Weekly Sales News – 6th October 2020

Top price per head – £114 – N C & C G Hedges : Top price per kilo – 238p – Dr S W Winchester

Report on trade: A small entry of lambs again this week. Finished sheep certainly are drying up in the area causing numbers to dwindle, which often happens form October to November before the finished stores begin to come back to market towards Christmas.

The best sheep on offer once again sold very well this week with the top of the roll of honour filled by N C & C G Hedges with all their run selling over £100 head to a top of £114. Best end of the export quality lambs came from Dr S W Winchester selling to 238p kg for some very smart Beltex lambs.

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: Nearly as many ewes on offer to finished lambs again this week with a huge percentage of leaner sheep on offer. These grazers found homes to farm on again with trade for these form £45-60 head and the best meated sheep selling to £96 from P M & S H Parr

Report on trade: Another good entry of finished cattle included a high percentage of quality beef bred continental crosses and with a good attendance of keen buyers at the ringside trade was competitive and strong throughout from the smart handy weight butcher types to those leaner sorts in need of further finish.

The highlights included a run of Limousin cross heifers from W S Furnival (Brookland) with all but one selling in excess of 228p and up to £1341 (238p_ and £1325 (233p) and lighter British Blue crosses with plenty of shape to £1078 (230p) and £979 (232p) from S Marsh. Other top prices included Limousin cross heifers at £1324 (237p)  from W Alexander (Shoreham), £1201 (225p) from R F & E A Simmons and £1150 (220p) from G L Boulden & Sons. Another good entry from regular vendor A J Down sold at similar levels to recent weeks with Limousin x Friesian steers to £1207 (209p) and Hereford x Friesian steers to £1145 (198p).

Specialist feeding men were keen bidders for those leaner sorts with the pick grossing well up to £1288 (210p) for British Blue cross steer from J Hooker & Son and Limousin cross steer £1260 (196p) from H G Tompsett & Sons.

Report on trade: This was an outstanding show of animals, and indeed quality was overall good for the back end of the season. Buyers were out in force from far and wide and the trade for flesh and for keeping cows was outstanding. The entry included a large run of Grey British Blue x Friesian empty cows from Blythe Model Farms which sold famously to 169p per kg and were generally making 125p-150p. A few more fleshed beef cows this week with shrewd producers starting the finishing process early and reading the record this Covid Autumn. The Georgetti family produced a tremendous run of Simmental cross cows selling to 149p with the majority over £1100 topping at £1143.

Fleshed beef cows generally made 120p to150p with the keeping trade 125p to 175p. Older cows improved and very little under 100p.

There was not so much forward from the dairy sector and certainly not much flesh on offer. Some good black and white fleshed heifers were eagerly sought at 140p to 170p whilst some half meat cows were 105p to120p. Plain cows made 80p to 100p.

Overaged fleshed steers another real trade with plenty over 140p and giving outstanding returns.

In the beef lines Limousin cross 175p, 164p from H & J Noakes; 169p (£1013) R F & E A Simmons; 164p (£1128) (Non FA) J Bower and 159p (£1110) C & J Georgetti & Sons: Charolais cross 169p (£832) Blythe Model Farm and 167p Beslee Farms: Aberdeen Angus cross 158p, 145p Beslee Farms: Simmental cross 149p, 139p, 137p, 136p (2) (£1143, £1126, £1124, £1115, £1091) C & J Georgetti & Sons and 142p Beslee Farms. British Blue cross 154p, 153p (£900) Blythe Model Farm; Sussex 138p, 126p (£697) A Sills and 135p (Non FA) Bosney Farm and Hereford cross 142p, 141p Beslee Farms.

In the dairy line Holstein Friesian heifers 170p (£119) D Murdoch & Sons, 166p (£1100) G R Edgar & Son, 150p J W Boyd & Sons and 146p Hall Place Farms. Cows 120p J W Boyd & Sons, 117p R & J Ledger, 116p, 115p G R Edgar & Son and 115p W G & T A Manford. Jersey 114p,107p (£650) Hickson Bros; Norweigian Red 113p E P Knight and Guernsey 97p (£564) R Scot.

Highlights in the over age clean cattle section were Limousin steer 4 yrs 153p and 6 yrs 146p (£1229). Hereford x steer 5 y/o 144p (£1378). British Friesian 3 yrs plus 137p,134p (£1106). Holstein Friesian OTM steers 147p, 146p, 143p (2) 142p, 141p.

Stock bulls continue a good trade with a smart black Limousin to 134p (£1455), Aberdeen Angus 109p (£1307); Sussex 103p (£1080) and Simmental 90p (£957)

Report on trade: Another big show of store cattle with a decent entry of Sussex cattle to complement the Sussex breeding sale. Trends were very similar to recent weeks with the weekend deluge not helping farmer’s confidence on the oncoming winter pressure.

