Weekly Sales News – 24th July 2018

Top price per head – £107 – R Price & Son; Top price per kilo – 205p – G H Dean & Co

Report on trade: A good sized entry of lambs on offer, with over 2000 penned, but a very mixed entry in terms of quality. The lambs that have not been creep fed are showing signs of the current temperatures and lack of grazing and in turn this is creating a big gap in the prices they fetch in comparison to the best creep fed sheep. These better meated sorts are still selling at a similar level to what we have seen in recent weeks with the very best approaching £100 and a few very heavy offerings passing this mark. A super run of well fleshed lambs from C & J Georgetti & Sons sold to a top price of £93 and were mostly around the 190p per kg mark with best continentals from G H Dean & Co selling to 205p and then 199p from S J & J L Vine Partners.

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: This week saw a similar ewe trade with about the same numbers on offer. Trade for the grazing ewes was a little stronger than last week with a few more bidders coming forward for them. Best meated sorts were approaching £90 with grazers trading at between £40 and £60.

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Report on trade: Only a very small entry on a scorcher of a day and trade was very similar to that of late but without doubt there are many downward pressures on the sector as cattle, short of finish, are killed earlier because of the shortage of keep.

Yarded cattle from A J Down made to 201p per kg and grossed £1193 for Limousin crosses and 194p and 192p, £1168 for British Blues. An Aberdeen Angus cross steers from Cobtree Young Farmers made 188p (£1209) to 188p (£1118) A & S Woodford & Sons.

Lean overage Sussex steers were harder work to 145p from J B Latham and an Aberdeen Angus cross 140p D J Miles.

More cattle will be wanted over the coming weeks

Report on trade: Tougher conditions in the cow sector are emerging as the concerns over the weather and long term feed bring forward more stock at a time when demand always begins to slacken.

We saw very few beef cows forward with a Blonde cow making 131p per kg and £1070 from G L Boulden & Sons and an Aberdeen Angus cross cow 115p £767. Holstein cows made to 123p £1152 and 116p £976 from Appleton (Ledger) Farms and 115p, 110p (2) £1007 R Torrance & Son.

A Hereford bull grossed £1057 (97p)

Sheep Tagging

All sheep sent to market require to be correctly tagged.

Sheep under 12 mths – Single electronic batch tag and ewes and over 12 mths – Double tagged

Incorrectly tagged sheep may have to be returned home. Single electronic batch tags are not acceptable for ewes and sheep over 12 mths.

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

Hobbs Parker Auctioneers – the team and their responsibilities.

For all office enquiries on livestock and auction sales please ring 01233 502222.

Elwyn Davies (07710 803901) – Managing director, sheep auctioneer and machinery sales.

Peter Kingwill (07795 200357) – Director, cattle auctioneer and machinery sales.

Lynsey Kendall – Director and accounts.

Mark Cleverdon (07741 845230) – Calf, pig and breeding cattle auctioneer and auction sales entries and administration.

John Rossiter (07557 392903) – Sheep auctioneer

Simon Husk (07885 968077) – Livestock marketing and field services

Martin Crowhurst (07710 803903) – Livestock marketing and field services

Thomas Hamplett – Auction sales assisting

Hayley Andrews and Sue Marshall – Auction sales administration

Forthcoming store and breeding sheep sales

Friday 10^th August

Store lambs and breeding sheep

Friday 24^th August

Store lambs and breeding sheep

Friday 31^st August

Store lambs and breeding sheep

Friday 7^th September

This sale will include annual shows and sales of crossbred ewe lambs together with Central Beltex and South East Texel Groups breeding females and rams plus commercial rams

Friday’s 14^th September

Store lambs and breeding sheep

Friday 21^st September

Store lambs, breeding sheep and catalogued ram sale

Friday 28^th September

Romney Day sale of ewe lambs, ewe tegs and breeding ewes  together with Romney Sheep Breeders Society show and sale of pedigree rams

Friday 5^th October

Store lambs, breeding sheep and catalogued ram sale

Friday 12^th October

Store lambs and breeding sheep

Friday 19^th October

Store lambs and breeding sheep

Friday 2^nd November

Store lambs and breeding sheep

Friday 23^rd November

Store lambs and breeding sheep

Friday 14^th December

Store lambs and breeding sheep

All sales commence at 11am with ram sales at 10am

Fodder Crop for sale and / wanted

Large quantity of maize silage available in the Cranbrook area, excellent analyse and quick loading. Please ring 07860623196/01580 240479

National Sheep Association news

South Sheep 2018 – This bi annual event, promoted by the National Sheep Association is this year being held on Saturday 8^th September at South of England showground, Ardingley. RH17 6TH. For more details please contact event organiser Bob Blanden  01666 860308 or enquiries@southsheep.org.uk

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

Wanted – small P6 / P7 size livestock trailer – 07967 648294

Wanted – Older / semi retired / retired collie dog. Speak to Angus in the Stockpot

RABI, Young Farmers Clubs and Kent Herdsmans Club news

RABI

Well done Kent fundraising Committee – for the 7^th time in 13 years the county committee have been awarded the Beaufort shield as the top fundraising county in the country (over £81,000 in 2017). Lord Plumb presented the shield to Andrew Brealey, Charles Tassell, Robert Pickard and Sheila Adams

Future fundraising events

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

Kent Herdsmans Club

Monday 13th August at 7.30pm. Visit to Sonia Purchese, Bossingham, Canterbury CT4 6DX to view her herd of Pedigree Herefords.

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

Heathfield Show news

The Heathfield Agricultural Show is looking to fill 2 roles – a trade stand and a horse secretary.  The roles are voluntary one with an honorarium paid after the Show, which is held annually.

For the trade stand secretaries role the applicant should be computer literate and be happy to sell the Heathfield Show and its trade stand space.  A full job description is available to download from www.heathfieldshow.org

For the Horse Secretary role (again the full description is on our web site) the applicant will provide secretarial support to the Horse Chair and Horse Committee. Jobs include liaising with breed societies on updates to their classes, qualifiers, book registered judges, work with the Show Secretary in producing the show schedule and program in print and online, manage Horse Exhibitor entries, correspond with exhibitors, order rosettes and stationery, manage Horse office on show day and manage show results. This roll is supported by the Horse Chair and Horse Committee.

If you are interested in either role please send your cv to Secretary@heathfieldshow.org.”

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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

Friday 31^st August – a summer social event giving members and friends the opportunity to view the Aragon flock and visist the Cranbrook Museum.

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Special Sports, High Performance, 4 x 4 and General Cars plus Commercial Vehicle Sale

Monday 27^th August at 10am

This auction of vehicles is one of our largest vehicle sales of the year with up to 500 vehicles on offer.