Weekly Sales News – 27th February 2018

Top price per head – £117 – N & D Attwood; Top price per kilo – 249p – Mr & Mrs D Chapman

Report on trade: Another super trade from start to finish with over 3000 hoggets penned and an average returned at 214.7p per kg SQQ. This was a little up on last week but trade would be at a similar level with just a slightly higher percentage of heavier sheep on offer. Once again it was a pleasure to sell the sheep with fierce competition from beginning to end in what were difficult conditions for both the vendors and the buyers to make it to Ashford. Those vendors who did brave the weather were well rewarded and we must thank the buyers who braved the roads for their patience in what were very testing conditions!

Top spot on the day went to Mr & Mrs D Chapman with Beltex hoggets to 249p (39kg at £97) but once again the heavy sheep were the most in demand with numerous sheep selling in excess of £100 including a super run of 275 sheep from P Gorringe selling to average £109. Numerous other vendors had heavy sheep selling very well at these prices but the pick of these would be N & D Attwood, who’s run of Charollais cross hoggets sold to £117 and averaged £116 which could be one of the highest averages we have seen in recent times.

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: A small entry of ewes this week with the weather halting many plans for people to come to market. Trade was at a similar level to last week with the best ewes selling at £90+ and the leaner sorts selling between £35-55.

Top prices this week included Charollais cross ewes to £95 from J Wayman, Beltex Ewes to £90 from C A Worley Farming Ltd, Suffolk crosses to £92 from C & J Georgetti, Mules to £79 from D Moss and Romneys to £78.50 from G R Weller.

Report on trade: A reduced entry of store hoggets met another exceptional trade with the best selling readily in excess of £75 and an overall average of £69.50.

If you have stores to sell take advantage of these prices – unlikely to get any better.

Report on trade: A reduced entry of cattle met an improved trade on the week with the majority on offer dairy bred continental crosses. The best cattle with weight grossed in excess of £1200 and up to £1275 (190p) for a Limousin cross steer from R F & E A Simmons with handyweight continental x Friesian from A J Down topping both sections with a steers at £1042 (205p) and a heifer at £1024 (201p). A run of British Blue x Friesian steers and heifers sold well in the 180p to 190p bracket with steers grossing up to £1271 (185p) and heifers to £1190 (197p) from K E Budd.

Report on trade: The weather made conditions very difficult on the roads so it was quite incredible that we got the entry that we did! A big thank you to everybody for the effort made in difficult circumstances to support the sale.

Trade was again fantastic for an entry of mostly dairy culls and just a handful of beef cows.

Examples include Simmental crosses 150p £1076 from J W Chamley & Son; Charolais 142p £1134 R Stannard; Longhorn 141p £998 J W Chamley & Son and Limousin 140p £1004 (Non FA) M L Williams.

Holstein Friesian 149p, 147p, £1223, £1179, Ledger Farms (Appleton); 149p, £1136, WF Farms; 136p, 133p, 130p, £1070, £1015, R C & J L Pickering and British Friesian 148p(2) £1156, £1143, PHR Farms.

A Dexter bull made 129p, £848.

Report on trade: Despite a rather depleted entry due to the weather conditions the trade was firm throughout with the majority of buyers in attendance. A pen of purebred Sussex steers topped the market at £985 from Parsonage & Groves Farms Ltd and 16 mths Continental cross steers were well sold at £960 from J Marshall. Strong heifers up to £970 for Limousin cross from Horne & Son

Principal prices include:                                                                                                                  

Report on trade: This section was very much weather affected with our dairy farmers very conscious of looking after things at home first. Watch this space for a very large entry in a fortnights time.

Ledger Farms (Appleton) consigned the entire entry and their Aberdeen Angus heifers made to £150, British Blue bulls £210 and looking the best sold Black and white bulls to £95 (all born late December and early January)

Sales will be offered fortnightly again through the whole of 2018.

Report on trade: Again a weather affected entry but the trade available does not excite either. Cull pigs in particular are hugely reduced price year on year.

Finished pigs saw S Scott & Son sell their regular run of well bred and fed pigs to 100p per kg and £85. D J Cole sold good pigs at 74p and the rest were less money.

Cull sows made to 47p and £108 from Miss K Dennis.

Three store pigs very difficult indeed. Falling fat prices knock the confidence of fatteners and rates were easier than seen for sometime.

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

Vehicle parking on busy market days – Congestion in the bottom / livestock parking area

Please help us to help you. The upper car park on the top side of the market buildings is available for all cars and Land Rovers with trailers

Hay, Straw and fodder

For Sale – 47 round bales of 2017 season made haylage – analysed. Buyer to collect. 01303 840112

For Sale – up to 300 Class 4string rectangular bales of wrapped hayledge made for a 2^nd year seeds lay. Delivery can be arranged – mid Kent. Ring 07711167467

For Sale – Large quantity of 2017 ensiled forage maize – analysis available. East Kent. Ring 07739 490975

For Sale – 90 5’ round bales of 2017 season gathered spring barley straw and 100 similar sized bales of wheat straw, all stored inside – Kent / Sussex borders. Ring 07835 521800

For Sale – Organic Hay, Haylage & Silage, Big Square and rounds. All good quality – Available East Sussex/Kent border. Contact Buckhurst Estate: Sharon 01892 770220 or Warren 07836 378044

This register will now run until early May for further details please ring our auctioneers office on 01233 502222 or Mark Cleverdon 07748 202688

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

For Sale – second Geminox GB 40 S wood fired boiler for central heating system, which takes logs upto 1mtr long, together with Windhager Calowinm Klassik Accumulator with high insulation flexible jacket with pipework and pump. Can be seen working. Phone 01622 850207

For Sale – 22 Sussex in calf cows of herd ages and 10 bulling heifers on a Kent farm. Ring 07785968077

For Sale – Pedigree Aberdeen Angus bull, bn 2011 an ex Essex farm. Johnes and BVD free. Ring Mark on 07748 202688

For Sale – 25 Aberdeen Angus, Simmental and other beef cross heifers due to calve in April to a Limousin bull. East Kent. Ring Simon on 07885 968077

RABI, FCN, Young Farmers Clubs and Kent Herdsmans Club News

RABI

Future fundraising events

Friday 23^rd March – Clay pigeon shoot at West Kent Shooting School, Brenchley. TN12 7DG

Sunday 13^th May 2018 – Tour of Chapel Down Vineyard, Chapel Down Winery, Small Hythe, Tenterden, Kent TN30 7NG

Wednesday 27^th June – Champagne, Strawberries & Jazz at the Kent County Showground, Detling. ME14 3JF

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 12th March 2018 at 7.30pm – talk by Stuart Sillars of the BTF Partnership at the Conningbrook Hotel, Canterbury Road, Ashford.

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

Ashford Young Farmers Club

Wednesday 14 March – Golf at Great Chart. TN23 3BW. 7.30pm £8.50

Sunday 15th April – **Lambing Open Day** – Hope Farm, Wittersham TN30 7NP. 10am-4pm

For further information on all Ashford YFC events ring Chairman Amy Langdon on 07733 481473

Market manager’s news

Ray Scott (weekend boot fair and stall market manager) and his team of helpers would like to thank everyone who supported their fundraising raffle at Christmas. A cheque for £1200 was recently presented to Demelza House.