Weekly Sales News – 13th February 2018

Top price per head – £123 – H Rivers; Top price per kilo – 234p – T Husk

Report on trade: We thought we saw a good trade last week, but this week surpassed that by 11p per kg! Every type of hogget was heavily competed for with some returning buyers taking sheep for the first time this season showing us that the big processors are not able to secure enough sheep on a dead weight basis, which in turn has pushed the prices upwards, demonstrating the importance of the live marketing system to our industry. Over 3000 hoggets penned this week and a tremendous show of sheep on offer with numerous pens sold in excess of £100 with ferocious demand for the heavier sheep. Top award for the day must go to H Rivers who had a superb run of 200 Charollais cross hoggets, with not a pen of them selling below £111 and to a top price of £123. Another run of note once again came from P Gorringe who sold his whole run of sheep in excess of £100 to a top of £117.50. Best continental sorts sold to a top price of 234p from T Husk and a run of Charollais cross hoggets from T & E Gribble sold to 229p.

Overall a tremendous trade throughout, with some superb hoggets which were a credit to the vendors and many compliments were made buy the buyers to the quality of the sheep on offer.

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 smaller entry of ewes this week but a stronger trade was seen for all classes on offer, following the trend of the rest of the sheep market we saw today. Best ewes breaking the £100 barrier, with a number of the better sorts selling between £90-100. A few less on offer, possibly we are coming towards the end of the scanned empty ewes but numbers are always hard to predict.

Top prices this week included Beltex ewes to £106 from High Weald Academy closely followed by T Husk at £100, Suffolk crosses to £98.50 from G H Dean & Co, Romney ewes to £94 from A R Dunlop and Mules to £87 from S King

Report on trade: The best trade for store hoggets for a very long time with strong crossbred selling readily in excess of £80 and Romney wethers up to £78.20 from Ashby Farms. Only very small long keeping stores below £60 and overall confidence boosted by the favourable returns in the finished market. Top £85.50 (ave. £68.80)

A small entry of breeding sheep attracted plenty of interest with in lamb ewes up to £101 for young Texel x Romney ewe and ewes and lambs up to £120 for Suffolk cross ewe with Texel cross lambs at foot. (£46 per life).

Report on trade: An increased entry of finished cattle met a similar strong trade with smart Continental crosses selling readily around 215p and commercial sorts generally in the 185p to 195p bracket.

A smart limousin cross heifer topped the market at £1147 (219p) from W Alexander (Shoreham) closely followed by a Limousin cross steer at £1207 (218p) from G L Boulden & Sons. Other top prices included £1389 (216p) and £1223 (217p) for Continental cross heifers from Burden Bros, £1329 (215p) again from W Alexander (Shoreham) and weekly consignment of Continental x Friesian steers from A J Down up to £1070 (197p).

Several purebred Sussex on offer with the best up to £1101 (212p) from D W Page & Son and slightly lesser sorts around 190p with a steer at £1114 (191p) from Gillshaw Farms Ltd and heifers at £1043 (192p) from J D Hickman and £973 (191P) from Raveningham Farms, Norfolk.

Auctioneer: Richard Wood

Report on trade: Very good numbers from a wide area from West Sussex through to Norfolk sold to another marvellous trade with competition from a strong company of buyers as intense as we have seen. Numbers nationally are tight, and likely to remain so, which combined with strong demand from the processing sectors, and export outlets, means good times for cow sellers are here for some time.

Some very good fed beef cows on offer and just what the trade is demanding. Plenty 140-160p and many grossing over £1200.

Simmental cross 150p, 146p(2), 145p, 141p, 140p, £1133, £1127, £1077(2), £1061, £1046 G Bates; 147p £1165 G J Duncanson; 145p £1170 Burden Bros; Limousin cross 148p, 147p(2), 145p, 144p(2), £1216, £1185, £1170, £1160 Burden Bros; 146p £1133 E Chantler & Sons; 140p, 130p, £1011 N C & C G Hedges; 136p £1077 W G Watkins & Sons; Charolais cross 146p, 135p, £1129, £1042 Burden Bros; Sussex 145p, 144p(2), 141p, 139p, £1069 Raveningham Estate; South Devon cross 144p, 139p, 138p, £1271, £1247, £1205 Burden Bros; Lincoln Red cross 140p £1151 Burden Bros; Aberdeen Angus cross 139p, 136p, £1129 Burden Bros; 139p M A & F W Owen; 137p, £1106 N Gould; 125p £1108 J T Kerr (non FA); Stabiliser cross 136p £1020 Burden Bros; British Blue cross 135p Mrs J Seath; Hereford cross 125p, 123p, £1152 J T Kerr (non FA).

