Weekly Sales News – 1st August 2017

Top price per head – £106 – W G Watkins & Sons

Top price per kilo – 232p – C A Worley Farming Ltd & D C Foy

Report on trade: A smaller entry of lambs on offer this week and this number has helped the trade to recover to similar levels as we saw throughout June and July. Our average this week was 204p, nearly 20p ahead of last week.

All classes of lambs on offer were in greater demand provided they were well fleshed with the lean sorts on offer selling on a trade comparable to the stores last Friday. Best sold on the day would once again be the heavier lambs that were with several breaking the £100 barrier to a top price of £106 from W G Watkins & Sons (49kg) closely followed by C & J Georgetti & Sons at £104.50 (47kg). Best of the continental export grade lambs sold to 232p from both C A Worley Farming Ltd and D C Foy.

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: Less ewes on offer this week and a strong trade for all with both the grazers and the meat ewes dearer on the week. Top end ewes were selling well in excess of £100 with a top price of £115.50 for some strong continental ewes from P Ashlee which was closely followed by L Stevens and Sons at £115. Ewe numbers have dried up in the past week nationally and with an increased ethnic demand in the run up to the EID festival, ewe prices have risen to accommodate this increased demand.

Top prices included continental ewes to £115.50 from P Ashlee, Suffolk crosses to £96 from S Newington, Romneys to £80 from D A Thompson and Mules to £73 from Howard Farming Ltd.

Report on trade: Another strong trade and more cattle could have been sold at favourable prices. A run of beef bred sorts from W S Furnival (Brookland) took the pick of the trade with Limousin cross heifers to £1327 (220p) and £1238 (224p) while an Aberdeen Angus cross heifer looked well sold at £1027 (189p). A run of continental x Friesian steers topped at £1118 (197p) from A J Down and the best of the native bred cattle included an Aberdeen Angus cross steer at £1143 (185p) from M & J Donaldson and a purebred Sussex heifer at £1044 (187p) from A H Hoad & Son.

Over 30 mths cattle grossed well up to £1166 (150p) for a Charolais cross from A J Thompson & Sons and a Holstein x Friesian heifer sold well at £1119 (156p) from H O Champneys Ltd.

Report on trade: Another very strong trade for a good number of culls for the beginning of August. Numbers nationally are quite simply very tight and this is ensuring strong demand and keen prices. Quality, with some notable exceptions, was not particularly good especially amongst the dairy culls but competition for all grades was intense throughout the sale.

A superbly shaped British Blue cow from J & K Webb showed what can be achieved in the auction ring selling at 192p per kg and grossing £1419 and though there were no other best meat cows plenty of crossbred beef cows made 130-145p. Aberdeen Angus cross made to 142p from D J Miles and 138p H F & J H Glover; Sussex cross 137p, 136p (Non FA) from Brockhill Park School; Devon cross 137p Dan Mackleden and  Limousin cross 131p and 130p (Non FA) F W Hares & Son.

Dairy culls remain an outstanding trade for the time of year and though the majority were lean boners and plain steakers the industry needs the numbers! British Friesian 147p and 141p £1047 Debden Court; Holsteins 140p, 134p, £1172, £1110 P J Forknall; 133p £1060 Oncoland Ltd; 132p £1014 Appleton Farms and Jerseys 90p, 86p, 84p Hickson Bros.

Good trade – more wanted!

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Report on trade: Only a small show of stores but no doubting that the store trade is in a good place as confidence remains positive with high beef prices, excellent stocks of fodder for the year and tightening national supplies of cattle.

Prices achieved included Simmental cross steers 6mths  £590 and heifers £480 A & V Sutton; Aberdeen Angus cross steer £530 and British Blue cross heifer 6mths £520 Boty Farms; Beef Shorthorn cross steers 12mths  £850 and heifer 15m £710 J B Howie and Devon cross heifers 15mths £500 from T Higgins.

Next Tuesdays sale – we expect to pen over 320 head of cattle for for this sale. See earlier in this report for full details

Report on trade: Great to see an entry of over 100 calves for an August Tuesday. 18 buyers purchased from this entry consigned by 21 farmers. Trade was competitive with decent prices reurned for all brreds and grades of calves.

