Weekly Sales News – 24 May 2016


Sheep sales reports

Finished Sheep – 3,412 Sold

Auctioneers: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901 and John Rossiter 07557 392903

Top price per kilo – 222p – Link Bros: Top price per head – £90 – M A Piper & Sons.

Report on trade: A difficult trade for a large entry of lambs with several hoggets still available to top up orders but the hoggets will quickly dry up now. This will hopefully mean all buyers will be on lambs next week and there maybe some improvement on returns depending on supplies.

Today the majority of lambs grossed £70 to £80 with best continental crosses making in excess of 200p per kg with 38kg Texel crosses topping the market at £84.50 (222.36p) from Link Bros and 44kg Beltex cross grossing up to £88 from M B Farms.

A larger than anticipated entry of hoggets were again penned this week given the time of year and the best meated sorts were well sold to a top price of £96.50 from J Wayman and closely followed by Ashenden Farms at £95. The heavier weights were best sold with those also being the best meated in the entry. There were several “also rans” in the entry with leaner types and over-aged hoggets bringing the averages down to 165p but still 5p ahead of nationally quoted figures.

Please keep in touch regarding up date on prices and likely demand next week.

Many thanks to producers for early arrival of lambs. It helps to ensure proper sorting and presentation for sale. This week 900 were sorted, weighed and penned by 8am.

New season lamb prices
KgsTop PriceAve PriceTop Vendorp per kg
3573.0066.09M A Piper & Son Farms209.0
3673.5070.82M A Piper & Son Farms204.0
3778.5069.20Mrs H V Link212.0
3884.5071.59Link Bros222.0
3980.5073.66Link Bros206.0
4081.0074.33M B Farms202.0
4190.0077.23M A Piper & Son Farms220.0
4282.8078.77Mr J W Drew, L Stevens & Sons195.0
4381.5079.86C Moss & Sons190.0
4488.0080.93M B Farms200.0
4583.0082.80M B Farms184.0
4682.0081.88L Stevens & Sons178.0
 

New season lambs – pence per kg

Weight RangeNumberTopBottomAverageNational Averages
Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs752222.0128.0189.69199.8
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs976220.0163.0186.53197.1
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs12178.0178.0178.0194.9
Hogget prices
KgsTop PriceAve PriceTop Vendorp per kg
3855.0055.00Mr R J Grover145.0
3981.0066.74Mrs C Worley208.0
4065.0058.06Mr C D Millen162.0
4181.0067.76S W Button & Son198.0
4273.0066.84Mr R J Grover174.0
4370.0067.75J Wayman163.0
4480.0073.71S W Button & Son182.0
4581.0074.42Ashenden Farms180.0
4681.0076.25Ashenden Farms176.0
4785.0080.52Mr C Randle181.0
4888.0082.17Mr C Randle183.0
4987.0082.25Littlehurst Farm178.0
5090.0084.73Ashenden Farms180.0
5192.5087.47J Wayman181.0
5292.0085.92Mr C Randle177.0
Hogget averages – pence per kg
Weight RangeNumberTopBottomAverageNational Averages
Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs86208.094.0162.62154.0
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs542198.0117.0163.44160.4
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs660183.0117.0169.98162.4
Others 52.1kg +346177.0113.0161.21157.2

Cull Ewes and Rams – 392 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Report on trade: A small entry of ewes in the pens, selling to a similar trade to recent weeks with the best ewes approaching £100/hd to a top of £114 from L Stephens and Sons and leaner sorts looking the best sold with grazers in the £45-£60/hd bracket. Cull Rams selling well once again to a top of £95/hd.

Top prices on the day included Continental Ewes to £114 from L Stephens and Sons, Suffolk Crosses to £92 from W Pynn Contractors, Romneys to £77 from MJ Ashworth.

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Romney Sheep Breeders Society

Summer Walk

1st. June 2016 at 4pm.

