Weekly Sales News – 28th February 2017

Top price per kg – 192p  – A M & S J Lerwill; Top price per head – £86 – A C Hulme & Sons

Report on trade: A smaller entry this week in the pens and trade was a little more tricky than we have seen in recent weeks due to increased numbers on offer around the country from the larger finishers bringing more numbers on to the market as they can not wait any longer for a lift in returns to meet their expectations. A lack of wholesale demand is reported by the buyers and this coupled with the increasing numbers is to blame for this relatively disappointing trade. Our heavyweight hoggets would have been sold on a similar trade to last week but reported to be better than other centres in the past few days. Top price of £86 from A C Hulme & Sons closely followed by R A & W Brown at £85. Best continental sorts sold to 192p per kg from A J & S M Lerwill 36kg at £69.

Producers please note – For top results please present well fleshed lambs which are preferably dry and clean. Lairage facilities 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.

Cull Ewes and Rams – 566 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Report on trade: Ewe numbers are starting to decrease nationally and we have seen a little lift in the trade but prices are not quite at last years levels for the time of year which appears to be the same across all of the sheep sector. Top price of £89 was achieved by Passmore Coombes for some Charolais ewes with the leaner sorts selling on a similar trade to what we have experienced for the last month or so.

Top prices included continental ewes to £89 form Passmore Coombes, Suffolk crosses to £88 from A C Hulme & Sons, Mules to £70 from H F & J H Glover with Romneys to £66.50 from H Metcalfe.

Report on trade: Just about 800 stores tegs were in the pens this week selling on a trade that reflected the finished price more so than it has done in previous weeks. Top price was  £69.20 from Maytham Wharf Farm. Only long term lambs were selling between £35 – £40 with the majority sold making in excess of £50. Averages: Top £69.20 and aver £52.87.

The breeding section included just a few on offer today with in lambers selling to £106 from N Connell and a few couples selling to £40 per life from T Beesley.

Lovejoy Farm Ptnrs offered ewe tegs and saw Romneys make £74 and Suffolk x Romneys to £75.50

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Report on trade: A short entry of beef this week with rates just about holding to recent levels. Quality was a little more variable with a few bigger cattle forward and a few more light weight heifers.

Smart heifers from W Alexander (Shoreham) made to 214p and then 210p £1206 with a strong Limousin from L E Humphreys & Son to 208p and 199p £1224. Lightweight Aberdeen Angus and British White heifers made 160-170p.

Limousin steers from N C & C G Hedges (Non FA) made 195p and 192p £1130 from G L Boulden & Sons and 188p W Alexander (Shoreham) £1251.

Auctioneer: Richard Wood

Report on trade: Another unstoppable trade on the cull stock with the meat cows and grazing animals as dear as ever. Reasonable numbers again but quality was a bit more mixed with best meat cows now noticeably in short supply. This week there were more buyers around the ring, and represented, and competition was outstanding. As the spring calving period starts in earnest it may be  a good idea to take a good look at those beef cows you have your suspicions about being in calf, sell her and then use the proceeds to buy a replacement! Dairy farmers will be keenly watching their grass grow so a look at non performers before turnout again would be a good move in the next month.

In summary we were short of meat but quality purebreds made 140 to 160p, crossbreds 120 to 140p,  best feeders 120 to 160p and plain and old 90-110p. All were wanted.

Prices achieved included Limousin 157p, 150p and 138p £994 L E Humphreys & Sons; Limousin cross 150p P Seath; Charolais 145p, 138p, 134p and 130p £954 Foyle Farmers; Simmental cross 141p £1090 M J Ashworth; British Blue cross 135p £1007 Little Exceat Farm; South Devon cross 132p R Douglas and 129p Little Exceat Farm, Sussex 136p,134p (2), 132p, 128p £913 W Meyer (Non FA) and Aberdeen Angus cross 132p, 129p P Seath.