Flesh much in demand amongst the dairy culls with many heavyweights over 130p. Half meat cows well up over 100p with the plainer types 80-90p.

British Friesian 138p, 137p, £1100, £1028 PHR Farms; 131p B J Goodsell & Son; Holstein Friesian 138p, 134p, 128p(2), 127p, £1155, £1077 P V Skinner; 136p £1037 P J Forknall; 135p, 130p, 129p, £1130, £1079 Huddlestone Farmers; 127p (2) £1012 WF Farms; 123p(2), 122p, £1078, £1008 R Torrance & Son.

Report on trade: A large entry of store cattle early in the season with the complete range of breed, age and quality on offer. The sale was well attended and while all the better quality sorts on offer particularly the strong stores to finish short term were in demand some of the younger second quality cattle looked good value compared to month old calves.

Top quality single suckled beef bred Continental cross yearlings sold well with Limousin cross steers and heifers topping at £945 and £900 respectively from L Palmer & Sons while the best strong cattle to finish short term attracted prices in excess of £1100 notably from J E Berryman and Gallagher Farms.

Principal prices include:                                                                                                                  

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Report on trade: Very short of calves this week but those who ventured forth during half term week were well rewarded with tremendous prices.

Aberdeen Angus bulls £280, £242, £240 from P J Forknall; Aberdeen Angus heifer £225 from A & W J Hitchcock; British Blue cross heifer £265 from P J Forknall and Holstein bulls generally £70 – £100.

Sales will be offered fortnightly again through the whole of 2018.

Calf sellers and buyers should be aware that welfare regulations state that while an animal can be sold at 7 days old if they are offered at under 10 days old they cannot be transported more than 100km from the market. Buyers are notified from the rostrum when these calves are offered.

From a sellers view it is best not to present calves at under 10 days old to avoid possibly restricting the number of potential bidders for your stock.

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Report on trade: Store Pigs very difficult indeed. Falling fat prices knock the confidence of fatteners and rates were easier than seen for sometime.

Fat Pigs Difficult times in the pig trade. An outstanding heavy pig from The High Weald Academy sold to £130 (110p) but other good pigs were 70p – 90p. Some coloured pigs were quite well sold by comparison at 60p – 80p.

Sows and boars 30p – 35p.

We remind all pig farmers of the information below

Identification of pigs – again we draw your attention to the fact that it is essential all pigs have permanent identification when offered for sale in a market i.e. slap mark or ear tag. Please ensure you comply with this regulation.

Forthcoming store and breeding stock sales

Next Store and Breeding Cattle Sale is on Tuesday 20^th February at 1.00pm. We expect only a very few cattle for this sale and will not be producing a catalogue. Please ring if you have cattle to sell as it is important over the next few weeks we have an early indication from sellers of stock they wish to offer so we can plan ahead for sales in February and early March. Numbers coming forward will now vary during these next six weeks so it is essential we know when you plan to sell.

Store Cattle entered include

14 Aberdeen Angus x Lincoln Red heifers, 10 mths from A W Vincent

1 Belted Galloway steer, 7 mths from A Sage

We expect to catalogue up to 50 head of bulls and females for our breeding cattle day on Tuesday 6^th March. Please ring Mark Cleverdon or any of our auctioneers or fieldsmen to discuss the sale of your cattle on this day.

Forthcoming Store and Breeding Sheep Sales – following a very successful autumn sales season both store and breeding sheep will be offered in substantial numbers on our Tuesday livestock sale days. It is important that sellers give an early indication of large entries so buyers can be advised on the size of entry expected on any particular day.

Next Pig and Calf sale days will be held on Tuesdays 27^th February and then 13^th and 27^th March. If you are considering sending calves or pigs to market please ring Mark Cleverdon.

Already entered for Tuesday 27^th February are 7 Hampshire gilts (4) and young sows (3) which are in pig to a Pietrain boar and due late March and April from G Purser

The TB exempt section will be offered every Tuesday for the foreseeable future (subject to the number of store cattle entered). We very much appreciate exempt cattle being booked in week by week to ensure that the TB exempt section will be available.