Highlights through the sale included

T Castle & Son’s British Blue bulls to £350, heifers to £370 and Limousin bulls £330 – all 9 to 16 weeks old and out of British Friesian cows.

P J Baldock’s Charolais bull £320 at 7 weeks

H O Champney’s Ltd Simmental bull £350and heifers £315, Hereford bull £310  And British Blue bull £370 – all between 4 and 15 weeks old

M W Goddard’s  Limousin bull £360 at 12 weeks and Blonde bull £285 at 5 weeks

R L W Parrett’s Simmental bulls to £420 with 4 averaging £355 at 1 to 2 weeks

P J Forkanlls British Blue heifers £300 and Aberdeen Angus bulls £250 at 2 to 3 weeks.

W G & T A Manfords British Blue heifers£350 at 6 weeks.

Oncolands 7 Holstein bulls made to £100 and averaged £57.60 at 3 to 10 weeks

J B Howie’s 6 Ayrshire steers made to £105 and averaged £91.80 at 8 to 17 weeks.

W P Hope and Sons 5 holstein bulls made to £85 and averaged 70.20 at 1 to 3 weeks.

M W Goddards  7 Holstein bulls made to £148 and averaged £110.10

Please keep your entries of calves coming. At our fortnightly sales we expect to have plenty of enquiries for all shapes, sizes and ages of stock. Thank you all for texts and messages with early notice of your entries for forthcoming sales – it does help.

Report on trade: The strong demand for pigs continued again the summer season and our fortnightly auction is producing fair returns for all classes. Our entry filled the allocated pens and found buyers fit to secure supplies again this week.

Ex Kent Show pigs from the Young Farmers school farms were a good proportion of the entry with Brockhill Park’s 2 pens making 128p per kg and grossing to £133, North Schools Saddleback gilts 120p and £82 to breed and Homewood Schools (C B Hope bred) 140p and £130.

Regular consignors S J M Evans run of 17 butchers pigs rang the bell at 143p for gilts and 140p fior boars brossing to £115.70 with J Watts heavy pigs 137p and £140 averaging £135.50.

Cull sows made to 58p twice and demand is good.

In the store and breeding pens P & R Marshall’s regular run of well bred stores made to £57 and smaller models £48.

Our pig sales are held once a fortnight and with the summer now we are seeing plenty of competition and more confidence in the pig sector after very low levels which prevailed for about 3 months in the spring. Please keep in touch with us here in Ashford if you have pigs to sell.

Vacancy at the Romney Sheep Breeders Society

We are looking for a keen, motivated, enthusiastic secretary to get involved in and help run the Romney Sheep Breeders Society.  The position will suit someone who has some knowledge of sheep, is media savvy and can communicate well with farmers.  This is a part time role consisting of two/three days per month based in the Kent/Sussex area.

Please contact Alan Barr on 07881654513 or alan@barrfarms.co.uk for further details.

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.

Livestock for sale

1 Pedigree Limousin Bull, 4 yrs old available, ex farm. TB Low. Contact Mark Cleverdon for details – 07748 202688

Hobbs Parker Auctioneers

We are pleased to announce we have instructions to conduct a dispersal sale of farm machinery and equipment on Romney Marsh

Thursday 14^th September

Puddock Farm , Fairfield, Brookland on instructions from Peter Skinner & Son

Further entries of farm machinery and equipment are very welcome from neighbouring farms

Please contact Elwyn Davies or any of our auctioneers to discuss arrangements for this sale

Further instructions for auction sales of this type are always welcome

Sheepdogs for sale

4 Border Collie puppies, black and white and tricolour, from working parents. North Kent – please ring 07789 197236 (evenings and weekends).

