Weekly Sales News – 22nd May 2018

New season lambs Top price per head – £135 – C Moss & Sons; Top price per kilo – 303p – D Isaac

Report on trade: A bigger entry once again of lambs and we expect numbers will be lifting each week now as the later lambing flocks start to draw their lambs from grass. With this lift in numbers we saw more good quality lambs, something which has been lacking in the past few weeks. Numbers on offer this week have also increased considerably on a national level and this in turn has unfortunately caused a slight drop in the price but we are still seeing record levels for the time of the year and we must not forget this, despite some of the fantastic prices we have tasted recently. Best heavy sorts sold to £135 for some 50kg offerings for C Moss & Sons while the best continental bred lambs from D Isaac sold to 303p for some very smart 38kg Beltex crosses.

This was the smallest entry of hoggets that we have seen in 2018. This looks like the end of season for many of the runs of sheep on offer but there is still a good demand for these sheep, especially for the best meated sorts which were making well in excess of £100 with many over £120. Top call was £159 for some well bred 57kg hoggets from Botley Hill Farm. The smarter sorts in the hogget pens sold to 272p for some smart Texel hoggets from S J & J L Vine.

Producers please note – For top results please present well fleshed lambs which are preferably dry and clean. Lairage facilities and dagging 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 small entry of ewes on offer this week which has conveniently coincided with the beginning of the Ramadan fasting period and obviously a lack of demand as a result of this. The top end ewes were still selling at a good level, well in excess of £100 to a top price of £122.50 from C Moss & Sons and several sheep trading at between £90-£110.

Report on trade: A few store hoggets on offer this week sold to £66 from D Morris. Ewes and lambs on offer sold to £70 a life from A Scott- Inglis.

Report on trade: Very young lambs made £6 to £8.

Report on trade: Another cracking trade for an increased entry of finished cattle with best handyweights 210p per kg plus and up to £1407 (237p) for a superb Blonde heifer from G L Boulden & Sons. A Limousin cross steer made £1212 (221p) from D W Ferguson Ltd. Other smart cattle with weight attracted prices in excess of 200p and grossed well with a British Blue cross steer topping at £1438 (206p) and a Limousin cross steer at £1349 (205p) from W Alexander (Shoreham). A run of fleshed continental x Friesian steers from A J Down again sold well with the majority around 195p and grossing up to £1237.

A small entry of native bred cattle again attracted a few local butchers with a Sussex heifer making £963 (179p) from L Stevens & Sons while barley fed Friesian steers topped at £1035 (161p) from R Price & Son.

An increase entry of OTM met an improved trade with a run of Sussex steers attracting prices mainly in excess of 170p and up to £1212 (187p) from M R & A V Adams and a Welsh Black cross 155p and up to £1118 (166p) from R W Jones & Son.

Report on trade: Close to 80 animals through the cull ring, and another outstanding trade, which speaks volumes about the strength of this section at Ashford. Quality was respectable without being exceptional and rates fully maintained. The best meat beef cows were making 150-170p per kg and the best dairy culls around the 140p mark. Cull cows (beef or dairy), overage steers (beef or dairy), and stock bulls (native or continental) are all wanted by an enthusiastic company of buyers keen to secure numbers. National supply remains tight so little danger of any slippage in values for some time to come. Just a few more non performing plainer grass cows are coming through from the dairy sector but still great returns even for these.

Examples of the beef trade are Charolais 163p £1406, 154p £1036 for Vexour Pedigree Cattle; South Devon cross 160p Mrs C S Hayes; Aberdeen Angus 157p £1221, 152p £1136 Vexour Pedigree Cattle; Aberdeen Angus cross 154p £1220, 152p £1015 C R Cook; Simmental cross 156p, 155p, 154p (2), 152p, 151p, 150p £1175, £1136, £1081, £1018 C R Cook and Limousin cross 148p, 146p £1026 S J M Evans.

In the Dairy pens British Friesians 140p, 138p, 137, 136p, 134p(2) £998, £988, £976, £973 PHR Farms; Holstein Friesian 141p £1138 Huddlestone Farms; 140p £1214 Appleton (Ledger) Farms.

Older 48 mths plus Ayrshire steers 138p £983 and a Guernsey steer135p £1042 R W Jones& Son.

Stock bull trade was excellent particularly when fleshed. A Limousin (under 30 mths) 175p £1197; Limousin 126p £1381, 129p £1214, 115p £1065; Hereford 120p £1123; Longhorn 116p £1040; Charolais 112p and Aberdeen Angus 109p.

Report on trade: Despite a reduced entry this sale was very well attended with 23 individual successful buyers competing for all the cattle on offer ensuring strong prices as good as we have seen all spring.

The best of the continental cross yearlings attracted prices in excess of £800 with stronger cattle up to £1160 for Blonde cross steers from a superb run consigned by T Martin.

A good mix of native bred stores attracted lots of interest with the pick of the prices including yearling Aberdeen Angus cross steers at £950 from A J Thompson & Sons and a quality pen of 18 mths Hereford x British Friesian steers selling well at £1085 from O & P Gower.

Remember if you have cattle to sell please ring any of our team of auctioneers and fieldsmen for advice and to ensure cataloguing and proper advertising within our sales.

