Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 7th July 2026

Sheep Sales Reports

New Season Lambs –1,547 sold.

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Top Price Per Kilo – 433p – K T D Axell, East Sussex & G H Dean & Co, Kent.
Top Price Per Head – £211.00 – W G Watkins & Sons, Kent.

A few less penned today and the better finished lambs that have been fed saw an improved trade but the lesser types, on several occasions, found a trade that is very much more in line with store values. The best run on the day were 210 well finished sheep from C & J Georgetti & Sons which averaged £193/hd and 410p/kg but top spot was taken by W G Watkins & Sons with some heavy lambs which realised £211/hd. The top prices per kilo today were also filled with the heavier sheep, which is unusual, however the mixed quality of the lighter sorts have dragged the averages down somewhat. Best types are still in excess of 400/kg and often over 420p/kg with the leaner types at 350-380p/kg or £120-£140/hd. Quality always sells the best in all markets and it appears this will be the case throughout the coming months as the weather gets hotter and the grazing runs tighter.

36 – £155.00 (431p kg) – K Lukehurst
37 – £150.00 (405p kg) – Mrs R Vant & J Claringbould
38 – £156.00 (411p kg) – K T D Axell & Howard Farming Ltd
39 – £169.00 (433p kg) – K T D Axell
40 – £168.00 (420p kg) – G H Dean & Co
41 – £163.00 (398p kg) – T Morgan & Son
42 – £169.00 (402p kg) – K Lukehurst & G H Dean & Co
43 – £186.00 (433p kg) – G H Dean & Co
44 – £184.00 (418p kg) – N A Balcomb & Son
45 – £190.00 (422p kg) – C & J Georgetti & Sons
46 – £195.00 (424p kg) – C & J Georgetti & Sons
47 – £199.00 (423p kg) – C & J Georgetti & Sons
48 – £191.00 (398p kg) – D Isaac & Holly Chandler
49 – £202.00 (412p kg) – L E Humphreys & Sons
50 – £202.00 (404p kg) – L E Humphreys & Sons
51 – £211.00 (414p kg) – W G Watkins & Sons
52 – £210.00 (404p kg) – C & J Georgetti & Sons

Averages (p/kg)

Prime NSL SQQ – 392.02

Light 32.1 to 39kgs – 180 – Top 431, Ave.393.9
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 684 – Top 433, Ave. 388.4
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 433   – Top 424, Ave. 400.9
Over 52.1 kgs – 15 – Top 404, Ave. 404.0

Cull Sheep – 185 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678

Top Price Ewes: £222.00 – N A Balcomb & Son – Ave. £155.74

An absolute flyer with numbers scarce in the pens however a good quality show forward.
The best regularly £160 – £190 and to a top price of £222 from N A Balcomb & Son for superb Texels. Medium sorts £130 – £160 on most occasions and remaining the most saleable with leaner grazing types £100 – £130 throughout with only a small number of these penned.
Rams were in demand with all apart from Romneys £200 plus and up to £264 for Suffolks from N A Balcomb & Son
As we get closer towards the stage of weaning, we expect numbers to pick up sooner rather than later however if you have ewes to sell do not hesitate to get them sold now while the trade remains strong and numbers are short.

Top Prices Included:

Texel to £222 – N A Balcomb & Son, Texel cross to £217 – P & E Andreozzi, Beltex to £200 – P & E Andreozzi, Charollais to £199 – N A Balcomb & Son, Suffolk cross to £190 – A J Down, Romney to £161 – C B Hope, Mules to £155 – E J Stanford & Sons.

Ear Tags in Sheep
Please be aware of your responsibilities with regard to the tagging of sheep of all ages and in all sections of the market.

Cattle Reports

Finished Cattle –  53 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903.

A step up in gear once again today with trade lifting for the cattle once more, further demand for beef on the shelves and numbers tight across the country as harvest takes priority over cattle jobs on many farms. Best on the day were over 350p/kg with GW & B Bridges topping the day at 390p/kg for a well fleshed young bull at just 14 months old. Top of the charts in the clean cattle section was W Alexander (Shoreham) at 370p/kg for a Limousin heifer with Alan Down’s Limousin crosses topping the day in the gross pricing at £2,613.00. Deadweight prices have come up again this week by a meagre 5p/kg but once again the liveweight ring has flown past that mark. Those of you in a position to sell live should take this opportunity to avail of the trade.

Leading steer prices

A J Down – Limousin cross – 366p (£2613)
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin cross – 358p (£2467)
A J Down – Limousin cross – 356p (£2257)
A J Down – Limousin cross – 355p (£2162)
A J Down – Limousin cross – 354p (£2475)

Leading heifer prices

W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 370p (£2180)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 368p (£1966)
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin cross – 360p (£1977)
R C & J L Pickering & Sons – Simmental cross – 348p (£2016)
W S Furnival Ltd – Aberdeen Angus cross – 344p (£2009)

Average prices

Steers 551 to 650 kg – 12 – Top 356p, Ave. 336p
Steers 651 kg + – 15 – Top 366p, Ave. 334p
Heifers 501 to 590 kg – 11 – Top 370p, Ave. 336p
Heifers 591+ kg – 3 – Top 326p, Ave. 316p

OTM Cattle & Cull Cows – 40 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357.

