Weekly Sales News – 14th November 2017

Top price per kg – 217p – B A Kirk; Top price per head – £94 – C Ridley

Report on trade A small entry of sheep today with just over 900 lambs penned and sold. Trade was once again ahead of expectations with an average SQQ price returned at 177p per kg which was ahead of the nationally reported averages for Monday and Tuesday. The overall average price per head of all the prime lambs sold this week was over £3 dearer than they were sold on the corresponding week of last year and the heavier the lambs the better they sell. The best of the heavy sheep on offer were selling in excess of £90 to a top price of £94 from C Ridley.  Best of the continental sorts made in excess of 200p with the top price of 217p taken by B A Kirk, closely followed by N A Vincent at 213p.

Producers please note – For top results please present well fleshed lambs which are preferably dry and clean. Lairage facilities 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: Another large entry of ewes were on offer today, the numbers just keep coming which in turn has kept the trade consistent at its current level as we have seen over the past 4-6 weeks. With this large number of ewes on offer, in turn we are still seeing large numbers of leaner sorts which are still finding homes with the grazing men but it must be said that these buyers are certainly reducing week on week with the advent of some slightly harder weather.

Top prices included crossbred ewes to £83 from K Brundle, Suffolk cross ewes to £77 from S W Mount & Sons, Mules to £65 from L E Humphreys and Romneys to £65 from L F Crisford & Sons.

Report on trade: Suffolk cross lambs made to £63 from A Kinnear.

More lambs will come forward now on Tuesdays with only 2 Friday sales remaining. We expect around 4,000 lambs will be offered on Friday 24^th November and one more sale will be held on Friday 15^th December.

Report on trade: A good entry and a very decent trade throughout with 10 individual successful buyers ensuring competitive returns for all on offer.

Smart handy weight continental crosses generally made 215p per kg plus with a Limousin cross steer topping at £1262 (226p) from F S Husk, a Limousin cross heifer at £1190 (223p) from W Alexander (Shoreham) and British Blue cross steer £1278 (219p) from D W Ferguson Ltd. Quality with a bit more weight (600kgs plus) grossed well with a Limousin cross steer and heifer at £1351 (215p) and £1332 (219p) from W Alexander (Shoreham).

Commercial cattle were again a strong trade making in the180p to 200p bracket with a British Blue cross heifer £1257 (197p) and British Blue cross steer £1241 (190p) both from K & P M Sinden & Sons.

A large percentage of native bred cattle were on offer and were well received with an Aberdeen Angus cross heifer topping the market at £1278 (232p) from S Marsh. Aberdeen Angus cross steers grossed to £1216 (200p) from A & S Woodford & Sons and £1210 (196p) from K E Budd while purebred Sussex steers sold well at £1213 (179p) from J Doorey and £1156 (184p) from A & M Lyon.

Only 2 bulls were offered, both 20mths Sussex and they made £1228 (188p) and £1224 (186p) from C E & W S Millson.

An increased entry of 19 OTM cattle comprising mainly Sussex steers included a run from J Doorey of which all but 2 grossed £1100 plus made up to £1250 (183p). Others made to  £1116 (182p) from Roundhurst Farm Ltd while a heavy British Blue cross steer grossed well at £1322 (187p) from K & P M Sinden & Sons.

Support the live market and compare deadweight returns. Buyers are in attendance every week for all qualities of finished cattle and specialist feeders competing well for cattle to feed

Report on trade: A tremendous entry of close to 120 cattle in the section and with as many buyers as we have seen for many years which produced a marvellous trade from start to finish. Quality was good overall particularly in the beef section with more well fleshed fed and empty beef cows penned. Identifying those cows to be culled and keeping them away from the bull gives them chance to recover condition. Cows were dearer on the week this shows the strength of the processing market even at a time when many would be looking to concentrate on the Christmas trade.

In the beef lines Limousins made to 160p and £965 from L Colbourne, 148p £1239 C & J Georgetti & Sons and 144p, 135p, 132p (Non FA) S J M Evans; Simmental crosses 136p, 134p, 132p, 130p, £1137, £1131, £1108, C & J Georgetti & Sons and 135p, 134p, 133p, £1111, £1075, £1073 G Bates Ltd; Sussex 134p, 133p, 130p, 129p, £954, £954, £945 (Non FA) City of London, 131p (exempt) M J Booth, 131p Earl de la Warr and 129p £920 (Non FA) Roundhurst Farms Ltd; Hereford cross 128p, 124p, £995 E W & R E Hanks and Aberdeen Angus cross 124p £982 (Non FA) John Boyd (Farms) Ltd.

There was nothing wrong at all with the dairy cull trade but not the flesh about today. Lean steakers looked a very good trade.

Holstein maiden heifers made 137p, 130p, 129p and grossed  £983 R C & J L Pickering and 130p Hall Place Farms; Holstein cowss 127p £1088 Goddard & Son and 125p, 123p, £1127(2) W S Furnival Ltd; Ayrshires 112p A N Waters Ltd and Jerseys 85p £465 S E Lane & Ptnrs.

Bulls again a very firm demand with British Blue 116p £1269, Aberdeen Angus 109p £1335 and Simmental 102p £1066.

Report on trade: This week saw another large entry of nearly 500 store cattle late in the season and the good mix in the catalogue attracting a large attendance of buyers. With 25 individual successful buyers this ensured competitive returns for all on offer.

A good entry of continental cross weaned calves sold exceptionally well with the best of the steers making £800 plus and heifers £700 plus. Smart 10 mths Limousin crosses took top honours with steers to £940 and heifers at £845 from E Chantler & Sons and 12-14 mths Limousin cross steers at £980 from D G & J W Gore.

