Weekly Sales News – 14th May 2019

New seasons lambs: Top price per kilo – 287p – D Isaac: Top price per head – £112 – D Isaac

Report on trade: An increased entry of lambs met a similar trade on the week with best continental crosses taking the pick of the trade notably 39kg Beltex crosses topping at £112 (287p per kg) from D Isaac and 40kg Texel crosses £104 (260p) from Friday Street Farmers. Heavy 49kg Texel crosses sold well up to £106.50 (117p) from C Moss & Sons.

Hoggets Top price per kilo – 252p – S B & A E Martin: Top price per head – £125 – C A Worley Farming Ltd

Another big show of hoggets and trade was brisk and competitive throughout with an overall average for all weights just short of 200p and big premiums available for the best continental crosses on offer. The pick of the trade included 40kg Beltex crosses at £101 (252p) from S B & A E Martin, 46kg Beltex crosses £101 (220p) from T Heathcote. A superb run of 47 to 52kg Beltex crosses made from £99 up to £113.50 from MB Farms and a run of top quality Texel cross over weights (54 to 60kg) made from £105 up to £109 from Summerdown Farms.

Dagging service is still available on all Monday afternoons but please advise us of the number you wish to send.

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 very mixed show of cull ewes with the majority plainer sorts and few good meated ewes on offer. The best sold around £80 notably £81 for Texel cross from L Stevens & Sons and £80 for Suffolk crosses from W G Watkins & Sons. A continental ram topped at £101 from Dan Mackelden Ltd.

Plainer sorts generally made £40 to £55.

Report on trade: A small entry of store hoggets saw the best making £70 plus and up to £75.50 for Charollais crosses from S B & A E Martin. Only very small sorts were below £55. A small entry of Romney ewe tegs made to £80 from E J & A I Fenton. Generally this was a very decent trade for store hoggets late in the season. Average: £64.72

A good entry of ewes and lambs included a large consignment of some 200 couples from J Lukehurst. Trade was exceptional throughout with superb purebred Beltex ewes with lambs at foot topping at £226 (£113 per life) and Suffolk x Mule 2 lamb ewes with Beltex cross lambs at foot topping at £174 (£68.50 per life). Aged ewes with lambs at foot generally made from £40 to £50 per life depending on breed and condition. Averages: £131.20 per ewe and £54.18 per life

Auctioneer: Mark Cleverdon 07741 845230

Report on trade: Still demand for young lambs but the supply will not last for too many more weeks. Top call was £30 for 2 lambs from T Beesley with 6 more selling at over £20 and only 4 under £10. Average: 19 sold averaged £18.36

Sock lambs will be sold at 10.30am every week while supply lasts. Please ring Tom on 07966 104532 with entries or to check availability

Report on trade: 13 Individual successful buyers ensured good competitive prices throughout from the best butcher type handy weights to the leaner sorts suitable for further finish. Smart Limousin cross heifers took the pick of the trade up to £1163 (216p per kg) and £1079 (208p) from W Alexander (Shoreham) and a native bred Hereford cross steer up to £1080 (190p) from D W Page & Son. Heavier sorts topped at £1279 (178p) from R F & E A Simmons and Friesian steers well sold to £1026 (156p) from R Price & Sons.

A run of leaner continental crosses from T Pateman & Sons sold well with the majority making 175 to 185p with steers generally £1000 plus and up to £1279 and heifers up to £996.

Report on trade: Another outstanding week in the cull section with great numbers forward to meet an ever stronger company of buyers looking for all grades to meet all needs. Our entry was very short of the best fleshed cows from both beef and dairy sectors which is perhaps not surprising for the time of the year but made up with a strong entry of overage Friesian steers (3-7 yrs) and others which have hidden themselves for sometime! The grazing and feeding demand was accentuated by extra buyers from all parts of the country!

Highlights included  Limousins to 153p per kg and grossing  £961 from Campbell Bros; 147p £1033 A J Britton (Non FA) and 139p £1163 Betchworth EstateFarms: Blonde 148p £1025 G L Boulden & Sons; Simmental 164p Betchworth Estate Farms; British Blue 138p £908 A J Britton (Non FA); Charolais 138p £989 D G Jackson (Non FA); Lincoln Red 137p £1031 N Morgan (Non FA); Hereford 131p Fenton Farms and Stabiliser 127p £810 A & N Bullen (Non FA).

Short of diary culls but all wanted with even a few younger tidy drier cows taken for feeding. There were no real best meat today but good fleshed types made 115p to 125p; half meat around 100p and plain types 50p to 70p.

Top calls included maiden Friesian heifers 157p £1039 R C & J L Pickering and 148p £885 Hall Place Farms; Friesian cows 125p, 123p, 121p, 119p £1021, £1073, £986 R C & J L Pickering; Norwegian Red 119p R C & J L Pickering and Jersey 99p,90p £527 Hickson Bros.

