Weekly Sales News – 6th November 2018

Top price per head – £89 – P & A Love; Top price per kilo – 203p – J Lukehurst

Report on trade: A small entry of lambs on offer this week with a good number of quality sheep which met an improved trade throughout.  The best sold at levels in excess of 190p per kg and up to a top price of 203p from J Lukehurst for some smart Beltex lambs weighing 41kg. Heavier lambs on offer sold to an improved trade to recent weeks with all the good quality and well finished sorts making from £80-90. Numbers nationally have just begun to decline slightly which has pushed the price in the right direction for the first time in a few months.

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 predominantly leaner sheep again which is having a massive impact on the average figures we are able to report but this is not always an accurate representation of the prices that the better ewes are making. Meated sheep selling in excess of £70 to a top price of £78 from Link Bros.

Report on trade: This week saw strong competition for all on offer from the best butcher types to those leaner sorts needing further finishing. A smart British Blue cross steer topped the market at £994 (224p per kg) from S Marsh while top quality Blonde cross heifer sold well at £1207 (220p) from W Alexander (Shoreham). Limousin cross heifers made  to £1201 (215p) from W S Furnival (Brookland) and £1093 (215p) from D W Ferguson Ltd.

The majority of dairy bred cattle made 175p to 190p bracket with a Limousin x Friesian steer at £1185 (192p) from A J Down and Aberdeen Angus x Friesian steers to £1178 (178p) from Hall Place Farms.

Several native bred cattle were on offer with purebred Sussex steers selling well at £1128 (202p) and Sussex bull at £1265 (198p) from C D & J Bishop and a run of 12 Hereford cross steers sold well up to £1118 (170p) and averaged in excess of £1000 from J Doorey.

Report on trade: A bigger percentage of dairy cows this week and prices were very much on a par with recent weeks. Although general trade is difficult there were 8 individual successful buyers ensuring competitive prices from the best fleshed cows to the plainer sorts in need of further finish.

The best fleshed Friesians sold in excess of 100p per kg and topped at £915 (114p) from J Leggatt & Son while beef cows topped at £1039 (120p) from R D E Spencer and Jerseys made up to £305 (56p) from Hickson Bros. Other top prices included Friesians £902 (110p) from N J & G M Lambert, £840 (105p) from Hall Place Farms and £728 (101p) from J W Boyd & Sons Ltd.

Report on trade: This weeks sale saw an improved trade for the best strong cattle to finish short term while younger and particularly the plainer sorts continue to prove more difficult to sell. Several runs of single suckled continental crosses sold well up to £850 for 9mths Charollais cross steers from G J Ostridge and a quality Aberdeen Angus cross steer of similar age topped at £785 from A J Thompson & Sons.

The highlight of the day were the quality 17-18 mths Limousin crosses for which there were plenty of bidders and competition. The top run comprised 57 Limousin crosses from A J Bray with the steers making from £1040 up to £1150 and heifers from £915 up to £1030 while smart 17 mths Limousin cross steers sold well at £1140 from Hawkfibre Ltd.

The best of the native bred cattle again were well received with Lincoln Red cross steers making up to £1060 from G C Amos, Aberdeen Angus cross steers up to £1020 from March Farms and purebred Sussex steers to £870 from J C & C Lewis.

Please enter cattle early for forthcoming sales to ensure proper cataloguing and marketing.

On day of sale please ensure cattle arrive at the market early to ensure proper sorting and accurate administration of paperwork.

Report on trade: We saw 16 Buyers for the entry of calves yesterday and while prices were not high rearers are looking closely at returns in the store cattle ring and judging their purchases accordingly.

A & W J Hitchcock sold Aberdeen Angus cross bulls to £260 (August born), similar aged Limousin heifer £185 and black and white bulls to £94; Boty Farms sold a very well grown August born  Aberdeen Angus bull at £390; W S Furnival Ltd October born British Blue bulls to £300 (5 aver’ £263) and heifers £200 ; J C & S K Williams sold October born British Blue heifers to £235 and dairy bulls to £88 and J Scutt & Sons September born British |Blue bulls to £255, heifers to £215, Aberdeen Angus bulls to £240 and dairy bulls to £100.

A May born Blonde x British Blue Bulls made £450 and summer born Blue steers £340 and  heifers to £315.

Remember we sell calves once a fortnight all through the year and have regular customers for all breeds and sexes.

