Weekly Sales News – 30th May 2017


Apologies for publication delay on this one. The demand for both milk lambs and hoggets remains strong.  Read all about in the following reports ….


Finished Sheep

2557 Sold

New Season Lambs

Top price per head – £109.50 – T Masters; Top price per kilo – 256p – Miss H Chandler

Finished Hoggets

Top price per head – £120 – Mr Graham Husk; Top price per kilo – 230p – R T, J B & I Lockwood

Report on trade: A good size entry this week with over 1500 new season lambs on offer with a similar trade but a more mixed entry of lambs on offer than we saw last week. The best quality on offer still made in excess of 250p to a top price of 256p for some super continental cross lambs from Miss H Chandler. Heavier lambs on offer sold to a strong trade with the majority of good quality continental crosses selling in excess of £100 from T Masters, M A Piper & Sons and A E Rumens. Numbers will begin to climb over the coming weeks which in turn is bound to have an effect on prices so selling at this current level must be the best option.

A smaller entry of hoggets on offer with just over 1000 penned but this one will be most likely the biggest late season entry of hoggets in the country on the day with numbers rapidly decreasing nationally over the past ten days. The trade has hit a real peak due to this drop in numbers and we have seen hoggets selling at greater prices than new season lambs which even though it appears strange, the reason is that the large catering buyers must have large carcasses and the new season lambs can not fulfil this specification. Several sheep sold in excess of £100 to a top of £120 for some strong continental cross hoggets from G Husk.

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.

                                       New Season Lamb prices
KgsTop PriceAve PriceTop Vendorp per kg
3686.0081.53C A Worley Farming Ltd239.0
3789.0082.80Link Bros241.0
3893.5084.50D Isaac246.0
39100.0087.72D Isaac256.0
4096.0091.35D Isaac240.0
4198.0095.50G H Dean & Co239.0
4299.5097.27M A Piper & Son Farms237.0
43102.50101.00M A Piper & Son Farms238.0

 

New Season Lamb – pence per kg
Weight RangeNumberTopBottomAverageNational Av
Light 25.5 to 32 kgs7188.0188.0188.0223.9
Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs998256.0195.0223.6237.4
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs496241.0207.0232.6239.8
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs24233.0207.0219.9231.5
Hoggets – pence per kg
Weight RangeNumberTopBottomAverageNational Av
Light 25.5 to 32 kgs14156.077.0131.8148.4
Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs156208.0103.0188.1183.4
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs326220.0112.0192.9187.8
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs241230.0176.0201.1190.4
Other 52 kgs +111215.0175.0198.4175.8

Cull Ewes and Rams

460 sold

Cull Ewes and Rams – 460 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Report on trade: A smaller entry of ewes on offer with a slightly slower trade due to the Muslim fasting period that commenced last Friday and will be ongoing over the next 4 weeks. Best ewes were a similar trade to last week with the best Suffolk ewes selling between £80-90. Several buyers were present to buy sheep to graze on with the recent onset of the grass growth.

Top prices were Suffolk crosses to £92 from T Masters, Crossbred Ewes to £90.50 from Giffords Farm, Mules to £72 from A C Ellet and Romneys to £73 from A G A Homewood.

 

Store and breeding Sheep

78 Sold

 

 

Sock Lambs and goat kids

4 Sold

Finished Cattle

27 Sold

Report on trade: Best butcher types in short supply and those available sold readily around 215p and up to £1212 (225p) for a Blonde cross heifer from G L Boulden & Sons and a Limousin cross heifer to £1179 (217p) from W Alexander (Shoreham). Heavier smart cattle sold well with a Limousin cross steer grossing £1294 (211p) from W Alexander (Shoreham) while Friesians met a similar trade up to £929 (148p) from R Price & Son.

Over 30 mths in the 130-150p bracket and grossing up to £912 (142p) for a Holstein heifer from A J Thompson & Sons.

Finished cattle averages – pence per kg
ClassificationNoTopBottomAverage
Light steers (370-550kg)3209.5147.5181.8
Medium steers (551-650kg)10211.5144.5185.6
  Light heifers (330-500kg)1187.5187.5187.5
  Medium heifers (501-590kg)5224.5195.5212.3
  Heavy heifers (over 590kg)1194.5194.5194.5
Leading steer prices
VendorWeight KgsBreedP per KgGross £
W Alexander (Shoreham)59525 mths Limousin212.01261
W Alexander (Shoreham)61521 mths Limousin211.01298
D W Ferguson Ltd51014 mths Limousin210.01071
W Alexander (Shoreham)61526 mths Limousin205.01261
D W Ferguson Ltd58524 mths British Blue200.01170
Leading heifer prices
G L Boulden & Sons54026 mths Blonde225.01215
W Alexander (Shoreham)54525 mths Limousin217.01183
G L Boulden & Sons56426 mths Blonde216.01218
D W Ferguson Ltd52525 mths Limousin210.01103
B G & M A Tomsett52525 mths Limousin196.01029

 

Cull Cows

41 Sold

 

Report on trade: A smaller post Bank Holiday show of cows but no let up in the trade with buyers active to secure numbers. Trade signs remain positive though as always the trade will shortly reach its peak and rates from mid July often begin to ease off. Keep looking for those non performers.

Very few best beef cows but good meat still 130-150p. Simmental 147p, 136p £996 W Hurley; Sussex 145p (Non FA) City of London; Sussex cross 138p £1125 ( Non FA) J H & A H Godden; Hereford 139p, 134p £879 (Non FA) F Henderson; Limousin 138p ( Non FA) S J M Evans;  British Blue cross 134p (Non FA) Stablechief Ltd.

