Weekly Sales News – 2nd November 2021

Top price per head – £134 – Harbourland Farm: Top price per kg – 293p – R L Pack

Report on trade: A smaller entry again this week but the same trend has been seen across the country with numbers of proper finished sheep coming under pressure. This has boosted the price yet again, with an average price returned at 257p per kg with lambs almost breaking the 300p mark again begging the question where will it all stop, but long may it continue. The smarter middle weighted lambs were in real demand this week and showing the greatest increase in price to a top price of 293p for some Beltex cross lambs from R L Pack with a close second place taken by Dr S W C Winchester at 287p for some very smart Beltex cross lambs. Heavier sorts topped at £134 from Harbourland Farm. More lambs needed every week to satisfy demand without any impact on the trade.

Auctioneer: James Cook O’Connell

Top price – £139 – Link Bros (Ave. £83.00)

Report on trade: Trade on a par with recent weeks with a higher percentage of better fleshed ewes on offer. Best ewes sold readily in excess of £110 with continental cross topping at £139 from Link Bros and £124 from J Walker.

Other top prices included Suffolk cross and Mules to £123 from C Hepher and Romney to £101 from the same vendor.

Leaner grazing sorts looking well sold in the £55 – £75 bracket. We also sold 4 goats which topped at £123 and averaged £109.

See Store & Breeding Sheep Sale pages for a full report

Top Continental cross

Blue cross heifer                  £1507 (265p)        D W Ferguson Ltd

Limousin cross heifer         £1569 (262p)        W Alexander (Shoreham

Top Native bred

Angus cross steer                £1339 (244p)        W Alexander (Shoreham

Purebred Sussex heifer      £1130 (220p)        A H Hoad & Son

Report on trade: A much improved trade for a better quality show of cattle with the best either side of 250p and second quality dairy bred sorts generally in the 220p to 230p bracket. Top quality runs from both W Alexander (Shoreham) and D W Ferguson Ltd topped the market with the best of their continental cross heifers selling in excess of 260p while smart Limousin cross heifers sold well at £1552 (253p) and £1333 (260p) from A J Thompson & Sons and a run of Limousin cross steers ranged in the 234p to 247p bracket and grossed up to £1320 from J Hooker & Son.

Well fleshed dairy bred cattle from A J Down sold well with the Limousin x Friesian steers topping the run at £1460 (236p) and £1448 (244p) while lean sorts for further finishing sold to £1276 (259p) for Limousin cross steers from R J Husk.

A small selection of bulls topped at £1450 (229p) for Limousin cross from A J Thompson & Sons.

Report on trade: Another strong entry of cull cattle though many more now showing the effects of the recent miserable weather and certainly many more filing up on plentiful silage and hay. Trade continuing in a very similar vein with a sharp strong trade for all fleshed cattle; excellent in confidence with the younger or better shaped feeders; and the plain or aged cows easing back unsurprisingly as boning costs increase and yields diminish.

Good meat beef cows 130p – 150p with young feeders up to 174p and again barely a beef cow under 110p. Keep them coming as feeding men keen for processing beef midwinter!

Angus cross 174p £1032 R C & J L Pickering; Hereford cross 161p (Non FA) J Bower; Limousin cross 150p 146p 138p £1160 £1086 £1073 Farrant Bros, 146p 143p £1069 H & J Noakes; South Devon 149p 148p 144p 139p £1143 £1128 Gardners, 142p £1133 S Salbstein Ltd; Simmental cross 141p 138p £998 £956 G Hosmer & Son; Sussex 134p 131p 126p £1214 £1208 £1111 The Montreal Estate, 132p (2) £1059 £980 (Non FA) P Dumbreck, 131p 129p (Non FA) A Barr & Son Ltd; Belted Galloway 134p £841 (Non FA) K Lukehurst.

Very little flesh on offer amongst the dairy section but competition firm and a few more of the dry bagged cows going for feeding.

Holstein heifers 177p 157p £1156 R C & J L Pickering, 161p J W Boyd & Sons Ltd; Flekvieh cows 138p £982, Norwegian Red cows 136p 121p £1130 A R J Cyster & Sons; Holstein Friesian cows 118p J W Boyd & Sons Ltd, 116p 115p (2) £929 R C & J L Pickering, 115p £784 W P Hope & Son; Imported cows to 95p £742.

