Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 6th September 2022

Sheep Sales Reports

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

New Season Lambs – 552 Sold

Top price per kg: 287p – P N & C Burden
Top price per head: £137.00 – Mrs V McDonald

A very small entry of lambs this week, with a number of the finishers at the end of this year’s crop, and very few early purchased stores coming to market due to current growing conditions. We have now had a nice bit of rain which may make things a little greener. Best meated sorts were still well sold on the day with weighted lambs still selling in excess of £120 and up to £137 from Mrs V McDonald. Several lean fleshed types in the pens which are selling to a premium over the stores, and trading from £80-100 providing they have enough weight.

Top Prices

35kg – £84.00 (240p/kg) – R J Adams
36kg – £86.00 (239p/kg) – R J Adams
38kg – £87.00 (229p/kg) – C B Hope
39kg – £105.00 (269pkg) – Eastlands Farm
40kg – £105.00 (263p/kg) – R J Adams
41kg – £108.00 (263p/kg) – Eastlands Farm
42kg – £110.00 (262p/kg) – Mrs V McDonald
43kg – £121.00 (287p/kg) – P N & C Burden
44kg – £120.00 (244p/kg) – V Smith
45kg – £116.00 (258p/kg) – H V Link Partnership
46kg – £119.00 (259p/kg) – R G Hobbs Farms
47kg – £127.00 (270p/kg) – V Smith
48kg – £130.00 (271p/kg) – Eastlands Farm
49kg – £128.00 (261p/kg) – H V Link Partnership
50kg – £131.00 (262p/kg) – P N & C Burden
51kg – £130.00 (255p/kg) – H V Link Partnership
53kg – £133.00 (251p/kg) – H V Link Partnership
54kg – £137.00 (254p/kg) – Mrs V McDonald

Averages (p/kg)

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 40 – Top 240, Average 225.3
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 241 – Top 281, Average 248.8
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 238 – Top 271, Average 246.8
Over 52.1 kgs – 25 – Top 254, Average 249.6

Cull Sheep – 692 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook O’Connell 07712246474

Ewes: Top £154 – Link Bros, Average £64.31
Rams: Top £150 – Paley Farm Ltd, Average £84.00

Trade certainly a little easier throughout with very few well fleshed ewes seen on the day. The best ewes remain wanted with majority £80-£110 with some tremendous Texel cross ewes from Link Bros topping at £154. Medium sorts £70-£90, with the majority of the plainer ewes regularly £45-£65. We have buyers present for all grades of ewes however the best fleshed ewes are the one’s which are being rewarded the most at present.

Top prices included:

Texel cross to £154 – Link Bros, Suffolk cross to £124 – L Stevens & Sons, Border Leicester to £134 – Luandy Farming, Charollais cross to £108 – Bungehurst Farm, Mules to £90 – Bungehurst Farm, Romneys to £90 – R H Kingston

Store & Breeding Sheep – Friday 2nd September

4,317 Sold

Another big entry of store lambs early in the season comprising mainly medium and small long keeping lambs with the persisted drought in the South East having an impact on the condition of lambs coming forward. The few pens of strong stores attracted prices in the mid to high £80’s while medium sorts ranged £70 to £78 and the majority of long keeping lambs £60 to £69.
A similar entry of Romney wethers with best up to £80 and an overall average of £66.50.
Please keep in touch and call to discuss future marketing of store lambs, Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

Principal store lamb prices included

Suffolk x Mule – £87.50 – R Price & Sons
Suffolk x Romney – £83.00 – G M Day & Sons
Charollais cross – £87.00 – R S Body & Sons
Charollais cross – £86.00 – Ross Farms
Charollais cross – £85.00 – A Wellsted
Texel cross – £89.00 – G Lawrence & Son
Texel cross – £88.00 – W G Vant
Texel cross – £88.00 – H G Tompsett & Sons Ltd
Texel cross – £85.00 – Bowley Farm Ltd
Texel cross – £82.00 – E J Stanford & Sons
Southdown cross – £79.00 – Lovejoy Farm Partenrship
Romney wether – £80.00 – Langrish Farmers
Romney wether – £77.00 – R H Kingston
Romney wether – £75.00 – R Wimble & Son
Romney wether – £75.00 – M & J Cutting
Dutch Spotted ewe lambs – £103.50 – J Pearce

