Store and Breeding Sheep Sale report – Friday 6th September 2019

Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901 Peter Kingwill 07795 200357, John Rossiter, Tom Hamplett and Mark Cleverdon

Report on trade: The special show and sale of Suffolk x Mule ewe lambs met a selective trade and while the best attracted favourable prices the second and third quality sorts proved more difficult although the majority realised prices above their store value. Only the best sold in excess of £80 while the majority ranged in the £60 to £70 bracket.

First prize winners from R Price & Sons sold for £85 and purchased by Stone Farms Ltd; second prize winners from D Howard Farms sold for £89 and purchased by G H Dean & Co and third prize winners from W J Hurley sold for £76 and purchased by A Foulds. Thank you to Simon Phillips from Deal for judging – Hobbs Parker provided the prize money

The store lambs on offer sold at recent levels to average around £55 with the majority ranging in the £50 to £60 bracket and up to £65 for a pen of Beltex cross from S Weeks & Sons. Other top prices included smart Texels at £64.50 from Dr S W C Winchester and continental crosses at £59.80 from Miss J J Butcher and £59.20 from Didling Farms Ltd.

A sizeable entry of ewe tegs met a very difficult trade. Plenty of faces around the ring but not many participants in the bidding process. There was more interest in the Suffolk x Mules which sold to £128 for real quality tegs from L Andreozzi but generally trade levelling at £90 – £110.

North Country Mules were very difficult and several pens remained unsold. Quality was in the mid specification with few of the best and few of the very worst. Customers were very reluctant to purchase and generally prices struggling to be much over £110 at best with plenty £85 to £100. Top price £121 for a pen from HHB Raveningham Farms.

The offering of breeding ewes where mainly a flock reduction of North Country Mules from K T D Axell which sold to £88 for 1 lambers. A pen of texel; 1 & 2 lambers made £130 for J & V Weeks.

Pedigree and purebred rams and females offered included the annual South Eastern Texel Group Show and Sale with a fantastic entry of pedigree sheep forward for sale giving buyers plenty to choose from on the day. Champion of the show, which was kindly judged by Brian Baker, was awarded to a ram teg from Mr & Mrs R J Warnock which sold for £460 to the Hooker family at Maythum Wharf Farm, Rolvenden. Reserve champion was 1^st prized shearling ewe from the same vendor which sold for £360 A J Lawrie, Riverhead, Sevenoaks.

Topping the trade was a ram teg from Gaynes Park Farms which sold for £560 to S W Mount & Son, Canterbury and top priced ewe teg £370 from Mr & Mrs R J Warnock again to A J Lawrie.

Overall average for pedigree Texel ram tegs was £432 and ewe tegs £271.

The first of the breeding ram sales saw the best tegs sell to £400 for Texels from E Stretton and Suffolks and Beltex x Charolais from N A Balcomb and Son.

Over 160 young rams are entered for sale on Friday 20^th September!