Weekly Sales News – 14th April 2020

Top price per kilo – 258p – O’Neil Smith Ltd; Top price per head – £116 – O’Neil Smith Ltd

Report on trade: Another similar sized entry of hoggets this week, continuing the consistent service and supply that we have been providing since the restrictions commenced. Trade was improved this week but the quality on offer was far superior to the last two weeks with some super sheep from O’Neil Smith, J R Lilley, H Watt, Dan Mackleden Ltd and R L Goodman & Son to name just a few. Top spot on the podium was taken by O’Neil Smith Ltd with some superb 45kg Beltex lambs at £116. The vast majority of hoggets were sold from £85 to £100 regardless of weight as the heavier sorts have eased a little with the export sorts a touch dearer.

Another small entry of new season lambs but numbers are sure to start to lift with the better weather helping the early lambs to do in recent weeks. The average was 300p per kg which is as high as we have seen it for quite some time with some lovely continental lambs from Friday Street Farmers selling to 308p (39kgs at £120).

It would be greatly appreciated if you could “help us to help you” by arriving earlier to assist with appropriate sorting and penning of sheep. Lairage facilities are available from 2 to 6pm every Monday and we can accept stock from 6am every Tuesday.

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 better trade today with more demand coming through from the wholesalers as the bulk bought meat 3 or 4 weeks ago has now been consumed and there is demand once again in the shops. The podium of top three prices was split by just £1 each with Mrs C Cox, O’Neil Smith and C R & G Daws taking the top three respectively at £122, £121 and £120 each.

Top prices included Suffolk cross to £120 from C R & G Daws, Texel cross to £121 from O’Neil Smith Ltd, Cheviot to £110 from J A Cox, Crossbred to £118 from P Ashlee and Romney to £90 from R S Body & Sons.

Report on trade: This week best sorts sold readily around 200p per kg being notably a run of handyweight Limousin cross steers up to £1194 (203p) from W Alexander (Shoreham) and Blonde cross heifers to £1164 (203p) from G L Boulden & Sons. Slightly lesser sorts and those with weight generally made 180p to 190p, notably a Limousin cross steer £1128 (181p) from R F & E A Simmons and a lightweight Limousin cross heifer £930 (190p) from J Loveridge.

A relatively high percentage of native bred cattle were on offer attracting prices around 175p with a run of Hereford cross heifers to £1035 (179p) from E & J H Maylam, a Sussex steer £1134 (175p) from K & P M Sinden & Sons and an Aberdeen Angus cross heifer £970 (165p) from P Ibbott.

Barley fed Friesian steers made around 130p and up to £894 (133p) from R Price & Son.

Report on trade: Another good day in the cull section with a fairly mixed offering of cows but with a good attendance of buyers a bit more bite in the trade particularly for the dairy culls.

We had no real meat beef cows and plenty of age amongst the grazers but still plenty made 110p to 120p per kg with only the lightest and poorest below 100p. A few more better dairy culls and these made up over 100p regularly but the steaking cows were certainly firmer and regularly 80p to 95p. Some very good fleshed and shaped Limousin cull bulls well sold at 115p-130p, £900-£1300.

Top calls included Simmental cross 120p 119p (Non FA) R Genge; Limousin cross 118p 112p Beslee Farms; British Blue cross 117p 114p (2) 113p £873 Beslee Farms; Hereford cross 117p £900 Beslee Farms; Sussex 113p 110p £692 (Non FA) J Muscat and Sussex cross 113p (Non FA) D T Marden and 110p (Non FA) Wanstall Farms.

IN the dairy lines British Friesian 104p 98p (2) £800 Debden Court; Holstein Friesian 109p 104p £895 J E Scutt & Sons, 105p 96p 94p £807 Huddlestone Farmers and 96p 94p W S Furnival Ltd.

Cull bulls Limousin 131p 126p 118p 114p and £1286 £1084 £1082.

Report on trade: A very different entry to last week with a predominance of dairy and native bred cattle on offer. The best of the beef bred continental cross steers and heifers made up to £870 and £830 respectively from M J Ashworth while stronger cattle to finish short term topped at £1065 for Limousin x Friesian steers from Wood Farm Ptnrs.

The native bred attracted the usual keen interest with the pick of the prices including yearling Hereford cross steers and heifers £730 and £685 respectively from F Pearce & Sons, Aberdeen Angus cross steers £995 from P A Ibbott and 24 mths Sussex heifers £810 from Swanley Farm.

A big thank you to all for your help and support of our livestock auction sales during difficult times. We plan to continue offering sales on a weekly basis – next Tuesday 21^st April will see nearly 600 more store cattle penned and bookings are at over 200 for Tuesday 28^th April

Report on trade: Calves very much in demand this week with trade firm and buyers going away empty handed. Dare I say more calves could have been sold to vendor’s advantage!

Continental calves looking a strong trade this week, trade for younger calves looking firmer in particular. Less age in the bulls this week topping at £240 for a British Blue from J Warnock & Son. Heifers selling to £300 for a run of strong British Blue heifers from J E Scutt & Sons.

