Weekly Sales News – 12th June 2018

New season lambs Top price per head – £123 – T Masters; Top price per kilo – 284p – S Husk

** Correction to last weeks report – Top price per head lambs were £120 from S Bullock and family, Maidstone – their first lambs produced and sold in Ashford **

Report on trade: Another small entry of new season lambs for the time of year with normal numbers being in excess of 2000 head in recent years but the year has been hard on lambs and we believe we are running 2-3 weeks behind. Trade was similar to last week with averages around 250p per kg but the quality of the smaller lambs on offer was not quite as good as last week indicating a better trade for those sold today. Heavy lambs are in short supply across the country and the entry from T Masters really rung the bell this week to a top price of £123 and his run of 175 new season lambs averaged £119. Smart continental sorts sold to a good trade but were once again in short supply with top spot was taken by S Husk for some smart Blue Texels at 283p.

Still the numbers keep on coming out but this was a very mixed entry of hoggets with everything on offer from the best to the worst. A strong trade was seen for the best meated sorts that still showed lambs teeth with the majority of these sheep selling at around 200p region. Sheep with erupted teeth were selling for £75-£90.

Producers please note – For top results please present well fleshed lambs which are preferably dry and clean. Lairage facilities and dagging are available every Monday evening.

Sheep 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.

Report on trade: A bigger entry this week with many producers bringing sheep forward in anticipation of the Muslim feast at the end of this week but, it was a little too late and the majority of wholesalers are reporting that they have already got their orders filled and in many cases have cut back the killing for this week. This unfortunately has had a negative impact on the trade and many ewes were down this week by £20. We may see this trade recover in the coming weeks when demand increases and the grazing men will commence buying shortly for the leaner sorts.

Top prices included continental ewes to £95.50 from S Husk, Suffolk crosses to £86.50 from G A Mitchell, Mules to £73.50 from J Wickens and Romneys to £79.50 from L F Crisford & Sons and D A Thompson.

Selling Cull ewes and rams             

In common with many of the larger cull ewe markets in the country we have introduced the practice of only taking £1 increment bids rather than the previous 50p and 20p. The final bid price will be reduced by 50p to establish the hammer price. This practice will speed the sale process considerably and will be of no detriment to price establishment.

Report on trade: Generally the trade was slightly easier this week and did not have the spark of recent weeks. Best cattle still sold well with a smart handy weight Limousin cross heifer topped the market at £1152 (220p per kg) from S Marsh and a Limousin cross steer at £1168 (202p) from Burden Bros.

More commercial sorts made 185p to 195p and those with weight were grossing £1250 plus and up to £1434 (188p) for a Blonde cross steer from G L Boulden & Sons. Other top prices included a British Blue cross steer at £1303 (188p) from K & P M Sinden & Sons, Limousin cross steer at £1298 (190p) from W G Watkins & Sons, British Blue cross steer at £1236 (185p) from R F & E A Simmons, Simmental cross heifer at £1198 (188p) from Oxenford Farm Ltd and Limousin x Friesian steer to £1118 (195p) from A J Down.

A small entry of native bred cattle sold at similar levels with Sussex steers and heifers upto £1027 (185p) and £994 (186p) from A H Hoad & Son and L Stevens & Sons.

A single Limousin cross bull sold well at £1168 (202p) from W S Furnival (Brookland).

Report on trade: Another outstanding trade particularly for the fleshed cows which were as dear as we have seen them with numbers around the country remaining desperately short. We saw some very good cows in both the beef and dairy sections and with records meant to be broken we exceeded last weeks dizzy heights with a South Devon cow from Horton Park which realised an impressive £1559. All grades of cows were strongly competed for and the fleshed stock bulls continue to trade at excellent levels. Keep asking the question of the passengers in your herd! Remember also, as bulls go in with your cows, to make the judgement now on those older or problem cows that would be best not served again so that they can be culled post weaning without having that annual deliberation of culling cows that may be in calf!

Top calls included South Devons 172p, 170p, 169p, 167p, 165p and £1559, £1337, £1282, £1149, £1135 from Horton Park; Limousin cross 170p, 161p, 159p, £1168, £1149, £1115 Burden Bros; Aberdeen Angus cross 170p, 166p £1365, £1297 Horton Park; Lincoln Red 158p AW Vincent; Simmental cross 149p Burden Bros and 149p(2) (Non FA) M Worssam; Sussex  cross 145p £1097(NonFA) M Goodsell and Longhorn 148p (Non FA) W H Mason.

In the dairy British Friesians made 147p, 145p, 140p, 137p and grossed £1098, £1040 Debden Court; Holsteins 134p £1041 J W Boyd & Sons; Guernsey 121p £842 W G & T A Manford and Jersey 113p(2) £681, £601 Hickson Bros.