*******************************************************************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) 07748 202688

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

Vehicle parking on busy market days – Congestion in the bottom / livestock parking area

Please help us to help you. The upper car park on the top side of the market buildings is available for all cars and Land Rovers with trailers

South East Farmer and Farm Machinery magazines

The February edition of this popular regional farming magazine is now available here in the market. Hobbs Parker are regular contributors to the editorial content.

All cattle vendors please note the following information regards Cattle Passports – it is very important

1. Under no circumstances change any details on the passport by hand.
2. Please check passports when you initially receive them to check details, particularly of sex, breed and sire details.
3. Any changes need to be notified to BCMS as soon as possible and well before any movement to market or abattoir, so that passports can be amended.

Incorrect details can all have a bearing on value back to you, the vendor, and are a part of your responsibilities to cross compliance

Hay, Straw and fodder

For Sale – up to 300 Class 4string rectangular bales of wrapped hayledge made for a 2^nd year seeds lay. Delivery can be arranged – mid Kent. Ring 07711164467

For Sale – Large quantity of 2017 ensiled forage maize – analysis available. East Kent. Ring 07739 490975

For Sale – 90 5’ round bales of 2017 season gathered spring barley straw and 100 similar sized bales of wheat straw, all stored inside – Kent / Sussex borders. Ring 07835 521800

For Sale – Organic Hay, Haylage & Silage, Big Square and rounds. All good quality – Available East Sussex/Kent border. Contact Buckhurst Estate: Sharon 01892 770220 or Warren 07836 378044

This register will now run until early May for further details please ring our auctioneers office on 01233 502222 or Mark Cleverdon 07748 202688

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

For Sale – Pedigree Aberdeen Angus bull, bn 2011 an ex Essex farm. Johnes and BVD free. Ring Mark on 07748 202688

For Sale – 25 Aberdeen Angus, Simmental and other beef cross heifers due to calve in April to a Limousin bull. East Kent. Ring Simon on 07885 968077

For Sale – 40 Sussex and South Devon in calf cows which have been scanned and are due from mid February to end of April to Simmental and Beef Shorthorn bulls on an East Sussex farm (TB Edge). Ring Peter on 07795 200357

For Sale – Mobile cattle handling system, Tony Binn’s design, with crush and large number of gates plus a Nixon steam cleaner – on a West Kent farm. Ring 07931 226490

New home required – for an 18mths old Welsh border collie dog who is friendly and very energetic – Ashford area. Ring 07885 933082  

Wanted – a cattle yard (or part of) with or without grazing for a small herd of up to 20 head of stock in the Maidstone area.  Contact Mark Cleverdon with details – 07748 202688

For Sale – 3 14 week old Collie puppies in the Rye area. Ring 07808 656772

RABI, FCN, Young Farmers Clubs and Kent Herdsmans Club News

RABI

Farmhouse Breakfast season

Wednesday 21^st February 2018 – Farmhouse Breakfast – Chiddingstone Castle, Hill Hoath Road, Chiddingstone, Edenbridge, Kent TN8 7AD

Further fundraising events

Monday 26^th February 2018 – Plumpton Race Day, Plumpton Race Course, Plumpton Lane, Plumpton BN7 3AL

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 contact Chairman Alan Jull 07708283220 or Jo Masters 01580 240568

Monday 12th February at 7.30pm – AGM followed by talk by Charles Bull, AHDB, on achieving prime condition of stock for sale/market  at the Conningbrook Hotel, Canterbury Road, Ashford. TN24 9QR

Ashford Young Farmers Club

Wednesday 21st February – Kent Young Farmers 200 Club AGM and Bingo at the Givaudan Sport and Social Club, Ashford. TN24 0LT. 7.15pm

Wednesday 28th February – Laser Tag at Battlezone, Kingsnorth. TN23 3JD. 7-9pm £12.50pp

Wednesday 14 March – Golf at Great Chart. TN23 3BW. 7.30pm £8.50

Sunday 15th April – **Lambing Open Day** – Hope Farm, Wittersham TN30 7NP. 10am-4pm

For further information on all Ashford YFC events ring Chairman Amy Langdon on 07733 481473

Weald of Kent YFC

This relatively new young farmers club is promoting a further fundraising event.

Saturday 24^th February at 7.30pm for an 8pm start – The Big Farming Quiz at Marden Cricket and Hockey Club. Teams of up to six welcome and for more details email: eckleyfarms@waitrose.com.