Dairy culls very firm indeed. Holstein 136p £1062, 128p (2), 127p, 125p, 121p, 120p R Torrance & Son; 125p J Leggat & Son

Stock bulls – Sussex 107p, Angus 101p.

More cows please if you can find them!

Cull cattle section – pence per kg
ClassificationNoTopBottomAverage
Beef cows20146.584.5121.5
Dairy cows16135.599.5119.1

 

Store Cattle

108 Sold

 

Report on trade: A respectable show of store cattle after the Bank Holiday, and both Heathfield and Surrey County Shows, met a very firm trade indeed, for a mixed quality entry. Good grass growing conditions is adding to strong confidence in the beef sector and grazing stores will sell well during this mid Summer period.

Aberdeen Angus cross bulls 6m £480, £470; Limousin cross bulls 6m £535.

Aberdeen Angus cross steers 8m £710 G D K George; Beef Shorthorn cross Friesian steers 10m J Saunders £410; Limousin cross heifers 8m L R & Sons £505; Limousin cross steers 10m £770, heifers 20m £855 A J Husk; Sussex steers 20m £820 K W & T A Andrews; Aberdeen Angus heifers 20m £800, £750 Buckhurst Farms; Aberdeen Angus steers 24m £860, £790, £730 S P Churchill; Sussex heifers 36m £745, £700, £695 I Strang; British Blue cross  heifers £850 W Pynn Contractors.

Good Trade.

Breeding Cattle

9 females Sold

Report on trade: “Out of the Blue” a nice little entry of 9 cows and calves met a good trade with plenty of farmer attendance and activity. Most interest in the younger cows but all grades wanted with good grass supplies assisting demand.

Simmental cross cow 2011 and Beef Shorthorn bull calf £1100; Aberdeen Angus cross cow 2013 and Aberdeen Angus bull calf £1010 and £980 C R Cook; Older cows and young calves £600 – £900.

Please let us know us of entries in advance, even if after missing the catalogue, so that potential buyers can be advised.

 

 

 

Calves

0 Sold

Store and Finished Pigs

0 Sold

General information

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

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Breeding Cattle for sale ex farm

6 Pedigree Sussex bulls – 3 in West Sussex and 3 in Kent. All well bred and from high health herds here in the South East. TB Low. Mark Cleverdon can provide further details – 07748 202688

2 Pedigree Limousin bulls, 18 mths from a Welsh farm

Ashford Cattle show summer competitions

Flocks Entries are now welcome for this event. Forms will be sent to regular exhibitors but new faces are always welcome. For all information please ring Edward Langrish on 07973 977074. Judge will be confirmed and entries closed on 28th May with judging to take place in the 2nd week of June.

Beef herds and Crops Details will be published shortly. Charles Bull 07825665498 and Tim Porter 07919 196068 have all information on these 2 competitions.

Entry forms for all competitions are now available here in the market

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Sheepdogs for sale

5 Collie puppies (3 dogs) – farm bred, well socialised and nicely marked. 07814 972010. Essex.

15mth old registered well bred collie bitch. Just broken sides and a stop and easy to handle video available. Also 3 5mth old registered collie dog pups whose breeding includes Ross Games Roy and Kevin Evans Sawmill Jess . Microchipped, vaccinated and very keen. Please ring 01403 864361 or 07718902953. West Sussex

 

Lairage bookings for Monday evenings

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

RABI, FCN and Kent Herdsmans Club News

RABI Fund raising events over the next few months include:

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

Kent Herdsmans Club

Monday 12th June 2017 at 7.30pm – visit to Robert Hank’s and his families farm – Islingham Farm, Wainscott, Rochester. ME3 8BP to view his cattle and sheep enterprise.

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

Livestock for sale

4 Maiden Boer nanny goats , 12 to 14 mths on an East Sussex farm. Ring 07946 640949

NSA Eastern Region Youthful Shepherds Day

Saturday 10th June 2017 at the Rutland Stud, Saxon Street, Newmarket, Suffolk, CB8 9RS. Open to all NSA members and friends from 11am with catering available through the day.

A range of practical demonstrations will be going on for visitors to view, with the opportunity to quiz the mentor at each. 

Incorporated into the day will be the option to compete in the Next Generation Shepherd competition, open to young shepherds aged 26 and under.

Visitors will also get the chance to take in the surroundings at Godolphin Stud with a farm walk, looking at the how the commercial flock operates within the working stud.  Interested? Contact NSA Eastern Region Manager Jonathan Barber for entry forms and more information on 01973 607860 or office@ceressoultions.co.uk

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Local Agricultural Show dates

Thursday 8th to Saturday 10th June – South of England Show, Ardingly, Sussex. More details from Wiz Cuff on 01444 892700 or on www.seas.org.uk

** We are pleased again to be sponsoring the Beef interbreed group competition in the cattle section **

Wednesday 28th and Thursday 29th June – Royal Norfolk Show, Norwich. Full details  01603 748931 or visit www.royalnorfolkshow.co.uk

 

DEFRA and our Local Authority trading standards officers regularly 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.

 

Hobbs Parker Auctioneers and Car Auctions

run over 200 auction sales every year

Our next Auction Sales are ……

Commercial Vehicles

Thursday 8th June at 3.00pm

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

Collective Machinery & Equipment sale

Friday 16th June at 9.30am.

Catalogues will be available about a week before the sale.

Lots will include new & newly near mowers & garden machinery. New tools, farm & agricultural equipment, timber plus large selection of miscellaneous items.

Special Auction Sale of Convertible Cars

Wednesday 14th June at 6.30am

Special sale of convertible cars with the normal car auction to follow