The dairy pens were short overall of best cows but all grades were wanted. An outstanding run of fleshed British Friesian cows from PHR Farms made 139p, 136p, 134p, 133p, 131p and 128p £1064, £1047 and £1020; Holstein Friesians 120p £955 J W Boyd & Sons; 119p Oncoland; 119p A L Betts and imported cows to 96p £716.

Cull bull trade is firming throughout with Limousin 119p £1129; Sussex 106p £1088, 103p £974, 103p £964 and a Longhorn (Non FA) 94p £706.

Store Cattle – 349 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Report on trade: This was a very good day in the store section with another strong, competitive and successful trade with a big compliment of customers from across the regions attracted by an entry this week dominated by the native breeds, often of dairy origin. Quality entries of Aberdeen Angus, Hereford, and Sussex cattle, many of which were out wintered, found confidence high in the buying sector.

A mixed show of bulls today but this is the time to get them sold before age catches up with their fattening! Aberdeen Angus crosses  11mths made £690 and 9mths £600.

Young hard stores were sought out by many customers with Sussex steers 5-7mths £400, £355 and heifers £330 from W Meyer; out wintered Stabiliser cross steers 9-10mths £650, £640 and heifers £510 A & N Bullen; Limousin cross 10mths £740 and £630 and heifers £730, £595 and £505 Darwell and Aberdeen Angus steers 9-11mths £620 and £585 from C & J Biddle.

Yearlings are much in demand both for this years grazing and for summer yarding. Aberdeen Angus steers 12mths £830 and heifers £760 M Elphick and steers £880, heifers £740 R J & C M Greengrow; Simmental steers 12mths £840 Darwell; Limousin and British Blue cross steers 11-12mths £845, £820 and £815, heifers £945, £800 and £792 W G Vant & Sons and Limousin x Friesian steers 14mths £765 from E & J H Maylam.

Stronger cattle for early turnout were a marvellous trade and just right for the season. Quality outwintered Aberdeen Angus and Hereford x Friesian cattle from T Telling were much admired with the Angus steers 14-16mths to £1040, £930, £870 and heifers £875, £830, £770, Hereford steers 14-16mths £968 and heifers £855, £828 and £790.

Outwintered stock from the top of the South Downs from J G Jenkin & Sons saw their hard Aberdeen Angus x Friesian steers 14-18mths £760 (2), £758 and heifers £720 and Simmental x Friesian heifers 16mths to £815. Quality dairy bred British Blue and Aberdeen Angus x Friesian cattle from Hall Place Farms looked well sold with their Blue steers 20mths £890 and heifers £850, £710 and Angus cross steers 20mths £830, £822 and heifers £770, £760.

A decent show of well bred Sussex steers were forward today and much wanted. At 22mths £1040, £940 from K Hawes; 20mths £930 J Swift and 18-22mths £870 and £760 A Bird.

Yarding cattle of all ages were a great trade and these older cattle (24mths plus) need selling now to give enough time to finishers. British Blue steers 30mths £920 and Limousin steers 24-36mths £940, £930 and heifers £980, £900 all from J H & A H Godden; British Blue cross steers 24mths £1005 and heifers £975; Aberdeen Angus steers 20-24mths £1010 and heifers £975; Dairy Shorthorn steers 22m £705; Ayrshire steers 24mths £600 all from R Winstone;  a Limousin heifer 24mths £1000, British Blue heifer 24mths £960 J Swift and Holstein Friesian steers 22mths £775 Swanley Farms.

Report on trade: The entry this was principally a dispersal of Sussex cows from W F Meyer, Hurst Green. Scanned on Monday evening here in the market the, 2 to 3 ½ mth in calf to Sussex bulls, cows and calves made to £910 (7 aver £867) and in calvers £810 (13 aver £728). Again plenty of demand and the strong cull trade supporting this section.

Report on trade: Another busy week around the calf ring with plenty of bidders for calves and a good trade the result. Plenty of rearers were on hand and many more calves could have been well sold. Please book in early for the next sale.

