Weekly Sales News – 27th April 2021

Hoggets – Top price per head – £164 – D Beadle: Top price per kilo – 331p – R J Adams

Report on trade: A smaller show of hoggets on offer this week as is the case nationally and looks like the trend we will follow for a few weeks as many of the large numbers of hoggets have now been sold to take advantage of the trade we have experienced in recent months. Prices were a little lower this week, but this must be attributed as much to the quality of the sheep on offer as it is the trade itself with large numbers of native bred sheep and very few top continentals to boost the averages. Top end of the heavies were still making in excess of £150 on numerous occasions this week to a top of £162 from D Beadle with T Husk and J Smith a close second and third in the rankings. Best of the Beltex crosses this week from R J Adams sold to 331p for some 38.5kg superb export type lambs.

Many hoggets are now beginning to show erupted teeth which are still well sold at around 200p but please be aware of this when drawing sheep and if possibly mark these sheep separately.

The best entry of new season lambs we have seen this season so far saw around nearly 300 penned, with some smarter lambs on offer selling to an average of 333p and a top of 352p from Miss K Tucker for some smart Charollais crosses at £155 and others at £148. Friday Street Farmers penned their first draw of lambs and these sold to £148. More lambs will be offered every week now so please let us know what you intend to send.

Please keep the hoggets and lambs coming and contact us with numbers so we can notify the buyers.

Report on trade: Another large entry of ewes saw over 700 penned and the trade was strong all through but maybe not quite the levels of last week as the Ramadan fast period is now in full swing. Best ewes made up to £159 from Miss K Tucker for some strong crossbreds but huge numbers of sheep made over £100. Not so many top quality ewes were on offer this week which has an impact on averages but we still saw a very good trade throughout the sale. Grazing ewes were slightly less in terms of numbers but still sold from £60 to £70.

Report on trade: Again a very strong trade for store hoggets late in the season with best to £115.50 for a pen of Suffolk crosses from J Mountfort and an overall average of £90 despite a big percentage of lean hoggets on offer.

Other top prices included Texel crosses £110 from A & B Carlton and J H & A H Godden, Suffolk crosses £97 from J & M Carr and Romney wethers £97 from K Wheeler & Sons.

If you have stores to sell, you would be well advised to market in the next few weeks to give purchasers time to finish before the end of the season.

Breeding Sheep – 8 Ewes and lambs Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook

Report on trade Just one pen of couples on show this week selling to £80 per life exactly from P & A Love Ltd.

Auctioneer: James Cook

Sock lambs were a very good trade selling to £52 and averaging £39.58.

Sock lambs will be offered every Tuesday at 10.30am through the lambing season – please ring with entries so we can advise purchasers of likely entries.

Report on trade: The largest entry of finished cattle for many years were penned and with 9 individual successful buyers trade was brisk throughout for the very best continental crosses to the lessor dairy bred cattle. In addition those lacking finish attracted keen interest from specialist feeding buyers.

The best continental cross handyweights made 230p per kg plus with a superb Limousin cross heifer topping the market at £1434 (259p) from S Marsh while other top quality sorts included Limousin cross steers £1234 (243p) from Gillshaw Farms Ltd and Limousin cross heifers £1259 (236p) from Ivy House Farm and £1174 (233p) from R F & E A Simmons. Heavier sorts grossed well in excess of £1450 with the pick including a Limousin cross steer £1535 (225p) from W Alexander (Shoreham), Charolais cross steer and heifer £1522 (224p) and £1476 (216p) from A & M Lyon and Blonde cross steer £1472 (231p) from G L Boulden & Sons.

The best of the dairy bred cattle included a run of Limousin cross steers from regular vendor A J Down topping at 215p with the majority £1200 plus and up to £1297.

A good selection of both Aberdeen Angus and Sussex cattle were on offer with a Sussex cross steer topping the section at £1271 (256p) from S Marsh, Sussex steer £1362 (207p) from Gillshaw Farms Ltd and Sussex cross heifer £1145 (215p) from A C Hulme & Sons. The pick of the Aberdeen Angus crosses included steers to £1453 (235p) from W Alexander (Shoreham) and £1412 (198p) from Leggat Farming Ltd and heifers £1314 (195p) from Cowdray Home Farms.

Report on trade: There is simply no stopping the demand in this section with another outstanding trade for beef cows of all ages whether for slaughter or further feeding. Good numbers once again with a few more plain culls from the dairy sector showing perhaps the first signs of early concern about the current dry spell.