Moneypenny Farm, East Guldeford,

Rye TN31 7QJ

Winners of the RSBS Commercial Flock Competition

The RSBS is pleased to be able to have their Summer Walk at Moneypenny Farm, East Guldeford, by kind invitation of the Larry Cooke and family.

As the 2015 winners of the Commercial Class in the RSBS Flock Competition and long-term Romney breeders we are sure to have an informative and enjoyable visit.

Would anyone intending to attend please notify the society secretary on 01233 813057 or e-mail forstalfarm@gmail.com

Cattle sales reports

Finished Cattle – 35 Sold Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

Report on trade: A disappointing entry considering the recent improvement in returns and more cattle are needed to satisfy demand. Best butcher type cattle made around 200p per kg with a Limousin cross heifer topping the market at 203p (£1022) from G L Boulden & Sons while a quality run consigned by W Alexander (Shoreham) sold well with Limousin cross heifers up to 200p (£1077) and top gross of £1171.

The majority of native breed cattle made from 160p to 170p with a Sussex steer grossing up to £976 from O & P Gower. Heavy weight Friesian steers up to 137p (£940) from R Price & Son. Over 30 months cattle made up to £907 from J Marshall.

Finished cattle averages – pence per kg
ClassificationNoTopBottomAverage
Light steers (370-550 kgs)4175.0172.0172.8
Medium steers (551-650 kgs)6199.0160.0174.8
Heavy steers (651+ kgs)6158.0129.0139.5
Light heifers (370-550 kgs)2160.0155.0157.0
Medium heifers (551-650 kgs)5203.0162.0181.5
Heavy heifers (651+ kgs)3191.0166.0174.2
Medium bulls (551-650 kgs)1130.0130.0130.0
30 to 48 mths heifers4139.0108.0126.8
30 to 48 mths steers3132.0118.0122.5
Leading steer prices
VendorWeight KgsBreedP per KgGross £
W Alexander (Shoreham)57524 mths Limousin199.01141
W Alexander (Shoreham)61523 mths Limousin191.01171
Mr A J Down52415 mths Simmental175.0914
Mr A J Down53515 mths Simmental174.0928
Mr A J Down53415 mths British Blue172.0915
Leading heifer prices
G L Boulden & Sons50519 mths Limousin203.01022
W Alexander (Shoreham)54024 mths Limousin200.01077
W Alexander (Shoreham)60526 mths Limousin191.01152
R F & E A Simmons57025 mths Limousin174.0988
R F & E A Simmons54025 mths Limousin171.0920

Cull Cows and Bulls – 74 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill – 07795 200357

Report on trade: This week saw another superb cow trade with rates for all grades moving forward again. Quality was good overall though it is the second and third grades that look as dear as anything with the feeding and grazing men very strong with oceans of grass on offer. May and June is the time when the trade is typically at its strongest and this lasts until the onset of the continental holiday period in early July.

We had a storming trade for the beef cows with a good offering of fleshed cows and feeders. Buyers were in confidant form and more are wanted to sell. A few best types made up over 150p per kg and plenty readily 130-150p. Older grazing types made 100-120p looking well sold and all youngsters were very dear.

Limousins made to 158p from GL Boulden & Sons; Limousin crosses 150p, 142p, 141p, 139p and 136p(3) and grossing to £1012 from A C Hulme & Sons; Charolais 154p from R Stannard; Charolais cross 138p and £1079 AC Hulme & Sons; British Blue cross 152p and 138p J Prior & Sons and 146p Birt Bros; Aberdeen Angus cross 143p, £1047 and 136p and £1051 A C Hulme & Sons; and also Stabiliser 133p; Lincoln Red 130p; Sussex cross 130p; Simmental cross 128p and Hereford cross 127p.

A real mixture were penned in the dairy entry but again a very strong trade for all grades. Heavy export quality black and whites made up over 120p giving great gross returns. A few plain types made below 70p.

