Weekly Sales News – 11th May 2021

New Season Lambs – Top price per head – £156 – D T & K J Tester; Top price per kilo – 400p – D T & K J Tester

Report on trade: A bigger entry of lambs again this week with some very smart sheep on offer once again. We managed to break the 400p per kg barrier with a super run of Charollais cross lambs from D T & K J Tester. Many lambs made over £150 from D T & K J Tester, D Isaac, B G & M A Tomsett and Miss K Tucker. Overall, the entry averaged 340p for all lambs on offer which would once again is considered to be record prices for this time of year. With hoggets numbers about to decline rapidly, a raise in the numbers of new season lambs on offer will be essential to supply demand and will hopefully maintain these prices.

Another big entry of 2,500 hoggets were on offer with all from the best to the not so good, leaner types, those with erupted teeth and ewe tegs, we had all on offer this week! Overall, the averages are back somewhat on last week with some resistance to the trade noticeable. With this week’s shut down, due to Ramadan, also took its toll. Saying this, we still returned an average price of £127 gross to include all sorts on offer which in the second week of May is still a tremendous trade. Best hoggets on offer again this week from T Husk made £167 for some super continental bred hoggets which really rang the bell. Sheep with erupted teeth were plentiful this week with these trading around 200p.

Please keep the hoggets and lambs coming and contact us with numbers so we can notify the buyers.

Report on trade: A large entry of ewes were on offer this week with over 900 penned at a time in the year that is generally quieter in these pens. The recent trade has brought them out in force, with the averages returned at £95 for all on offer.

The best of the ewes on offer once again were well sold with several over £150 from D J Morphett and D J & K T Tester with L Stevens and Sons in third place at £142. A few grazing types were on offer this week but the wholesale trade is still too strong for many of the buyers to make a start despite the little bit of grass growth we have now seen.

Auctioneers: James Cook

Report on trade: 3 pens of ewes and lambs still look well sold now grass is moving. Unusually M D Lott offered triplets which made £184 with others making to £154

Auctioneer: James Cook

Sock lambs were still wanted selling to £28 and averaging £20.43.

Report on trade: A good selection of quality continental cross cattle were on offer with several heavy weights grossing well in excess of £1500. The best handy weights sold readily in excess of 225p per kg with a smart Limousin cross heifer topping the market at £1173 (238p) from W Alexander (Shoreham) closely followed by a quality Limousin cross steer at £1336 (235p) from S Marsh. Other top prices included British Blue cross steer £1429 (233p) from Birt Bros and Limousin cross steer £1176 (229p) from R F & E A Simmons.

An entry of quality heavy weights attracted strong prices notably a run of Limousin steers mainly making 220p to 230p and up to £1719 (221p) then £1623 (217p) and £1589 (236p) from Barleybrook Farm with £1578 (226p) and £1578 (226p) for steers from C Watkins.

A small selection of native bred cattle saw Lincoln Reds taking the pick of the trade up to £1313 (227p) for steer from W Alexander (Shoreham) and steer and heifer at £1409 (219p) and £1294 (217p) from A & M Lyon.

Report on trade: Another tremendous number of cows for the time of year and coming from far and wide attracted by the strength of trade. Quality and cattle were more variable this week with a higher proportion of dairy culls and some lean lightweights that have had an early grazing period.

Trade remains at outstanding levels with competition for all grades at very high rates. The best of the young beef feeding cows made 180p to 220p per kg with a smart crossbred British Blue from Birt Bros to 234p £1191 with fleshed beef cows regularly 140p to 180p including a handyweight Limousin cross to £1493 (158p) from G Bates Ltd.

Top calls in the beef lines wer British Blue cross 234p, 163p £1191, £1105 Birt Bros; Limousin cross 227p £1133 P N & C Burden; 158p £1493 G Bates and 158p £1221 A J Thompson & Sons; Simmental cross 208p, 158p, 149p £902 (Non FA) C E Price & Sons; 171p, 157p £1062 Betchworth Estate and 158p £1100 (Non FA) G Gregory; Hereford cross 188p £891 (Non FA) P Ashlee; Sussex 177p, 148p £1085, £1038 W Hurley; Aberdeen Angus cross 160p £1137 C Ballard; 157p 144p £865, £862 (Non FA) T Lyle & Ptnrs; 146p £1186 (Non FA) J Bower; 146p 142p £975 A J Thompson & Sons and 146p £917 (Non FA) K Vincent; Longhorn 145p £961 (Non FA) T Offen; South Devon 138p £866 H & S Nesfield and White Park cross 138p £791 R F & E A Simmons.

