Weekly Sales News – 16th April 2019

Top price per kilo – 263p – Mr & Mrs D Chapman: Top price per head – £115 – Miss Emily Ashlee

Report on trade: Another big entry of hoggets this week with just under 6,000 sheep penned total in the market. We would like to thank all our team members for the big effort that was put in and to all our vendors for their patience at the peak times. Trade was just a shade easier this week for all sheep on offer has been the case across the country, with big numbers coming out in the run up to Easter. The top end of the roll of honours was filled by the lady vendors this week with super sheep from C A Worley Farming Ltd, Miss Rosie Russell, Donna and Miss Emily Ashlee and Mrs D Chapman taking top spots with Miss Emily Ashlee, who turned 5 years old last week, taking top spot in the list with some of the first sheep she has sold topping at £115.

The heavier offerings this week, which made up almost 2/3rds of the entry, were sold on a slightly easier trade due to the numbers on offer nationally. These sheep were generally trading between £90-100 with the very best breaking £100. Good runs from A Holt, T Holt and N A Balcomb & Son took the top prices in this weight bracket.

A bigger entry of new season lambs were on offer this week with the lighter weights being most desirable for the Easter market and the heavier Dorset bred lambs being sold just above the hogget trade. 34kg lambs from M Critcher & Ptnrs sold to £89 (262p per kg).

Dagging service is available on all Monday afternoons, 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 big entry of sheep on offer this week with over 800 ewes penned and trade was a little easier than last week. Once again this is just dictated by the national numbers on offer.

Best ewes sold in excess of £100 to a top of £107 from N A Balcomb & Son. Grazing Ewes traded between £30-50 with leaner meat sorts looking the dearest sheep pound for pound.

Report on trade: This was again an exceptional trade with the best selling readily at prices around £80 and up to £86 for Charollais crosses  from Miss R Thompson. Only very small hoggets made below £70.  Averages 548 sold to £86.00 and aver’ £73.80.

Mule ewe hoggets were offered by T Crick and 351 sold to £95.50 and aver’ £90.50.

One pen of 4 ewes with 7 lambs sold at £113 (£41 per life)

If you have store hoggets to sell take advantage of these favourable prices while they last with limited time left before the end of the season.

Auctioneer: Tom Hamplett 07966 104532

Report on trade: A firmer trade than the previous week with ewe lambs selling to a top price of £28 from the John Graham Centre. Top price wether was £21 from P N & C Burden.  Averages 32 sold averaged £15.63

Sock lambs will be sold at 10.30am every week from now through the lambing season.

Report on trade: A very mixed entry of finished cattle with quality butcher types in short supply. A smart Limousin cross heifer topped the market at £1136 (211p per kg) from L Smith and a Charolais heifer at £1127 (200p) from R Price & Sons. The better heavier cattle generally made 180p to 195p with the pick of the trade including a Limousin cross steer at £1321 (192p) from L Smith, a Blonde cross heifer £1138 (186p) from G L Boulden & Sons and a Limousin cross heifer at £1108 (195p) from W Alexander (Shoreham).

Several native bred cattle were on offer with a quality Aberdeen Angus cross steer topping at £1141 (205p) from M A & F W Owen and a run of purebred Sussex heifers topped at £1056 (178p) from Denyer & Sheppard.

Report on trade: Another very good entry cull cows though again great variability of quality and a high proportion, quite rightly, of grazing cows. A better entry of dairy culls with some good fleshed dry heavyweights which were well received. Trade continues at high levels though perhaps the plain killing cows were a little less after last weeks exceptional prices.

No best fleshed beef cows forward today and the vast majority non assured grazing types. Plenty of customers for all grades with half fleshed killing cows regularly over 120p per kg, and some tidy keeping cows 110p – 130p. Older grazers 90p – 110p.

