £150 head and up to £169.50 from Beslee Farms. Top in the p/kg ranks this week was M J Ashworth at 369p kg for a pen of 42kg lambs at £155.50, this certainly made Tim smile all morning!

We are still seeing a two-tier trade in the lamb section with grass finished, lighter, lambs selling for quite a bit less in the lump than the creep fed stock. However, these lambs with lower inputs are still being traded from £100-£120, which looks very good business, as these prices are unlikely to be beaten in the store ring in coming months, and the grass has begun to turn a bit less green!

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Top Prices

32kg – 106.00 (331p/kg) – R L Pack
33kg – £114.50 (347p/kg) – R L Pack
34kg – £105.00 (309p/kg) – Jason Merricks
35kg – £114.00 (326p/kg) – J Wickham (Cranbrook) Ltd
36kg – £124.00 (344p/kg) – N A Balcomb & Son
37kg – £129.50 (350p/kg) – R L Pack
38kg – £132.00 (347p/kg) – C A Worley Farming Ltd
39kg – £138.00 (354p/kg) – K T D Axell
40kg – £137.00 (343p/kg) – G H Dean & Co
41kg – £140.00 (341p/kg) – K T D Axell
42kg – £155.50 (369p/kg) – M J Ashworth
43kg – £148.00 (344p/kg) – N A Balcomb & Son
44kg – £148.50 (338p/kg) – M J Ashworth
45kg – £158.00 (351p/kg) – M J Ashworth
46kg – £159.00 (346p/kg) – M J Ashworth
47kg – £155.00 (330p/kg) – A J C & J M Georgetti & Sons
48kg – £156.00 (325p/kg) – Ed Stretton
49kg – £164.00 (335p/kg) – Beslee Farms
50kg – £163.00 (326p/kg) – A J C & J M Georgetti & Sons
51kg – £163.00 (320p/kg) – Beslee Farms
52kg – £169.50 (326p/kg) – Beslee Farms
62kg – £159.00 (256p/kg) – Beslee Farms

Averages (p/kg)

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 6 – Top 313, Average 290.1
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 766 – Top 350, Average 310.8
Heavy 45.6 to 52kgs – 1504 – Top 370, Average 324.4
Over 52.1kgs – 393 – Top – 351, Average 327.6

 

Finished Hoggets – 84 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Just a few clear ups on offer but selling up to £162 head from Miss Amy Hedges. Some sheep with erupted teeth selling to go into the ewe trade topped out at £162 form Miss Ellie Husk.

 

Cull Sheep – 542 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook O’Connell 07712246474

Ewes: Top £185 – N A Balcomb & Son, Average £115.70
Rams: Top £155 – T Beesley, Average £135.80

Trade on a par with last week. Another very good number of ewes penned on the day. The best fleshed ewes were very much in demand ranging from £130-£160, with the very best in excess of these figures, and to a top price of £185 from N A Balcomb & Son for some superb Texel ewes. Medium sorts holding around the £90-£120 area and leaner ewes £50-80 with very few sold below this bracket. Demand remains strong, with a good number of competitive buyers for all grades of slaughter and grazing types in attendance every week.

Top prices included:

Texel to £185 – N A Balcomb & Son, Texel to £182 – N C & C G Hedges, Rouge to £173 – J Metianu & S Aspital, Texel cross to £160 – M A Piper & Son, Suffolk cross to £155 – I Hobden, Romneys to £147 – N A Balcomb & Son, Mules to £140 – M Wickens, Goats to £140 – Kent Life

 

 

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle – 59 Sold

Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

Although another sizeable entry the overall quality forward was not of the high standard of last week and certainly more grass cattle on offer. Trade not quite at last week’s exceptional levels but remaining strong and competitive. Nevertheless, the best beef bred Continental crosses sold in excess of 250p notably Limousin cross steer and heifer £1881 (260p) and £1625 (267p) from M B Farms and Limousin cross heifer £1507 (265p) from W Alexander (Shoreham), while the regular consignment of Limousin x Friesian steers from A J Down sold around 240p and grossing up to £1676.

A large percentage of native bred cattle on offer ranging in the 220p to 240p bracket with Aberdeen Angus cross steers£1389 (234p) W S Furnival Ltd and £1441 (224p) D W Page & Son; handy-weight Sussex steers to £1284 J Hooker & Son and Sussex heifers to £1523 (232p) Tom Masters and £1342 (228p) D W Page & Son. A run of Stabiliser crosses looked well sold with steers to £1401 (238p) and heifers £1371 (231p) from Lee House Farm.