Fleshed dairy cows are fully maintaining their high rates with plenty 125p to145p kg but the lean light weight, low yielding cows has eased a little over the recent weeks with a few more making 70p to 100p. Maiden heifers with strength were another outstanding trade with a top of 177p £1447 from M W Goddard, Dover.

Top calls in these pens were Holstein maiden heifers 177p, 166p, 160p £1447, £1125 M W Goddard and 176p, 162p £1000 Huddlestone Farms; Guernsey heifer 171p £887 W G & T A Manford; British Friesian cows 145p, 144p, 142p, 140 £1030, £991 Debden Court Farm; Holstein Friesian cows 142p, 130p, 127p £1124, £1010 Goddard & Son; 138p, 125p £1114 P J Forknall; 135p(2), 134p(2), 132p, 129p £1279, £1222, £1075 J Warnock & Son and 133p, 132p, 128p, 126p £1077, £1067 M A & F W Owen; Dairy Shorthorn 135p £901 Parrett & Son; Ayrshire 133p £908 Miss B Mellish and Norwegian Red 128p E P Knight.

Trade for stock bulls remains firm but only older bulls forward this week. These included Sussex 108p £884, Aberdeen Angus 100p £1249 and Charolais 94p £982.

Another very good trade – Keep asking the question.

Report on trade: Again, a very decent trade for a mixed entry of store cattle with plenty of buyers at ringside competing well for all the various breeds and quality on offer.

Best yearlings made £800 plus with smart Limousin cross heifers to £960 from C J Watkins and quality Aberdeen Angus cross steers to £940 from K Vincent.

Stronger cattle to finish shorter term were keenly sort after attracting prices well in excess of £1000 with a top quality Limousin cross heifer to £1200 from Barleybrook Farm and Hereford cross steer topping the native section at £1170 from Burnt Oak Farm & Kennels.

Principal prices include:

Continental crosses

• 12 mths Limousin cross steer £885 A J Strand & Son
• 12 mths Limousin cross heifer £800 A J Strand & Son
• 12 mths Simmental cross steer £820 G Gregory
• 12 mths Charolais cross steer £885 D G & J H Jackson
• 14 mths Limousin cross heifer £960 C J Watkins
• 14 mths British Blue x Friesian heifer £865 A Laver
• 15 mths British Blue cross heifer £835 Birt Bros
• 18 mths Limousin cross heifer £970 J H & A H Godden
• 24 mths Blonde cross heifer £940 P M Langridge
• 24 mths Limousin cross steer £1100 R F & E A Simmons
• 24 mths Limousin cross heifer £1200 Barleybrook Farm

Native Bred

• 10 mths Aberdeen Angus cross steer £840 V & C Smith
• 10 mths Aberdeen Angus cross heifer £680 V & C Smith
• 12 mths Aberdeen Angus cross steer £940 K Vincent
• 12 mths Beef Shorthorn steer £855 A J Strand & Son
• 12 mths Beef Shorthorn heifer £795 A J Strand & Son
• 18 mths Hereford cross steer £950 P & G & J Carden
• 22 mths Sussex steer £1140 D McDermot
• 22 mths Hereford cross steer £1170 Burnt Oak Farms & Kennels

Report on trade: A fantastic trade once again this week in the calf ring. The only disappointment was the small number of calves forward with buyers struggling to fill orders, more calves needed to keep up with demand!

Another exceptional trade for continental calves this week saw some absolute stormers sold. British Blues topped the bull trade with J E Scutt & Sons selling their run to a top of £400, T Castle & Son sold British Blues to £390 and Hickson Bros deserve a mention with British Blues to £340. All British Blue bulls sold today returned an average of £323.75. Continental heifers a flying trade again with a top of £290 for British Blues from T Castle & Son, J E Scutt & Sons sold British Blues to £275 and M J Matthews sold a single TB Edge British Blue heifer for £245. All in British Blue heifers today returned an average of £254.17. One single Limousin heifer from Goddard & Son today completed the continental section with the hammer falling at £265.

Native calves sparse on the ground his week with only 2 bulls forward. J E Scutt & Sons led the trade with an Aberdeen Angus to £275 and a Longhorn from Goddard & Son sold for

£235. A few more native heifers about this week with Aberdeen Angus’ top £360 from A & W J Hitchcock, J E Scutt & Sons sold Aberdeen Angus heifers to £300 with an overall Aberdeen Angus heifer average of £311.67. Two Hereford heifers from Goddard and Son sold for £310 and £250 respectively to complete the natives for this week.