Top calls included Limousin cross 136p £927 P N & C Burden; South Devon 129p, 127p £949 Gardners; Charolais cross 127p £849 R J Husk; Albion 124p £772 (Non FA) Garrett & Mannering; Beef Shorthorn cross 124p, 123p £819 (Non FA) Mrs E Harris; Aberdeen Angus cross 123p (Non FA) K Bugden; Sussex 123p Torry Hill and Hereford cross 118p £828 (Non FA) A R J Cyster & Sons.

More quality about amongst the dairy culls and fed meat cows regularly 115p – 125p. Half meat sorts were a good trade but a few lean boners less than recent weeks.

Highlights included British Friesian 128p(2), 123p £1001 B J Goodsell & Son; Holstein Friesian 128p, 123p £1072 New Wharf Farms; 126p, 123p, 122p, 119p £1096, £1035 Appleton Farms; 125p £1033 J E Scutt &Sons; 119p(2) (Non FA) G Reynolds; 118p A & W J Hitchcock; Norwegian Red 118p (Non FA) A R J Cyster & Son.

Fleshed stock bulls a marvellous trade. Limousin Bull £1925, £1625, £1366; Blonde £1900 and South Devon £1120.

If you are considering marketing cows next week after Easter please let us know of entries.

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

Report on trade: Although not the quality show of cattle compared to last week this was another large entry comprising a very mixed entry of breeds and ages with a high percentage of dairy crosses and native bred cattle on offer.

A pen of smart Limousin cross steers sold well at £920 from A Boyd & Co while a pen of strong Simmental cross steers grossed well at £1125 from Gillshaw Farms Ltd.

A good attendance of buyers for the native bred cattle saw a good selection of Aberdeen Angus crosses in particular attracting plenty of interest and topping at £1050 for a smart 15 mths steer from F S Husk while an 18 mths purebred Hereford steer grossed well at £1090 from R Lane.

Many more cattle will be sold over the coming weeks so please contact us with entries to ensure orderly marketing and cataloguing.

Report on trade: The second entry of bulls for the season did not quite generate the level of interest shown 2 weeks ago but still some good returns. Ellis & Gottschalk topped the sellers list with a young Limousin at £3,400 and 5 other Limousins made £1,600 to £1,925.

In the female section 2 in calf Sussex cows from Denyer & Sheppard made £710.

Auctioneer: Tom Hamplett 07966 104532

Report on trade: A spring like feeling in the air and a spring like feeling in the trade seeing calves to £310 and strong competition for all types.

Good to get back to more normal numbers of continental sired calves this week, these being well sought after by buyers, particularly the strongest types. Top price continental bull went to J E Scutt & Sons for a British Blue at £310. J W Boyd & Sons also deserve a mention for their British Blue that sold for £300. Most continental bulls were £250 plus today. Continental heifers topped at £230 for a British Blue from W G & T A Manford, a Charolais from J Gormley sold to £220. Generally most continental heifers sold in the £150 – £200 region.

Native calves were in demand this week with trade to match. A small entry of native sired bulls saw J E Scutt & Sons take top honours in the section with a run of Aberdeen Angus’ to £280. A larger entry of native heifers sold to £230 from West Sussex, with larger types £170 – £200 and smaller types £120-£150.

Dairy sired calves saw an uplift in trade, particularly for rearing types. Topping this section was a Black & White from W G & T A Manford which sold for £98. Other notable prices include £95 from A & W J Hitchcock and £88 from W G & T A Manford. The best on the day were generally £70 plus, anything slightly smaller with flesh would have been £30-£60, The smallest were £20-£30 with a small handful of plainer processing types less than £20.

More stirks forward this week with 100% clearance rate achieved. M Gammons sold Friesian steers to £230. A handful of British Blues from A R J Cyster & Sons made £200.

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 also please do try to make every effort to register the sire of your native bred calves. Calves that do not have registered sires are at a disadvantage!

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: Well bred pigs were a good trade, sows again a very strong trade and a good crowd of buyers supported the sale in the store pens.