Principal averages – £ per head 

Suffolk cross – 699 – Top £87.50, Ave £72.50
Texel cross – 1,769 – Top £90.00, Ave £71.00
Charollais cross – 650 – Top £87.00, Ave £73.50
Beltex cross – 213 – Top £76.00, Ave £72.50
Crossbred – 102 – Top £76.00, Ave £72.00
Romney wether – 879 – Top £80.00, Ave £66.50

 

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle – 43 Sold

Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

A similar strong trade compared to last week with a smart Limousin cross heifer topping the market at £1396 (269p) from H & J Noakes and a Blonde cross steer and heifer sold well at £1596 (250p) and £1319 (249p) respectively from G L Boulden & Sons. A run of Limousin cross steers from A J Thompson & Sons attracted prices in excess of 230p with the best £1643 (244p), £1503 (247p) and £1571 (248p) while Limousin x Friesian steers from A J Down again sold in the 230p to 240p bracket and heavy weights grossing exceptionally well at £1747 and £1736.
The best of the native bred cattle again around 225p, notably a run of Aberdeen Angus cross to £1519 from J Hooker & Son, £1630 (227p) and £1481 (236p) from W S Furnival Ltd and £1207 (222p) from Gary Stokes.

Top Steers

G L Boulden & Sons – Blonde cross – 250p/kg (£1597)
A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – 248p/kg (£1571)
A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – 247p/kg (£1503)
A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – 244p/kg (£1643)
A J Down – Limousin cross – 242p/kg (£1449)

Top Heifers

H & J Noakes – Limousin cross – 269p/kg (£1396)
G L Boulden & Sons – Blonde cross – 249p/kg (£1319)
H & J Noakes – Limousin cross – 249p/kg (£1180)
W S Furnival Ltd – Limousin cross – 228p/kg (£1148)
G Stokes – Aberdeen Angus cross – 204p/kg (£915)

Average Prices (p/kg)

Steers up to 650kg – 20 sold – Top 250 – Ave £232p
Steers over 651kg – 13 Sold – Top 244p – Ave 232p
Heifers up to 500kg – 7 Sold – Top 269p – Ave £227p
Heifers over 501kg – 2 Sold – Top 184p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 47 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Something of a tidy up week with a real mixture of stock, old and young, big and small, and good and bad! Demand remaining very strong and, with a few extra faces around the ring, customers for everything.
A smart younger Simmental cross cow for feeding from R Martin readily sold to 215p with commercial meat cows generally 165-185p and selling to £1652 for a Blonde cross cow from R M & J Penny. A few older, awkward beef cows sensibly tidied up before another winter and little below 120p.
Simmental cross 215p £1287 (Non FA) R Martin, 172p £1303 R Coleman & Sons; Sussex 183p, 171p £1256, £1117 W J Hurley, 170p £1066 (Non FA) Mrs C Goldsmith; Blonde cross 181p £1652 (Non FA) R M & J Penny; Limousin cross 180p, 163p £1235, £1221 Bob Luck Ltd; Aberdeen Angus cross 179p £1517 (Non FA) B G & M A Tomsett; British Blue cross 170p £1185 (Non FA) R M & J Penny.
Very few cows from the dairy as milk is wanted in the tank! Holstein Friesian heifers to 193p £1309 from Huddlestone Farmers. Dexters to 120p £412 Wildcroft Ltd.
Strong demand for good fleshed overage cattle with Sussex OTM steers 195p, 188p £ 1362, 1303 (Non Assured).
Quite a number of lean, horned Sussex bulls well sold at 140-160p

Beef Cows – 29 Sold – Top 215.0, Average 157.1
Dairy Cows – 5 Sold – Top 193.0, Average 156.4

