Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 7th March 2023

Sheep Sales Reports

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Finished Hoggets – 3,460

Top price per kg: 313p – T Husk
Top price per head: £125.50 – T Husk & T R Holt

A bigger entry of finished this week with the general feeling around the country now appearing to be that the hogget finishers want to start clearing numbers and that they can’t sit on them any longer waiting for the trade. This surge, unfortunately, is unlikely to have a positive impact on the trade but despite more on offer, we saw averages very similar to last week in terms of the SQQ with handy export weights at an acceptable level of 220p, but these often pushing toward £3 kg for the smarter sorts, with Tom Husk`s Beltex lambs topping the section at 313p. Heavy hoggs are a slightly different story with these accounting for half of the sheep on offer and a tough trade. This could be acceptable for home bred types but harder for those who bought in stores. As we move into March and the arable men want to get finished with the drills, more of these lambs will be coming out week on week so it is important that you let us know what numbers you wish to send to keep the buyers informed.
Over 1,500 stores penned today and the biggest entry of the year so far, and a sure sign of the state of the hogget trade this year with many deciding to get them away and let someone else take the gamble! Trade is still solid enough with a number of buyers still keen to secure numbers but definitely at a price range that is somewhat less than last year, with averages back on 2022 by almost £20 head. Top end lambs are selling at or around £80 but a larger number of smaller Romney lambs on offer this week reduced averages with these lambs trading at £50-70 head.

Top Prices

38kg – £119.00 (313p/kg) – T Husk
39kg – £110.00 (282p/kg) – T Husk
40kg – £89.50 (224p/kg) – D Stephens
41kg – £96.50 (235p/kg) – T Heathcote
42kg – £116.50 (277p/kg) – T Husk
43kg – £103.50 (241p/kg) – C Woodhead
44kg – £120.00 (273p/kg) – T Husk
45kg – £123.50 (274p/kg) – A Holt
46kg – £109.00 (237p/kg) – M A Piper & Son Farms
47kg – £109.00 (232p/kg) – R & S L M Smith
48kg – £125.50 (261p/kg) – T Husk
49kg – £116.00 (237p/kg) – T R Holt
50kg – £113.00 (226p/kg) – L Atfield
51kg – £119.00 (233p/kg) – A Holt
52kg – £122.00 (235p/kg) – L Atfield
53kg – £117.50 (222p/kg) – A Holt
55kg – £121.00 (220p/kg) – T R Holt
56kg – £124.00 (221p/kg) – A Holt
58kg – £125.50 (216p/kg) – T R Holt 

Averages (p/kg)

 Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 143 – Top 313, Average 235.7
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 707 – Top 282, Average 216.8
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 661 – Top 261, Average 218.7
Over 52.1 kgs – 231 – Top 274, Average 213.2

Cull Sheep – 660 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Ewe: Top £130 – T Husk, Average £84.19
Ram: Top £74 – Porchester Farms, Average £57.66

A few more forward with trade very much in line with recent weeks. The best ewes regularly £90-£110, to a top price of £130 for some smart Texel cross ewes from T Husk. Medium sorts £65-£80 generally with leaner grazing types £40 – £55, and very few sold under these figures.

Texel cross to £130 – T Husk, Beltex cross to £127 – T Husk, Suffolk cross to £119 – L E Humphreys & Sons, Mules to £90 – D Howard Farms, Romneys to £95 – G L Boulden & Sons

Breeding Ewes – 19 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

The breeding section saw a small flock reduction of Romney ewes in-lamb to a Vendeen ram scanned at 135%, sold on behalf of M & J Cutting. These were handy sized, flock aged ewes due to lamb in April that topped out at £87 per head.

Please do contact us with any further In-Lamb / Breeding sheep you have to sell.

 

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle –  48 Sold

Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

A wonderful show of top quality cattle this week with the best beef bred Continental crosses selling around 300p and topping at 315p for a Limousin cross steer from M B Farms and a Blonde cross heifer from M A Piper & Son Farms, with several cattle grossing in excess of £2000.
A relatively large percentage of native bred cattle on offer with the bestselling in excess of 250p and an exceptional Sussex cross heifer topping the section at £1655 (310p) from M A Piper & Son Farms. Other top prices included Aberdeen Angus cross heifer £1706 (259p) from P W & P Sim & Son and £1314 (266p) from G L Boulden & Sons; Sussex steer £1666 (263p) from W S Furnival Ltd; Sussex cross heifer £1722 (252p) from P W & P Sim & Son and Hereford cross steer £1565 (253p) from North Kent College.
Dairy bred cattle looked relatively well sold with British Friesian steers £1364 (242p) from A J Down; Holstein heifer £1313 (214p) from Huddlestone Farmers. Nicely fleshed Longhorn heifers to £1204 (254p) from M R Cullen Agricultural Services.
Young bulls a sharp trade with Angus to 242p £1364, and 3 well fleshed Highlanders to 232p £1539 from Hales Farm.