In the finished pig pens the best sold from 100p per kg to 118p per kg for pigs from S J M Evans, S Scott & Son, C B Hope and B G & M A Tomsett. 23 pigs grossed over £100.

The cull pigs traded at 35p to 56p for sows and 28p to 40p for boars.

This trade improved with good young feeding store pigs making  to £43 from P & R Marshall. A sow and team of 11 piglets made £330 from B Roberts.

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 27^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

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

Fodder Crop for sale and / wanted

For Sale – quantities of silage, haylage, oat straw, wheat straw and barley straw ex an East Sussex farm. Also available loose whole oats and wheat in half tonne bags. Ring 01580 819000, 01580 819700 or 07768 771 933.

For Sale – Up to 50 4’ 2018 silage bales on a Kent farm. Ring 01233 756468

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

Please see website for further details.

Saturday 20^th April – Charing, Kent. TN27 0JS

Monday 22^nd April – Aldington, Kent. TN25 7EJ

Saturday 27^th April – Parham, Storrington, West Sussex. RH20 2ER

Saturday 11^th May – Peper Harrow, Godalming, Surrey. GU8 6LA

Romney Sheepbreeders News

The 123^rd Annual General meeting of the Society will be held on Thursday 2^nd May at 8pm in the orchard room at the Conningbrook hotel, Canterbury, Ashford. For all society information Julie Lukehurst can be contacted on 07538 938425

Notices – Terry Brown, Stockbury

The family and friends of Terry have asked us to advise that he sadly passed away recently. Trading as M B Farms two further generations have of the family have built a successful and diverse farming business in the area. Terry was well known and respected in both farming and village communities.

His funeral will take place on Friday 26^th April at Stockbury Church at 2pm.

South East Farmer and Farm Machinery magazines

The April editions of these popular regional farming magazines are now available here in the market. Hobbs Parker are regular contributors to the editorial content.

Fodder Crop for sale and / wanted

For Sale – quantities of silage, haylage, oat straw, wheat straw and barley straw ex an East Sussex farm. Also available loose whole oats and wheat in half tonne bags. Ring 01580 819000, 01580 819700 or 07768 771 933.

For Sale – Up to 50 4’ 2018 silage bales on a Kent farm. Ring 01233 756468

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

Please see website for further details.

Saturday 20^th April – Charing, Kent. TN27 0JS

Monday 22^nd April – Aldington, Kent. TN25 7EJ

Saturday 27^th April – Parham, Storrington, West Sussex. RH20 2ER

Saturday 11^th May – Peper Harrow, Godalming, Surrey. GU8 6LA

Romney Sheepbreeders News

The 123^rd Annual General meeting of the Society will be held on Thursday 2^nd May at 8pm in the orchard room at the Conningbrook hotel, Canterbury, Ashford. For all society information Julie Lukehurst can be contacted on 07538 938425

Notices – Terry Brown, Stockbury

The family and friends of Terry have asked us to advise that he sadly passed away recently. Trading as M B Farms two further generations have of the family have built a successful and diverse farming business in the area. Terry was well known and respected in both farming and village communities.

His funeral will take place on Friday 26^th April at Stockbury Church at 2pm.

South East Farmer and Farm Machinery magazines

The April editions of these popular regional farming magazines are now available here in the market. Hobbs Parker are regular contributors to the editorial content.

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

Wanted – working sheep dog. Ring 01303 875265

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

Ashford YFC lambing day Sunday 28^th April at Hope Farm, Wittersham, TN30 7NP from 10am until 4pm by kind permission of The Lovejoy family, £2 per adult and £1 per child. Lots to see and do including live lambing, cuddle corner, sheep shearing demo, a BBQ and many others.

Ashford YFC welcomes new members every Wednesday and to all social events. Whether you’re on your own or come with a friend to a meeting anyone is welcome. Find us on Facebook or for more information contact Amy 07733 481473.

