Weekly Sales News – 24th November 2020

Top price per kilo – 247p kg – Brockhill Park YFC : Top price per head – £102.50 – S King

Report on trade: A bigger entry than last week with some good runs of finished sheep on offer and a little more life in the trade following the announcement of the planned re-opening of parts of the hospitality sector in the coming weeks. The handy weighted lambs were probably the most in demand on the day as smaller meated sorts are a in short supply nationally for the ethnic trade.

Heavy lambs are selling well in the lump with an overall average price today of £88, which is over £10 up on last year’s figures for the comparable week. Best heavy sorts broke the £100 barrier twice for S King and top spot on the export grade lambs was some 32 kg lambs at 247p kg form Brockhill School.

More fleshed lambs required to satisfy requirements of current buyers. Important to contact us regarding numbers so that we can notify the buyers.

Report on trade Ewe trade was certainly more lively than last week with the wholesale trade certainly perking up a bit following the various government announcements. Leaner meated ewes would be the best sold on the day, but not the over finished types. Grazing customers are still present for the leaner offerings with these selling from £50 to £70.

Overall the average price for ewes was £71

Report on trade A similar strong trade for the lambs we had on offer today with the best of them selling over £80 to a top price of £89 from J Hooker and an average for the lot of £74.

Please contact if you have store lambs to sell over the forthcoming weeks.  We still plan to hold a final Friday sale on the 11^th December

Report on trade: The clean cattle trade was another absolute flyer with a quality show of heifers selling exceptionally well. The medium weights averaged 228p per kg and topped at 246p. A run of continental cross steers and heifers from W S Furnival (Brookland) made 235p to 244p with a Blonde cross steer grossing well at £1457 (236p) while another quality run from regular vendor W Alexander (Shoreham) also rang the bell with a Limousin cross steer to £1439 (233p) and heifers to £1330 (245p). Smart handyweight heifers were well sought after with below 500kg grossing £1198 (244p) for British Blue cross from S Marsh and slightly heavier to £1277 (237p) for Limousin cross from D W Ferguson Ltd.

We saw a strong trade for the best dairy breds with a run of Limousin x Friesian steers 203p plus and topping £1238 (214p) from A J Down and a heavyweight Aberdeen Angus cross steer topped the native bred cattle at £1356 (179p) from A & S Woodford & Son.

More cattle wanted over the next few weeks to satisfy strong Christmas demand.

Please contact us with potential entries.

Report on trade: A few less penned in this section this week with producers taking advice to hold back fleshed cows at least until December when lockdown hopefully will be over and a fair proportion of Christmas prime boning will be over. January is always time for cow beef and whilst some cows can’t wait that long seasonal trends will continue in 2021. Not the smallest of entries overall either amongst the fleshed cows or feeders but again with plenty of buyers rates were again strong and no less than recent weeks. Smart fleshed young meat cows made to 170p per kg with best of the feeding continental cows to 168p. Over age heifers made to 195p and steers 180p.

Headlines in the cows included Aberdeen Angus cross 170p £992 E P Knight, 120p (2) (non FA) B W C Brooks and 119p £966 E Chantler & Sons; Parthenais 168p £880 S Marsh; Charolais 130p (non FA) £939 Rhino Plant; Welsh Black 128p R W Jones; Sussex 128p,118p £870 Mrs V McDonald, 123p £907 J G & D G White and 113p £821 (non FA) Mrs P Dumbreck; Red Poll 128p,121p,116p (non FA) J R Farming;

In the dairy lines trade was very similar if fleshed, perhaps a little easier if plain or light. Good cows can still get up around 110p with plenty 100p plus but poor cows 50p to 70p. Holstein Friesian cows 110p £871;  W G & T A Manford and 99p,95p £803 G R Edgar & Son; British Friesian cross 98p, 97p £742 M H & M G  Butcher; Norwegian Red 111p,100p £713 E P Knight; Guernsey 104p,94p £776 W G & T A Manford and 105p £768 (non FA) A R J Cyster & Sons.

Overage cattle included Aberdeen Angus 175p £1073 D Wade and Friesian 140p D Wade, Welsh Black steers 3yrs plus 167p,149p,143p £949; Hereford cross steers 3yrs plus 165p and British Friesian steers 4yrs 124p £1007.

An Aberdeen Angus bull made 100p.

Report on trade: A much reduced entry of store cattle with few beef bred continental crosses on offer and a big percentage of dairy and native breeds on offer. Strong competition for the best stores to finish short term took the pick of the trade with a 20 mth Simmental cross steer topping the market at £1095 from T S Avon and a Charolais cross steer £1080 from M Grady, while 18 mth Charolais crosses look well sold with steers at £960 and heifers to £960 from G Ostridge.

A run of purebred Sussex steers from West Court Farm attracted lots of interest and sold well attracting prices up to £750 (around 205p per kg) for the steers and heifers to £680 (around 200p). We saw a few young steers on offer with quality 8 mths Charolais cross bulls topping at £830 from J C Loveridge while a run of 6 mth British Blue x Friesians looked relatively good value up to £420 for steers and £375 for heifers from Hill House Farm.