Holstein Friesian made to 125p and £1008 from Goddard & Son; 122p(2), 119p, £1078 and £1015 from J S & M D Antrum & Son; Swedish Red 120p and 116p(2) from BJ Goodsell & Son; Jersey 108p £634 and 98p £559 from Hickson Bros. Holstein steers at 4yrs old 119p & 118p.

Stock bull trade is improving but require flesh. Simmental 106p £1029; Angus 106p £1031; lean Sussex 94p.

 Cull cattle section – pence per kg
ClassificationNoTopBottomAverage
Beef cows41157.593.5126.3
Dairy cows32124.558.592.3
Cull bulls4105.093.5101.8

Breeding Cattle – 1 Bull and 28 females Sold

Auctioneer: Mark Cleverdon 07748 202688

Report on trade: Stock to graze is meeting strong demand and this was highlighted again in this section with 4 vendors with herd reductions seeing stock sold to competitive bidding. The one bull sold was a Limousin from P & C Burden which made £2000.

A J Britton sold 6 young cows and Limousin calves to £1300 a couple, Harbourne Farms consignment of 12 couples made to £1150 for young Sussex x Friesian cows with Limousin calves (aver £1038) and in calf cows from 2 vendors made to £855.

Store Cattle – 227 Sold

Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

Report on trade: There is no doubt that despite a late, cold and wet start to the spring that the grass is now really growing and confidence over forage supplies has revitalised the store cattle trade. We saw another strong trade for all cattle on offer but particularly the longer term grazing yearlings which found a large audience. Certainly more cattle forward as late entries than in the catalogue and whilst this is not a problem at this time of year a telephone call advising of entries at any time prior to sale day does give us the chance to contact buyers by any of the modern forms available to us. Please help us to help you!

Quite a number of young bulls were forward and again another very good trade. If you do have autumn calves that have missed the cut, and you are not a bull finisher, now is the time to sell and avoid the problems of uncut stock on farm. Aberdeen Angus bulls (8-9mths) made £795, £740, £718; South Devons £645 but Holsteins are still difficult but much better than they were!

There was a lot of interest in the yearling beef cattle with smart Piemontese steers(12mths) £960 & £830 with heifers £800 from R J Hodge & Son; Limousin steers (12mths) £898, and heifers £890 from L Smith; Limousin heifers (14mths) £790 A C Hulme & Sons; Aberdeen Angus steers (reg Sire abd TB edge) 12mths £820 Flyers Farm and heifers(14mths) £850 P R Baylis; Charolais steers (7mths) £675 Mrs LM Howard and Sussex steers (14-16mths) £780 from P Wheatley.

Despite the more gloomier predictions for the short term cattle the older feeding stores have also moved forward in price with strong Aberdeen Angus steers (26mths and TB edge) £1115 from C Watkins with forward heifers £1095 from Dan Mackleden Ltd; Charolais steers (22mths) £1035, £960, £950 and £935 from J Mountfort and heifers (24mths) £840 and £810 J Marshall; a Sussex steer (22mths) £972 High Chimney Farms and heifers (24mths) £825 and £775 from D J Martin.

Plenty of customers for cattle from all areas – low, edge & high- and more cattle wanted each week for local and away customers.

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For up to date information on all livestock sales please contact

Elwyn Davies (Sheep) 07710 803901 or 01233 861263

Peter Kingwill (Cattle & Sheep) 07795 200357

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

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

Mark Cleverdon (Rams, Breeding Cattle, Pigs & Calves) 07748 202688

John Rossiter (Cull ewes & store sheep plus commercial vehicles) 07557 392903

Other stock sales reports

Calves – 50 Sold

Auctioneer: Mark Cleverdon 07748 202688

Report on trade: A short entry this week but no lack of demand for both young and also odler and stronger beef crosses as well as all grades of dairy bulls. We have good buyer support here in Ashford for our fortnightly sales and could sell more calves.

Young (late April and early May born) beef crosses made to £275 for British Blue bulls from J W Boys & Sons and £305 for same breed heifers from W G & T A Manford. £280 was best call for an Aberdeen Angus bull (April born) from W S Furnival Ltd and their Blonde cross bull made to £315. Ledger Farms late February and early March born British Blues made to £355 for a bull and £340 for heifers.