Kent Herdsmans Club

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

Hobbs Parker Auctioneers and Car Auctions

run over 200 auction sales every year

Our next Auction Sales include……

Headcorn Farm Machinery Sale

Saturday 11^th May at 9.30am

Lots will include tractors, trailers, vehicles, arable equipment, haymaking equipment, tractor attachments & spares, livestock kit, garden machinery, workshop tools, a large and varied selection of rural bygones.

Up to 500 lots of shrubs and garden plants and hedging and trees will also be offered

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.

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.

Heathfield Show news – as published by the organisers

Saturday, 25th May is the Heathfield & District Agricultural Show.  The build up for the Show is taking place on the Broad Oak Showground of the Heathfield Show.  This green field site is the restaurant, for 350 days a year, for cows and sheep and you can see them grazing contentedly.  But, for 14 days it becomes the focus of much activity and then on the 15th, and final day, it becomes the stage for one of the most successful one day agricultural shows in the south east of England. This year will be no exception.

Known as the premier one day agricultural show in the south east, the Heathfield Show brings an exciting day out for the young and old to its venue Little Tottingworth Farm, Broad Oak, by kind permission of the Trustees of Mr & Mrs D W Browning.  The Show has become a ‘must do’ in the diaries of country loving people both locally and from far and wide.

This year the Heathfield Show is proud to be able to announce that entries in all sections are up over last year, with an incredible 20% increase in entries in the Sheep Section, thus maintaining its strong embedded history of agriculture.  With 10 sheep, cattle, pig and horse competition rings being used throughout the morning and early afternoon it ensures there is plenty for all the family to see and do.  Heathfield Show has been chosen as a qualifier show for many of the major breed championship events throughout England.

Events around the Showground include the grand parade of livestock, the horse show, working steam, our very own Arts & Craft marquee, trade stands selling products ranging from combine harvesters to spinning tops, from tools of the trade to kitchen sieves, including a shopping arcade.  With ever changing displays in the main arena, there is also a Flower Show, Poultry and Education areas and not forgetting our New Enterprise Zone showcasing new businesses in the area who have been trading for less than a year.

This year we have the Monster Trucks returning to crash their way through 10 cars in the Main Ring.  A roaring spectacular, Big Pete, launches across the ring crushing and tearing anything in his way.  In contrast to this we have the Shetland Pony Grand National.  These agile little ponies are skilfully navigated around a series of jumps in a knock-out competition.  Have a friendly bet on who you think is going to win.  Another first for the Show this year is the Inter Hunt Relay.  Four hunts will be competing in Ring 2.  This will be a knock out competition.  Good practice for all those teams going forward to the South of England qualifying event.

The Country Ways area at the Heathfield Show was established with a vision to acknowledge and promote fine craftsmanship, traditional skills and rare trades.  Our aim is to promote artisans pursuing traditional trades as a career with authenticity and an integrity that validates what they do and acknowledges their dedication to preserving and passing on traditional skills and knowledge.  We hope to provide a platform for true career artisans to share their skills and demonstrate their trades to an audience that is genuinely engaged.  The area aims to deliver an experience that is authentic and real whilst retaining the integrity on which it was founded.  This year is no exception with highlights being a thatcher, blacksmith, bee keeper, chair bodger and many many more.  Please refer to our web site for an up-to-date listing of all taking part.

Substantial discounts can be obtained by purchasing your tickets in advance from many local outlets or direct on line.  Details can be found on the Heathfield Show website.  Alternatively, tickets can be purchased on Show day at the gate.  There is free car parking and all visitors to the Show receive a free 96 page programme.   Ticket prices at the gate are: Adults £18 and Children up to the age of 16 have free entry.  : www.heathfieldshow.org.

Contact:  Nicola Magill, Show Secretary, Heathfield Show: Secretary@heathfieldshow.org.  01435 864587.