Some remarkable old age steers in the section and all sold very well as processing meat gets short the country over! Friesian steers (4-6yrs) to 125p and £1053, £1047, £1039, £1027 and £1013 R W Jones & Son; Friesian steers (3yrs +) 127p, 124p £1101 £1013 R Scott; Jersey cross steers (7yrs) to 118p £1096 £1034 and Jersey cross heifers to 120p £829.

Bulls maintain a good trade but flesh required. Parthenaise 130p £1042 and a Hereford 115p £1139.

Please do not hesitate to ring at anytime for marketing advice.          

Report on trade: A very busy day in the store section for mid May and with recent rains having refreshed confidence amongst the grazing sector particularly, there was a strong demand from a good company of buyers from all parts of the country! Quality is getting more variable overall as we move through the season and first draw stock are well gone. We now see more grazing yearlings to turn out straightaway and a respectable entry of stronger types to stay in the yards.

Please give us notification as early as possible if you still have numbers to sell as it does help to organise entries together and ensure buying support. Today was a good result throughout and a big thanks to buyers and sellers, hauliers, market staff and all involved in a great run of spring store cattle sales.

Highlights in the trade included Young bulls at 12 mths Simmental cross £890 and £670 T Martin; 14 mths Aberdeen Angus cross £820 A K F Dod; 12 mths Hereford cross £650 T M Allen; 24 mths Limousin cross £870 F W Hare & Sons and 11 mths Limousin cross £740 L R & Sons.

In the yearlings – 10 mths Stabiliser steers £580 A & N Bullen; 8 mths Limousin steers £570 J Lukehurst; 12 mths Hereford cross steers £665, 11 mths Limousin steers £655 P Ashlee; 12-14 mths Hereford cross steers £785 £640 R T, J B & I Lockwood; 12 mths Aberdeen Angus cross steers £640, 12 mths Aberdeen Angus cross heifers £645 H & S Nesfield; 12 mths Sussex steers £765 £700, 12 mths Sussex heifers £520 I G Pilcher; 14 mths Limousin heifers £735 £68 K Graham; 14 mths Limousin steers £735 F W Hare & Sons; 12 mths Limousin steers £885 £845, 12 mths Limousin heifers £760 K W Marchant; 12-14 mths Limousin steers £845, £825, £790 and £765, 12-14 mths Limousin heifers £790, £740, £710 and £640 T Martin; 14 mths Limousin heifers £760 Beaute Agri; 14 mths Parthenaise steers £910, £905 and £850 J E Batchelor & Ptns; 14 mths Sussex steers £860, £635 and £530, 14 mths Sussex heifers £555 Earl de la Warr; 12 mths Aberdeen Angus steers £700, £620 and £570, 12 mths Aberdeen Angus heifers £660, £530 and £490, 12 mths Blonde heifers £570 R Brown & Daughter; 12 mths Aberdeen Angus cross steers £745 (2) £610 M Elphick and 14 mths Aberdeen Angus cross steers £865, £790, £735 and £730 A K F Dod.

18 mths plus feeders – 20 mths Hereford cross steers £885, 20 mths Aberdeen Angus cross steers £830, 20 mths Sussex cross steers £780 (2) E & J H Maylam; 24 mths Beef Shorthorn steers £985 Ross Farms; 24 mths Limousin/ British Blue heifers £940, £910, £900 and £880 D J Cornforth; 20 mths British Blue x Friesian heifers £775, 20 mths Aberdeen Angus x Friesian heifers £760 Hall Place Farms; 24 mths Limousin cross steers £1020 and £1000, 24 mths Limousin cross heifers £885 and £820 Pallingham Farms and

17 mths Friesian steers £580, £540 and £440 E J Gribble.

Auctioneer: Mark Cleverdon 07741 845230

Report on trade: This week’s good sized entry was of very mixed quality. Buyers were generally a little cautious picking the very best to focus on but as is usual all stock offered found new homes.

Messrs A & W J Hitchcocks older calves made to £270 for an Aberdeen Angus cross bull, J W Boyd & Sons younger British Blues made to £285, W S Furnivals British Blues to £300 and Aberdeen Angus bulls £280, J E Scutt & Sons British Blue bull £320 and Aberdeen Angus bulls £315 and heifers £250 and Kingcott Dairies Aberdeen Angus heifers to £265.

The dairy bull demand was very good for anything with rearing potential which made £40 to £100 with no real strength on offer. The remainder made £10 to £40..

In the older cattle (stirk) pens a February born Friesian steer made £210 while a consignment of mixed quality mainly dairy bred, not too well grown, aged cattle from an East Sussex holding (TB Edge) made from £40 to £155.

