Weekly Sales News – 23rd October 2018

Top price per head – £93.50 – W Pickering; Top price per kilo – 205p – J A Cox

Report on trade: A smaller entry this week with just over 1000 penned and trade was at a similar, difficult level to last week with prices disappointing considering the smaller numbers on offer. The best sheep were still a good price with smart offerings from J A Cox selling in excess 200p per kg for some smart 38kg Beltex lambs. The best heavy offerings were also well sold in excess of £90 from both A R Dunlop and W Pickering. Averages are poor in comparison to what we would expect but the very mixed quality of sheep on offer in the lower weight bands are the main culprit for the poor averages.

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 very small entry of ewes on offer this week due to the poor level of demand and many farmers choosing to sit on them for some time as there has been a slight growth of grass reported in recent weeks. Several ewes once again sent to graze as opposed to into the meat market which is an indication of the lack of wholesale demand.

Top prices included rams to £85 from G Husk, Crossbred ewes to £76 from Miss J Weeks and Suffolk crosses to £71 from A Rhodes.

Report on trade: Although a large entry quality was very mixed and general trade on a par with recent weeks. The best of the beef bred cattle sold readily at 210p plus with a British Blue cross steer topping the market at £1224 (218p), a heifer to £1298 (210p) from D W Ferguson Ltd and handyweight Limousin cross heifers sold well at £1110 (212p) and £1178 (209p) from other regular vendor W Alexander (Shoreham).

The best of the dairy bred cattle 185p plus and up to £1215 (195p) for a British Blue x Friesian steer from A J Down while second/third quality stock generally ranged in the 165p to 185p per kg.

Several native bred cattle on offer with the pick of the prices including a purebred Sussex steer at £1131 (203p) from C D & J Bishop, well fleshed Sussex steer at £1076 (198p) from P Bates and Hereford cross steer £1120 (169p) from K Drury & Sons.

The best of the OTM, a Simmental cross steer at £1203 (169p) and Limousin cross steer at £1073 (175p) from E W & R E Hanks.

Report on trade: Cow trade struggling just a little at present with high numbers coming forward, particularly in the North and West. The main problem is not so much the meat cows but the volume of plain cows that are being killed pre-winter and are dragging prices down and holding slaughter and boning plants up! With the forecast shortage of forage and waste food far fewer cows are being taken to feed. The flip side to this will be a likely shortage of meat cows in the New Year period when processed beef is so much in demand.

A surprisingly good attendance of buyers considering the current trends but rates are easier. Very few best cows on offer and mostly in the plain bracket. Best feeders a very good trade, plain older cows taken to feed occasionally.

Limousin cross 150p £1032 Homewood School; Charolais 131p, 125p, 124p, £1031 J Boomaars, 117p £920 (Non FA) C E Price & Sons; Simmental cross 117p M J Ashworth; Aberdeen Angus cross 110p (Non FA) K Vincent, 114p £823 Old England Farms; Sussex 109p, 105p, £786 (Non FA) B J & B E Bellhouse; Stabiliser cross 108p (Non FA) A & N Bullen.

Very few dairy culls this week and no real meat cow, Half meat 90p +, plain cows 60-80p. Jerseys to 72p, good bulls to 100p.

Report on trade: Another large entry of cattle comprising a large percentage of younger sorts and native bred while continental cross beef bred cattle were in shorter supply. Again trade was similar to recent weeks and while there are customers and bidders for all breeds, age and quality the better quality sorts are holding their value relatively well while younger cattle and plainer sorts are proving more difficult to sell.

The best strong cattle attracted prices in excess of £950 and up to £1050 for 28 mths Limousin cross heifers from I Strang while top runs of 18 mths Limousin cross topped at £1000 from both E W & R E Hanks and G Bates Ltd and £1040 from R & H Vincent.

Several runs of native bred cattle on offer with the best of the Hereford steers to £950 from D T Marden and 18 mths Aberdeen Angus cross steers topped at £975 and heifers to £870 from a quality run consigned by Wooladon Farm Ltd.

Please enter cattle early for forthcoming sales to ensure proper cataloguing and marketing.

On day of sale please ensure cattle arrive at the market early to ensure proper sorting and accurate administration of paperwork.