Top Steers 

M B Farms – Limousin cross – 315p/kg (£2122)
M B Farms – Limousin – 312p/kg (£2102)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 305p/kg (£2131)
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin cross – 288p/kg (£1940)
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin cross – 271p/kg (£1731)

Top Heifers

M A Piper & Son Farms – Blonde cross – 315p/kg (£1871)
M A Piper & Son Farms – Sussex – 310p/kg (£1655)
M B Farms – Limousin – 307p/kg (£1839)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 306p/kg (£1664)
M B Farms – Limousin – 299p/kg (£1835) 

Average Prices

Steers up to 650kg – 15 sold – Top 285p – Ave 255p
Steers over 651kg – 8 sold – Top 315p – Ave 264p
Heifers up to 500kg – 6 sold – Top 265p – Ave 247p
Heifers 501kg to 590kg – 6 sold – Top 310p – Ave 268p
Heifers over 591kg – 13 sold – Top 315p – Ave 275
Young Bulls – 4 – Top 242p – Ave 223p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 74 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Another fantastic trade for a great mixture of cows, native and continental; all types of overage clean; and some good, fleshed bulls. Buyers keen for slaughter stock and feeding types throughout.
Best of the Continental cows close to 250p and £2000, plenty around 200p and little under 160p. Highland cows, even, up to 186p and generally 125-160p – horns and all!
Limousin cross 249p, 238p, 226p, £1976, £1734, £1508 L E Humphreys & Sons, 203p, £1418 A J Thompson & Sons, 185p, £1245 (Non FA) S J M Evans; Beef Shorthorn cross 226p, £1184 A J Thompson & Sons; British Blue cross 209p, 200p (2) £1207, £1188 A J Thompson & Sons; Aberdeen Angus cross 199p, £1330 (Non FA) B G & M A Tomsett, 198p, 196p, £1417, £1264  (Non FA) T Lyle & Ptnrs, 184p, £1303 (Non FA) S J M Evans; Simmental cross 198p, £1412 W J Hurley; Hereford cross 189p, £1216 (Non FA) C K Axell, 187p, £1389 (Non FA) K T D Axell; Sussex 189p, £1282 R J T Farms; Highland 186p, 158p, 146p, 144p, £955, £787, £710 Hales Farm.
A wonderful return for all dairy culls with the 200p mark getting ever closer for true cows.
British Friesian 196p, 188p, 187p, £1564, £1296, £1209 B J Goodsell & Son; Holstein Friesian 194p, 182p, £1403, £1316 Goddard & Son; 187p, 182p, £1455, £1361 D Murdoch & Sons; 186p, 179p, £1336 J W Boyd & Sons; 184p, £1349 Huddlestone Farmers.
A larger show of overage cattle with some outstanding fleshed cattle on offer readily over 270p and £1800.
British Blue cross OTM steers 274p, £1887, OTM heifers 276p, 274p, 269p, £1873, £1682, £1598; Limousin cross OTM steer 267p, £1826, OTM heifers 276p (2) £1873, £1501.
Stock Bulls (3). Three good examples with flesh, and well sold.
Limousin 166p £1556; Highland 149p £1114; Aberdeen Angus 145p £1170.

Beef Cows – 37 Sold – Top 249, Average 178.9
Dairy Cows – 16 Sold – Top 196, Average 163.4

Store Cattle – 25 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Just a handful about today but no less interest from plenty of keen purchasers.
Limousin x Longhorn steers 10-14 mths £830, £640; heifers 10 mths £470; Aberdeen Angus cross heifers 23-26 mths £840, £765; Highland heifers 43 mths  £510, heifers 22 mths £460, steers 8 mths £260.

 

Pigs –  30 Sold

Auctioneer: Tom Hamplett 07966 104532

Finished – (22) A few less about than expected however trade certainly still as strong as our last sale with a good selection of pigs on offer. Racing away to top the trade was a quality pen of 77 kg boars from M Godden at 172p (£132.34) with further pigs from the same vendor to 168p (£126). Best in the lump today, again, to M Godden with a smart boar to £164.16 (152p). A good strong pen from P J & P B Wade topped at £141.75 (162p). T Beesley went away with a smile on his face with his entry topping at £155 (158p). Best pigs, 75 kg plus, are selling to a flying trade with all 150p plus, and with more required to fill orders.
Cull – 1 One single boar forward with culls a touch harder work this week.
Stores – 7 A pen of forward stores, Mangalitza cross, the entry for today. These showed a little bit of flesh but are certainly out of specification compared to what is being sold for top money in the finished section and achieved £11 per head. Better stores required to fill orders!

A polite request to all vendors to please pre enter all pigs on the Monday morning prior to a pig sale. This is to help us to help you by ensuring that buyers are kept up to date with entries.

 

Forthcoming Auctions

Tuesday Livestock – 14th March 2023

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

For our Auction Calendar and Catalogues click here