Native calves remain in demand this week with buyers pleased to find a high quality entry to choose from. Bulls sold to £280 for an Aberdeen Angus from J E Scutt & Sons. Hereford and Aberdeen Angus bulls from Goddard & Son sold to £185 (2). Native heifers to £200 for A & W J Hitchcock’s run of registered sire Aberdeen Angus heifers. Plenty of native heifers £160 – £200 this week.

A few more black and whites about, older types a stand on trade from the previous fortnight, younger types a little harder work as the processing market is still limited due to the impact of COVID – 19. Top price of £78 to J E Scutt & Sons.

Demand is very much still outstripping supply for weanlings at the moment. Trade is holding firm for vendors with M J Ashworth topping the section at £420 for October born beef bred Limousin heifers. A pen of October born Aberdeen Angus cross heifers from East Hill Farm sold to £370.

If you have weanlings to sell, please don’t hesitate to contact me to discuss marketing your stock and to make the most of the current trade.

We remind all calf sellers and buyers of the information below

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.

Please remember it is essential we have an early indication from all sellers of stock numbers you wish to sell week by week – we phone and send text messages to buyers and agents every Monday evening and an accurate indication of numbers coming forward is essential with many buyers travelling substantial distances to attend.

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

Message from Peter Barker of Barkers Animal Health

Barkers Animal Health retail store here in the market is open for collections on a Tuesday. Please pre order so goods are ready for you – 07880 946983  

Hay, Straw, Fodder and Forage Crop for sale and / wanted

For Sale – Top notch barn stored round and mini-hesston bales 2019 hay. Bulk whole oats in half tonne bags also available. Delivery arranged. East Sussex. 07768 771933.

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

Wanted – enthusiastic smallholder looking for about 20 good sized used corrugated iron roof sheets. Also a small / medium sized wood chipper to hire at a reasonable rate. Text details or ring 07741 845230

For up to date information on all livestock sales please contact

Elwyn Davies (Cattle & Sheep) 07710 803901 or 01233 861263

Peter Kingwill (Cattle & Sheep) 07795 200357

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

Mark Cleverdon (Rams, Breeding Cattle and Pigs) 07741 845230

John Rossiter (Sheep, Machinery plus commercial vehicles) 07557 392903

Tom Hamplett (Calves, Weanlings & Rams) 07966 104532

Notices – Fred Beer, East Kent

Family and friends have asked us to announce that Fred passed away recently. For many years Fred ran a haulage business (principally livestock) from Sandwich as A F Beer and was a regular face in the old Ashford Market.

Notices – George Janes, Throwley, Faversham

Family and friends have asked us to announce that George passed away recently after a short illness, aged 71 years. George followed his father as a drover and general helper here in the market and particularly enjoyed the vehicle sales. In recent years he and family were great supporters of local RABI fund raising events.

Notices – Edward Hanks, Wainscott, Rochester

Family and friends have asked us to announce that Edward passed away recently. Edward and his family have had a reputation throughout North Kent and far further afield as high quality livestock farmers and breeders. They have also been great market supporters and Edward will be missed here at sales in Ashford as well as by his family and within his own local community.

Sale of breeding stock

Current restrictions on the sale of livestock though our auction sales mean breeding stock i.e. cows and calves, in calf cows and heifers, bulls and ewes and lambs cannot be offered. We are also not offering sock lambs

Farms with sock lambs for sale include

Ashford area – Ben Hope on 07769 636336

Rye area – Frank Reeve on 07831 762223

Rochester area – Robert Hanks – 07889 895553

Livestock for sale ex farm

Ewes and lambs – 50 young Mule ewes with Charollais lambs – Rye area

Limousin, Simmental, Blonde, Hereford and Sussex bulls – on up to 10 farms in the South East

Livestock wanted ex farm

Sussex cows and calves / in calf cows – up to 10 – Rye are farmer

Sussex cows and calves / in calf cows – large numbers – Norfolk Estate

Sussex bulls and strong bulling heifers – 3 local farms

Local Agricultural Show and ploughing match dates and news

Agricultural shows in the region which are now cancelled include Royal Norfolk, Suffolk, Surrey County, Kent County and Essex Young Farmers, South of England and Heathfield (see press release below).

South East Point to Point Meetings (www.pointingse.com)

From the point to point racing Co website “This is a formal announcement to confirm that the British point-to-point season is closed for this season”

FCN (the Farm Community Network) have asked us to remind everyone that:-

With the closure of schools across the country in response to the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID 19) children are likely to be at home for some time. The Health Safety Executive is reminding those involved in the farming industry to keep children safe during the COVID-19 restrictions. Please remember

• Follow social distancing guidance and wash your hands regularly.

• Most children who are killed or seriously injured in farm incidents are family members. Keep children out of work areas. Make sure play areas are away from the work area and secure.

What you need to know:

1. Children should not be allowed in the farm work place (and for young children they should enjoy outdoor space in a secure fenced area).
2. Any access to the work area by children under 16, for example for education, or knowledge, experience, should be planned and fully supervised by an adult not engaged in any work activity.
3. Children under the age of 13 years are specifically prohibited from driving or riding on any agricultural machine.

There are various very useful documents available online to give you all further guidance

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.