Further principal prices include:                                                                                                   

Auctioneers: Richard Wood

Report on trade: A slightly larger entry than was anticipated with Black & Whites making a large part of the entry. Well bred & fleshed calves selling well, smaller less well fleshed types harder work.

Top price on the day went to H O Champneys Ltd for strong Simmental bull calf. P J Forknall’s October born British Blue achieved £290 and continental bull calves from J Warnock & Son sold to £225. Continental heifers sold to £280 with H O Champneys Ltd taking the top honours, other notable prices saw W S Furnival Ltd sell British Blues to £200. Native bulls sold to £180 for an Aberdeen Angus from Kingcott Dairy. Native heifers sold to £115 (x2) again for W S Furnival Ltd. Black and white bulls were aplenty with the top price going to HSG Farms for some strong British Friesian crosses. Most Black and White bulls sold in the £40- £60 bracket with the less well fleshed and smaller framed types around the £10-£20 mark. A small entry of stirks saw a shapely Limousin sell to £400 with some Hereford cross Striks to £385 and £340 respectively.

Remember we sell calves once a fortnight all through the year and have regular customers for all breeds and sexes.

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Report on trade: Finished Pigs – Quality overall rather mixed with plenty of weight on offer but customers present to bid for all grades. Better pigs up over 100p per kg with heavyweights 70-85p. Breeding saddleback gilts to £130. Sows 50-65p determined by flesh and weight.

Store Pigs – Not a very exciting entry with mostly coloured pigs on offer. Trade to reflect offering.

For up to date information on all livestock sales please contact

Elwyn Davies (Cattle & Sheep) 07710 803901 or 01233 861263

Peter Kingwill (Cattle & Sheep) 07795 200357

Martin Crowhurst (Cattle & Sheep) 07710 803903 or 01797 343936

Simon Husk (Cattle & Sheep) 07885 968077 or 01304 842393

Mark Cleverdon (Rams, Breeding Cattle, Pigs & Calves) 07741 845230

John Rossiter (Sheep, Machinery plus commercial vehicles) 07557 392903

Tom Hamplett (Calves) 07966 104532

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.

RABI, Young Farmers Clubs and Kent Herdsmans Club news

Kent Herdsmans Club

Monday 12th November 2018 at 7.30pm – a talk by Dale Burden about Burden Brothers farming enterprise, at the Conningbrook Hotel, Canterbury Road, Ashford TN24 9QR

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

Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institute

Tuesday 11^th December at 6 for 6.30 p.m. In the cattle ring here in Ashford Market

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

Can anyone help – A livestock client has mislaid a set of shearing combs due to be resharpend and set by Ian Lucas. Has anyone found said combs on the seat of their vehicle as they left the market last Friday 12^th October – if so please return them to us at the market.

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

For Sale – 18 Pedigree Sussex incalf and maiden heifers from a North Kent herd. Contact Mark Cleverdon for details

Wanted – Shepherd with over 30 years experience with 2 good working Collies seeks sheep or beef cattle work. Anything considered.  Tel. 07810203324

For Sale – 6 Black and white Collie pups ready for new homes in the second week in October in East Sussex. Ring 07795 195435

South East Farmer and Farm Machinery magazines

The October editions of these popular regional farming magazines are now available here in the market. Hobbs Parker are regular contributors to the editorial content.

Fodder Crop for sale and / wanted

For Sale – 400 round overyeared bales of hay on a south Sussex farm. Ring 07973 418654

For Sale – 50 2018 and 40 2017 season wrapped 4’ round bales of hayledge in West Sussex. Ring 07718 532971

Romney Sheepbreeders News

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

Annual Dinner – Friday 2^nd November at The George, High Street, Rye at 7pm. Tickets £37 from secretary Julie as above

Hobbs Parker Car Auctions Special Vehicle sales

Classic Vehicle Auction

Friday 2^nd November at 12 noon

Please ring James Johnson for all details of this event and to discuss your possible entries

4 x 4, Diesel and MPV Vehicle sale

Wednesday 7^th November at 4pm

This auction of cars will include a special sale of 4 X 4, Diesel and MPV with the normal car auction to follow