Older clean catlle saw  Welsh Black steer 159p £1157; British Friesian steers 158p £1266 and 155p, 146p £1237, £1128; Holstein steer 145p £1279, 137p £1220; Ayrshire steer 153p £1138 – all had seen a few Summers and Winters! Well sold from R W Jones & Son.

A Limousin bull made 149p £1491 and an Aberdeen Angus cross 141p £1616.

Report on trade: A polled pedigree Hereford bull, bn Jan 16 from T J K & S I Purchese made £1160

Sheep Tagging

All sheep sent to market require to be correctly tagged.

Sheep under 12 mths – Single electronic batch tag and ewes and over 12 mths – Double tagged

Incorrectly tagged sheep may have to be returned home. Single electronic batch tags are not acceptable for ewes and sheep over 12 mths.

For up to date information on all livestock sales please contact

Elwyn Davies (Sheep) 07710 803901 or 01233 861263

Peter Kingwill (Cattle & Sheep) 07795 200357

Martin Crowhurst (Sheep & Cattle) 07710 803903 or 01797 343936

Simon Husk (Sheep & Cattle) 07885 968077 or 01304 842393

Mark Cleverdon (Rams, Breeding Cattle, Pigs & Calves) 07741 845230

John Rossiter (Cull ewes & store sheep plus commercial vehicles) 07557 392903

Vehicle Bedding

We have been reminded by Trading Standards to remind you that bovine animals under 6 mths of age and traveling over 50km require bedding.

No More Exempt Section

It is with regret that we will no longer be able to offer an exempt section at Ashford with immediate effect.

The rigid requirements for total separation and the difficulties associated with cleansing and disinfecting significant market areas during in the middle of a sale gives us no alternative but to withdraw from the exempt sale process.

We recognize that this will give less marketing options to farmers from East Sussex and other one year testing counties and we will be happy to talk through alternative options.

May we thank all who have supported the section over recent years. We will continue to monitor and review Bovine TB issues as they change and develop.

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

For Sale – British Blonde bull, bn May 16 and ready to work. Mid Kent.

For Sale – 3 Collie puppies, 2 bitches and 1 dog, ready now. West Sussex. 07787 523220

Wanted – Wye Community Farm are building a pole barn for our young farmers livestock, and are in search of donated/cheap fittings including ring feeders, water troughs and pipe, cattle gates, sheep hurdles, feed troughs etc. Happy to collect. Thank you. Contact Richard on 07947 371765 or visit www.wyecommunityfarm.org.uk

For Sale – 8 Beef cross heifers with Limousin cross (April / May born) calves at foot in Kent. Ring 07885 968077

Ashford Cattle Show summer competitions

Entries are now required for these – thanks to sponsors this year Agrii for crops, Wilkins Kennedy and Hallett & Co for sheep flocks and Michael Owen AnimalScan for beef herds.

For Sheep flocks please contact Ian Lockwood 07779297153 email: hello@duckpitvalley.co.uk

For Beef herds please contact Charlie Bull 01797 230503 or 07825 665498 email: bull_herd04@btinternet.com

For Crops please contact Tim Porter 07557 200611 email: tim@fengrain.co.uk

RABI, Young Farmers Clubs and Kent Herdsmans Club News

RABI

Future fundraising events

Sunday 24^th June – Farm tour including Bignor Roman Villa, Pulborough with the Tupper family at 2pm.

Wednesday 27^th June – Champagne, Strawberries & Jazz at the Kent County Showground, Detling. ME14 3JF

Thursday 28^th June – Garden tour at Town Place, Ketches Lane, Scaynes Hill at 7pm.

Saturday 29^th September – Annual Harvest Supper – Amos Hall, Ashford Market, Ashford. TN24 0HB

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

Ashford Young Farmers Club

Calling all ex and present Ashford Young Farmers – You’re invited to celebrate the clubs 75th Birthday at Burnt Oak Farm, Bethersden, TN26 3BQ. Saturday 30th June from 3pm onwards with a young farmers bash from 8pm, camping available. We only ask if you could contribute a sweet or savory plate to add to our table. Please RSVP to Amy 07733 481473 or Jenny 07876 695872

Please contact Amy Langdon 07733 481473 or Jennifer Hope 07876 695872 with your contact details to receive your invite.

Kent Herdsmans Club

Monday 2nd July at 7.30pm – please note this meeting is on the first Monday of July – visit to Ben Hope’s farm to view his pig farming enterprise. Coldbridge Farm, Coldbridge Lane, Egerton, Ashford. TN27 9BP.

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