Weekly Sales News – 28th November 2017

Top price per kg – 400p – Valley Park School – Show Champions;

Top price per head – £180 – Valley Park School – Show Champions

Report on trade A smaller entry of lambs on offer this week, partly due to it being show week and also to the slightly lacklustre trade that is on offer for the commercial lambs. With this in mind we saw a fantastic turn out of lambs in the show pens with all the young farmers clubs/schools putting great efforts into presenting their lambs for the Show on Monday and then for the sale on Tuesday morning. The overall champions were presented by Valley Park School YFC, Maidstone and these Beltex cross lambs sold for £180 (400p per kg) to B Wilson, Hockley, Essex with the Reserve Champions presented by Mrs Lizzy Sargent, Battle and selling for £160 to Fulk Brothers Butchers, Pirbright, Surrey.

In the commercial lambs, trade was at a similar level to last week with the best lambs sold certainly being the heavier sheep on offer with these mostly selling at  £80-85 price bracket to a top price of £87.50  from D A Price & Sons. The lighter weight lambs were not in as much in demand with the wholesale buyers but would mostly have traded between 165-175p.

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.

Report on trade: A small entry of ewes on offer in show week with a similar trade to previous weeks. The meated ewes were selling in the £70-75 bracket and the grazers trading to limited buyers at £35-45. There was little real urgency in the trade despite the smaller numbers on offer but reports suggest that this is due to large numbers of ewes at low prices coming out of the north of the country due to adverse weather conditions in these regions.

Store Sheep – 20 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Report on trade: This small entry sold to a trade similar to recent Friday sales.

More lambs will come forward now on Tuesdays with only 1 Friday sales remaining. We are looking for entries for this final sale to be held on Friday 15^th December – nearly 1,000 are already booked in.

Store Sheep – 20 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Report on trade: This small entry sold to a trade similar to recent Friday sales.

More lambs will come forward now on Tuesdays with only 1 Friday sales remaining. We are looking for entries for this final sale to be held on Friday 15^th December – nearly 1,000 are already booked in.

Report on trade: Ashford Cattle Show continues to be very well supported with quality cattle. It is to the great credit of the schools, and all their staff and supporters, and the Young Farmers Clubs of the region that such a strong exhibition of livestock is placed alongside that of the farming community. The enthusiasm and professionalism of all exhibitors is to be commended and we are proud that so many visitors and supporters come to witness the achievements of all at the show on the Monday afternoon and evening.

Strong classes present a stiff challenge to any judge and we were very pleased to welcome Andrew Bishop of Malvern to Ashford. A showman of the very highest standard himself Andrew found his Supreme Champion in an outstanding  purebred Limousin steer shown by Pippa Marsh, Guston, Dover. At auction this beast sold to Kent Farm Gate Foods for their Lower Hardres Farm shop at Canterbury for 355p per kg grossing up at £1893. The Reserve Champion award went to a Limousin heifer, part of the strong show team, from the High Weald Academy, Cranbrook. This strong heifer realised 270p and £1657 to Geoffrey Bates Ltd, Sutton Valence. They saw other class winners sell to 270p and 250p to E C Wilkes & Son, Cranbrook.

It was good to see a good run of Sussex cattle in the show with their influence on the weekly demand for beef at Ashford getting ever more important. Great supporters of the breed, and the market, L Stevens and Sons, Sittingbourne exhibited the best Sussex heifer and Champion Native Breed beast which sold at 220p to E C Wilkes & Son of Cranbrook.

From the penned cattle classes the Champion Beast was a British Blue heifer shown by Shaun Marsh, Guston realising 250p to Ray Thornby, Bethersden whilst the Reserve Champion, also from Shaun Marsh, was a Parthenais steer selling at 240p to John Howe for his Farm Butchers shops at Tenterden and New Romney.

A few commercial cattle on the day were well received with British Blue steers from D W Ferguson to 224p whilst Limousin from W Alexander (Shoreham) sold to 216p, 214p and 210p.

Support the live market and compare deadweight returns. Buyers are in attendance every week for all qualities of finished cattle and specialist feeders competing well for cattle to feed

Report on trade: A highly successful commercial section on a show day and a big thank you to all producers who responded to the call for cows. They were rewarded with another exceptional trade with the trade for all grades at high levels both for the beef and dairy culls.

Beef cows topped at over 150p per kg and dairy cows pushing close to 140p speaks volumes. Keep the cows coming.

