Weekly Sales News – 16th November 2021

Top price per head £142.50 – Mrs J Walker: Top price per kg – 297p– Mr G P King

Report on trade: Just over 1,300 penned this morning with a good show of both meated lambs and weight on offer. Trade is still tremendous for the time of year and in fact the current levels are a good trade for any point of the season. Averages were not quite so high as last week with an over figure just under 260p kg which is in line with the rest of the country.

Still several lots selling in excess of £130 hd to a top price of £142.50 for some superb lambs from Mrs J Walker with Summer Down Farm a close second, just £1 behind and P Gorringe in 3^rd place at £139 hd. Smaller lambs and leaner sorts are selling from 250-300p kg with store types generally grossing £90-£105 hd. Top in this section was taken by Mr G P King with lambs just a shade under £3 kg.

Auctioneer: James Cook O’Connell

Top price from – £128 (Ave. £83.00)

Report on trade: Less ewes have been forward nationally in recent days and trade has remained constant, despite the suggestion of lack of demand from the wholesalers. In Ashford we actually saw the averages returned a little higher than last weeks, but this is most likely put down to the ewes on offer being better quality, with less leaner types on offer. Grazing men are still out in force to buy these however with prices ranging from £60-75 with most of the best meat selling over £100 hd.

Top prices included-

Suffolk cross to £128 from M Critcher and Partners

Continentals to £117 from Chichester College

Mules to £108 from S W Batch and P R & H Vellacott

Romneys to £111 from Keri Contracting

Top Continental cross

Limousin cross steer           £1385 (265p)        J Hooker & Son

Limousin cross steer           £1527 (253p)        W Alexander (Shoreham)

Limousin cross heifer         £1520 (256p)        W Alexander (Shoreham)

Limousin cross heifer         £1253 (259p)        D W Ferguson Ltd

Limousin cross heifer         £1261 (266p)        R J Husk

Top Native bred

Angus cross heifer              £1037 (226p)        W Alexander (Shoreham)

Sussex steer                         £1257 (223p)        C E & W S Millson

Report on trade: Strong trade continues o apar with recent weeks with the best in excess of 250p notably from quality runs consigned by W Alexander (Shoreham), D W Ferguson Ltd and J Hooker & Son. Other top prices included Limousin cross heifer at £1257 (247p) from W G Watkins & Son, Limousin cross Friesian steers to £1434 (230p) from A J Down and a run of well-bred lean Limousin cross heifers 230p plus and up to £1261 (266p) from R J Husk.

Native bred cattle in short supply with the best attracting prices around 225p and lower grade Friesian steers to £1050 (185p) from B J Goodsell & Son

Report on trade: A few less cows this week but more flesh on offer particularly amongst the dairy culls whish were a strong fleshed group. Trade showing no sign of easing with confidence in the sector borne out by the strength of the feeding trade.

Best of the beef feeders up close to 200p kg with the right types regularly 150-180p. Fleshed beef cows 140-160p and little under 110p kg.

Limousin cross 196p, 183p, 169p, £1259, £113 Campbell Bros; 159p, £1102 P N & C Burden; 153p, 150p, 148p (2), £1106, £1075, £1047, £1003 A C Hulme & Sons; Charolais cross 159p, £1133 Campbell Bros; British Blue 157p, £1117 L Palmer & Sons; Blonde cross 148p, £1189 L Palmer & Sons; Belted Galloway 157p, 145p, £815 (Non-FA) J Waters; Hereford cross 146p, 140p, (Non-FA) J Cook; Sussex 140p, 137p, £985 Beaute Agri; 135p, 130p, 128p, £1088 C E & W S Millson; Lincoln Red (Non-FA) 137p, £1107 N Morgan.

Plenty of weight and finish on a good entry of dairy cows. Competition strong throughout with sensibly fewer of the leaner lightweights which will find their place in the year, or New Year. Best cows pushing towards 140p and best heavy weights cows close to £1250.

Montbeliarde 137p, £1037 D Murdoch & Sons; Holstein Friesian 137p, 130p, £1051, £1030 D Murdoch & Sons; 136p, 134p, 130p (2), £1248, £1120, £115, £1064 J S & M D Antrum & Son; 134p, 121p, £1081 M A & F W Owen; 127p, £1025 J W Boyd & Sons; British Friesian 131p, 129p, 125p, £1118 B J Goodsell & Son; Brown Swiss 120p, £893 D Murdoch & Sons.

Overage clean cattle very strong. OTM South Devon heifer 198p, £1086; OTM British Blue x Friesian heifer 190p, £1165; 3 yrs. Holstein Friesian heifer 154p, £1136; 4 yrs. Hereford heifer 156p, £941.