Principal prices include:                                                                                                                  

Report on trade: Another sale with an entry of calves which were predominantly 3 to 8 weeks old and a reasonable trade for all. Again the dairy bulls look well sold and, in the opinion of most, there was value for buyers in the beef calves offered.

Examples of the trade in the beef lines included  a January born Aberdeen Angus heifer at £270 from H O Champneys Ltd; 4 April and May born British Blue bulls to £350 and averaging £293 and 7 heifers to £300 and averaging £210 plus a March born Aberdeen Angus bull £315 all from Appleton (Ledger) Farms and late April born British Blue bulls £245 and heifers £220 from J C & S K Williams.

In the dairy bulls J Warnock & Son sold late April borns to £75, J C & S K Williams April borns to £105 and younger models to £55 from J W Boyd & Sons.

Sales will be offered fortnightly again through the whole of 2018. Please keep in touch whether you are a buyer or seller.

Report on trade: A small entry again this week and demand was good and prices again looking respectable. We were very short of cull pigs and had no stores – customers were present for both.

Good finished pigs made to 150p per kg for 5 85 kg pigs from B G & M A Tomsett which grossed £127.50. Heavy weights made to 92p from C B Hope.

The cull section saw a boar make 30p and a sow 32p

Sheep tags – farmers are reminded that all sheep require an electronic tag so we can record the number and return these details to you.

Please ensure all sheep are correctly tagged

Romney Sheepbreeders News

The Romney High Index Group invites you to their open day where sheep and science meet on Tuesday 5^th June 2018, 3pm at Pickney Bush Farm, Newchurch, Romney Marsh. TN29 0BZ. The open day will allow you to view the scheme rams, see their offspring, learn about progressive sheep breeding and hear a talk by Peter Bates on creepy crawlies, what’s moving..  or what makes a sheep tick.

There will be a short talk by Norbrook Animal Health and an update on the R.I.S. scheme by Emma Steele.

Please join us for refreshments and a chat afterwards – R.S.V.P. by 22^nd May 2018 by e-mail to emma.steele@ahdb.org.uk or call 02476 478721.

The recent edition of the breeders Society newsletter, produced by new breed secretary Julie Lukehurst, is available here in the market. For all society information Julie can be contacted on 07538 938425

British Wool News

On 29^th May the British Wool Ashford depot will be moving to Walnut Tree Farm, Church Road, Smeeth, Ashford. TN25 6SA.

Trevor Richards, British Wool Chairman and Board member for the English Southern region says “British Wool’s new Ashford depot underlines our commitment to providing a quality, reliable and effective service to all producers in South East England. With increased capacity, we will also be able to offer producers greater flexibility to get their wool off farm sooner.”

On clearing the Brundrett House depot ready for this move a set of 1899 to 1967 Romney Sheep flock books have been found. If anyone has an interest in these please ring Janet Mills on 01233 622444

British Wool invites you to join us for the Ashford Open Day on Tuesday 12^th June from 11am -3pm  at the their new premises – Walnut Tree Farm, Church Road, Smeeth, Ashford, TN25 6SA. This is an opportunity to meet depot staff, tour depot, see wool demonstrations and discuss new season prices.

Food and refreshments will be provided.

To confirm attendance please email agpo@britishwool.org.uk or telephone 01233 622444 by Friday 8^th June.

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

For Sale – 16 Beef cross heifers with Limousin cross (April / May born) calves at foot in Kent. Ring 07885 968077

For Sale – 25 Aberdeen Angus x British Friesian heifers, 18-20 mths – West Sussex. Ring Elwyn on 07710 803901

For Sale – 6 Farm bred Collie puppies (4 bitches and 2 dogs). Ready in mid May – East Kent. Ring 07595 830165.

Wanted – Experienced full time farm worker for a mixed livestock and arable farm in the Reigate area. Accommodation available. Ring 07885 649666

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

RABI

Future fundraising events

Wednesday 27^th June – Champagne, Strawberries & Jazz at the Kent County Showground, Detling. ME14 3JF

Saturday 29^th September – Annual Harvest Supper – Amos hall, Ashford Market, Ashford. TN24 0HB

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

Ashford Young Farmers Club

Calling all ex and present Ashford Young Farmers – You’re invited to celebrate the clubs 75th Birthday at Burnt Oak Farm, Bethersden, TN26 3BQ. Saturday 30th June from 3pm onwards with a young farmers bash from 8pm, camping available. We only ask if you could contribute a sweet or savoury plate to add to our table. Please RSVP to Amy 07733 481473 or Jenny 07876 695872

Please contact Amy Langdon 07733 481473 or Jennifer Hope 07876 695872 with your contact details to receive your invite.

Kent County Young Farmers

Homewood School YFC finished a creditable 8^th place in the National Final of the Disco Dancing competition held at the National Convention in Blackpool recently.  Kent YFC were there in numbers, providing noisy support throughout their performance!

Two members will be representing Kent in the Area round of Stockman of the Year at the South of England Show soon – Megan Clifford from Swan YFC and Suki Squibb from Ashford YFC. Good luck to all Kent YFC competitors.

Hobbs Parker and Ashford Livestock Market

We are the South East’s principal livestock market selling around 250,000 head of cattle, sheep and pigs in 2017.

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