Weekly Sales News – 10th December 2019


Headlines this week were made in both the cull ewe and cull cow sections. Trade improved in both and price levels were maintained for nearly 2,000 finished sheep penned.   Read on for this weeks reports….

For forthcoming sales information – www.hobbsparker.co.uk/auctioneers/livestock-marketing/forthcoming-sales/

 


Finished Sheep

1,771 Sold

Top price per head – £109 – A Town: Top price per kilo – 224p – Mrs E Sargent

Report on trade: A good sized entry of lambs this week with approaching 2,000 penned for the second week running and a great show of quality on offer. Some very smart continental lambs were offered throughout the weight brackets but top price was taken by Mrs E Sargent at 224p per kg for some very smart 41kg Beltex cross lambs (£92) while heavier continentals sold to £109 from A Town (56kg at195p). The more commercial end of the heavy weights topped at £97 from Mrs J Walker closely followed by Homewood School YFC at £96.

One more Tuesday market will take place before Christmas, with an additional sale taking place for just sheep on Friday 27th. Please advise us of numbers you wish to send for this sale as it will be very helpful for us to know the anticipated entry when we speak to our buyers.

Sales here in Ashford are supported by buyers representing a large cross section of abattoirs throughout the country. Please ensure your FABBL status is up to date and if you are not FABBL assured seriously consider becoming so – certain buyers are restricted to the purchase of only farm assured stock.

                                            New Season Lambs
KgsTop PriceAve PriceTop Vendorp per kg
3468.0068.00R Douglas200.0
3574.0069.35R Douglas211.0
3674.0072.64I Lucas206.0
3773.0068.19J Lloyd and Sons197.0
3883.5076.50P Ashlee220.0
3986.0075.01Mrs E A Sargent221.0
4089.0076.12Mrs E A Sargent222.0
4192.0078.00Mrs E A Sargent224.0
4286.0080.19P Ashlee205.0
4383.00     78.69The High Weald Academy YFC193.0
4491.5083.36Mrs E A Sargent208.0
4593.0083.96Trigger Direct Ltd207.0
4693.0085.81Mrs J Walker202.0
4786.0082.75C R Ridley183.0
4897.0094.38Mrs J Walker202.0
4992.0089.64R & S L M Smith188.0
5096.5086.22A Town193.0
5188.0088.23K & P M Sinden173.0
5284.0083.55G F Day & Son162.0
New Season Lambs – pence per kg
Weight RangeNumberTopBottomAverageNational Av
Light 25.5 to 32 kgs18200.0177.0182.7174.0
Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs303221.0177.0197.7189.1
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs1,081224.0162.0188.7191.1
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs292202.0160.0181.7185.3
Other over 52 kgs7195.0178.0181.0180.8

 

Cull Ewes and Rams

519 sold

Report on trade:  A better trade for the ewes on offer with meated sorts selling to a marked premium this week. Less leaner sorts were penned with a few of the grazed ewes making a reappearance this week.

Best ewes broke through the £90 barrier for the first time in a while to a top price of £95 from Ms H V Link. Grazing ewes were still in demand though and traded from £35 to £50.

Top prices included rams to £100 from J Lloyd & Sons, continentals to £95 from Ms H V Link, Suffolk crosses to £94 from C H Ellis Ltd and Romneys to £75.50 from L F Crisford & Sons

Store and Breeding Sheep

386 Sold

Report on trade: The strong trade for stores continues with the best making around £70 notably continental crosses at £71 from E Archer and £68 from J G and M Bray. Medium stores made to £66.50 from Worth Abbey and £64 from S J Martin and M H Burn and only very small long term sorts made under £55.

Store lambs and hoggets will now sold every Tuesday following sale of finished sheep.

Sock Lambs

0 Sold

Finished Cattle

37 Sold

Report on trade: A trade very much on a par with recent weeks with the better bred handy weight cattle 185p to 200p per kg while second quality and dairy bred sorts generally made 165p to 180p. A run of Limousin cross heifers from W S Furnival (Brookland)  took the pick of the trade with the majority 185p plus and up to £1087 (200p) while a heavier heifer grossed well at £1104 (179p). Other top prices included a Limousin cross heifer at £1201 (185p) from W Alexander (Shoreham) and a Blonde cross steer £1013 (190p) from G L Boulden and Sons.