Young black and white bulls with flesh made to £128 from W S Furnival and rearing sorts were to £165 from Boty Farms and £140 from W G & T A Manford. The trade for smaller and younger sorts is definitely stronger by upto £20 and demand for reared calves has firmed again.

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.

Calf averages – £ per head
DescriptionNoTopBottomAverage
Continental Bulls11355.00152.00255.18
Continental Heifers12340.00140.00268.17
Native Bulls4315.00200.00254.25
Native Heifers4185.0050.00136.25
Friesian Bulls 1st quality3165.00140.00152.33
Friesian Bulls 2nd quality7128.0070.0095.86
Friesian Bulls 3rd quality978.0040.0053.11

Store and Finished Pigs – 192 Sold Auctioneer: Mark Cleverdon 07748 202688

Report on trade: On a national trade that shows just a few small signs of firming our finished trade here in Ashford firmed by between 10 and 15p per kg as the summer demand kicks in. Lets hope this can be sustained and in the cull pens prices were better by about 15%.

The best finished pigs made to 100p per kg for gilts from P W & P Sim with his 21 all 92p plus and grossing to £81.60. All good shaped pigs with weight made 85p to 100p and most others 80 to 85pbar a few.

Cull sows and boars increase in price with the best sows 35p per kg and 29p for boars.

In the store pig pens strong feeders made to £44 from Mrs L Bacon with other not so nicely bred pigs making to £37 and mainly £10 to £20.

Our pig sales are held once a fortnight and with spring and summer on the way we all hope the trade and confidence in the pig sector will rise again (from the very low levels prevailing for about 3 months on more now!). Please keep in touch with us here in Ashford if you have pigs to sell.

Pig averages
DescriptionNoTopBottomAverage
1st Quality finished – p per kg75100.085.092.7
                               – £ per head98.7993.0893.41
2nd Quality finished – p per kg3084.035.077.5
                               – £ per head88.8032.0064.92
Cull sows – p per kg1235.024.031.1
                 – £ per head84.0040.6059.91
Cull boars – p per kg329.025.528.3
                 – £ per head85.5534.4365.13
Strong stores – £ per head1544.0030.0036.53
Small stores – £ per head3820.0010.0013.79

We remind all pig farmers of the information below

Identification of pigs – again we draw your attention to the fact that it is essential all pigs have permanent identification when offered for sale in a market ie slap mark or ear tag. Please ensure you comply with this regulation.

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We remind all livestock producers again that ………

It is essential we have a completed entry form with every consignment of livestock to this market. FCI Market Forms MUST be filled out with vendor’s name, holding number, FABBL & TB status, PLUS the ear numbers and details of animals entered. This is compulsory and the market staff do not have time to fill out vendor forms – please comply.

Hobbs Parker Auctioneers and Car Auctions run over 200 auction sales every year

Our next Auction Sales are ……

General vehicle sale

Wednesday 1st June at 6.30pm

A large entry is expected this week as there will have been no sale on the bank holiday Monday. Hundreds of cars and hundreds of buyers

Horse & Saddlery Sale

Thursday 2nd June at 10am – catalogues are now available

Donkeys, 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

General vehicle sale

Wednesday 8th June at 6.30pm

This week’s auction of cars will include a special sale of convertibles. Get ready for summer with a vehicle purchased from the selection available from Hobbs Parker car auctions

On farm sale of Farm Tractors and Machinery

Saturday 11th June at Barty Farm, Bearsted, Maidstone – catalogues are now available

A selection of vintage, veteran and modern tractors and implements

Collective Machinery & Equipment Sale

Friday 17th June at 9.30am – Entries immediately please. Catalogues will be

New & newly near mowers & garden machinery

New tools, farm & agricultural equipment, timber plus large selection of miscellaneous items.