A few more younger beef culls were forward this week and readily made 180p to 210p per kg topping at 230p for a few still under 3yrs old. Fleshed cows sold up to 180p with plenty 140p to 170p. Demand for feeders, despite the weather, stays very strong suggesting concern over supply of processing beef into the long term.

Top prices included Simmental cross 230p 210p 198p £1142 £1125 £1086 A C Hulme & Sons; British Blue cross 195p 158p £1398 £1173 L Palmer & Sons; Aberdeen Angus cross 194p 192p 190p 187p 186p £1064 £1053 A C Hulme & Sons and 159p 158p £1349 £1292 (Non FA) A J Strand & Sons; Limousin cross 196p 158p R J Husk, 184p 167p £1107 (Non FA) A Boyd & Co, 188p £1256 L Palmer & Sons and 177p 157p £1334 £1166 MB Farms; Hereford 160p £860 (Non FA) Grace Natural Foods Ltd and 154p £1098 (Non FA) C Baseley; South Devon cross 141p £1103 H J Emery & Son; Sussex 136p £1023 (Non FA) J D Hickman; White Park 141p £843 R F & E A Simmons with Longhorn 128p £1001 (Non FA) W H Mason.

More dairy culls were offered this week and with grass short the country over it is likely that more plain stale milkers will come forward. Meat cows as dear as ever but plain types certainly were a little easier.

Highlights were Holstein Friesian heifers 165p 152p R Torrance & Son; Guernsey heifer 167p £982 W G & T A Manford; Holstein Friesian cows 137p 133p £1239 £1234 M A & F W Owen, 135p 131p £1224 £1180 WF Farms, 134p 128p 127p £1012 £1011 W G & T A Manfrod and 128p 126p 125p 121p £1076 £1052 R Torrance & Son; British Friesian 136p (2) £1009 Debden Court Ltd; Norwegian Red 138p £941 (Non FA) A R J Cyster & Sons with Guernsey 119p 108p £853 W G & T A Manford.

Bulls remain a good trade particularly if fleshed and assured including Limousin £1293 (126p); Aberdeen Angus £1270 (105p); Sussex £1113 (117p) and Hereford 96p.

Report on trade: Another big entry of store cattle bringing the total sold in the April sales to over 2,200 head. Several new vendors came on the books with the recent strong trade and concerns over the lack of grass growth encouraging sales now rather than keeping through the summer. Despite the keep situation trade held firm with prices on a par with recent weeks for the best and probably only marginally easier for the younger and second quality sorts.

The highlights of the day included a superb 12mths Limousin cross heifer selling exceptionally well at £1140 from R A Douglas; 15mths Limousin cross steers to £1150 from a quality run consigned by Friday Street Farmers, Eastbourne; 16mths Limousin cross steers £1090 from P W Francesconi and strong 24mths British Blue x Friesian steers topping the section at £1280 from E & J H Maylam.

A good entry of native bred cattle saw Aberdeen Angus stores taking the pick of the trade notably pure Aberdeen Angus heifers topping at £1250 from D J & J L Isaac and 12-14mths Aberdeen Angus cross steers to £1125 and £1100 from R W Goddard & Ptnrs and Lucketts Farm respectively. Yearling Beef Shorthorn steers look well sold at £1000 from Miss E Wood.

Dairy bred heifers, suitable for breeding, attracted good premiums notably British Blue x Friesians to £980 and £965 from P & G & J Carden and R Genge respectively. Sussex heifers sold to a premium at £885 from Passmore Coombes.

Principal prices include:

Continental crosses

• 8mths British Blue x Friesian steers £770 M A & F W Owen
• 12mths Blonde cross steers £960 D J Isaac
• 12mths Limousin cross heifers £1140 R A Douglas
• 12mths Simmental cross steers £1000 High Chimney Farms
• 12mths Limousin cross steers £910 R Coleman & Sons
• 12mths Limousin cross steers £900 J Bower
• 12mths Limousin cross steers £850 L Palmer & Sons
• 12-15mths Limousin cross steers £1150, heifers £740 Friday Street Farmers
• 16-18mths Limousin cross steers £1090 P W Francesconi
• 20mths British Blue cross heifers £1015 Falconhurst
• 20mths British Blue x Friesian heifers £980 P & G & J Carden
• 24mths British Blue x Friesian heifers £965 R Genge
• 24mths British Blue x Friesian steers £1280 E & J H Maylam

