Weekly Sales News – 18th January 2022

Top price per kilo – 303p – J A Farming, Norfolk: Top price per head – £142.00 – R L Pack

Report on trade: A smaller entry of finished sheep this week but more hoggets on offer in total when the stores are taken into account. Trade improved significantly in comparison to last week and yesterday’s figures, with an overall average of 275p kg, saw hoggs back above £3 kg once again on a few occasions for the export types and topped at 303 from J A Farming, Norfolk. Heavier types topped out at £142 for some smart continental hoggs weighing 50 kg from R L Pack. Trade appears to be stable at the levels we are currently seeing with the main fluctuations caused by the numbers on offer nationally as the week goes on.

At this time of year, it is very much appreciated if you can let us know what you plan  to send, with lairage facilities available form 3-6pm on Monday afternoons.

Auctioneer: James Cook O’Connell

Top Price Ewe – £145.00 from E Stretton

Top Price Ram – £146 from Poland Brothers

Report on trade: Another good trade today for a lesser quality show of ewes in the pens compared to last week. The best fleshed still in strong demand and dearer than ever with good runs from K Lukehurst to £143, M Hooker and Son to £134, H Edmonds to £133 and M A & F W Owen to £128.  Many more of these top-quality ewes could be sold at favourable prices.

Again, a big percentage of lean ewes on offer and these continue to sell well with the majority in the £60 to £90 bracket and only very plain sorts below this level.

Top Prices included:

• Continentals to £145 from E Stretton
• Suffolk cross to £129 from S W Mount & Sons
• Mules to £111 from D Howard Farms
• Romneys to £110 from Link Bros

Report on trade: Biggest entry of the year to date with just a shade under 1,000 stores on offer, with vendors from East Anglia to West Sussex, and buyers present to compete for numbers. Overall, the averages were returned at £98 with a top price of £114.50 from H J Hecks & Son. Other runs of note include Romneys from S E Lane & Partners which sold to £107 and J A Farming who sold continentals to £112.50.

Report on trade: Although prices were not quite at last week’s high level this was still a very decent trade with 7 individual successful buyers at ringside competing for all on offer.

A run of handy weight continental cross heifers from D W Ferguson Ltd took the pick of the trade with the majority 240p plus and up to £1428 (256p) while a quality Aberdeen Angus cross heifer sold well at £1452 (255p) and a Limousin cross steer at £1449 (242p) from W Alexander (Shoreham). Other top continental crosses included a run of Limousin cross heifers selling around 235p and grossing up to £1380 from R F & E A Simmons and continental cross Friesian steers £1480 (215p) and £1448 (220p) and heifers £1403 (225p) and £1380 (231p) from A J Down.

Other native bred cattle around 220p with purebred Sussex steer £1245 (219p) from W Hurley and £1136 (219p) from Mrs V McDonald and heavyweight Aberdeen Angus cross steer £1546 (200p) from Leggatt Farming Ltd.

Average prices

Steers up to 650kg                              11                          256p to 190p   Av 220.0p

Steers over 651kg                                4                           220p to 200p   Av 209.9p

Heifers up to 590kg                             15                          255p to 191p   Av 233.2p

Heifers over 591kg                                 3                          231p to 225p   Av 226.9p

Report on trade: No stopping the cow trade at Ashford with another large entry of cows from a wide area from Petworth to Basildon! Trade again tremendous with a large company of buyers for all grades competing for an entry of mostly beef cows, with fewer from the dairy sector this week. Overall, less flesh on offer this week but confidence high in the feeding sector and demand for the lean beef cows of any age remains strong indeed.

Meat cows regularly 140p – 190p with the heavyweights grossing up close to £1500 head. A very strong trade for fleshed cows under 48 months. Feeding cows and long-term grazers are a fabulous trade with barely anything under 120p kg and younger Continental types up to 200p kg with plenty 150p – 180p.

Limousin cross 199p, 170p, £1191 L & L Colbourne; 182p,  £1036 R Scott; 175p, 162p, 158p, 154p, £1481, £1412, £1300 H J Emery & Son; 158p, £1268 P N & C Burden; Charolais 188p, £1106 (Non-FA) J Tapley; 136p, £1111 (Non-FA) A J Strand & Son; Sussex 191p, 174p, £1284, £1104 W Hurley; 187p, 183p, 175p, 165p, £1165, £1097, £1089, £1033 Mrs V McDonald; 149p, £1069 (Non-FA) B W Kemsley & Son; 148p, £1025 R L Goodman & Son; 148p, 144p, £966 Kinnear & Co; British Blue cross 168p, 154p, 142p D G & J W Gore; Simmental cross 166p, 163p Betchworth Estate; Beef Shorthorn cross 150p, £1301 R L Goodman & Son; South Devon 156p, 147p, 141p, £1345, £1285, £1209 Gardners; Aberdeen Angus cross 143p, 140p, £1137, £1033 D G & J W Gore; North Devon 135p, £893 Mrs H Edmonds; British White 132p, £828 N D Cannon.

A smaller entry of dairy culls this week and fewer meat cows on offer but still 125p – 135p kg. Half meat cows a very positive trade at 105p – 120p with only the leanest oldest and lightest down below 100p kg.

Holstein heifers 179p, £1035 J Warnock & Sons; 164p, £1027 Goddard & Son.