Classic Car and Vintage, Veteran and Modern Tractors plus Rural Bygones Sale

Friday 15th July

Hobbs Parker at the Heathfield Show

We will be very pleased to meet customers and clients on our stand at the show this weekend.

The event is on Saturday 28th May at Tottingworth Farm, Heathfield. TN21 8TH

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General news

Updated 24th May 2016

Bulls for sale – Pedigree Sussex bull, Petworth General 45th, bn 19/09/2012; pedigree Sussex bull Rugmer Hill Palyboy, bn 2007 and a wellbred Charolais bull, bn 2010. All in TB low Kent. Ring Mark Cleverdon for more details

Monday 30th May – Surrey County Show. For details visit www.surreycountyshow.co.uk. or ring show secretary, 01483 890810

South Sheep 2016 – This bi annual event, promoted by the National Sheep Association is this year being held on Tuesday 7th June at Pythouse Farm, Salisbury. SP3 3PA. For more details to follow please contact event organiser Bob Blanden 01666 860308 or enquiries@southsheep.org.uk

Thursday 10th to Saturday 12th June – South of England Show, Ardingly, Sussex. More details from Wiz Cuff on 01444 892700 or on www.seas.org.uk.

** We are please to announce we are sponsors of the interbreed teams of 4 competion for the first time this year **

Wednesday 29th and Thursday 30th June – Royal Norfolk Show, Norwich. Full details from Juliette Tompkins on 01603 748931 or visit www.royalnorfolkshow.co.uk

Southern Shears – This years event will be held on Sunday 17th July at Holmbush Farm, Faygate, Crawley, West Sussex (RH12 4SE). this is a shearing competition which will be run on BISCA rules with open, junior, novice, ladies and blades. Full details available from Mary Masters mary.m@btconnect.com, Facebook and Twitter (@southernshears) or www.southernshears.weebly.com

Wednesday 6th and Thursday 7th July – Livestock Event 2015 at the NEC, Birmingham. For details look at www.livestockevent.co.uk or ring 0845 458 2711.

Friday 8th to Sunday 10th July – Kent County Show, Detling. Full details available from Show Office 01622 630975.

** Competition schedules and entry forms are available for the show here in the market **

Ashford Cattle Show news

Summer competitions will be held again this year.

Flocks will be judged in the first week of June and will be Andrew Barr Snr, Lenham. Entries to Rhona Thompson on 07948116687 immediately please.

Beef herds will also be judged in first week of June. Entries to Hazel Watson on 07944 587898 immediately please.

Growing crops details will be confirmed soon.

All show enquiries and information available from www.ashfordcattleshow.co.uk or Julie on 07887 643002.

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Livestock entry forms, FCI declarations and movement licences

It is essential that these forms are fully completed for every consignment of stock brought to the market. Please help us to provide you with the high level of service you expect from us by getting this right.

It is a legal requirement that entry form and food chain declarations are competed correctly.

We regularly notice that the information is missing from forms. Please can you ensure that all information is completed in future.

Some of the more common errors in completing these forms include

Food Chain Box not ticked                                Vendor address not complete

Vendor mobile number                                      Vehicle registration not recorded

Date of Movement                                              Hauliers name not provided

Holding number of departure                           FABBL sticker not used

TB test status                                                        TB last test date

Ear tag numbers                                  Form is not signed

Pig producers should note specifically that we require a hard copy of your electronic eaml2 form with the FCI declaration signed.

Sheep producers should note specifically that we require the FCI declaration completed (and details of medical treatments used) for all stock including store and breeding sheep.

Cattle producers should note specifically that FABBL status is one of the most important pieces of information we require here especially if animals do not qualify due to the 90 residency rule.

FCI declarations and entry forms for cattle – these are always available from market and by post from our offices. Please remember they can also be downloaded and printed from the livestock pages of our website. The link is

Movement, Food Chain Information (FCI) Declaration Forms and Other useful forms


Finished Sheep

Report Detail to go here

Finished Cattle

Report to go here