Weekly Sales News – 5th January 2021


2021 Kicks off in our livestock auction market with plenty of buyers in attendance looking for stock. The prices achieved for hoggets was the highlight with cattle, cull cows and calves all meeting strong demand. We will have 150 plus store cattle on offer next Tuesday.

Read on for this weeks reports….

For forthcoming sales information – www.hobbsparker.co.uk/auctioneers/livestock-marketing/forthcoming-sales/

 


Finished Sheep

687 Sold

Top price per head – £135 – N C & C G Hedges; Top price per kilo – 285p – Beslee Farms (twice)

Report on trade: A very short entry this week which has been the case in many centres around the country in the past few days with numbers of sheep available really dwindling, which in turn has created another boost to the trade. Some fantastic prices were seen today to a level that we haven’t seen for several years when the hoggets really hit their peak.  Today hoggets regularly sold to over £100 from 36kg upwards and were knocking on the door of 300p per kg from Beslee Farms with pens at 285p twice. All these export grade types were selling in excess of 250p, but home trade is also buoyant with demand from retailers very strong following recent lockdown announcements. Overall the average was 257p with the SQQ reporting even higher than this. Long may it continue.

More fleshed lambs required to satisfy requirements of current buyers. Important to contact us regarding numbers so that we can notify the buyers.

                                                     Hoggets
KgsTop PriceAve PriceTop Vendorp per kg
37105.50101.19Beslee Farms285.0
38104.0097.35Beslee Farms274.0
3996.5096.33D A Thompson247.0
40114.00104.43Beslee Farms285.0
41117.00107.08Beslee Farms285.0
42106.50106.68J Pitman Ltd254.0
43117.00116.96S Wickens272.0
44119.00115.08C R Ridley270.0
45125.50114.19S Wickens279.0
46123.00117.56S Wickens267.0
47115.00107.52P N & C Burden245.0
49115.50109.27R & S L M Smith236.0
50121.00117.82Mrs H Edmonds242.0
51112.00103.40P M Langridge220.0

 

Hoggets – pence per kg
     Weight RangeNumberTopBottomAverageNational Av
Light 25.5 to 32 kgs7266.0248.0258.2217.0
Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs222285.0234.0267.6245.2
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs318285.0232.0259.7247.8
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs122267.0151.0238.0233.1
Other over 52 kgs9233.0206.0212.2212.3

 

Cull Ewes and Rams

320 sold

Report on trade: Another small entry of ewes was on offer this week and the trade followed the trend of the hoggets with wholesale demand rising by the day. The best end of the ewes sold to £145 from A Denning with several others well in excess of £100 from Mrs V McDonald, T Husk, N C &C G Hedges and Master J Burden to name a few. Less leaner sorts were on offer today with the few selling mainly from £60 to £70.

Continental ewes to £145 from A Denning and Suffolk ewes to £118 from T Husk.

Store and Breeding Sheep

0 Sold

Sock Lambs

0 Sold

Finished Cattle

41 Sold

Report on trade: This was a strong trade with prices at pre-Christmas levels with the best selling readily in excess of 225p per kg and the top of the dairy and native bred cattle around 200p. A run of mainly continental crosses from D W Ferguson Ltd took the pick of the trade with a superb British Blue cross heifer topping the market at £1559 (252p), a Bazadaise cross steer at £1273 (232p) and Limousin cross heifer £1157 (221p). Other top prices included Limousin cross heifer at £1359 (227p) from W Alexander (Shoreham), £1206 (224p) from G L Boulden & Sons and a run of Limousin x Friesian steers mainly 200p plus and up to £1235 (213p) from A J Down. Heavyweight British Blue cross heifers made to £1365 (209p) from P W & P Sim & Son.

A small percentage of native bred cattle were on offer with Sussex cross heifers selling well at £1194 (210p) from D W Ferguson Ltd and £1045 (206p) from W Alexander (Shoreham). Friesian heifers made £1090 (175p) and £1005 (185p) from T Castle & Son.