OTM cattle made up to £1046 (159p) for Hereford cross steer from R W Jones and Son.

Finished cattle averages – pence per kg
ClassificationNoTopBottomAverage
Light steers (370 – 550kg)1189.5189.5189.5
Medium steers (551 – 650 kg)3183.5156.5172.5
Heavy steers (over 650kg)2184.5179.5182.0
Light heifers (330 – 500kg)3169.5145.5159.5
Medium heifers (501 – 590kg)11199.5151.5184.5
Heavy heifers (over 590kg)1178.5178.5178.5
Leading steer prices
ProducerWeightAge and breedP per kgGross £
G L Boulden & Sons53519 mths Blonde190.01,014
W Alexander (Shoreham)65121 mths Limousin185.01,201
G L Boulden & Sons57916 mths Blonde184.01,062
W Alexander (Shoreham)65520 mths Limousin180.01,176
W Alexander (Shoreham)62421 mths Limousin178.01,108
Leading heifer prices
W S Furnival (Brookland)54520 mths Limousin200.01,087
W S Furnival (Brookland)52020 mths Limousin196.01,017
W S Furnival (Brookland)52521 mths Limousin195.01,021
W S Furnival (Brookland)54420 mths Limousin194.01,053
W Alexander (Shoreham)51521 mths Limousin189.0971.0

Cull Cows and Bulls

42 Sold

Report on trade: A real Christmas cracker of a trade with all grades stronger and very competitive which is all very encouraging for the New Year when supply of cull cows and therefore processing beef likely to be short. We saw very few fleshed beef cows with smart assured types making well over 120p per kg. A few tidy keeping cows readily made 110p to 125p and even the older colder types were finding more custom.

Highlights included Sussex 129p 113p £919 £889 from W J Hurley and 126p £797 Chandler & Dunn; British Blue cross 124p 122p 115p Betchworth Estate; Simmental cross 116p 114p Betchworth Estate; Aberdeen Angus 106p £960 and Longhorn 98p (Non FA) W Mason.

Rates all improved amongst the dairy culls too with a few best heavyweights 100p – 110p but the lesser types looking particularly well sold. A few well overage steers and heifers also well sold.

Holstein Friesian 110p £994 J Warnock & Son, 108p £908 J W Boyd & Sons Ltd, 107p 97p £921 Appleton (Ledger) Farms and 98p D Murdoch & Sons; Holstein Friesian steers 48 mths+ 104p 102p £934 R W Jones & Son and a Charolais heifer 7 yrs 107p.

Bulls remain steady with a good fleshed Aberdeen Angus 85p and £908.

Cull cattle section – pence per kg
ClassificationNoTopBottomAverage
Beef cows15128.571.5107.0
Dairy cows26109.547.579.3
Bulls184.584.584.5

Please remember it is essential we have an early indication from all sellers of stock numbers you wish to sell week by week – we phone and send text messages to buyers and agents every Monday evening and an accurate indication of numbers coming forward is essential with many buyers travelling substantial distances to attend.

58.568.8

Store Cattle

34 Sold

Report on trade: A very decent trade for a small entry of store cattle with 7-8 mths Limousin cross steers and heifers at £550 and £425 from W H Mason and 18 mths Simmental cross heifers topping at £880 from Betchworth Estate. 2 yr old Friesian steers looking relatively well sold at £670 from A R Lavender.

Breeding Cattle

0 Sold

Calves

0 Sold

Store and Finished Pigs

0 Sold

General information

South East Farmer and Farm Machinery magazines

The December edition of this popular regional farming magazine is now available here in the market. Hobbs Parker is a regular contributor to the editorial content.

In addition our Property Consultants Outlook for Winter 2019/20, is included with this months publication and again are available hare in the market.

 

 

Watsons Auctions, Heathfield

On Tuesday 17th and Thursday 19th December Watsons Auctions are having their Festive Turkey, Game and Poultry Auctions, with viewing from 9am. The auction starts at 11am.

