Weekly Sales News – 13th April 2021

Hoggets – Top price per head – £183 – T Husk: Top price per kilo – 400p – T Husk

Report on trade: What a trade. Nothing else can be said. Nearly 2,000 hoggets penned this week and prices that we have rarely seen in show weeks let alone the weeks after Easter. Hoggets made to 400p per kg and over £180 and an overall average price of £140 for all finished hoggets sold with less than 15 hoggets on offer yesterday selling under £100.

Numbers on offer nationally have come under some pressure in the last couple of weeks with more heavy sheep available and this has caused a further lift in what was already a strong trade. T Husk really took top honours this week with some superb Beltex crosses which reached the heights of 400p and £183 with a run of over 100 sheep selling to average £169 all through. Well done Tom! All runs of sheep on offer this week sold exceptionally well and we had some great quality of offer from W & P New, L J & J P Bolton, N C & C G Hedges and B G & M A Tomsett to name just a few who sold in sheep excess of £150.

The best quality export grade lambs were quite hard to find today with all the weight on offer in the pens but the best on offer sold from 350p to 400p from D A Thompson and J Farrant.

A few new season lambs were on offer from J Farrant whose Suffolk crosses made to £154 and averaged 367p.

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

Report on trade: Another section in the market to break records this week. Wesaw cull ewes selling in excess of £200 for the first time with some superb continental ewes from T Husk at £202 closely followed by J Lukehurst who sold ewes to £180 which would have been a record in itself. Several ewes made over £100 this week and numerous over £120 with an overall average of just under £105.

Ewe numbers are also in decline nationally and this has boosted prices despite the Muslim fasting period commencing this week. This could steady prices in the coming weeks so please do let us know what you intend to send to market.

Report on trade: A much reduced entry with best stores holding recent high prices while small longer term stores attracted less interest with time running out before the end of season. Best continental cross stores to £115.50 and Romney wethers to £102.50 from D A Thompson while the majority of smaller stores made between £60 and £80. Average £82.

If you have stores to sell, you would be well advised to market in the next few weeks to give purchasers time to finish before the end of the season.

Breeding Sheep – 28 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook

Report on trade: Just a few pens of couples on offer this week selling up to £70 a life from P & R Locke.

Auctioneer: James Cook

Sock lambs selling to £35 from K T D Axell with the majority of the entry selling over £20.

Sock lambs will be offered every Tuesday at 10.30am through the lambing season – please ring with entries so we can advise purchasers of likely entries.

Report on trade: Another big entry and while prices were not at last weeks exceptional highs this was still a very decent trade. The meat buyers competed strongly for all the well finished cattle on offer while the feeding men were keen for the leaner sorts and put a firm bottom in the market.

The best slaughter cattle made around 230p per kg, notably Limousin cross heifers £1285 (228p) from H & J Noakes and £1239 (228p) from W Alexander (Shoreham), Limousin cross steer £1372 (240p) and £1231 (235p) from Gillshaw Farms Ltd, Blonde cross steer (226p) from G L Boulden & Sons and dairy bred Limousin cross steers to £1370 (218p) from A J Down. The best cattle with weight grossed well with smart Limousin cross steers topping £1674 (233p) and £1467 (226p) from L & L Colbourne and British Blue cross steers £1631 (218p) and £1562 (216p) from K & P M Sinden & Sons.

Native bred cattle generally made 190p to 210p with purebred Sussex steers looking well sold at £1348 (218p), £1275 (213p) and £1253 (213p) from Gillshaw Farms Ltd and Aberdeen Angus x Friesian steers and heifers £1543 (201p) and £1324 (200p) respectively from Leggat Farming Ltd.

A small selection of bulls saw the best top at £1678 (188p) from G L Boulden & Sons and a Limousin cross bull top per kilo at £1396 (228p) from W Alexander (Shoreham).

Feeding men were keen for leaner sorts to finish short term with the pick continental cross steers £1325 (224p) and £1305 (224p) from Gillshaw Farms Ltd and a run of lightweight Limousin cross heifers and steers up to £1147 (242p), £1073 (256p) and £1043 (252p) from R J Husk.

Report on trade: Oh My Gosh!, the best trade to date! A tremendous number of cull cattle forward for the time of year and from far and wide. Trade was sensational with buyers present in great number to take all on offer from the biggest Charolais (1050kgs) to the smallest Dexter (310kgs).

Fleshed beef cows were in short supply but eagerly taken up by buyers only seeing supply drying up in coming months. Plenty made 150p to 180p per kg and 46 head grossed over £1000.