Stronger sorts to finish short term attracted prices in excess of £1000 with several lots of top quality continental cross heifers up to £1140 from D J Cornforth, £1130 from G Bates Ltd and £1110 from J E Berryman.

A small entry of native breeds on offer were well received with a run of superb 18 mths Aberdeen Angus cross steers and heifers topping at £1225 and £1145 respectively and a heavy Brown Swiss steer looked well sold at £1140 from E M & A R Roger-Smith.

Principal prices include:                                                                                                                  

Forthcoming store and breeding sheep sales

Store and breeding sheep sales will be held on Friday’s 24^th November when around 4,000 principally store lambs will be penned and 15^th December

Forthcoming store and breeding cattle sales

Store and breeding cattle will be offered next Tuesday 21^st November. There will be no sale on Tuesday 28^th November (Prime Stock show day) and our sales will then carry on every week up until Christmas

National Sheep Association South East Region

After a successful inaugural Sheep Health and Welfare Conference in February 2016, NSA South East Region is holding the event again this year on Wednesday 22^nd November at the School of Veterinary Medicine, Surrey University, Guildford.

The theme for this year’s event is Sheep Health, Wealth and Production.

For further details please contact Bob Blanden – bob@nationalsheep.org.uk / 07860 689391 / 01666 860308 or visit www.nationalsheep.org.uk/events

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

Notices – Graham Saunders

The family have advised that Graham, known to many as a sheep farmer from the Rye  area, died on the 1^st November, aged 74.

A funeral service will be held at Rye Harbour Church on Tuesday 22^nd November at 12 noon.

Miscellaneous wanted and Livestock for sale ex farm

For Sale – Pedigree Limousin bull, bn 2013, fertility tested and weighing over 1,000kg – West  Kent. Contact Mark Cleverdon for details – 07748 202688

For Sale – 15 Pedigree Holstien heifers – freshly calved at 24 to 30mths and cubicle trained from a herd averaging 11,500 ltrs. West Kent. Ring Elwyn on 07710803901

For Sale – 3 Pedigree British Blue bulls at 18 to 30 mths, one black and 2 blue and white – Suffolk – Contact Mark Cleverdon for details – 07748 202688

RABI, FCN and Kent Herdsmans Club News

RABI – Forthcoming events were they will be represented or are promoting include:

Monday 27^th and Tuesday 28^th November – Ashford Cattle Show

Sunday 2^nd December Maidstone Symphony Orchestra charity evening in connection with George Jessel, High Sheriff at Mote Hall, Maidstone Leisure Centre. ME15 7RN

Tuesday 5^th December – Live nativity Carol evening at 6pm in the auction ring at Ashford market

Kent Herdsmans Club

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

Many congratulations to …..

Sandra Brown for being the winning of the Reserve Golden Fleece Championship for the whole UK in the competition run by British Wool.

from the 11 wool depots throughout the UK and 14 selected Agricultural  Shows. The final eight fleeces (two from each country of the UK) were then judged and Sandra was awarded the Reserve Champion with her Black Wensleydale fleece, at the British Wool Conference dinner in Exeter last week. The judge Stephen Spencer, Wool Sales Manager at British Wool, described her fleece as “an excellent example of the breed, having a dark and uniform colour with a very high degree of lustre”. Well done Sandra.

Kent  Young Farmers Club News

Kent Young Farmers recently held their Beef Stock Judging competition, kindly hosted by Westlands School.  The master judge was Mr Steve Martin.

Winners were: Mini Juniors Alysia, Westlands School YFC; Maxi Juniors, Josiah, Westlands School YFC who was winner of the Hobbs Parker Trophy; Seniors, Callum Vincent, Ashford YFC and winner of the Miss Maplesden-Noakes Trophy

Also, the ever popular Night Hike, has been relaunched as the Navigation Challenge.  Cobtree YFC hosted 10 teams and Vigo YFC were named the winners.

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DEFRA and our Local Authority trading standards officers regularly remind us of our responsibilities regarding unfit animals. No unfit animal should be exposed for sale in a market.

We have been reminded by the Local Authority that it is against current Welfare and Market Regulations to move stock to market, or any other holding, in the final stages of pregnancy (final 4 weeks). Please be careful with dates on breeding stock and cull stock that might turn out to be in lamb or in calf.

All animals should be fit to travel. All in milk cows should to be milked out prior to movement to market. Do not present lame sheep or those, for any reason, which are not fit to be transported. Thanks for your attention

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Hobbs Parker Auctioneers and Car Auctions run over 200 auction sales every year. Our next Auction Sales are ..

Commercial Vehicles

Thursdays 30^th November and 14^th December at 3.00pm

A wide selection of up to 40 vehicles are generally offered in these sales

Special Sports and High Performance Vehicle sale

Wednesday 29^th November at 6.30pm

This auction of cars will include a special sale sports and high performance cars with the normal car auction to follow

The South Eastern Primestock Winter Fayre Show and Sale

Thursday 23^rd November at the South of England Showground, Ardingley from 9am

Usual livestock show classes, pred bred calf show plus South Eastern Charolais calf show and cattle, pig and lamb classes

For all details please contact Mary Masters on 01273 517824

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Ashford Cattle Show – It is Christmas Show time!!!

The Ashford Cattle Show of Primestock includes

71 Cattle, 312 Lambs, 46 Pigs, 77 Lamb Carcases

Show Day Monday the 30^th November from 2pm

Sale of Carcases & Poultry will be on the Monday at 6.30pm

Livestock Auctions on Tuesday the 1^st December from 9.30am

Free admission so bring the family for and afternoon an evening out in the Market.

Catalogue of exhibits and sponsors is available now from the secretary