Report on trade: Another good entry of calves this week with a higher than anticipated numbers forward. Please can we ask vendors to help us help you and enter calves as early as possible for sales.

Continental calves were on the whole a flying trade still, although perhaps a little easier for the very best types. Bulls sold to a top today of £275 for a British Blue from J E Scutt & Sons. Heifers sold to £215 for a British Blue from W G & T A Manford and Limousins to £200 from B J Goodsell & Son.

A nice entry of natives this week saw bulls to £260 for an Aberdeen Angus from J E Scutt & Sons. Herefords sold to £220 from Grace Natural Foods Ltd and only three native heifers forward this week selling to £150 for an Aberdeen  Angus from R & J Ledger.

Dairy sired calves were a pleasure to sell today with top price of £80 achieved by three different vendors being J C & S K Williams, Goddard & Son and D Murdock & Son. On the whole stronger calves made £60 plus with only the very smallest bobbies less.

Weanlings were harder to place this week with buyers stating that they are concerned about space for winter housing and fodder supplies and therefore a little more cautious in there approach to these cattle.

Top price of £420 went to a well-done August born TB Low steer from Garrett & Mannering. N Vincent’s suckler bred Limousin cross heifer sold to £400 with TB Low April born Hereford bulls from East Hill Farm selling to £330. A run of well presented TB Edge cattle from M H & M G Butcher sold to £290 for British Blue steers while J Gormley’s run of harder done TB Low cattle sold to £220 for a Limousin heifer. The same vendors pen of black and white bulls looked well enough sold at £145.

Martin Crowhurst

As you are probably aware Martin has self-isolated for much of the year and has recently decided to take early retirement.

Martin has been at Hobbs Parker for the last 25 years and been a much valued, loyal and expert member of the livestock team. He has spent much of his time scouting the south east for livestock for the market and used his vast knowledge and experience in advising clients on all aspects of marketing, in particular the lotting and timing of sale, for store stock as well as the selection and grading of stock for the finished market.  A well liked and respected character in the livestock industry, we will miss his expertise and input on the farms, and his valued presence in the market.

I take this opportunity of thanking Martin for his dedication and enthusiasm and for his many years’ service in a successful livestock team at Ashford Market.

On behalf of the directors and staff I would like to wish Martin all the very best and happiness in retirement and look forward to meeting him on the golf course. Here, he informs me, he has been perfecting his elegant swing in recent months!!

All the very best Elwyn

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

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

Mark Cleverdon (Pigs) 07741 845230

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

Tom Hamplett (Calves, weanlings, breeding cattle & rams) 07966 104532

Please note if you don’t wash out at Ashford

Drivers of vehicles leaving Ashford empty without cleansing and disinfecting MUST complete a declaration form obtainable from the Market Office.

You must then cleanse and disinfect as soon as possible and within 24 hours, or before using again for livestock.

This is a LEGAL responsibility and are subject to checks by Local Authority Animal Health and Welfare Officers

Bovine TB Test Dates

It is very important that the date (first part of test) is recorded on cattle entry forms for all cattle sold from TB1holdings. Any recent whole herd test dates from TB4 holdings must also be recorded. This information is critical to purchasers who may be required to test animals again and who will wish to avoid the risk of a false positive by testing again within the 60-day period.

Please advise of test dates when making cattle entries for cataloguing from TB! Holdings.

South East Farmer and Farm Machinery magazines

The December edition of this popular regional farming magazine is now available here in the market. Hobbs Parker is a regular contributor to the editorial content.

In addition, our Property Consultants Outlook for Winter 2020 is included with this month’s publication and again are available here in the market.

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

Wanted – up to 50 both spring and autumn calving beef suckler cows for a Kent grazing farm. Details of availability to Mark Cleverdon 07741 845230

Wanted – a pedigree Red Aberdeen Angus bull to run with Sussex cows on a Kent farm. Details of availability to Mark Cleverdon 07741 845230

Wanted – J Warnock and Sons have a full-time position for a general agricultural worker, duties to include, milking, yard work, tractor driving, basic animal husbandry, and farm and machinery maintenance. Driving license essential

For more information please contact Robert Warnock at r.warnock@hotmail.co.uk

For Sale – Collie dog puppies, ready to go – East Kent. Ring 07885 968077

Wanted – a farmworker on a local beef, sheep and arable farm. Ring 07774408059 for details

Wanted – Experienced stock person required. Supervising & training residents at HMP East Sutton Park. Full Job specification and application on Ministry of Justice jobs website.

Call Chris for more info 07968908641

For Sale – 9 Holstein x Friesian heifers, 24mths and in calf to an Aberdeen Angus bull – East Kent. Ring Peter Kingwill on 07795 200357

For Sale – ready for work Limousin bull. East Sussex. Ring Mark Cleverdon for details 07741 845230