The strong trade for leaner sorts, in need of further finish, saw a run of Limousin crosses mainly 225p plus with a smart heifer topping at £1015 (247p) and steers to £1039 (240p) from R J Husk.

Leading steer prices
ProducerWeightAge and breedP per kgGross £
R J Husk43421mths Limousin240.01042
R J Husk46023mths Limousin238.01095
D W Ferguson Ltd55022mths Bazadaise232.01276
W Alexander (Shoreham)62021mths Limousin219.01358
G L Boulden & Sons55919mths Blonde219.01224
Leading heifer prices
D W Ferguson Ltd62023mths British Blue252.01562
R J Husk41223mths Limousin247.01018
R J Husk46522mths Limousin232.01079
W Alexander (Shoreham)60021mths Limousin227.01362
R J Husk44622mths Limousin227.01012

Cull Cows and Bulls

52 Sold

Report on trade: Processors are desperate for cows as the new year begins and, as predicted, producers who held cows from last December were well rewarded with a sharp trade from start to finish.

Mostly dairy culls were on offer today with a quality show of fed, dry bagged, heavyweights which were regularly making 105p to 120p per kg with the best grossing up over £1000. Only the lean wet bagged types made below 100p with just three black and whites below 90p.

We were very short of beef cows with the best fed heavyweights 135p to 155p grossing to up over £1200. Keeping sorts made to 133p with more desperately wanted by feeders.

Headlines include Limousin cross 156p 134p £1244 £1100 C & J Georgetti & Sons and 133p Beaute Agri; Simmental cross 135p £1150 C & J Georgetti & Sons and 134p £914 A J Thompson & Sons with Hereford 115p 110p £698 M Russell (Non FA).

We had as good a show of fleshed dairy culls as you would find anywhere with plenty of customers and a super trade.

Headlines included British Friesians 120p 118p 117p 114p £862 £861 £845 £834 Debden Court Farms; Holstein Friesian 126p £948 Goddard & Son, 124p 116p 111p £1013 £957 R & J Ledger, 118p 115p 113p 112p 111p 110p £1058 £996 £934 £931 R Torrance & Son, 124p 114p £942 £934 Huddlestone Farmers, 115p 110p £945 £937 P J Forknall and 116p 113p 111p 110p £1051 £939 Oncoland.

Cull cattle section – pence per kg
ClassificationNoTopBottomAverage
Beef cows9155.575.5120.7
Dairy cows43125.567.5105.3

Store Cattle

0 Sold

Breeding Cattle

0 Sold

Calves

39 Sold

Report on trade: The first calf sale here in Ashford of the new year saw a respectable entry of calves although it could certainly be said more could have been sold to sellers advantage.

A broad selection of breeds in the continental section with British Blue’s, Limousin’s and Charolais’ all represented. Bulls topped at £295 for a British Blue from A & W J Hitchcock with Limousin’s topping at £285 and Charolais to £270 from T Castle & Son. Some nice heifers were penned this week with a top of £255 again for a British Blue from T Castle & Son and British Blues from Hickson Bros to £200. Limousin’s from B J Goodsell & Son made to £140.

A dozen native calves this week with Aberdeen Angus bulls topping the trade at £250 from A & W J Hitchcock and heifers from the same farm selling to £160.

A handful of dairy calves were generally second grade or bobbies with the exception of a well grown Holstein Friesian from A & W J Hitchcock which made £92.

Calf averages – £ per head
DescriptionNoTopBottomAverage
Continental bulls12295.00150.00229.58
Continental heifers9255.00140.00200.00
Native bulls6250.00120.00180.83
Native heifers6160.0085.00121.67
Friesian – 1st192.0092.0092.00
Friesian – 2nd442.0038.0039.50
Friesian – 3rd and Bobbies135.0035.0035.00

Store and Finished Pigs

0 Sold

General information

Please note Covid regulations mean we will be again implementing a “Drop and go Policy” and no vendors will be permitted to attend the market other than to deliver stock.