For information on all livestock sales please contact at anytime

Elwyn Davies (Sheep) 07710 803901

Peter Kingwill (Cattle) 07795 200357

Mark Cleverdon (Pigs/Calves) 01233 506288

John Rossiter (Sheep) 07557 3929033

Martin Crowhurst (Cattle/Sheep) 07710 803903   Simon Husk (Cattle/Sheep) 07885 968077

Hobbs Parker Auctioneers and Car Auctions

run over 200 auction sales every year

Our next Auction Sales are …..

Hobbs Parker Auctioneers and Car Auctions

run over 200 auction sales every year

Our next Auction Sales are ……

Horse & Saddlery Sale

Thursday 10^th August at 10am

Catalogues will be available about a week before the sale.

Entries expected of riding ponies, event horses and youngstock

New & nearly new saddlery & tack, grooming kit, yard equipment, rugs, harness Riding boots, show jackets, jodhpurs, body protectors, yard clothing & boots

Commercial Vehicles

Thursday 17^th August at 3.00pm

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

Chilli Farm Machinery sale

Saturday 30^th September at 9.30am

Entries close Saturday 9^th September

Large entries of tractors, trailers, vehicles, arable equipment, haymaking equipment, tractor attachments & spares, livestock kit, garden machinery, workshop tools and a large and varied selection of rural bygones are expected

Collective Machinery & Equipment sale

Friday 10^th November at 9.30am.

Catalogues will be available about a week before the sale.

Lots will include new & nearly new mowers & garden machinery. New tools, farm & agricultural equipment, timber plus large selection of miscellaneous items.

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 to these matters.

Notice from Trading Standards on Sheep tags

Sheep producers are reminded that all sheep now require electronic tags, either single, double or re replacements. Please refer to Defra guidelines for the necessary type of tag required depending on the sheep you are presenting for sale.

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Local Agricultural Show and event dates

Sunday and Monday 27^th and 28^th August – Edenbridge & Oxted Show, Ardenrun Showground, Tandridge Lane, Lingfield, Surrey RH7 6LL. For more information contact show office 01737 645843 or visit www.edenbridge-show.co.uk

Monday 28^th August – Aylesham, Norfolk. www.theaylshamshow.co.uk

Saturday 2^nd September – Moreton in Marsh, Gloucestershire. www.moretonshow.co.uk

RABI, FCN and Kent Herdsmans Club News

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

Saturday 16^th September – Weald of Kent Ploughing Match, Gatehouse Farm, Marden TN12 9SG

Saturday 23^rd September – Gravesend Rochester Ploughing Match, Newlands Farm, Station Road, Cliffe, Rochester ME3 7RU

Wednesday 27^th September – East Kent Ploughing Match, Quex Park, Manston Road, Birchington CT7 0HR

Saturday 14^th October – Harvest Supper, Amos Hall Ashford Market

Sunday in October (date to be confirmed) – County Harvest Thanksgiving Service, Faversham church

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

Saturday 2^nd December – Maidstone Symphony Orchestra, charity evening in connection with George Jessel, High Sheriff. More details to follow.

Tuesday 5^th December – Live Nativity Carol Evening, 6pm in the auction ring at Ashford Market

Kent Herdsmans Club

The Herdmans club say “well done” to Mark Cleverdon for winning the Jack Hales memorial trophy for stockjudging (Dairy and Beef cattle, pigs and breeding sheep). Thanks also to Brookside Garden Centre (Terry Shead) for sponsoring the prizes.

Monday 14th August at 7.30pm. Visit to the Goddard family and their Guston Holsteins and Solar Farm. Guston Court Farm, East Langdon Rd, Dover. CT15 5EX Many thanks Jo

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

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Hobbs Parker Car Auctions

Don’t miss this special sale …………

Sale of Boats and Maritime items at Ramsgate Harbour

Saturday 16^th September

A good large entry of boats and other maritime items

Hobbs Parker and Ashford Livestock Market

We are the South East’s principle livestock market selling around 264,000 head of cattle, sheep and pigs in 2016.

Weekly sales throughout the year of all classes of stock, principally on Tuesdays, run by a fully professional team of auctioneers and support staff, they provide an unmatched level of service and commitment to the livestock farmers in the area. Come and see us on market day soon and bring your livestock for us to sell.