Weekly Sales News – 6th June 2017

New Season Lambs

Top price per head – £123 – Kingswood Farmers; Top price per kilo – 275p – Mr S Husk

Finished Hoggets

Top price per head – £130 – Alastair Boyd & Co; Top price per kilo – 235p – H O Champneys Ltd

Report on trade: The biggest entry of lambs on offer this season saw almost 2400 penned and what a trade it was! Several sheep made well over £100 from 39 kgs upwards and this topped at £123 from Kingswood Farmers which was followed by J Howie at £115 and T Masters at £112. These heavier sorts are in great demand as the catering customers are finding it more difficult to acquire hoggets that fall into their specification and are forced to compete for these 43kg plus lambs. The export weight bracket also rang the bell with some super continental lambs from S Husk selling to 275p (40kg at £110) and closely followed by D Isaac at 272p (36kg at £98). Long may this trade last but with the increase of numbers nationally, it is predicted that it won’t sustain the levels we are currently seeing so please advise us of what lambs you wish to send in the coming weeks.

A smaller entry of hoggets were on offer and a very mixed entry from the very best down to some very much end of season clear ups! The trade maintained the strong level we have seen in the past few weeks for the best meated sorts sold up to £130 for some very heavy hoggets from Alastair Boyd & Co which was closely followed by R F & E A Simmons at £124.

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 similar trade to recent weeks for an average entry of ewes in the pens in terms of both numbers and quality. Top price on the day was £95 for a Beltex ewe from R & S L M Smith. Grazing ewes were sold on a similar trade with the best Suffolk ewes to farm on making around £60.

Top prices were continental ewes to £95 from R & S L M Smith, crossbreds to £86 from A J Thompson & Sons and Suffolk crosses to £85 from the same vendor, Mules to £67 from Whelan Farms and Romneys to £70 from Bristow Farms.

Report on trade: A very small entry of ewes and lambs sold from £30.50 to £64 per life (to £133 a couple)

Report on trade: Similar firm trade with the best in excess of 210p per kg with Limousin crosses taking the pick of the trade, notably a steer topping the market at £1167 (225p) and a handy weight heifer to £1004 (212p) from G L Boulden & Sons. Heavier commercial sorts up to £1284 (185p) from R F & E A Simmons and a run of Continental x Friesian cattle up to £1134 (188p) from A J Down.

A few native bred cattle on offer with a Sussex heifer to £970 (177p) from J G & D G D White and a run of Limousin cross steers to feed sold exceptionally well up to £1096 (222p) from R J Husk.

Over 30 mths in the 140-165p bracket and grossing up to £1061 (144p) for a Limousin cross heifer from L Kernan.

Report on trade: A strong trade throughout for an increased entry with the best meat Friesians selling readily in the 130 to 140p per kg, medium sorts 115 to 125p and of lean Friesians up to 100p.

Several beef cows on offer with the best fleshed sorts up to £1194 (170p) for a British Blue cross cow from M A & F W Owen and a run of feeding Limousin cross cows sold well up to £891 (172p) and £898 (161p) from J F Windibank.

A heavy Aberdeen Angus bull sold well up to £1302 (109p) from Barfrestone Court Farms.

Other top prices include:                                                                                                                 

Report on trade: A small entry of store cattle and with all regular buyers in attendance trade was brisk throughout.

Top prices include:                                                                                                                           

Report on trade: Strong demand throughout the sale with nineteen individual buyers. We can sell a lot more calves every fortnight.

Highlights through the sale included

7 Holstein bulls, April and early May born, £62 to £108 and averaging £88.71 from Oncoland Ltd.

Aberdeen Angus cross bulls, born late March, £320 and a Beef Shorthorn bull, born late April £300 from A L Betts Ltd.

British Blue cross bull, born late April, £320 and heifers £210 and £235 from H O Champneys Ltd.

Limousin cross heifer, born early March to a beef cow, £325 from A J Britton.

British Blue bull, born mid May, £300 and Holstein Friesian bulls, born late April to £115 from J Warnock & Son.

Aberdeen Angus cross steer, born early March to a beef cow, £400 from A J Thompson & Sons.

British Friesian bulls, born mid April, to £135 from P J Forknall.

6 Holstein bulls, born mid to late April, to £88 and averaging £60.80.

British Blue bull, born mid April, £305 and 3 heifers to £325; Aberdeen Angus cross heifer £225 and Sussex cross £260 from W S Furnival Ltd.

Aberdeen Angus cross bulls, born mid to late May, £250 and heifers £170 from Kingcott Dairy.

British Blue steers, born November to January, to £470 and heifers £415; Simmental heifer £400; Aberdeen Angus steers £438; Limousin steers £400; Hereford steers ££445 and heifers £395 and 2 Holstein steers £200.

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: Demand for pigs this early summer season is strong and our fortnightly auction is producing fair returns.

This week saw a generally good entry with all finished pigs sold averaging 126p per kg and £92.48 per pig.  S Scott & Sons 17 made 100 to 127p averaging £100.07. P W & P Sims 4 made 123p and £111.75, C B Hopes 12 to 124p and averaged £93.75 and S J M Evans sold 8 at 125 and 126p averaging £122

Cull sows made to 52p and £190

Young white stores made to £32 from D Pope and stronger coloureds £40 from Mrs L Bacon. 2 small sows and young teams made £210 and £175

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 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

Jon Chapman – Marathon man !!

John would like to thank everyone that kindly sponsored his  London Marathon campaign. After a pretty gruelling six months and over 500 miles of training he finally staggered across the finish line in a reasonably respectable 4hrs and 29mins. He says it was a fantastic experience and he will try harder next year!

More importantly he managed to raise an amazing £4145.08 for the Meningitis Research Foundation. off  49432 Just Giving page. In April his page was in the top 3% and John reached 165% of his target so a big thank you to everyone who supported him.

Local beef farmers discussion group

If anyone would like to join a Kent Based Beef Group could you email your name and contact email address to hughr@john-lewis.com. We aim to have ‘Visits of Interest’, ‘Farm Walks’ and ‘Topic’ based debates or speakers. So please bring your ideas forwards as well please.

Breeding Cattle for sale ex farm

16 British Blue x Friesian heifers, 24 mths which have been scanned 5 mths in calf to a Limousin bulls on a mid Kent farm (TB low). Ring 07885 968077

2 Charolais bulls, 4 yrs old and proven from the Chesham herd. West Kent

3 Pedigree Sussex bulls – well bred and from a high health herd in Kent. TB Low. Mark Cleverdon can provide further details – 07748 202688

2 Pedigree Limousin bulls, 18 mths from a Welsh farm.

Local Agricultural Show dates

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

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

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Vehicle Parking on busy market days – Congestion in the bottom / livestock parking area

Please help us to help you. The upper car park on the top side of the market buildings is available for all cars and Land Rovers with trailers.