Overage clean cattle a very strong trade, Angus cross steers 197p £1140 H G Tompsett & Sons Ltd, 195p £1400 Leggatt Farming Ltd; Devon steers 8yo (Non FA) 148p £1282 J Young.

Bulls holding up well for a lean selection. Longhorn 107p £1054; Devon 99p £969; Sussex 98p £780; Angus 90p.

Report on trade: This was another exceptional trade for a quality show of cattle with prices as high as we have seen. Plenty of cattle attracting 240p to 280p per kg and hard coaty weaned youngsters in excess of 300p per kg.

Highlights of the day included a superb run of 8-10mths Limousin cross bulls from J C Loveridge which topped at £1045 and averaged £905 and 80 18mths Limousin cross steers from E W & R E Hanks which toped at £1270 and averaged £1150, both lots off the North Kent marshes.

Stronger cattle were in short supply and attracted competitive bidding with top quality purebred Charolais heifers to £1275 from Highfields Park Farm and 18mths Angus cross steers to £1125 from K P Vincent.

Few native bred cattle on offer this week with a purebred Sussex steer topping at £1170 from D J Miles and Hereford x Friesian heifers looking well sold at £970 from R Winstone.

Store cattle are wanted and more could be sold at favourable prices with keen buyers from all parts of the country in attendance.                                                                         

Principal prices include  

Continental cross                                                                                                                             

8-10mths Limousin cross bulls                         £1045                    J C Loveridge

7mths Limousin cross steers                             £805                       J Bower

7mths Limousin cross heifers                           £750                       Beslee Farms

8-9mths Limousin cross steers                         £970                       Gardners

8-10mths Limousin cross steers                       £1050                    J C Loveridge

8mths Limousin cross steers                             £1050                    R A Lucas

12mths Simmental cross steers                        £1090                    G Gregroy

15mths Charolais heifers                                   £1275                    Highfields Park Farm

18mths Limousin cross steers                           £1270                    E W & R E Hanks

Native Bred

12mths Angus x Charolais steers                     £1270                    Highfields Park Farm

18mths Angus cross steers                                £1125                    K P Vincent

18mths Angus cross steers                                £1080                    G Hosmer & Son

20mths Beef Shorthorn cross steers                £900                       R Winstone

20mths Hereford x Friesian heifers                  £970                       R Winstone

20mths Friesian steers                                       £800                       Burnt Oak Farm & Kennels

24mths Sussex steers                                         £1170                    D J Miles

Report on trade: In calf cows forward from several vendors this week with a fleshed heifer from I Hobden topping trade at £680. A pair of TB Edge Sussex cows from P & A Butler realised £660 and some older smaller older cows from J Bower topped at £640.

Report on trade: This was the smallest entry for a long time and with still bad news across the country (and Europe and further afield) demand of all types was limited.

In the finished pig pens 82p per kg and £50 were best call for a single light gilt pig.

The cull pig market is not in a good place still with 18p and £36.75 the best prices achieved.

5 Pens of store pigs again looked good value at £7 to £30.

Kent Show news

Your opinions matter – The Kent County Agricultural Society would like to invite anyone interested in the livestock section at the show to a function to discuss how to make improvements to the event for the Show in 2022.

This is evening event will take place on Wednesday 17th November 7 to 10pm, at the Emson Exhibition Hall on the showground. It is an opportunity to meet the livestock committee and board of directors of the show to discuss the livestock section.

A free buffet and drinks will be provided by the Kent Agricultural Society, Kent Showground, Detling, Maidstone.  ME14 3JF. Ring Sally at the showground for further details 01622 633057 or rsvp to Sally@kentshowground.co.uk by the 5th of November 2021.

Ashford Cattle Show News

In conjunction with Hobbs Parker Auctioneers and the Ashford Cattle Market Co are promoting a show and sale of quality livestock prepared for the Christmas trade.

On Tuesday 30^th November – entries close Tuesday 16^th November

A schedule of classes and entry form have recently been circulated with Hobbs Parkers weekly mailings. If you have not received this information, please contact

Show secretary Julie Coney on 07887 643002 (Evenings after 6pm or all-day Wednesdays) or via email ashfordcattleshow@gmail.com.

Cattle Producers Please Note

Producers from all counties are reminded that if a beast is at any time in its life identified as an Inconclusive Reactor then they are unable to move it off their holding to any other place other than a place of slaughter, irrespective of any subsequent test that may turn out negative. They are not allowed to come to Ashford Cattle Market for onward movement to slaughter.