The entry was an exact 50/50 split of dairy bulls and beef x dairy and the averages for natives and best dairy bulls included 2 runs of well presented 4 to 6 mth old calves. Younger black and white bull calves were a little less money than the last sale but all other calves looked well sold.

Highlights this week included:

British Blue Bulls to £355 at 9 weeks from J E Scutt & Sons and £198 at 3 weeks from J W Boyd & Sons.

British Blue Heifers to £355 at 8 weeks from J EJ Scutt & Sons and £140 at 4 weeks from J W Boyd & Sons

Simmental bulls £380 and heifers £350 twice at 7 to 8 weeks from H O Champneys Ltd

Blonde cross bulls to £260 and £215 at 7 weeks from W S Furnival Ltd

Aberdeen Angus Bulls and heifers both to £260 at 12 weeks from A & W J Hitchcock, bulls to £270 at 3 weeks and £225 at 10 days from P J Forknall, heifers to £260 at 4 weeks from J E Scutt & Sons and bulls to £265 at 7 weeks from H O Champneys Ltd.

Hereford cross bulls to £415 and £400 (6 aver £402) at 4 to 5 mths with heifers to £400 from MTHS Gammons

Holstien bulls to £310 (6 aver’ £285) at 4 to 5 mths from MTHS Gammons, young Holstein bulls all £100 twice at 13 weeks from A & W J Hitchcock, £98 and £88 twice at 8 weeks from J E Scutt & Sons and £105 at 12 weeks from Mrs C Sugden with younger models generally £20 to £70 including a run of 6 from Oncoland to £62 and averaging £33 at 3 to 7 weeks.

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.

Report on trade: A busier week in the pig pens with a great varity of stock on offer. Trade was a little selective but generally considered respectable by the pundits around the pens.

Best finished pigs made 108 to 112p per kg from J Watt, Hadlow College, S Scott & Son, East Sutton Park Prison, S Scott & Son and C B Hope. The remainder made 40 to £105p bar a few.

In the cull pens some very heavy pigs rang rhe bell at 51p for sows and 44p for boars from N dance and C B Hope.

Really well bred stores from S Scott & Son made £57 and £58 with younger good pigs to £28.

Our pig sales are held once a fortnight and with the summer now we are seeing plenty of competition and more confidence in the pig sector after very low levels which prevailed for about 3 months in the spring. Please keep in touch with us here in Ashford if you have pigs to sell.

For information on all livestock sales please contact at anytime

Elwyn Davies (Sheep) 07710 803901

Peter Kingwill (Cattle) 07795 200357

Mark Cleverdon (Pigs/Calves) 01233 506288

John Rossiter (Sheep) 07557 3929033

Martin Crowhurst (Cattle/Sheep) 07710 803903

Simon Husk (Cattle/Sheep) 07885 968077

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Lairage bookings for Monday and Thursday evenings

Please ring David Martin on 07860 114650 to confirm when you are delivering stock to the market for overnight lairage.

DEFRA and our Local Authority trading standards officers egularly remind us of our responsibilities regarding unfit animals. No unfit animal should be exposed for sale in a market.

We have been reminded by the Local Authority that it is against current Welfare and Market Regulations to move stock to market, or any other holding,  in the final stages of pregnancy ( final 4 weeks). Please be careful with dates on breeding stock and cull stock that might turn out to be in lamb or in calf.

All animals should be fit to travel. All in milk cows should to be milked out prior to movement to market. Do not present lame sheep or those, for any reason, which are not fit to be transported.

Thanks for your attention to these matters.

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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.

It would be very useful to market staff and thereby help with the speed of processing your stock, if a few further simple rules were followed on entry forms particularly for larger entries.

1. Steers and heifers are listed separately. 2. Passports are presented in numerical order. 3.Breeds are listed separately – for example Aberdeen Angus away from Limousin

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Notices – John Jordan

The family have asked us to advise that John Jordan of Tudeley near Tonbridge sadly passed away on Tuesday 21 February. John was a regular market attender and in the words of the family “he looked forward to going to each auction, and we would like to thank the staff and farmers at the market, for being part of his life for many years”.