Dairy calves seem to have reached yet another gear this week with a top of £165 from A & W J Hitchcock and M J Matthews’ 16-day old TB Edge British Friesian looked particularly well sold at £80. All in the dairy section today returned an average of £95.23.

A sizeable entry of weanlings this week with buyers seemingly more confident following the recent rainfall. Top honours for the section today were shared between a lovely December born suckler bred Limousin cross steer from J J Butcher and K Husk’s 7mths Limousin and  British Blue heifers which all sold for £500. C J Shelbourne sold 7mths British Blue cross heifers to £400. W P Hope & Son’s reg sire Aberdeen Angus heifers looked well sold at £400 and W G & T A Manford’s single Sussex heifer at 4mths again looked well enough sold at £390.

Most steers sold would have been a little younger and not quite as strong as the heifers but a good trade nether the less. W P Hope & Sons sold 4 mths Aberdeen Angus steers to £370 while trade of the day would be 6 Aberdeen Angus x Jersey steers from Langdon Farms to £340. A pen of black and white steers forward looked on the money at £230 from C Shelbourne.

Demand for weanlings very much outstrips supply at the moment. Many buyers are looking for weaned cattle to fill orders if you have some to sell please don’t hesitate to pick up the phone!

A reminder that we are able to offer calves from Arla vendors under 56 days old subject to a declaration being signed by the purchaser, any queries on this please do get in touch.

Hay, Straw and fodder

For a small charge we are quite happy to advertise your hay, straw and fodder for sale in this register which will now run until early May for further details please ring our auctioneer’s office on 01233 502222 or Mark Cleverdon 07741 845230

Bovine TB Test Dates

It is very important that the date (first part of test) is recorded on cattle entry forms for all cattle sold from TB1holdings. Any recent whole herd test dates from TB4 holdings must also be recorded. This information is critical to purchasers who may be required to test animals again and who will wish to avoid the risk of a false positive by testing again within the 60-day period.

Please advise of test dates when making cattle entries for cataloguing from TB1 Holdings.

Please note if you don’t wash out at Ashford.

Drivers of vehicles leaving Ashford empty without cleansing and disinfecting MUST complete a declaration form obtainable from the Market Office.

You must then cleanse and disinfect as soon as possible and within 24 hours, or before using again for livestock.

This is a LEGAL responsibility and are subject to checks by Local Authority Animal Health and Welfare Officers

The Stockpot Café at Ashford Market

Although some of the Covid restrictions are to be relaxed from the 17th May, we have decided to delay the full re-opening of the Stockpot until after the 21^st June when we hope our full ‘normal’ sit-down service can resume.

This is because the new rules do not allow our style of counter-operation and we do not have the staff and systems in place to run a full service at tables including booking and remote payments amongst other things.

For the time being, we will continue with our takeaway service. We trust you will understand and appreciate your patience.

South East Farmer and Farm Machinery magazines

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

Help and support from The Farming Community Network

Farming Community Network (FCN) volunteers regularly attend local livestock markets and whilst we cannot be present at sales currently, our helpline is still open from 7am to 11pm every day, staffed by people who understand farming.

FCN is a charity and voluntary organisation that helps farmers to stay resilient. We provide practical and pastoral support to those experiencing difficulties in England and Wales.

During these challenging times we are encouraging everyone to think about their own physical and mental health and that of their families and staff.

We can help with contingency planning against the backdrop of the Corona virus outbreak and our Farm Well website (www.farmwell.org.uk) offers a wealth of free information about managing change and maintaining personal wellbeing.

The FCN helpline can be reached on 03000 111 999 or via email at help@fcn.org.uk. Confidentiality is assured.

News from the East Sussex Farmers’ Benevolent Fund

The Benevolent Fund charity was created in 1935 by a local farmer and its purpose is to support farmers, farm staff and those involved in the wider land-based industries. Support can also be given to family dependants.  Beneficiaries are normally resident in East Sussex or neighbouring counties.

Income from property and investment legacies help to finance the fund in addition to generous donations. The fund is overseen by five local trustees with strong agricultural connections.

Help can be for those currently in work, or who have retired or who are unable to work due to illness or disability. The fund can also assist those entering land-based education and help with relevant CPD for furthering their land-based careers.

If you feel that we can help you or you are aware of someone who might benefit from help, please let us know and we will be pleased to support. To contact the Honorary Secretary of the Benevolent Fund Des Lambert – 07912 464746, 01273 890841 or email des.lambert@btinternet.com.