Sussex made 154p,142p, 137p, 136p(2), 135p, 131p(2) and grossed to £927 from Bowes Lyon Estate; Simmental cross 143p £925 Foyle Farmers, 139p £1040 R L W Parrett and 136p £961 C R Cook; Hereford 140p Bowes Lyon Estate; Limousin cross 132p £972 C R Cook; Charolais 130p,129p Foyle Farmers and Blonde cross 130p C R Cook.

British Friesian heifers 151p PHR Farms; British Friesian cows 138p, 136p(2), 135p, £1077 PHR Farms, 134p Westnedge & Knight and 133p E P Knight; Holstein 133p £1118 W S Furnival and 132p £999 W G & T A Manford; Norwegian Red 141p Westnedge & Knight and Guernsey 116p W G & T A Manford.

We have cataloged around 370 head of stores and breeders for next week – see elsewhere for details

A further herd reduction of cows from Foyle Farmers were will be in the market next Tuesday (5th December)

Finished Pigs – 51 Sold

Auctioneer: Mark Cleverdon 07748 202688

Report on trade: To say the trade is sticky and demand lacklustre is unfortunately true and sellers who had fed and prepared some really very good quality stock for the show were, sadly, not fully rewarded for their efforts. Jim Lukehurst, Wye stood in at short notice to judge the show classes and selected two pairs of good weighing and super shaped Pietrain crosses from The High Weald Academy, Cranbrook as champions and reserve champions. These pigs, as many others in the pens, were bred by loyal market supporter Ben Hope, Egerton. The High Weald Academy also exhibited best single pig with Hadlow College the reserve. Westlands School took the best East Kent pigs trophy.

Three buyers purchased pigs being Cheale Meats, Brentwood, Brian Wilson, Hockley and Shaun Fagg trading as GHE, Dover. All the pigs made between 80p per kg and 120p bar the 2 top pens. Champions sold to GHE at 185p (grossing £138.50) with reserves 155p (£130) to Brian Wilson. Best single pig made 120p to GHE and the other first prize winning single 115p to Brian Wilson

The cull pig trade was a stand on with the one show sow from the High Weald Academy making 50p (£120) and three others (not the heaviest) made 40p.

Miscellaneous wanted and Livestock for sale ex farm

Wanted – working Greyfaced Dartmoor ram to run with a small number of ewes from 5^th December. South Kent. Ring Mark on 07748 202688

For Sale – 10 Pedigree Holstien heifers – due to Aberdeen Angus bull and due in January and February. West Kent. Ring Mark on 07748 202688

For Sale – Pedigree Limousin bull, bn 2013, fertility tested and weighing over 1,000kg – West  Kent. Contact Mark Cleverdon for details – 07748 202688

For Sale – 15 Pedigree Holstien heifers – freshly calved at 24 to 30mths and cubicle trained from a herd averaging 11,500 ltrs. West Kent. Ring Elwyn on 07710803901

For Sale – 3 Pedigree British Blue bulls at 18 to 30 mths, one black and 2 blue and white – Suffolk – Contact Mark Cleverdon for details – 07748 202688

Wanted  – a cattle yard (or part of) with or without grazing for a small herd of up to 20 head of stock in the Maidstone area.  Contact Mark Cleverdon with details – 07748 202688

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Welcome to Barkers Animal Health, our new tenant at unit 5 – Ashford Livestock Market

Barkers are a family business supplying livestock farmers throughout the South of England with a wide range of animal healtrh product including medicines, milks, minerals, farm and dairy hygiene, teat dips and forage preservation treatments.

Their shop will be open on market days at Ashford and the owner, Peter Barker will be present.  Their local representative, Stephen Skinner, will be calling on farm offering advice, competitive prices with next working day deliveries or even sometimes *same* day delivery.

Come and meet Peter in the market to discuss any health or nutritional problems within your flock or herd.

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Revised Conditions of sale for all sales of livestock at auction markets come into effect from the 1^st December 2017.

Vendors and purchasers are advised to acquaint themselves with the details. They will be displayed in the market from next week

Particular areas for attention include:

• Store heifers proving in-calf. This remains a 6 month period but the purchaser must exercise his rights before the heifer calves, and if he decides to calve the heifer he forfeits his warranty rights.
• Castrated cattle. The vendor warrants that any male cattle not expressly sold as bulls (a) have not been castrated, (b) have not been imperfectly castrated. This is a 14 day warranty.
• Animals sold for slaughter. Any animal described as ‘fat’, ‘finished’ or ‘prime’ or which is within a designated slaughter section of the sale, is being offered for slaughter. Livestock for slaughter shall be deemed to be slaughtered within 5 days and for the avoidance of doubt if any animal is condemned by the abattoir the vendor will pay to the auctioneer the purchase price paid by the purchaser and associated costs.
• Animals sold as in calf but proving barren. The vendor warrants that any cow or heifer being sold in-calf is in-calf at the time of the sale. This warranty is a 38 day warranty.