Native Bred

• 6mths Longhorn steers £760 W Mason
• 12mths Beef Shorthorn steers £1000 Emily Wood
• 7mths Sussex heifers £645 Coles Agricultural
• 12mths Sussex cross steers £725 P J & P B Wade
• 12mths Sussex steers £835 The Montreal Estate
• 20mths Sussex steers £970 J G & D G White
• 24mths Sussex heifers £885 Passmore Coombes
• 12mths Aberdeen Angus bulls £970 D J Isaac
• 12mths Aberdeen Angus cross steers £1100 Lucketts Farm
• 12-14mths Aberdeen Angus cross steers £1125 R W Goddard & Ptnrs
• 24mths Aberdeen Angus heifers £1250 D J & J L Isaac
• 24mths Aberdeen Angus cross heifers £1000 A R J Cyster & Sons
• 12mths Hereford cross steers £900 High Chimney Farms
• 22mths Friesian steers £760 R Winstone

Report on trade: A smaller entry of breeding cattle this week with cow and calf outfits and in calf cows forward. Cow and calves still very much in demand with a top of £1,260 from Boty Farms for a 2016 Angus cross cow with March born Angus calf at foot.

In calf cows to £1,000 for a 2018 born Blue cross cow from Boty Farms.

Report on trade: An absolute flyer of a trade again this week for all types of calves and more definitely could have been sold to vendors advantage !!

Continental calves go up yet another gear this week. Top price for bulls was £445 for a Limousin from T Castle & Son, British Blues to £365 from Falconhust Estate averaging £284.69 and Simmentals a hell of trade with a top of £355 from Parrett & Son averaging £320.83. Continental heifers as strong as the bulls with a top of £360 for a Limousin from T Castle & Son. British Blue heifers to £355 from T Castle, £325 from Hickson Bros and £260 from J W Boyd & Sons Ltd returning an average of £246 all in.

Native calves looking as strong as any outlet again this week with Bulls to £400 and £320 from A & W J Hitchcock with their run of Aberdeen Angus, Aberdeen Angus bulls averaging £230 this week. Sussex bulls look a serious trade with a top of £360 from W G & T A Manford averaging £250. Native heifers to £395 from A & W J Hitchcock for their Aberdeen Angus entry with the Aberdeen Angus entry averaging £212.78 all in. Sussex heifers completed the section with a top of £150 from North Kent College.

Dairy calves continue to bring strong returns with strong calves from the Falconhurst Estate to £200, British Frisians to £140 from D Murdoch & Sons also looked well sold. Dairy average returned at £90.50!!

Another sizeable entry of weanlings this week which saw strong demand and serious trade! Top price of £510 was a 6 month old British Blue heifer from C Leech who’s run of heifers were presented well and sold well! A smaller pair of British Blue heifers made £480 and a pair of Simmentals to £450, Aberdeen Angus to £470 and Herefords to £390. C Shelbourne’s stronger 6m old British Blue heifer looked well sold at £500.

A collection of smaller steers perhaps lacking quite the same style as the previous sales entry sold to £455 for a pair of Aberdeen Angus steers from Kent Game Shooting. British Blue steers from C Shelbourne to £390 and the same vendors Charolais to £400. A run of Aberdeen Angus cross Jersey steers from Langdon Farm look very well sold to £485. Black and White steers seeing a strong following with pens from C Shelbourne and Kent Game Shooting selling both for £250.

Demand for weanlings very much outstrips supply at the moment. Many buyers are looking for weaned cattle to fill orders if you have some to sell please don’t hesitate to pick up the phone!

A reminder that we are able to offer calves from Arla vendors under 56 days old subject to a declaration being signed by the purchaser, any queries on this please do get in touch.

Hay, Straw and fodder

For a small charge we are quite happy to advertise your hay, straw and fodder for sale in this register which will now run until early May for further details please ring our auctioneer’s office on 01233 502222 or Mark Cleverdon 07741 845230

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 TB1 Holdings.

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

For Sale – Pedigree Dairy Shorthorn bull, 14mths. East Kent. Ring Mark Cleverdon 07741 845230

South East Farmer and Farm Machinery magazines

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

Help and support from The Farming Community Network

Farming Community Network (FCN) volunteers regularly attend local livestock markets and whilst we cannot be present at sales currently, our helpline is still open from 7am to 11pm every day, staffed by people who understand farming.

FCN is a charity and voluntary organisation that helps farmers to stay resilient. We provide practical and pastoral support to those experiencing difficulties in England and Wales.

During these challenging times we are encouraging everyone to think about their own physical and mental health and that of their families and staff.

We can help with contingency planning against the backdrop of the Corona virus outbreak and our FarmWell website (www.farmwell.org.uk) offers a wealth of free information about managing change and maintaining personal wellbeing.

The FCN helpline can be reached on 03000 111 999 or via email at help@fcn.org.uk. Confidentiality is assured.