Weekly Sales News – 13th October 2020

Top price per head – £108 – D C Foy: Top price per kilo – 250p – C A Worley Farming Ltd

Report on trade: A few more lambs in the pens this week and some better quality on offer overall. Averages were up about 5p per kg on last week but trade would be on a par really to last week. Best quality lambs for the export trade sold to 250p from C A Worley Farming Ltd for some lovely Beltex cross lambs. Heavy lambs were again the best sold in the lump with some well finished continentals from D C Foy selling to £108.

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: Another good entry of ewes on offer and again a huge number of leaner ewes present. These grazers are still finding loving homes for further finishing from £40-£60. Best meated sorts sold to £86 from C A Worley Farming Ltd and some Boer goat couples sold to £136.

Report on trade: This was a similar strong trade for a good entry of cattle with a high percentage of handyweight butcher types on offer.

A run of Limousin crosses from W S Furnival (Brookland) again rang the bell and sold exceptionally well with the pick of the steers £1212 (241p) and £1341 (224p) and heifers £1289 (235p) and £1330 (234p) while slightly lighter weight Limousin cross heifers attracted favourable prices at £1142 (236p) and £1201 (219p) from D W Ferguson Ltd. Other highlights included Blonde cross steers at £1248 (210p) and £1213 (213p) from G L Boulden & Sons and Limousin cross steers £1221 (213p) from R F & E A Simmons.

Well finished dairy bred stock sold at similar levels with Limousin x Friesian steers around 200p and up to £1073 (205p) and Hereford x Friesian steers around 185p and up to £1201 (184p) from A J Down and leaner sorts for further finishing topped at £999 (225p) for a Limousin cross steer from R J Husk.

A small selection of native bred cattle this week with the pick including an Aberdeen Angus cross steer £1296 (203p) from P Gorringe and Aberdeen Angus cross heifer £1060 (195p) from E & J H Maylam.

Report on trade: There is no so stopping the cull trade with terrific number once again. Far more dairy culls this week and a ‘clearing up’ of minority breeds such as Dexters and Belted Galloways but strong customers for everything. Some outstanding feeding cows were on offer which smashed through the 200p barrier to top at 229p per kg and £1181 for a very well-shaped British Blue cow from M & C Farms. Plenty of others made 160p to 190p. we had only a few meat cows from the beef sector but readily 130p to 155p. Not surprisingly more older beef cows are now coming forward and whilst some of the worst candidates are under 100p plenty of cows 100p to 120p.

Best beef cows sold included British Blue 229p £1181 M &  C Farms and 178p £974 F Harber (Non FA); Limousin cross 188p 150p 138p F W Hare & Sons (Non FA), 158p J Loveridge, 139p S Marsh and 137p £1017 Gardners; Charolais cross 153p £1058 M Goodsell (Non FA) and 141p 136p £1040 £1004 Dennis Farms; Sussex 152p £939 D J Miles and 116p (2) 115p £756 Priors Byne; Aberdeen Angus cross 158p £953 M Twinley (Non FA) and 127p 125p J Loveridge; Beef Shorthorn cross 138p A J Britton; South Devon 136p (2) 134p £1098 £1050 £1035 Gardners; Simmental cross 126p Dr R J & Mrs C S Wratten and Saler cross 120p J Loveridge.

A better show of dairy culls than recent weeks and a tremendous trade particularly for the heavyweight meat cows. Best meat cows made 115p to 130p; lean steakers 90p to105p and plain cows 70p to90p. Lightweights were harder work of course with plain Dexters 35p to70p.

Headliners included Holstein Friesian 133p 121p 120p 118p £1012 £980 £940 Huddlestone Farmers, 128p 126p (2) 125p 123p 122p 120p £1162 £1079 £1075 £1071 Appleton Farms, 125p 117p 116p £1066 £1040 £959 Leggat Farming Ltd, 123p 118p £1133 £934 J E Scutt & Sons and 118p J W Boyd & Sons Ltd with Jerseys 89p Frith Farms.

Holstein Friesian steers made 140p to 150p £944 £938 £937 and a Charolais steer 120p £1016 (Non FA) but generally fewer forward and leaner this week.

Stock bulls again well sold with a smart shaped British Blue to 133p £1352 and an Aberdeen Angus 113p £1018.

Report on trade: A big seasonal entry of store cattle comprising the complete range of ages, quality and continental and native bred cattle were.

An increased entry of young spring born single suckled calves were on offer and met an improved demand compared to recent weeks with more interested customers in attendance. The best ranged from £600 to£700 and topped at £710 for smart March born Limousin cross steers from Campbell Bros and February/March born British Blue cross heifers £675 from A J Britton. Again, strong cattle to finish short term were keenly sought after and attracted prices of £1000 plus with a superb British Blue cross steer topping the market at £1290 from C Yates and Limousin cross steers to £1120 from a quality run of beef bred stores from C W Jones.