Please help us to ensure your market remains open and operational

 

Hobbs Parker calendars for 2021

We would advise that because of uncertainties over arrangements for auctions for the coming year, due to the continuing Covid pandemic, the Hobbs Parker calendar has not been published.

Livestock auctions will continue, as has been the case throughout the pandemic, on Tuesdays. Seasonal Friday sales, for sheep, will be confirmed in due course as will dates for farm machinery and collective auctions, both on farm and on site in the market.

 

South East Farmer and Farm Machinery magazines

The January edition of this popular regional farming magazine is now available here in the market. Hobbs Parker is a regular contributor to the editorial content.

 

Hay, Straw and fodder

For a small charge we are quite happy to advertise your hay, straw and fodder for sale in this register which will now run until early May for further details please ring our auctioneer’s office on 01233 502222 or Mark Cleverdon 07748 202688

 

Bovine TB Test Dates

It is very important that the date (first part of test) is recorded on cattle entry forms for all cattle sold from TB1holdings. Any recent whole herd test dates from TB4 holdings must also be recorded. This information is critical to purchasers who may be required to test animals again and who will wish to avoid the risk of a false positive by testing again within the 60-day period.

Please advise of test dates when making cattle entries for cataloguing from TB1 Holdings.

 

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

For Sale – Mitsubishi L200 Challenger pickup – very tidy with 1 yrs MOT, service history, tow bar, locking roller shutter top etc Guide £11,000. Ring 07787 566080. Kent

Wanted – a pedigree Red Aberdeen Angus bull to run with Sussex cows on a Kent farm. Details of availability to Mark Cleverdon 07741 845230

 

Notices – Ron Cooper – Brabourne Lees

It is with sadness that the friends and family have asked us to report the passing of Ron Cooper. Well known as a butcher in the Ashford area Ron was a Market supporter and active member of the Cattle Show committee for the majority of his life. Our thoughts and best wishes go out to family and friends

 

Notices – Gwen Day – Chartham

It is with sadness that the family have asked us to report the passing of Mrs Gwen Day of Deanery Farm, Chartham, previously of Tonbridge “Day” family of farmers. Mrs Day died on 5th December 2020 peacefully aged 97. Gwen and her late husband Don and son Richard, the late husband of Fiona Scott Nichols were long-standing clients of Hobbs Parker trading pedigree Sussex cattle and sheep

 

For up to date information on all livestock sales please contact

Elwyn Davies (Cattle & sheep) 07710 803901 or 01233 861263

Peter Kingwill (Cattle & sheep) 07795 200357

Simon Husk (Cattle & sheep) 07885 968077 or 01304 842393

Mark Cleverdon (Pigs) 07741 845230

John Rossiter (Sheep, machinery plus commercial vehicles) 07557 392903

Tom Hamplett (Calves, weanlings, breeding cattle & rams) 07966 104532

 

Help and support from The Farming Community Network

Farming Community Network (FCN) volunteers regularly attend local livestock markets and whilst we cannot be present at sales currently, our helpline is still open from 7am to 11pm every day, staffed by people who understand farming.

FCN is a charity and voluntary organisation that helps farmers to stay resilient. We provide practical and pastoral support to those experiencing difficulties in England and Wales.

During these challenging times we are encouraging everyone to think about their own physical and mental health and that of their families and staff.

We can help with contingency planning against the backdrop of the Corona virus outbreak and our FarmWell website (www.farmwell.org.uk) offers a wealth of free information about managing change and maintaining personal wellbeing.

The FCN helpline can be reached on 03000 111 999 or via email at help@fcn.org.uk. Confidentiality is assured.

 

Please note if you don’t wash out at Ashford

Drivers of vehicles leaving Ashford empty without cleansing and disinfecting MUST complete a declaration form obtainable from the Market Office.

You must then cleanse and disinfect as soon as possible and within 24 hours, or before using again for livestock.

This is a LEGAL responsibility and are subject to checks by Local Authority Animal Health and Welfare Officers