A  funeral will be held at Tunbridge Wells Crematorium on Tuesday 14 March at 1.45pm.

Livestock for sale by private treaty – ex farm

Updated 28^th February 2017            

For Sale 700 Suffolk x Mule shearlings, on Heptavac system, which have run with Charollais and Texel rams from 5^th November – to be scanned. On an East Anglian farm. Contact 07710 803901.

South East Point to Point Meetings (www.pointingse.com)

Updated 21^st February 2017            

The fixture list for the season has been circulated with this report recently. Further copies are available here in the market

Sunday 5^th March – Mid Surrey Farmers Drag; Godstone, Surrey. RH9 8DB, Surrey – 1pm

Saturday 18^th March – Crawley & Horsham; Parham, Storrington, West Sussex. RH20 2ER – 1.45pm

Sunday 26^th March – Old Surrey, Burstow and West Kent; Penshurst, Kent – 1.30pm

Sunday 9^th April – Southdown & Eridge; Godstone, Surrey. RH9 8DB at 2.15pm

Saturday 15^th April – Ashford Valley; Charing, Kent. TN27 0JS – 2pm

Monday 17^th April – East Kent: Aldington, Kent. TN25 7EJ – 2pm.

Hay, Straw and fodder

Updated 14^th February 2017

For Sale – Large quantities of 2016 made and gathered organic hay, haylage and silage. Buckhurst Park, East Sussex. Ring 01892 770220 or email: office@buckhurstpark.co.uk

For Sale – 100 Mini Hesston 4 string bales of oat straw, 60 Mini Hesston 4 string and 200 4’ round bales of exceptional hay. Transport can be arranged get at cost. East Sussex. Ring 01580 819000 or 07768 771933

For Sale – 157 Massey Ferguson 8’ x 4’ 6 string bales of 2016 season gathered winter barley straw, stored dry. East Kent. Ring 07703 130575

For Sale – 2000 Conventional bales of 2016 season made meadow hay. East Kent. Ring 07885 305520.

For Sale – 150 Claas Quadrant 2016 season gathered winter barley straw, stored dry. Ashford area. Ring 07850 789113.

For Sale – upto 500 Conventional bales of 2016 season made hay. West Kent. Ring 07905 269113.

For Sale – 200 Round bales of 2016 season made meadow hay. Maidstone area. Ring 07813 741636

For Sale – 50 Round wrapped bales of 2016 season made haylage from organically farmed grassland. Mid Kent. Ring 01233 756468.

For Sale – 500 bales of 5` long mini Hesston bales of July 2016 meadow grass haylage with delivery available at cost. Chiddingfold, Surrey. Ring 01428 654695 or 07966 452256.

For Sale – 300 to 400 wrapped 4 string bales of 2016 season haylage and 50 7’ long 6 string bales of meadow hay. Kent / Sussex borders. Ring 07773 384271 or 07973 634519.

To advertise your stocks in this section please speak to Mark Cleverdon or Adam Leonard for details of our very reasonable charges

RABI, FCN, Kent Herdsmans, Ashford Cattle Show and YFC Club news

Updated 14^th February 2017

Fund raising events over the next few months include:

Plumpton Race Day – Monday 27^th February. Charity race day in exclusive R.A.B.I marquee. 12.30 for 1pm. Lunch, afternoon tea, parking, full race card, bar and tote facilities. Ring David Chantler 01622 850207 or Sally Field 01903 882741. £65

Clay Pigeon Shoot – Friday 31^st March. West Kent Shooting School, Brenchley. TN12 7DG. 70 bird R.A.B.I Charity shoot. Ring Sally Field 01903 882741 or Charles Tassell 01622 858733. £75

Beef Dinner, British Beef Week – Saturday 22^nd April. London Beach Hotel, Tenterden. TN30 6HX. Limited to 100 tickets. Ring David Chantler 01622 850207