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Lamb Carcasses – 57 Sold

Auctioneer: Mark Cleverdon 07748 202688

Report on trade: Yet again it was very pleasing to see a good number of our commercial lamb producers supporting these classes in the pre Christmas show. Through 7 classes 75 exhibits were hung on the rails and Nick Brown, M B Farms, Stockbury, Sittingbounre judged then and first prize winning exhibitors were Paul Boulden, Aldington; Phil DEnne, Bethersden; Mr C Burr, Maidstone; Dr Simon Winchester, Bexhill on Sea; Mrs Lizzy Sargent, Battle; Dylan Isaac, Hothfield and Messrs Wakeham, Dawson & Harmer, Offham, Lewes. From these the Winchesters took both champion and reserve championship prizes.

The trade kicked off at reasonable levels through the Romney and native breed classes at 340p to 460p per kg deadweight but when we got to the generally better shaped and fleshed examples in the later classes prices did not alter from these levels. The champion and reserve, both Texel crosses made 600p and 460p M B Farms, Stockbury and Doug Marchant, Kingsnorth. Merssrs Wakeham, Dawson & Harmer from Lewes sold their two Southdown Cross carcases, sired by rams from their pirzewinning pedigree flock for 420p and 500p to the Offham Farm Shop, Offham, Lewes and Doug Marchant.

Averages: 57 sold to 600p and £153 and averaging 399p and £91.07

Christmas cakes for the show charity – 16 Sold (one twice)

Auctioneer: Mark Cleverdon 07748 202688

Report on trade: This years original show president was great market supporter Helen Langrish from Newchurch, Romney Marsh and she selected Cancer Research UK as her charity. Many of you will know that her husband Robert was diagnosed as suffering from cancer back in the summer and was in a London hospital on show day for a major operation in connection with his cancer and Helen was with him. Brother in law Frank stood in for Helen as this year president for which we are all very grateful.

The show charity fund raising effort kicked off with Christmas cakes baked to be judged in competition and then sold for the charity. The fantastic total of sales was £2253. Shaun Marsh bought both 1^st prize winning cakes for £600 (having reoffered this one) and £170 and other purchasers were John Rossiter, Mike Keeley, Anthony Neaves, Charles Tassell, Ralph Shepherd, Don Masters, Fred Husk, Paul Ashlee, Lewis Atfield, Martin Crowhurst and Caroline Worley.

A further £1674 was donated at the tables during the show dinner on Tuesday evening. Messrs Vant & Claringbold sold a carcase for charity which made £102 which was purchased by Andrew Hooker of Kent Tractors, Shadoxhurst.

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RABI, FCN and Kent Herdsmans Club News

RABI – Forthcoming events were they will be represented or are promoting include:

Sunday 2^nd December Maidstone Symphony Orchestra charity evening in connection with George Jessel, High Sheriff at Mote Hall, Maidstone Leisure Centre. ME15 7RN

Tuesday 5^th December – Live nativity Carol evening at 6pm in the auction ring at Ashford market

Kent Herdsmans Club

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

December meeting is the Club Christmas Dinner so next business meet is on Sunday January 14th 2018 at 12 noon – a visit to Chandler & Dunn Ltd to view their cattle and some of the fruit storage at the farm, Lower Goldstone, Ash, Canterbury CT3 2 DY

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Hobbs Parker Auctioneers and Car Auctions run over 200 auction sales every year. Our next Auction Sales are ..

Commercial Vehicles

Thursdays 14^th December and  10^th January at 3.00pm

A wide selection of up to 40 vehicles are generally offered in these sales

Special post Christmas car auction

Thursdays 28^th December at 4.00pm

A large and wide selection of up cars are expected to be on offer in this sale

Kent Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution and FCN

Invite you to Carols at Christmas

For children and adults of all ages

Tuesday 5^th December at 6 for 6.30 p.m.

In the cattle ring here in Ashford Market

Courtesy of Hobbs Parker and the Ashford Cattle Market Co

Entry is free so come as you are (dress warmly) and enjoy

Free mulled wine and mince pies

Nativity play, with authentic smells,

including live animals, to be performed by Brockhill Young Farmers Club

Raffle- Christmas Hamper donated by Perry Court Farm Shop

Music and singing led by Bill Jones (Headmaster of Spring Grove School)

For further information contact Richard Beaugie 01233 732580 or randjbeaugie@gmail.com