Top Steers

M B Farms – Limousin – 260p/kg (£1881)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 260p/kg (£1582)
D W Page & Son – Limousin cross – 249p/kg (£1466)
A J Down – Limousin cross – 247p/kg (£1614)
A J Down – Limousin cross – 246p/kg (£1558)

Top Heifers

M B Farms – Limousin – 267p/kg (£1625)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 265p/kg (£1507)
M B Farms – Limousin – 259p/kg (£1641)
M B Farms – Limousin – 254p/kg (£1619)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Blonde cross – 243p/kg (£1273)

Average Prices (p/kg)

Steers up to 650kg – 26 Sold – Top 260 – Ave 234
Steers over 651kg – 5 Sold – Top 260 – Ave 244
Heifers up to 590kg – 19 Sold – Top 265 – Ave 228
Heifers over 591kg – 8 Sold – Top 267 – Ave 239
Bulls – 1 Sold – Top 220

 

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 20 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

A short entry on a hot hay making day made for another outstanding trade for everything on offer.

Best young cows for feeding up over 250p kg whilst good meat cows regularly over 200p with 11 of the entry grossing over £1300 up to £1732.

Over thirty month clean cattle wanted with fleshed Holstein Friesian heifer to 205p, £1575 JS&MD Antrum, and leaner Aberdeen Angus heifers to 218p.

Limousin x 253p £1480, 216p £1509 PN&C Burden, 217p £1732 LE Humphreys & Son; British Blue 226p £1612 (NonFA) FS Husk; Simmental x 214p £1452 LE Humphreys & Son; Sussex 209p, 206p £1254, £1199 (NonFA) HW Richards, 182p £1352 (Non FA) K Hawes; Hereford 200p, 197p £1456, £1385 (Non FA) AR Ambrose; South Devon 188p £1170 (NonFA) E&J Beer; Holstein Friesian 180p £1575 JS&MD Antrum; Dexter 138p, 137p £419 M Keeley. Sussex stock bull 123p £1262.

Stock is going to remain very short in the next month or two as farm work concentrated on hay making and harvest but if you take your opportunity you will be very rewarded.

Beef Cows – 15 Sold – Top 253p/kg, Average 193.3p/kg
Dairy Cows – 2 Sold – Top 180p/kg, Average 153.0p/kg

 

Store cattle – 35 Sold

Auctioneer: Thomas Hamplett 07966 104532

A handful of seasonal stores this week looking very well sold. Demand continues to remain strong for all types of cattle.

Trade topped twice at £1,150 for a 25 mths British Blue cross steer and 24 mths Beef Shorthorn steer cross from C Kearl. A good run of Sussex from K Hawes were well sought after with the hammer eventually landing at £875 for the top pen of 14-15 mths steers. Younger Aberdeen Angus steers at 8 m from C Greenland in demand at £595.

 

Calves – 41 Sold

Auctioneer: Thomas Hamplett 07966 104532

Numbers remain similar with trade looking just a touch sharper particularly for the second grade and younger calves.

British Blues lead the bull trade again today with tops of £290, £260, and £230 from Hickson Bros. A good run of Blues from Falconhurst Estate topped at £220. Aberdeen Angus to £180 from J W Boyd & Sons with Mrs Clifford-Baynes seeing a top of £170 for their Angus bull entry. A handful of Sussex topped at £145 from Falconhurst Estate.

A better show of heifers this week with trade topping at £300 for a Blue from Mrs Clifford-Baynes, with other Blues to £260 (x2) from Hickson Bros. Angus’ to £205 from Mrs Clifford-Baynes.

 

A reminder that we can offer calves from Arla vendors under 56 days old subject to a declaration being signed by the purchaser. Any questions over this matter please do get in touch.

Bull Calves

British Blue – 8 – Top £290.00 – Average £206.25
Aberdeen Angus – 3 – Top £180.00 – Average £161.67
Sussex – 3 – Top £145.00 – Average £103.33
Holstein Friesian – 1 – Top £75.00 – Average £51.88

 

Heifer Calves

British Blue – 14 – Top £300.00 – Average £197.86
Aberdeen Angus – 2 – Top £205.00 – Average £192.50
Sussex – 1 – Top £65.00 – Average £65.00

 

Forthcoming Auctions

Tuesday Livestock – 12th July 2022

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

For our Auction Calendar and Catalogues click here