Weekly Sales News – 13th March 2018

Top price per head – £127 – N & D Attwood; Top price per kilo – 246p – D C Foy & M Gammons

Report on trade Once again a flyer, big numbers, big prices and some very happy vendors. With 3000 hoggets penned for the 6^th week in succession and the trade continuing to rise every week it does begin to beg the question of how long the numbers will last.

This week saw a super entry of hoggets with several runs of strong, well presented sheep that really “rang the bell” from vendors such as H Rivers, P J Hewitt, N & D Attwood, M L Wilson & Son and A Holt. These vendors accounted for 550 sheep between them and didn’t sell a sheep below £100. These heavy offerings were in strong demand from the home trade but as was the case last week, the middle weights were the real hot property with these sheep weighing from 39-46kg and selling from 215-245p and would really look the dearest on the day. A handful of really smart sheep were on offer with the tops of these from both D C Foy and M Gammons selling to 246p (42kg and 41kgs respectively).

In these wet conditions, it was very noticeable that sheep that were overnight lairaged and presented both dry and clean were sold at a marked premium with Farm Assurance status also a major advantage. It is our recommendation that our vendors avail of this service and get your stock into market as early as possible to enable us to do the best job we can.

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: In the words of our auctioneer “I can quite honestly say that in 11 years of selling cull ewes that they were today the dearest I have ever seen them”.  Not necessarily the top prices per head we have sold, but pound for pound for the goods on offer the trade was insatiable. The ewe trade has clearly had a lift as a result of the strong trade we are seeing for the hoggets and long may it continue but it also must be said that numbers are down both in Ashford and nationally and if these numbers were to lift we may see the current price level drop. On the day a fantastic trade from start to finish.

Top prices this week included Suffolk crosses to £118 from S T Phillips, continentals to £116 from D Isaac, Mules to £101.50 and Romneys to £93 from H G Tompsett & Sons

Report on trade: Another good entry and trade to match with the prices achieved in the finished section encouraging keen competition for all stores on offer. Best stores sold readily around £80 and only small long term sorts below £65. Averages: Top £85 and aver’ £70.10

A small entry of Suffolk cross ewes and lambs made £125 (£53 per life) from W T Kemp.

Report on trade: Second sale of the season was not as busy as the first. Strong lambs made to £23, well bred smaller ewe lambs to £24 and a strong demand foor all lambs offered. Averages Top £26 and aver’ £20.08.

This will be sold at 10.30am in the calf shed for the coming weeks

Report on trade: Although the trade was slightly back this week some very decent prices were achieved with best handy weights making up to 222p per kg (twice) and grossing £1315 for a smart Limousin cross steer from S Marsh and Limousin cross steer £1288 (205p) from W Alexander (Shoreham).

The majority of commercial sorts made 185 to 195p,  notably a Blonde cross steer grossing well at £1306 (194p) from G L Boulden & Sons and Limousin cross steers to £1295 (183p) from R F & E A Simmons and £978 (189p) from A J Down.

Several purebred Sussex steers on offer sold around 185p and up to £1190 (188p) from Gillshaw Farms Ltd.

OTM heifers made up to £1198 (178p) for a Charolais cross from A J Strand & Sons.

Auctioneer: Richard Wood

Report on trade: As spring approaches numbers coming forward nationally are reducing meaning buyer’s attention is focusing on markets where entries remain good and Ashford, with nearly 90 penned again, benefited from a ring full of buyers this week. These buyers range from individuals looking to feed and graze cattle to many representing small, medium sized and large abattoirs looking for weekly supplies of cattle to kill and process.

Our trade was again very good which is good to report. Remember we are here every week of the year to help farmers to maximise the value of there cull stock.

Top priced beef cow was a Limousin cross (bn 2014) 680kg at 168p per kg and £1139 from Burden Bros with best cows from their run of 12 grossing around and just over £1200. Beef crosses were a short entry with Bentons Place Farm the other vendor of note with 2 British Blue older cows grossing over £1000.

The dairy lines were well populated with particularly the West Kent contingent of dairy farmers well represented. Oncoland Ltd sold black and whites to 137p and £1171, Hall Place Farms to 141p and £1194, R C & J L Pickering £134p and 1093 with J B Howie, G R Edgar & Son, AL Betts Ltd, D Murdoch & Sons, H O Champneys Ltd with a cow 138p and £1126 and J Leggat & Son 134p and £1121 all on the sellers list this week.

Prices also of note were Friesian type cows from PHR Farms 3 cows grossing from £1003 to £1189 and HicKson Bros Jerseys to 113p and £358.

Charity note: thank you to Jeremy Wilson of W F Farms who has donated an equivalent figure to the commission on his top priced cow, sold this week, to Mark’s London marathon fund for the British Legion.

Report on trade: This first major sale of store cattle for the year saw several annual consignments of top quality single suckled continental cross yearlings on offer. The show of cattle on offer proved an obvious attraction and the sale was well attended with specialist feeders keen to restock yards over the next few months.

The best of the yearling and slightly older continental cross steers sold readily around £1000 per head and up to £1080 from L Smith and the best of the heifers made £800 to £900 and the top call a British Blue cross at £1000 from O’Neil Smith Ltd.

A reflectively small entry of native bred cattle also attracted strong prices throughout with a pair of smart yearling Aberdeen Angus cross steers topping at £1020 from FGS Agri and Hereford x Friesians making up to £855 from A J Down.

The few strong cattle to finish short term sold well up to £1190 for a pen of Aberdeen Angus cross steers from R & H Vincent closely followed by Blonde cross steers at £1140 from Gorringe & O’Neil t/a T & A Lord.