An excellent entry for a blistering hot haymaking day in the first week of July. Trade as hot as the weather with more buyers around the ring looking to secure slaughter and feeding stock of all breeds, all sizes and all ages. Certainly, dearer than seen for some time and with numbers likely to remain short with haymaking and harvest upon us, please take advantage by selling your non-viable production animals.
Best beef cows to kill or feed up over 300p/kg but every bit as dear would be the light weight Channel Island cows selling to above 200p/kg.
British Blue 315p, 294p, £1808, £1658 R J T Farms; Limousin 310p, 302p, £1811, £1628 R J T Farms, 300p, 274p, £2097 M L Williams, 273p, £1703 R F & E A Simmons; Hereford 284p, £1503 J Hodson; Sussex 280p, £1635 R J T Farms, 270p (2), £1981 S Bryant; Aberdeen Angus 276p (2), £1625 J Berryman, 256p, £1533 R J T Farms; Charolais 269p, £1718 R J T Farms.
A lean show of cows from the parlour met a fierce trade with little flesh and weight on offer. More wanted and welcome back to ARLA dairy farmers who can now really see their cows’ worth in the competitive open market.
Holstein Friesian 257p, £1783 W G & T A Manford; 237p, £216p (2), 215p, £1523, £1503, £1408, £1401 R G & J L Pickering; Jersey 216p, £1174 Hickson Bros, 202p, £1048 S E Lane & Ptnrs; 192p, £623 G R Edgar & Son; Dexter 189p, £688 M Keeley (Agri Services) Ltd.
Overage (6) Small entry and much firmer along with lift in fat trade.
OTM Aberdeen Angus x Holstien heifers 312p, 308 (2), 304p, £2276, £2227, £2170 E & J H Maylam.

Beef Cows – 18 Sold – Top 315, Average 279.1
Dairy Cows – 16 Sold – Top 257, Average 206.1

Store & Breeding Cattle – 86 sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678.

A good show for the time of year with buyers forward in abundance looking to secure numbers and a trade that was as good as it ever has been.
Top call on the day went to M A & F W Owen for a strong British Blue cross steer 22 mths to £2200. A few cows and calves to start from Mrs K Hamilton which topped at £3000 for a Simmental cross cow and a pair of Parthenais twins. A late entry from S J M Evans of Limousin x Shorthorns 9-12 mths which saw the bulls to £1060 and smart heifers to £1680 and £1480 from the same home. Aberdeen Angus cross steers 14 mths from A Farris to £1370 and similar sorts from J P J Wanstall with their Aberdeen Angus cross heifers 16 mths top at £1440.  Onto stronger sorts from B C Ginger topping at £1680 for 20 mth Aberdeen Angus cross steers and a cracking run from M A & F W Owen to £2180 for well-done Aberdeen Angus cross steers 20 mths followed by the heifers from the same home topping at £1990. In close attendance was B Sutton with their Aberdeen Angus cross steers to £2160 and Sussex cross steers from J H & A H Godden 22 mths topped at £1660.
Please get in contact if you have any store or breeding cattle to sell in the coming weeks with numbers expected to come forward for Tuesday 21^st July.

Calves – 36 sold

Auctioneer: Tristan Howell 07917024340.

A mixed entry resulting in a mixed trade. Lesser calves looking the best value, with stronger calves still upholding the prices seen in the last sale. Top end calves making the trip from Haywards Heath for D Goodwin & Son and topping at £715 and £675 for 2-mth-old British Blue cross calves. R & J Ledger Ltd returning with Simmental and Aberdeen Angus calves, the best of these to £690. Jersey-bred calves saw British Blue x heifers to £255 and Wagyu x heifers to £150 for Hickson Bros, with G R Edgar & Son to £170 for their British Blue Bull. J W Boyd & Sons with 3-week-old British Blue cross bull calves to £520 and heifers to £525, and an Aberdeen Angus cross to £590. Black & white bull calves all from the same home, A Goddard & Son, all at a month old between £140-£180.
Just the one weanling this week but a strong Parthenais steer at 3 mths old sold well to £800.

Bull Calves
British Blue cross – 8 – Ave. £437.50 – Top £715.00 – D Goodwin & Son.
Simmental cross – 1 – Ave. £610.00 – Top £610.00 – R & J Ledger.
Limousin cross – 1 – Ave. £270.00 – Top £270.00 – R F & E A Simmons.
Aberdeen Angus cross – 4 – Ave. £526.25 – Top £690.00 – R & J Ledger.

Heifer Calves
British Blue cross – 8 – Ave. £291.25 – Top £525.00 – J W Boyd & Sons Ltd.
Simmental cross – 2 – Ave. £442.50 – Top £455.00 – R & J Ledger.

Bull Weanlings
Parthenais – 1 – Ave. £800.00 – Top £800.00 – Mrs Kay Hamilton

Ear Tags

Producers are reminded that all cattle require two ear tags with at least one large distance readable tag. Please inspect stock in good time to order replacement tags as, regrettably, any stock that are incorrectly tagged may not be offered for sale. Local authority inspectors will be taking note as stock comes to market.

 

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