Holstein Friesian cows 134p, £1141 W F Farms; 123p Goddard & Son; 119p H O Champneys Ltd, 119p J Warnock & Son.

Norwegian Red 136p, Flekvieh 128p, E P Knight.

A few overage assured Black & White steers with flesh sold very well to 190p, 172p, 166p, 160p, £1184, £1151, £1117, £1116, £1101 from the Scott brothers.

Overall a very positive day in the section. Keep the numbers coming and take advantage of this strong trade for all grades.

Report on trade: Another small seasonal show of stores but buyers now showing more interest with yards and ground so much drier than a fortnight ago. Stores, particularly the stronger short-term finishers and hard outwintered or open yarded cattle, will be wanted in February so please have a word with any of us as you plan your sales or look to make some room before calving or lambing begins.

Several young bulls on offer generally £600-£800 for last  year’s late spring calves. Please keep them away from young heifer groups they cause untold problems later in the year!

Plenty of the harder yearling cattle £600 – £900 depending on size, breed and quality with the stronger cattle soon pushing up through the £1000 level.

Quality overall somewhat mixed at this stage of the year, but more runs anticipated as we move into February.

Principal prices include

Charolais cross steer, 9 mths                            £820                       Fisher Street Farms

Charolais cross heifer, 9 12 mths                     £875 – £630          Fisher Street Farms

Beef Shorthorn steer, 16 mths                          £1050                    North School YFC

Sussex steer, 18 mths                                        £810                       Mrs V McDonald

Aberdeen Angus cross 18 mths                        £730 – £650          Gann & Brown

Simmental cross heifer, 18 mths                      £800                       M Palmer

Sussex steer, 24 mths                                        £805                       A J Kearl

Friesian steer, 18 mths                                       £930                       A Hubbard

Aberdeen Angus cross heifer, 20 mths            £940                       F Tapley & Sons

Report on trade: A fantastic entry of calves today with shapes and sizes for all budgets.

Top end calves a little easier this week with a strong trade for second and third quality. British Blues from H O Champneys Ltd topping the continental bull section with a top of £340 (x2). Mrs Clifford-Baines also sold Blues to £335, and further heights of £330 from P J Forknall. Charolais bulls to £320 for a good run of younger calves from the Falconhurst Estate. Simmental bulls from H O Champneys Ltd to £345 and £300. A decent entry of Angus bulls forward today topping at £285 from Kingcott Dairy, £245 the next step down with Angus Bulls from R & J Ledger & J W Boyd & Sons at this price.

A similar story with the heifers this week with trade more in line with other centres than we have become accustomed to. A cracking calf to top the heifers this week with Blues to £345 from G A & H Vicary. J E Scutt & Son topped their run at £330 and £320. Charolais from the Falconhurst Estate to £280. Simmentals to £310 from H O Champneys Ltd. Native heifers to £180 for R & J Ledger`s run of Angus and a run of small in stature Herefords from the Falconhurst Estate topped at £105.

Dairy calves show no sign of easing with several accounts ringside. Flekvieh topped at £130 from J Gormley whilst Holstein Friesians topped at £160 from J E Scutt & Son. British Friesians from H O Champneys Ltd in demand as ever and topping at £240. Most black and whites in the £55-£70 range with strongest £100- £150.

Weanlings –14 sold

Weanling trade holding firm this week with a top of £460 for 5-7m Angus steers from S E Lane & Partners. Heifers to £405 for a Simmental cross from T Watts Farms Ltd and bulls to £370 for a Dairy Shorthorn cross from the same home.

A reminder that we are able to offer calves from Arla vendors under 56 days old subject to a declaration being signed by the purchaser, any queries on this please do get in touch.

South East Farmer and Farm Machinery magazines

The January edition of this popular regional farming magazine is now available here in the market. Hobbs Parker is a regular contributor to the editorial content.

Cattle Passports

We remind producers that on no occasion should the details on a cattle passport be changed other than by returning it to BCMS.

If details are incorrect return and advise BCMS, or advice the auctioneers on market day without writing on the passport.

Cattle Producers, Please Note – Revised Advice Inconclusive Reactors

All IRs from high risk or edge areas that have had a negative (clear) result on retesting remain restricted on their holding for the rest of their life and can only move direct to slaughter or an approved finishing unit (AFU).

In a low-risk area if there has been a TB breakdown (i.e., with reactors) then again, any IRs that subsequently have a negative test are still only allowed to go direct to slaughter or an AFU, however if only IRs are identified in a low-risk area herd test then no movement restrictions are placed on those animals if they subsequently retest negative (clear).

Should any low-risk area producer have any doubts, about the position please do not hesitate to contact Peter Kingwill.

Hay and Straw register

For a small charge we are quite happy to advertise your hay, straw, and fodder for sale in this register which will now run until early May for further details please ring our auctioneers office on 01233 502222.

For Sale – Freshly dug fodder beet available in large quantities in the Ashford area. Can be delivered. Ring 07764 273798

For Sale – 3,000 conventional wheat straw bales from the Ashford area. 07876273254

For Sale – Conventional baled and 4 string big bales meadow hay on a farm in the Ashford area. Can be delivered. Ring Michael on 07715651766 or 01233 820261

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, Round bale wrapped silage, Round bale naked wheat straw, Round bale naked barley straw, Round bale naked oat straw, Whole Wheat and barley 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