In short strong short term cattle remain a very good trade with the finished trade holding firm while mid-term cattle are a decent trade ahead of last year’s rates but finishers want to see quality and growth for age essential. The younger cattle, of which there were more forward this week, meet a more selective demand. Another winters costs are very much on farmer’s minds and availability of feed and straw is a limiting factor to some and subsequently prices are easier by comparison to stronger types. Buyers are looking for the better types and discounting the awkward shaped or poorly grown heavy.

Pick of the entries today included Blythe Model Farms Sussex cross steers 5-7mths £500, £490 and heifers £460, £445; R W Jones Simmental cross steers 8-12mths £740, £670 (2) and heifers £570; Hall Place Farms British Blue x Friesian steers 12mths £725, £510, and heifers £620, £470; Wood Farm Partnership Aberdeen Angus steer 18mths £1110, and Hereford cross steers 18mths £900; A G Dodd Limousn cross steer 18mths £950 and Hereford cross steers 16mths £815; R Winstone Hereford cross steers 18mths £890, British Blue cross heifers 22mths £850 and Beef Shorthorn cross heifers 20mths £850; D Cornforth Limousin cross steers 18mths £825, £755 and heifers £900; Dan Mackelden Aberdeen Angus cross steer 24 mths £1195 and Limousin cross steers 18mths £1075, £860; J Windibank Limousin steers 20mths £915 and heifers £895;  W G Watkins & Sons Limousin cross steers 20mths £1190, £1135; S J Theobald & Son Limousin cross heifers 18mths £1000; W J Hurley Sussex steers 18mths £900, £870; Passmore Coombes Sussex cross heifers 30mths £875, £755 and steers 18mths £795, £790, £755; Langrish Farmers Limousin cross steers 20 mths £990 with B W C Brooks Aberdeen Angus cross heifers 24 mths £900 and 18mths £680.

Report on trade: Sussex Day here in Ashford drew a small entry of females but demand was good reflecting the general positive vibes of the cattle sector at present. Pedigree cows with calves made to £880 twice from W T Kemp and £860 from D Jenkins with strong maiden heifers to £890 from A Rawlinson and £990 from R W Killingbeck

Report on trade: Not enough pigs to meet buyer’s orders again this week and the best and better second quality pigs were a very good trade. Sows are still difficult and no number or quality pigs were forward in the store pens.

The best finished were 120p to 156p per kg, grossing to £126.84 with North School YFC , C Higgins, Miss J Judge all selling pigs over 140p

Cull sows made 20p and boars 10p.

Stores – we have buyers looking for stock and one pen of young shapey stores made £38.

Next pig sales – 20^th October and 3^rd November with stores being sold immediately following the finished and cull at 9am.

Hobbs Parker Car Auctions news – We are back in business!!

Vehicles are being traded in substantial numbers in our weekly online sales. For all details please long onto the Hobbs Parker website and select Car Auctions or pick up the phone 01233 506266 and speak to John Chapman or James Johnson.

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

For Sale – 36 British Blue x Friesian heifers, 24 mths which are scanned in calf to Limousin bull – North Kent. Ring Simon on 07885 968077

For Sale – Pedigree Aberdeen Angus (Red) bull bn 2016 – Essex. Ring Mark on 07741 845230

For Sale – Pedigree Limousin bull, Gotham bred and born 2016 on a Romney Marsh farm. Ring mark Cleverdon on 07741 845230

For Sale – 9 Holstein x Friesian heifers, 24 mths and in calf to an Aberdeen Angus bull – East Kent. Ring Peter Kingwill on 07795 200357

For Sale – ready for work Limousin bull. East Sussex. Ring Mark Cleverdon for details 07741 845230

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

Farm Dispersal Sale announcement – Saturday 31^st October

We have instructions from John Paine Farms Ltd to conduct a dispersal sale of farm machinery and equipment on the Romney Marsh.

COVID-19 social distancing and other guidelines will apply. No included items can be accepted.

Covid-19 Protocol at Ashford Market – updated July 2020

In common with the Livestock Auctioneers Association’s recommendations to its members Hobbs Parker Auctioneers ask that their customers wear a face covering whilst at market.

Social distancing, high standards of hygiene and responsible behaviour to others is also recommended.

Strict control of the numbers attending market is asked for and both buyers and sellers should not bring additional people with them to market.

We still recommend a ‘Drop and Go’ policy for vendors but if a vendor has a need to attend, they should always be on their own and respect social distancing.

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 TB! Holdings.

South East Farmer and Farm Machinery magazines

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