Please note this is the last year these auctions will be held.

Hay, Straw, Fodder and Forage Crop for sale and / wanted

For Sale – Dry barn stored barley straw and hay £15/£20 per bale ex farm Etchingham. Bulk whole oats and wheat also available £85 per half tonne bag. Transport arranged if required. 07768 771933.

For Sale – 100 2019 Haylage bales from a Kent farm. Contact 01303 893183 or 07775 794556

Livestock for sale by private treaty – ex farm

For Sale – fresh calved Holstein Friesian heifers by known sires from a recorded herd – available when calved. East Kent

For Sale – 2 pedigree polled Hereford bulls, 17 mths on a West Kent farm.

Miscellaneous livestock and general goods and services for sale and wanted ex farm

For Sale – good home required for an 18 mths old, part trained collie dog – Maidstone area. Ring Paul on 07976 921689

Wanted – experienced livestock farmer requires a small quantity of large rectangular bale feeders. Maidstone area. Ring Paul on 07976 92168

RABI, Young Farmers Clubs, 91 Club, Kent Herdsmans Club and FCN news

RABI – copies of a summer newsletter are available here in the market.

For further information on all RABI events in Kent ring Charles Tassell – 01622 858733, 07973 412179 or email charles@tassell.co.uk

Kent Herdsmans Club. For all details on Herdsman’s Club events please contact Chairman Alan Jull 07708283220 or Jo Masters 01580 240568.

Ashford Young Farmers – copies of their August / September newsletter are available here in the market.

For all details on Ashford Young Farmers please contact Amy Langdon at amy.langdon1234@hotmail.co.uk

Tonbridge Young Farmers – Debbie Broad and friends in the area have reopened this club.

For all details of plans for the future please contact the Broads through Debbie’s Facebook page or email tonbridgeyfc19@gmail.com

Romney Sheep Breeders Society

Copies of the winter newsletter are available here in the market

Heathfield Show News

At the Farming Awards Evening, held at the High Rocks Hotel on Saturday 30th November

the Heathfield & District Agricultural Show won the Best Agricultural Show/Event.

The awards evening is a favourite in the farming calendar and the award for the best agricultural show/event was a new category for 2019. The annual event, organised by Pitchfork Events / Ramsak, celebrates the best in farming in the region through the awards. The awards recognise as many farmers as possible, with categories covering arable, beef, sheep, dairy, fruit, family farming business and agricultural student of the year. Judges looked for farmers who are passionate, dedicated and hardworking, willing to share best practices with others, with ideas for the future. They are a source of inspiration and innovation to others.

The Heathfield & District Agricultural Show is one of the largest one day agricultural shows in the country. Taking place on a greenfield site it evolves into a fully equipped and serviced Showground over 2 weeks. Everything has to be supplied from electrical wiring, to marquees, showing rings, roadway, and car parks not forgetting the trade stands.

The Show relies on help from over 1000 volunteers, 65 of them committee members responsible for organising what actually makes the Show work and the finer details for Show day Nearly 19,000 people visited the Show in 2019. Showcasing cattle, sheep, pig and horse competitions, the Country Ways area where local traditional craftsman display their techniques and their products, the Young Farmers and Plumpton have an opportunity to promote themselves in our Education marquee. New start up ventures compete for free stands in our New Enterprise Zone, the Farmers’ Market reflects the true ethos of the movement with local producers selling and offering samples of their delicious products, and the Arts & Crafts marquee selling local handmade crafts.

Additionally local businesses from estate agents to agricultural suppliers and local clothes shops and garden nurseries take trade stand space. The Show is a shop window for everything that is great about the High Weald.

The 2020 Heathfield & District Agricultural Show will be held on Saturday 23rd May. We look forward to welcoming you.

Please contact the show secretary secretary@heathfieldshow.org for further information.

Hobbs Parker Auctioneers and Car Auctions

run over 200 auction sales every year

Our next Auction Sales are ……

Monday 30th December – Special Christmas Auction with up to 200 cars on offer which starts at 4pm

There is always something to look forward to from Car Auctions here in Ashford …