Weekly Sales News – 19th December 2017

Top price per head – £90 – M R Woodroofe : Top price per Kg – 206p – A Town

Report on trade: A bigger entry of sheep were on offer this week with over 2000 penned and they met a more difficult trade than we saw last week. Numbers on offer around the country were up on Monday and a lot of the larger supermarket buyers were already full for the weeks limited orders for the Christmas period. This limited demand and larger numbers on offer made trade a little more difficult than last week yet the overall average price per head was almost £1 above the corresponding figures for last years week prior to Christmas. The heavier the lambs on offer the more demand there was for the with the best making  it to £90 from M R Woodroofe, closely followed by a super run of lambs from M L Wilson & Sons Ltd which topped at £88.50. The best continental sorts were again in demand with the top spot taken again by A Town at 206p per kg for 40kg lambs.

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: A smaller entry this week which sold to a similar trade to last week, with the best end of the ewes, which were very much in short supply, slightly improved for the wholesale market as number on offer will be tight in the coming fortnight. We seem to be getting close to the end of this season for large entries of ewes, with the figures for 2017 up by over 2000 head over the whole year. This increase in numbers has been partly due to the comparative lower cost of replacements this year and also due to the strong prices achieved by the leaner sorts all through the autumn to go on for further finishing. The main concern with this is if the trade does begin to lift after the Christmas period, will these ewes flood back out into the market? We will see in the New Year!

Top prices this week included crossbred ewes to £73 from K Dennis, Suffolk crosses to £65.50 from R J Horsman and Romney ewes to £70 form G R Weller

Store Sheep – 34 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Report on trade: Just  a small number offered but still six individuals made purchases. We will see larger numbers coming forward in the early sales in the new year if demand continues as we have seen it. Read on for our final Friday sale report which follows.

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Report on trade: Just  a small number offered but still six individuals made purchases. We will see larger numbers coming forward in the early sales in the new year if demand continues as we have seen it. Read on for

Report on trade: A very small entry pre-Christmas and trade was brisk throughout with a British Blue cross steer grossing up to £1306 (215p) and a smart Charolais cross heifer toping at £1197 (229p) from S Marsh.

A Sussex steer looked well sold at £1241 (196p) from A & M Lyon.

Report on trade: A small entry of culls pre-Christmas and comprising mostly plain dairy culls best tidied up before the seasonal shut down. Trade was very similar with the one beef cow a smart feeding Limousin cross  5yrs old and selling at 156p and £1072. The dairy culls were all boners or lean steakers with the half meated types 90-115p and plain lightweights generally 70-90p. Prospects for the sector remain positive.

Cows will be wanted on the 2^nd January as plants kick back into work.

Report on trade: A January 2016 born Friesian steer made £150 and a similar aged Aberdeen Angus cross heifers£180.

We do not expect great numbers forward on Tuesday 2^nd January with a larger entry already promised for Tuesday 9^th including 3 pedigree in calf Sussex cows, bn 2007 to 2012 and due in Early spring to a Sussex bull, from Mr R P Jones.

and British Blue heifers 17mths £718 from J Earey.

Stores now best left to New Year. Please contact Market Office with details.

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Ashford Cattle Show 2017

Prize giving evening will be Monday 22^nd January here in the Amos Hall at the market.  

We are sorry to report that the show gavel is missing – last seen at the dinner in 2016. Anyone who might, for whatever reason, know of its whereabouts please contact Julie Coney on 07887 643002

Everyone at Hobbs Parker send all our clients season’s greetings and look forward to doing business with you all again in 2018

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Special post Christmas car auction

Thursdays 28^th December at 4.00pm

A large and wide selection of up cars are expected to be on offer in this sale

Miscellaneous wanted and Livestock for sale ex farm

Wanted- shepherd to care for a flock of 800 Suffolk x Mules lambing in mid-april. Full time, part time or just lambing season availability considered. Must have a sheep dog and significant shepherding experience. Accommodation and vehicle available, work to start in the New Year. All enquiries to: owenpiper@hotmail.co.uk

Grazing available in Hampshire for 300 Romney or Romney cross ewe lambs until mid September 2018. Ring 07785 793450

For Sale – 09 Reg’ Mitsubishi L200 pickup with full years MOT, 69000 milles, double cab, leather interior, loadliner, roller shutter top, tow bar, very tidy and regularly serviced. £8250 + VAT. Ring 07787 566080

For Sale – 10 Pedigree Holstien heifers – due to Aberdeen Angus bull and due in January and February. West Kent. Ring Mark on 07748 202688

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

Wanted – a cattle yard (or part of) with or without grazing for a small herd of up to 20 head of stock in the Maidstone area.  Contact Mark Cleverdon with details – 07748 202688

Hay, Straw and fodder

For Sale – Organic Hay, Haylage & Silage, Big Square and rounds. All good quality – Available East Sussex/Kent border. Contact Buckhurst Estate: Sharon 01892 770220 or Warren 07836 378044

This register will now run until early May for further details please ring our auctioneers office on 01233 502222 or Mark Cleverdon 07748 202688

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RABI, FCN and Kent Herdsmans Club News

RABI

Farmhouse Breakfast season

Thursday 18^th January – Poacher & Partridge, Tudeley. TN11 0PH

Wednesday 24^th January – Medway Yacht Club, Lower Upnor, Rochester. ME2 4XB

Thursday 8^th February – Elham Valley Vineyard

Wednesday 14^th February – The Stockpot, Ashford Market. TN24 0HB

Thursday 15^th February – Dog & Duck, Pluks Gutter, Canterbury

Further fundraising events

Monday 26^th February – Plumpton Race day

Friday 23^rd March – Clay pigeon shoot at West Kent Shooting School, Brenchley. TN12 7DG

Wednesday 27^th June – Champagne, Strawberries & Jazz at the Kent County Showground, Detling

For further information on all RABI events in Kent ring Charles Tassell – 01622 858733, 07973 412179 or email charles@tassell.co.uk

Kent Herdsmans Club

Sunday 14^th January at 12 noon – a visit to Chandler & Dunn Ltd to view their cattle and some of the fruit storage at the farm, Lower Goldstone, Ash, Canterbury CT3 2 DY.

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

Vehicle parking on busy market days – Congestion in the bottom / livestock parking area

Please help us to help you. The upper car park on the top side of the market buildings is available for all cars and Land Rovers with trailers