Report on trade: A much reduced show of cattle both in terms of numbers and quality compared to last week, however, a good attendance of buyers ensured competitive bidding throughout with the best of the weaned calves attracting prices around £800 and top stores to finish short term £1100 plus.

Well grown 8 mths Lincoln Red steers topped the youngster section at £840 from N Morgan closely followed by an Aberdeen Angus cross steer at £810 from K Clayson.

The strong cattle again both exceptionally well sold with smart Limousin cross heifers topping the market at £140 and quality Limousin cross steer £1350 from W G Watkins & Son.

Other favourable prices included British Blue cross heifer at £1100 from first time vendor E R Amesbury (Wheatland) Ltd and well framed Hereford cross Friesian steers at £1100 from Burnt Oak Farm & Kennels.

Store cattle are wanted and more could be sold at favourable prices with keen buyers from all parts of the country in attendance.                                                                         

Principal prices include  

Continental cross

8 mths Simmental cross steer                           £790                       A Smith & Son

8 mths British Blue cross steer                          £775                       P H Hope

8 mths Blonde cross steer                                  £760                       Wanstall Farm

8 mths Charolais cross steer                             £765                       G J Ostridge

8 mths Charolais cross steer                             £655                       G J Ostridge

20 mths Limousin cross steer                            £1350                    W G Watkins & Son

20 mths Limousin cross heifer                          £1400                    W G Watkins & Son

24 mths British Blue x Friesian steer                £1170                    P J Forknall

24 mths British Blue cross steer                        £1160                    E R Amesbury (Wheatland)

24 mths British Blue cross heifer                      £1100                    E R Amesbury (Wheatland)

Native Bred

8 mths Aberdeen Angus cross steer                £810                       K Clayson

8 mths Lincoln Red steer                                    £840                       N Morgan

18 mths Hereford x Friesian steer                     £1100                    Burnt Oak Farms & Kennels

18 mths South Devon steers                             £940                       M Goddard

18 mths South Devon heifer                              £850                       M Goddard

18 mths Sussex steer                                         £870                       Great Barn Farm

18 mths Sussex steer                                         £940                       West Court Farm

18 mths Sussex heifer                                        £725                       West Court Farm

24 mths Aberdeen Angus x Friesian steer      £1025                    B J Goodsell

Report on trade: A entry of mainly in calf cows today with some real powerful cows on offer. Trade firm with buyers keen to get hold of extra numbers ready for early spring calving. Top price of £1,320 to E Chantler & Son with a 2018 born Limousin sold 5 months in calf, the same vendor also selling other Limousin’s to £1,290 and £1,280 respectively. Simmentals from the same home topped at £1,310, with all cows from the same home being approximately 5-6m in calf. British Blue x Frisian cows from P H Hope topped at £1,030 and a run of older cows from L Palmer & Son, all approximately 6 mths in calf topped at £1,100.

A 2011 born Hereford cow with October born Aberdeen Angus heifer calf from J Cook the only outfit forward today and looked well enough sold at £1,260.

Report on trade: There is no point in trying to paint a picture of good news for the pig trade here or anywhere in the country (or Europe or further afield). We can only hope there will be some good news soon.

In the finished pig pens Brooker & Son had 3 good pigs which made 118p per kg and grossed £100.30. The trade for the rest of the offering of finished pigs can only be described as disappointing with S Scott & Son offering heavy boar pigs which made 60 and grossed £57 and 40p to 50 covered the remainder.

Cull pigs penned made 5p to 18p to a top gross of £37.80.

Store pigs penned attached very limited with nice shaped white store making £10 to £16 and others returning home.

Next pig sale will be Show Day with pens of three being judged by Andrew Laver – additional pigs are expected to be offered.

Cattle Producers, Please Note

Producers from all counties are reminded that if a beast is at any time in its life identified as an Inconclusive Reactor then they are unable to move it off their holding to any other place other than a place of slaughter, irrespective of any subsequent test that may turn out negative. They are not allowed to come to Ashford Cattle Market for onward movement to slaughter.

Hay and Straw register

For Sale – large quantities of hay, hayledge and straw in the Ashford area. Ring 07707 879642

For Sale – large quantities of top-notch feed and bedding – Round bale naked hay, Round bale wrapped haylage, Mini Hesston bales naked hay, Half Mini Hesston bales wrapped haylage, Round bale wrapped silage, Round bale naked wheat straw, Round bale naked barley straw, Round bale naked oat straw, Whole Oats in 1 tonne weighed bags, Whole Wheat in crane bags, Logs of all varieties, shapes, sizes and prices.

All from our own Red Tractor certified farms (with full field traceability) and keenly priced ex farm or delivered locally or nationwide. Richard Barnes (Farms) Ltd, Etchingham, TN19 7AZ.

01580 819000, 07768 771933