A good selection of native bred cattle were offered, mainly with age and strength, with the best £900 plus notably large framed Hereford cross steers to £1060 from H G Tompsett & Sons Ltd, quality Aberdeen Angus cross steers £1085 from both R & H Vincent and K P Vincent, smart Beef Shorthorn steers £980 from M Twinley and rangey Friesian steers to £860 from J E C Farrant.

Report on trade: A handful of Aberdeen Angus bulls for crossing this week in the bull section sold to a top of £970 from D J & J L Isaac. A single Aberdeen Angus cow and British Blue Steer calf outfit from A J Britton looked well enough sold on the day with the hammer falling at £900.

A decent selection of breeding cattle next week, please see catalogue for more details!

Report on trade: Another fantastic trade with all types of calves in high demand! A mixed entry with calves for all including a selection of strong types at the top of the order and some younger calves for longer term rearing also.

Continental calves a stand on trade, bulls selling well as ever to £365 from T Castle & Son for a British Blue. Limousin’s from the same vendor topped at £305 and a month old Simmental from H O Champneys Ltd made £180. A fantastic entry of continental heifers this week sold to £300 from T Castle and Son again with the British Blue. W F Farms sold their pen of British Blue heifers to a top of £270. Younger Limousin heifers from B J Goodsell sold to £170.

A fantastic trade for natives this week with plenty of choice for buyers. Trade for bulls topped at £290 for an Aberdeen Angus from A L Betts Ltd. J Skinner & Son sold a good run of calves, particularly their Aberdeen Angus bull to £285. Native heifers again look well sold on the week with a top price in the section of £280 for an Aberdeen Angus from A & W J Hitchcock. J E Scutt & Sons also deserve a mention selling a lovely run of Aberdeen Angus heifers to a top of £270.

Dairy sired calves a fantastic trade once again in Ashford with competition from all over the ring. Top price was £140 for a well grown black and white from A & W J Hitchcock. Second grade and bobby calves look best sold this week with most being in and around the £40 – £70 mark.

A mixed entry of weanlings this week made up of handful of straight off the cow suckler bred cattle and some harder done dairy crosses. Pick of the trade was a pair of Beef Shorthorn cross steers from D Lawrence which sold for £400. Please call if you have weanlings to enter to help us to help you achieve the best possible prices!

Hobbs Parker Car Auctions news – We are back in business!!

Vehicles are being traded in substantial numbers in our weekly online sales. For all details please long onto the Hobbs Parker website and select Car Auctions or pick up the phone 01233 506266 and speak to John Chapman or James Johnson

Farm Dispersal Sale – Saturday 31^st October

We have instructions from John Paine Farms Ltd to conduct a dispersal sale of farm machinery and equipment on the Romney Marsh.

Approx 700 Lots including:

• Case Puma 185-2018-1500hrs • Claas Challenger 75E • Agco Challenger MT765B-2008 • 6 x John Deere Tractors: 6630-6930-6920-6410 • Massey Ferguson 4355 c/w front loader • John Deere 3400 Telehandler • Stewart GX14-19S Trailer-2019 • 20 x Asstd Agri Trailers
• 10 x Asstd Road Trailers • Vaderstad Rapid 800S • KRM 4m Mounted Disc Drill • 4 x Land Rover Defenders • Irrigation equipment • Cultivation Equipment • Grain handling equipment inc Mecmar Dryer and many farm sundries

Catalogues are now available – both printed and online

COVID-19 social distancing and other guidelines will apply. No included items can be accepted.

Breeding rams – don’t forget our second and final sale for rams will be on Friday 30^th October.

Over 150 rams are already entered for the sale

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 TB! 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

South East Farmer and Farm Machinery magazines

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

Covid-19 Protocol at Ashford Market – updated July 2020

In common with the Livestock Auctioneers Association’s recommendations to its members Hobbs Parker Auctioneers ask that their customers wear a face covering whilst at market.

Social distancing, high standards of hygiene and responsible behaviour to others is also recommended.

Strict control of the numbers attending market is asked for and both buyers and sellers should not bring additional people with them to market.

We still recommend a ‘Drop and Go’ policy for vendors but if a vendor has a need to attend, they should always be on their own and respect social distancing.

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

For Sale – 36 British Blue x Friesian heifers, 24mths which are scanned in calf to Limousin bull – North Kent. Ring Simon on 07885 968077

For Sale – Pedigree Aberdeen Angus (Red) bull bn 2016 – Essex. Ring Mark on 07741 845230

For Sale – Pedigree Limousin bull, Gotham bred and born 2016 on a Romney Marsh farm. Ring Mark Cleverdon on 07741 845230

For Sale – 9 Holstein x Friesian heifers, 24mths and in calf to an Aberdeen Angus bull – East Kent. Ring Peter Kingwill on 07795 200357

For Sale – ready for work Limousin bull. East Sussex. Ring Mark Cleverdon for details 07741 845230