Vendors: Please try to inform us of entries for the calf and stirk sale as early as possible to enable us to inform buyers of the expected entry. This allows both us and them to plan better for the days sale. Please do try to make every effort to register the sire of your native bred (principally Aberdeen Angus and Hereford cross) calves. Calves that do not have registered sires are at a disadvantage when offered for sale !

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.

Report on trade: A large entry of pigs were penned and demand was again good in all sections. Summer in coming and the live and spot market is always a good place to be at this time of year. Our trade compares favourably with national and deadweight figures.

In the finished pig pens the best sold to 124p per kg for handyweight, good shaped models from D Pope; S Scott & Son sold 32 pigs to 120p and gross average of £94 and C B Hope also 32 to 109p and £113 and average £106. 50p to 90p covered the rest of pigs sold bar a pen of Mangalitsas at 40p per kg (£41)

The cull pigs traded at 40p upwards and in line with improving national figures.

The entry of store pigs again saw good demand with a shortage of well bred pigs evident. D Pope again sold well bred young pigs to £53 and R Vidlers youngest £28.

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.

Summer events / meetings in the area of interest to farmers

Essex Young Farmers County Show at Boyton Hall Farm, Roxwell, nr Chelmsford – Sunday 19^th May – “A great one day Show with something for all the family”. Full details available from Show Secretary on 01245 360442 or email: essexyfc@btconnect.com

Heathfield Show – Saturday 25^th May – For all other show enquiries please ring Show secretary, Nicola Magill, on 01435 864587 or visit www.heathfieldshow.org

** Visit us on our stand – we are pleased again to be sponsoring both Sussex and commercial beef classes in the cattle section **

A show press release is published elsewhere in this report

Surrey County Show – 27^th May – All show enquiries please ring Show secretary, 01483 890810 or visit surreycountyshow.co.uk

South of England Show – 6^th, 7^th and 8^th June – All show enquiries please ring 01444 892700 or visit seas.org.uk

Wednesday 26^th and Thursday 27^th June – Royal Norfolk Show, Norwich. Full details from Holly Whittaker on 01603 748931 or visit www.royalnorfolkshow.co.uk

Kent County Show – 5^th to 7^th July – All show enquiries to 01622 633051.

Competition schedules are now available and Hobbs Parkers are again pleased to be sponsoring cattle and sheep sections

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

Wanted – herd person to work with 300 milking cows on a West Kent farm. Ring 07810 444218 for details

Wanted – Stockman/farm labourer wanted at Roundoak Farm Sutton Valence. This is a permanent position all aspects of stock care and maintenance plus ground maintenance. Clean driving licence essential. Please call 07967 009509 or email ruth.roundoak@gmail.com if interested

Hobbs Parker and Ashford Livestock Market

We are the South East’s principal livestock market selling over 250,000 head of cattle, sheep and pigs in 2018.

Weekly sales throughout the year of all classes of stock, principally on Tuesdays, run by a fully professional team of auctioneers and support staff, they provide an unmatched level of service and commitment to the livestock farmers in the area. Come and see us on market day soon and bring your livestock for us to sell.

Ashford Cattle Show summer competitions

Plans are well in hand for these now. Entries are required now (and by 15^th June) for the beef herds. Judging is planned for late June.

Please contact Charlie Bull 01797 230503 or 07825 665498 email: bull_herd04@btinternet.com

Hobbs Parker Auctioneers and Car Auctions run over 200 auction sales every year

Our next Auction Sales include……

Collective Machinery & Equipment sale

Friday 14^th June at 9.30am.

Catalogues will be available about a week before the sale

Lots will include new & newly near mowers & garden machinery. New tools, farm & agricultural equipment, timber plus large selection of miscellaneous items.

RABI, Young Farmers Clubs, 91 Club, Kent Herdsmans Club and FCN news

Kent Herdsmans Club

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

91 Club news

Do you fancy a 3 day trip from Wednesday 22^nd to Friday 24^th May to include visits to farming establishments and other rural businesses in West Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.??  If so please contact Pip Collick on 07885 933082 for more details.

Hobbs Parker Auctioneers livestock sales catalogues are always available online on the auctioneers pages of our website www.hobbsparker.co.uk All entries are listed on these regularly updated pages

Ashford Livestock Market has its own Facebook page where news and reports are now being posted on a regular basis www.facebook.com/AshfordLivestockMarket/

Hobbs Parker Auctioneers email a livestock market short report on the afternoon of every livestock sale day. To receive this email report you need to log on to the auctioneers pages of our website www.hobbsparker.co.uk and click the link to email alerts.

To ensure you continue to receive the email it should be opened on a regular basis.