Feeding cows were outstanding with confidence running high both for yarding and grazing types, young and old, good, and not so good. The total entry averaged 140.3p and £929 per head! Highlights appeared throughout the sale with Charolais from Highfields Park Farm to £1664, Charolais from Vexour to 232p £1578 (13 cows averaging £1377); Aberdeen Angus cross from P Parkes to 210p £1204 and Limousin cross from C & J Georgetti & Sons to 208p £1372.

Further highlights included Charolais 232p 184p 183p 180p 176p £1578 £1511 £1497 £1491 Vexour, 159p £1664 (non FA) Highfields Park Farm and 159p £1228 P N & C Burden; Aberdeen Angus cross 210p 199p 168p 166p 163p £1204 £1114 P Parkes and 153p 149p £1173 Horne & Son; Limousin cross 208p £1372 C & J Georgetti & Sons, 169p £1028 H & J Noakes and 155p £1066 C E & S M Stevens; Beef Shorthorn 173p £1242 C E & S M Stevens; Sussex 170p £915 (Non FA) Price-Whitehead and 156p 147p £1075 W Hurley; Lincoln Red 157p £1086 (Non FA) N Morgan; Simmental cross 158p £1331 C & J Georgetti & Sons, 156p (Non FA) D Mosdell and 153p 146p £1317 £1299 M J Ashworth with British Blue cross 154p £1428 C E & S M Stevens.

A small show of dairy culls met increasing demand with the best cows making up over 140p and overage heifers flying to 187p £1304.

Highlights were Holstein Friesian heifers 187p 179p £1304 £1169 W G & T A Manford and cows to £134p £1041 P J Forknall; British Friesian cows to 143p 142p 139p 130p £1094 £1060 Debden Court Ltd; Norwegian Red 138p E P Knight; Flekvieh 130p Westnedge & Knight and Jersey 128p S E Lane & Ptnrs.

Overage Holstein steers (4yrs+) sold to 143p £1126 from R W Jones & Son.

Keep finding them please! They are wanted!!

Report on trade: This week saw another top quality show of store cattle with several large consignments of smart beef bred continental crosses penned. The quality of the catalogue attracted a good attendance of buyers from all corners of the country and competition was strong throughout with exceptional prices on a par with last week.

All stores averaged £960 with the best in the £1000 to £1200 bracket with a superb 13mths Limousin cross steer topping the market at £1465 from a run of 14 which averaged just in excess of £1300 from L E Humphreys & Sons. The other top runs of the day included 89 12-14mths Limousin crosses from A J Bray with the steers topping at £1260 and heifers to £1245 and impressive averages of £1130 and £1070 respectively. A pair of smart show potential Limousin cross heifers topped the per kilo at £1150 (267p) from F S Husk and 18mths purebred Charolais steers sold well at £1370 from R V A Stannard.

A reduced number of native bred cattle were on offer with the best of the yearlings in making excess of £900 with 24mths Aberdeen Angus cross steers topping the section at £1255 from Horne & Son and 20mths Friesian steers well sold at £975 from K Goddard.

Principal prices included:

Continental cross

• 10mths Limousin cross steers £920 P J S Farms Ltd
• 12mths Limousin cross steers £1000, heifers £990 S & D Broad
• 12mths Limousin cross heifers £1150 F S Husk
• 12mths Limousin cross heifers £925 H & J Noakes
• 12mths Limousin cross heifers £910 J C Loveridge
• 12-13mths Limousin cross steers £1465 L E Humphreys & Sons
• 12-14mths Limousin cross steers £1260, heifers £1245 A J Bray
• 12mths Simmental cross steers £1080 Lawrence & Son
• 12mths Simmental cross steers £1070, heifers £1080 Pynn Contractors
• 18mths Charolais steers £1370 R V A Stannard
• 18mths British Blue x Friesian steers £909 K E Budd

Native bred

• 12mths Beef Shorthorn steers £955 M J Pallet
• 12mths Hereford steers £910 B C Ginger
• 12mths Hereford heifers £900 M Russell
• 12mths Sussex steers £895 M D Lott
• 12mths Aberdeen Angus cross steers £935 H & S Nesfield
• 12mths Aberdeen Angus cross steers £990 I M Symonds
• 12mths Aberdeen Angus cross heifers £910 G H Strivens
• 14mths Aberdeen Angus x Friesian steers £970 M A & F W Owen
• 14mths Aberdeen Angus x Friesian steers £1055, heifers £925 Wood Farm Ptnrs
• 24mths Aberdeen Angus cross steers £1255 Horne & Son
• 20mths Friesian steers £975 K Goddard

Report on trade: 3 Breeding bulls forward today with a top price of £3,250 for a Limousin from L Smith. D J & J L Isaac sold a 25m Aberdeen Angus to £1,350.