Report on trade: A large entry of finished pigs sold to six buyers. Again they were of mixed quality with the best making 80 to 114p per kg and the rest 25 to 70p. 93kg Duroc gilts made 110p (£103) for D J Cole, S Scott & Son’s well bred and fed gilts 114p (£100) and Scott & Goddens best pi 108p. B G & M A Tomsett and Westlands School YFC both sold pigs at 100p plus.

Cull sows were again a tremendous call with the best 71p and many 60 to 70p to £184.

Store Pigs are always more difficult t sell in the autumn and winter and young middle white weaners made £11.

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

Martin Crowhurst (Cattle & Sheep) 07710 803903 or 01797 343936

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

Mark Cleverdon (Rams, Breeding Cattle, Pigs & Calves) 07741 845230

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

Tom Hamplett (Calves) 07966 104532

Can anyone help – A livestock client has mislaid a set of shearing combs due to be resharpend and set by Ian Lucas. Has anyone found said combs on the seat of their vehicle as they left the market on Friday 12^th October – if so please return them to us at the market.

South East Farmer and Farm Machinery magazines

The November editions of these popular regional farming magazines are now available here in the market. Hobbs Parker are regular contributors to the editorial content.

Livestock entry forms, FCI declarations and movement licences

It is essential that these forms are fully completed for every consignment of stock brought to the market. Please help us to provide you with the high level of service you expect from us by getting this right.

It is a legal requirement that entry form and food chain declarations are competed correctly.

We regularly notice that the information is missing from forms. Please can you ensure that all information is completed in future.

It would be very useful to market staff and thereby help with the speed of processing your stock, if a few further simple rules were followed on entry forms particularly for larger entries.

1. Steers and heifers are listed separately.
2. Passports are presented in numerical order.
3. Breeds are listed separately – for example Aberdeen Angus away from Limousin

RABI, Young Farmers Clubs and Kent Herdsmans Club news

Kent Herdsmans Club

Monday 12th November 2018 at 7.30pm – a talk by Dale Burden about Burden Brothers farming enterprise, at the Conningbrook Hotel, Canterbury Road, Ashford TN24 9QR.

The Club’s Christmas dinner will be held on Monday 10^th December, 7.30pm at the halfway house, Challock.

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

Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institute (RABI)

Tuesday 11^th December at 6 for 6.30 p.m. In the cattle ring here in Ashford Market

For further information on all RABI events in Kent ring Charles Tassell – 01622 858733, 07973 412179 or email charles@tassell.co.uk

Romney Sheepbreeders News

The recent edition of the breeders Society newsletter, produced by breed secretary Julie Lukehurst, is available here in the market. For all society information Julie can be contacted on 07538 938425

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

For Sale – 18 Pedigree Sussex in calf and maiden heifers from a North Kent herd. Contact Mark Cleverdon for details

Wanted – Shepherd with over 30 years experience with 2 good working Collies seeks sheep or beef cattle work. Anything considered.  Tel. 07810203324

For Sale – 6 Black and white Collie pups ready for new homes in the second week in October in East Sussex. Ring 07795 195435

Fodder Crop for sale and / wanted

For Sale – 400 round overyeared bales of hay on a south Sussex farm. Ring 07973 418654

For Sale – 50 2018 and 40 2017 season wrapped 4’ round bales of hayledge in West Sussex. Ring 07718 532971

The South Eastern Primestock Winter Fayre Show and Sale

Thursday 22^nd November at the South of England Showground, Ardingley from 9am

Usual livestock show classes, pred bred calf show plus South Eastern Charolais calf show and cattle, pig and lamb classes

For all details please contact Mary Masters on 01273 517824

Ashford Cattle Show

Monday 26^th and Tuesday 27^th November

Show catalogues are now available

The Show Dinner for 2018 will again be held at Ashford International Hotel on Tuesday 27^th November with the Champagne reception at 7pm

Our President Mr Clifford George will host the evening. The meal will be a traditional 3 course “Roast rib of beef” dinner. Matthew Dodds will be the presidents guest speaker as a representative and supporter of the charity the Animal Welfare Foundation.

The Chairman Mr Anthony Neaves will be providing a hamper that will be auctioned with proceeds going to the president’s nominated charity.

Summer competition championship prizes will be awarded at this year’s dinner.

This event is one of the social events of the year for sponsors, companies and all show supporters. We hope that you will join us.

Tickets are available at £31.00 and tables can be booked in units of 8 or 10. Smaller numbers can also be purchased upon request. Booking forms available from Sue Porter at the Tenterden NFU Office on 01580 766174. Bookings by the 14^th November.