Large entries are now expected for the next 6 to 8 weeks ­- if you have cattle to sell please ring any of our team of auctioneers and fieldsmen for advice and to ensure cataloguing and proper advertising within our sale

Principal prices include:                                                                                                                  

Report on trade: Great to see a catch up in numbers in this section after 2 short sales and buyers responded well with an excellent trade resulting for dairy bulls and native breed beef crosses. Some continental crossbred beef calves look fairly priced and there were opportunities to put useful batches together.

In sale order we sold 12 black and white bulls, born in January and early February to £80 and averaging £58.50; Squerryes Estate January born British Blue bulls to £295 and heifers £242;Boty  Farms Aberdeen Angus bulls, born December to £335 (twice); P J Forknalls February born Aberdeen Angus bulls to £310; M W Goddards 12 black and white bulls born in December and January averaging £69; D Murdoch & Sons February born British Blue bull £300; Ledger (Appleton) Farms January born British Blue bulls to £270 with 5 averaging £255 and heifers to £235; W S Furnivals January born Blonde cross bull £265 and December born black and white bulls to £130; J E Scutt & Sons December born British Blue bull £350 and Aberdeen Angus bull £295 and run of 11 black and white bulls to £140 and averaging £97 and A & W J Htchcocks December born Aberdeen Angus bulls £330 and heifers £275.

In the stirk pens 18 young cattle were offered with a beef bred Simmental cross (July born) making £425, an August born Friesian bull £170 and September and October born British Blue bulls to £390, heifers £390, an Aberdeen Angus bull £370 and heifers to £338.

Sales will be offered fortnightly again through the whole of 2018. Please keep in touch wether you are a buyer or seller.

Report on trade: More pigs in the pens for this sale but the demand is not strong with plenty of pig meat being offered to retailers and caterers and end user demand very slack. .

Finished pigs saw S Scott & Son sell their regular run of well bred and fed pigs again made to 100p per kg and £77. P R Lanhams pigs made to 92p and S J M Evans 90p.

We had lots of cull sows and boars for an Ashford sale making to 38p and £122 with lesser and wasteful pigs 29 to 36p.

6 pens of store pigs saw the best young white stores made to £50 with 4 smaller but still well bred £33. Smaller pigs made £10 to £16..

******************************************************************

Farm Assurance

In the last few weeks it has become clear that some producers who in the past had land that was a ‘linked holding’ have not advised their certification body that these holdings – whether rented, grass keep or owned – are listed as an additional unit on their Red Tractor membership.

Unless included traceability checks may question whether the location the animals have moved from to us or during the 60 or 90 day periods, is actually Farm Assured.

If you are unclear from your paperwork at home you should check with either the

Red Tractor Beef and Lamb service on 020 3617 3672

or your certification body:- SAI Global – 01908 249973; NSF – 01993 885610; NIFCC – 028 9263 3017; QWFC – 01970 636688; Acoura – 0131 335 6643

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

Hay, Straw and fodder

For Sale – 210 small twine wrapped bales of un-sprayed clean meadow hay from old lay made in July 2017. Ashford area. Collect only. Ring 01233 627087

For Sale – 47 round bales of 2017 season made haylage – analysed. Buyer to collect. 01303 840112

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 07711167467

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

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

RABI

Future fundraising events

Friday 23^rd March – Clay pigeon shoot at West Kent Shooting School, Brenchley. TN12 7DG

Sunday 13^th May 2018 – Tour of Chapel Down Vineyard, Chapel Down Winery, Small Hythe, Tenterden, Kent TN30 7NG

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

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

Monday 12th March 2018 at 7.30pm – talk by Stuart Sillars of the BTF Partnership at the Conningbrook Hotel, Canterbury Road, Ashford.

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

Ashford Young Farmers Club

Wednesday 21st March – Pub Meet at Dukes Head, Sellindge TN25 6EG 8pm

Wednesday 28th March – Lambing day preparation at Hope Farm, Wittersham TN30 7NP 7.30pm

Sunday 15th April  – All are welcome to join them at their Lambing Open day at Hope Farm, Wittersham TN30 7NP from 10am to 4pm

If you would like more information please contact Amy Langdon 07733 481473

**Calling all Ex Ashford Young Farmers**  You are invited to a 75th Anniversary Tea Party on Saturday 30th Juneto reminisce about past time at Ashford YFC over tea and cake. More details to follow.

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

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

For Sale – 4 well bred British Blue bulls – East Kent. Ring Simon on 07885 968077

For Sale – 30mths old well bred and grown Simmental bull – East Sussex.

Wanted – work for an experienced relief lamber available for immediate start.  This is a farmers daughter able to help with feeding, bedding, walking out as well as lambing loking for a position  within 10mile radius of Folkestone. Ring 07838 215446.

For Sale – second Geminox GB 40 S wood fired boiler for central heating system, which takes logs upto 1mtr long, together with Windhager Calowinm Klassik Accumulator with high insulation flexible jacket with pipework and pump. Can be seen working. Phone 01622 850207

For Sale – 22 Sussex in calf cows of herd ages and 10 bulling heifers on a Kent farm. Ring 07885 968077

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

Notices – Hugh Clifton, Hooe, Battle

The family have advised that Hugh very sadly passed away last week after a short illness. A regular market user and familiar face around the calf sales ring, he will be missed by his family and all who knew him. Steam engine displays at local shows and rallies will never be quite the same without Hugh either.

Service arrangements will be advised when available