Report on trade: An absolutely phenomenal trade from the off this week with all types of calves in high demand!

Continental bulls topped at £310 for British Blues from Mrs Clifford-Baynes while R & J Ledger’s entry of younger British Blues would look the trade of the day to a top of £290. Limousin the only other continental breed represented this week with a run from Goddard & Son selling to £280. Continental heifers were a stand on trade with a top of £320 for British Blues from Mrs Clifford-Baynes, a nice British Blue from R & J Ledger traded at £300 and J W Boyd & Sons Ltd sold British Blues to £265.

Native calves were in demand again today with bulls to a top of £410 for a fantastic calf from R L Goodman and Son.  J E Scutt & Sons sold their run of quality Aberdeen Angus bulls to a top of £340 and A & W J Hitchcock’s run of Aberdeen Angus looked well sold to a high of £315. Hereford bulls from Goddard & Son saw keen competition with a top of £310. A couple of lessor spotted breeds forward today with a Sussex bull from W G & T A Manford to £255 and a Longhorn from Goddard & Son to £240. A fantastic entry of heifers comprising mainly Aberdeen Angus. Top price for these was £330 to S E Lane and Partners with an average for all Aberdeen Angus heifers sold of £273. 3 Sussex heifers from W G & T A Manford to £270 averaging £230.

Trade for dairy calves as strong as we have seen, top price was D Murdoch & Sons with a strong British Friesian to £180. Younger calves topped at £95 for a Holstein from J E Scutt & Sons. Generally dairy calves today selling in the £60 – £90 region.

The first proper entry of weanlings this year with a total of 7 forward. Trade very much reflects the rest of the beef sector at the moment with a top price of £520 for a 5mth British Blue steer from P J & P B Wade. An absolutely flying trade for heifers too with 5 British Blues sold to an average of £496. Top of these was a lovely pen of three 6mth old from K Husk which sold for £500.

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.

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

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.

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

For Sale – 150 4 String 2m rectangular Timothy 2^nd quality 2020 season hay. Ashford area 07876 273254

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

For Sale – Pedigree Dairy Shorthorn bull, 14mths. East Kent. Ring Mark Cleverdon 07741 845230

Wanted – an afternoon milker for a 200 cow herd in the Canterbury area. Please ring 01971 873896 or 01227 700578 for more details

South East Farmer and Farm Machinery magazines

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

News from RABI

Three course cookalong celebrates Great British Beef Week from April 23^rd to 30^th. We’re delighted to continue our long-standing relationship with Ladies in Beef, as their chosen charity partner for Great British Beef Week. To be part of this year’s exciting fundraising activity, you can join a virtual cookalong hosted by multi-award-winning Chef, Chris Wheeler and AHDB’s Karl Pendlebury.

Chris is Exec Head Chef of Stoke Park Club, including the 3 AA Rosette fine-dining restaurant. He was a contestant on the Great British Menu in 2016, has appeared on Saturday Kitchen and won Hotel Chef of the Year at the Hotel and Catering Awards. He is also Chef of choice to represent British Beef and Lamb around the globe and has for the last few years been Chef Ambassador, representing Quality Stand Mark Beef and Lamb.

Chris will be taking you step-by-step through a classic British-inspired three course menu, including expert insight into how to create the perfect steak at home.

This sensational virtual cookery demonstration takes place on St George’s Day, Friday 23 April from 7.00pm to 8.30pm. Tickets are available via Eventbrite (see link below) and are priced at £30 per log in. Eventbrite link: https://rabicookalong.eventbrite.co.uk . Registration provides access to an ingredients and kit list to organise in advance, and a link to the online Zoom event. The ingredients are based on cooking for two people but can be scaled up or down based on the size of your household.

If you’re unable to join the cookalong then we hope everyone will support our fantastic beef industry by serving a delicious British roast with all the trimmings on Sunday 25 April. We appreciative that it is a difficult time for many at the moment, but if you are able to support, please visit the R.A.B.I JustGiving page to make any donations.

For further information on all RABI events in Kent ring Charles Tassell – 01622 858733, 07973 412179, email charles@tassell.co.uk or contact the regional co-ordinator Sally Field on 07799 79844, email sally.field@rabi.org.uk