Kart Racing – April or May, date TBC. Buckmore Park. Ring Charles Tassell 01622 858733

Elmley Bird Sanctuary private tour and barbeque  – Sunday 14^th May. Emley, Isle of Sheppey. ME12 3RW. Ring Roger Pickard 01227 832045 for full details

Watch this space for details of more events next week and ongoing

David Chantler has asked us to say “The RABI breakfast at The Dirty Habit Hollingbourne saw over 50 sit down to a most enjoyable breakfast and over £600 was raised for RABI. At the breakfast The Maidstone Fatstock Show Society presented RABI with a cheque for £7500. We wish to express our grateful thanks to them for their most generous support”

Weald of Kent YFC – a new club

This new young farmers club is being launched and the trustees are promoting an initial fundraising event.

Saturday 25^th February at 7.30pm – The Big Farming Quiz at Marden Cricket and Hockey Club. Teams of upto six welcome and for more details email: eckleyfarms@waitrose.com.

Kent Herdsmans Club

Monday 13th March at 7.30pm – Susannah Robin Parking from Spring Rise is giving a talk about the company and what they can offer to sheep farmers regarding worm egg counts – at the Conningbrook Hotel, Canterbury Road, Ashford. TN24 9QR.

For all details on Herdsman’s Club events contact Chairman Sandra Brown on 01233 502796 or Jo Masters 01580 240568

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A huge “Thank you” from Sarah Burden

Updated 21^st February 2017

Sarah Burden (Dale’s wife) set up a charity stall in the foyer on Tuesday and raised £863 for Prostate Cancer Awareness. We all wish her well in the London Marathon – search Sarah Burden on Just Giving website to sponsor her efforts.

Hobbs Parker Auctioneers and Car Auctions

run over 200 auction sales every year

Our next Auction Sales include ……

Farm Dispersal sale

Thursday 16^th March at 11am

Bonhurst Farm, Birtley Green, Bramley, Guildford. GU5 0LA for Mr Trevor Telling (retiring).

Lots on offer include

Tractors – 2010 Class Axion 530 4WD tractor with loaders 5500 hours; 2001 John Deere 6310 4WD tractor with loader, 10,355 hours and a 2015 Polaris Ranger with canopy, 1700 hours.

Trailers – 1995 Warwick 8 tonne grain trailer, Ifor Williams DP120G12 12′ 6″ livestock trailer with cattle partition, Warwick 2007 tandem axle 25′ bale trailer, Sheep snacker feed trailer, Logic multi-feed snacker trailer, 4 Tonne tipping trailer and others

Implements and machinery – 2007 Claas Variant 360 round baler, 2014 Lely Welgar AP730 conventional baler, 2014 Cooks flat 8 bale sledge, Lawrence Edwards round bale wrapper, 2012 Kuhn GF780 hay tedder, 2012 Kuhn 4321 master drive rowing up rake, 2004 Kuhn FC283 mower, 2003 Kuhn 3m flail topper, Browns 56 bale carrier, Browns flat 8 bale grab, Hardi LY800 800 litre 12 metre mounted crop sprayer, Kuhn B1210 mounted fertiliser spreader, McConnel PA34 hedge cutter, Wessex hydraulic log splitter, Allman 625 12 m special crop sprayer, Grays yard scraper, Accord 4 metre air drill, Accord 4 row maize drill, Quantock hydraulic 170kg post thumper, Kverneland 4 furrow reversible plough, Opico 20′ hydraulic folding tined grass harrows, Opico 12 Bush Hog 5′ bushwacker topper, Kuhn 3 metre power harrow, Lawrence Edwards silage grab, Dalbo hydraulic fold 6 metre, Cambridge ring rolls, Vicon vari-spreader, Covenbrook safety access platform.

Also many lots of livestock and workshop equipment including sheep handling equipment, gates and hurdles, feeders and many other items

Full catalogues are available online and in hard copy – please ring if you require one in the post