Store & Breeding Cattle – 406 Sold

Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

A strong start to the Autumn store cattle sales with a large quality entry, of generally stronger cattle, finding a large attendance of buyers from far and wide.
Producers have held their cattle together well in this difficult summer and, whilst it would be fair to say that all of us are conscious of escalating costs, these stronger part fleshed cattle that are moving forward are wanted for the finished trade later this year.
Confidence is strong throughout the beef sector with numbers nationally showing a tightness of supply and though the younger cattle have some way to go there was no lack of customers to take both the native and continental youngsters. Quality runs of younger continental cattle from D G & J W Gore and Goodsell Farm Partners were much admired with an outstanding ‘show potential’ 10 mths Red Roan heifer catching the eye at £1220 from the Gore Family. Native Aberdeen Angus and Hereford cattle from Boty Farms and the Carr Partnership found plenty of customers eager to secure numbers. It is the spring born 2021 cattle that are really finding favour with the forward types eyeing the Christmas market. Plenty of cattle £1100 – £1300 with the quality continentals from R Wade, A Caldwell, L & L Colbourne, S F G Wall, H & J Noakes, Swanley Farm, R & H Vincent, and P & A Love all in this bracket. Native demand also very strong with Sussex from Bob Luck Ltd and Aberdeen Angus from J S Tilley to £1170 and £1155 respectively. Amongst the older cattle, continental or native, there was plenty of trade with the differentials created by age, assurance, sires, and condition playing their part. Angus steers 2yo from G Stokes topped the day at £1420.
Please give any of us a call to discuss sale date planning whether September, October or later!

Principal Prices

8-10mths Continental cross steers – £800 – Goodsell Farm Ptnsp
10mths Continental cross heifers – £735 – goodsell Farm Ptnsp
10mths British Blue cross heifer – £1220 – D G & J W Gore
10-12mths Continental cross steers – £1085 – D G & J W Gore
10-11mths Limousin cross heifer – £930 – D G & J W Gore
14mths Limousin cross steers – £1300 – Mrs A Caldwell
16mths Limousin cross steers – £1340 – R A Wade
16mths British Blue cross steers – £1105 – L & L Colbourne
17mths Limousin cross steers – £1270 – P & A Love Ltd
17mths Limousin cross steers – £1280 – H & J Noakes
17mths Limousin cross heifer – £1115 – H & J Noakes
17mths Limousin cross steers – £1100 – R & H Vincent
17mths Limousin cross steers – £1450 – Swanley Farm
17mths Charolais cross heifer – £1210 – S F G Hall

Native Bred

6-8mths Aberdeen Angus cross steer – £780 – Boty Farms Ltd
6-8mths Aberdeen Angus cross heifers – £685 – Boty Farms Ltd
17mths Hereford cross steers – £1020 – A G Dodd
18mths Hereford cross steers – £1030 – C W Jones
16mths Aberdeen Angus cross steers – £1155 – J S Tilley
23mths Aberdeen Angus cross steers – £1425 – G Stokes
28mths Aberdeen Angus cross steers – £1165 – B W C Brooks
18mths Sussex cross steers – £1170 – Bob Luck Ltd
18mths Sussex cross heifers – £1120 – Bob Luck Ltd

 

Pigs – 40 Sold

Auctioneer: Tom Hamplett 07966 104532

Finished – 24 – An improved trade this week with plenty of leaner and traditional breeds on offer. Baconers lead this week’s trade with well fleshed white pigs from I M Symonds at £147 or 140p. Boars from Grace Natural Foods to £122.88 (128p) and Miss J Judge to £111.28 (104p). Porkers with flesh in demand with tops of £107.25 (130p) from Bocketts Farm and £86.25 (120p) from Grace Natural Foods. An improved trade requires more finished pigs to meet demand with several buyers not opening their accounts this week. All types can be sold to vendors advantage but, in particular, best pigs very short!

Cull – 9 –   Pleased to report yet another improvement in the cull trade this week with string competition for sows, in particular. Topping trade in the lump and per kilo today was Mr C Higgins with sows to £182.50 (58p) and 68p (£98.60). Most sows 55p plus this week with plenty of weight but no style on offer. One single boar from T F Russell to 20p, certainly looking sharper than the last few months. Buyers report strong demand for sows of all grades, please do get in touch to discuss marketing.

Stores – 7 – Only a handful of stores this week with coloured pigs on offer. Trade with a top of £14 (x2) for both the Canterbury Oast Trust and Bocketts Farm.

 

Forthcoming Auctions

Tuesday Livestock – 13th September 2022

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

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