Weekly Sales News – 7th March 2017

Top price per kg – 185p – T Crick; Top price per head – £89.50 – J Wayman

Report on trade: A bigger entry this week and a difficult trade throughout as has been the case nationally. Heavier sorts were still well sold on the day to a top price of £89.50 for some super Charollais cross hoggets from J Wayman. Belly shorn and over night lairaged sheep were once again sold to a noticeable premium above the morning delivered sheep with several of these sheep selling well in excess of the overall averages.

 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 this week for a larger number of ewes with once again the best meated sorts selling on the best trade of the day and to a top price of £80 from M L Wilson & Son with rams selling to £85 from Mrs V Mc Donald. Leaner sorts sold on a similar trade with few buyers looking for grazing types.

Top prices included Texel rams to £85 from Mrs V Mc Donald, continental ewes to £80 from M L Wilson & Son and £77 from J Wayman, Mules to £68 from A C Hulme & Sons and Romneys to £64 from E H Holdstock & Son.

Report on trade: A trade which followed on from the finished sheep section with prices following a similar trend. Most stores traded between £50 – £60 with only the also rans or long term sorts were selling below £50. Averages: Top £59.50 and aver £49.80.

Report on trade: A nice quality entry of young lambs sold well to average £18.13 and a top price of 25. 3 Farms consigned and we expect more in the pens in coming weeks.

anted by a strong retail butcher demand.

Report on trade: Numbers are continuing to hold up very well in Ashford as throughput nationally continues to tighten. We saw another superb trade with all tiers of the meat  industry looking for processing beef and competing very strongly for assured, non assured, the fat, the thin and the ugly!!

Best meat cows a superb trade and plenty made over 140p and £1100 per head. Limousin 167p per kg and grossing £1049 from L Smith and 147p and £1042 (Non FA) I G Pilcher; Limousin crosses 145p J Berryman, 138p £1064 R A Wade and 131p (Non FA) Barfrestone Court Farms; Charolais 143p £1099 (Non FA) A J Strand & Sons and Charolais cross 138p, 135p L A Charman & Ptnrs; Simmental cross 143p, 130p £1191 (Non FA) A J Strand & Sons and 129p N C & C G Hedges; British Blue cross 137p, 136p, £1194, £1125 (Non FA) Barfrestone Court Farms; Sussex 136p(2) (Non FA) I Strang and 126p R J Southey; South Devon cross 132p £1065 (Non FA) A J Strand & Sons; Aberdeen Angus 130p, 127p £1138 (Non FA) Barfrestone Court Farms;  Hereford cross 128p £1014 A J Thompson & Sons and Highland (Non FA)(Horns) 89p!!

Very few really best fleshed cows in the dairy culls this week but nevertheless another wonderful trade throughout. British Friesian 129p,119p £1047 (Exempt) G D & E E Field, 122p, 120p E P Knight and 120p T Pateman & Sons; Holsteins 122p A J Thompson & Sons, 121p £1060 M W Goddard, 120p £912 Appleton Farms, 119p, 118p(2) £913 J Leggat & Son, 118p £905 R C & J L Pickering and 117p S Reynolds. A quality show of fleshed Jersey cows sold very well with probably a record price of 125p £791 from Hickson Bros who sold others to 116p and 110p whilst others from S E Lane & Ptrs sold to 109p(2), 100p £576.

Fleshed bulls are selling very well indeed and if you are planning a change this is the time to get the old one gone! Limousin 128p £1230; Holstein Friesian 127p; Aberdeen Angus 120p £1135; Hereford 118p £1234 and Simmental 103p £1128.

Report on trade: This was one of the best shows of continental store cattle seen in Ashford and a great credit to the producers of the South East. They found a sale ring full of customers from far and wide keen to secure quality stock to satisfy a confidant beef finishing  industry. All cattle found a strong trade from start to finish.

Quality young bulls are in demand and vendors are advised to sell their yearlings now so that finishers can do their work before the abattoir age deadlines become a factor! Limousin and Aberdeen Angus 12mths bulls made £700 from P Seath.

A few pens of nice quality native breed cattle were much in demand and hard coaty Aberdeen Angus cross steers 10-12mths made  £792, £745 and £670 from B C Charman and Hereford cross steers 12-14mths £775 and £680 from F Pearce & Sons.

The main body of the sale contained excellent runs of yearling single suckled stores and, in catalogue order, it is only fair to report the highlights of all vendors. Blonde steers £1090, £1000, £960 and heifers £950, £890, £855 from T & A Lord; Blonde cross and British Blue cross steers £1155, £1030, £960 and heifers £800 (twice) from O’Neil Smith Ltd; Simmental cross steers £870 and Beef Shorthorn cross steers £838 from Foyle Farmers; Limousin cross steers £1020, £990 and £950 W G Watkins & Sons; Limousin steers £980, £920 (twice), £905 (twice) from FGS Agri; Limousin steers £1025 L Smith; Limousin cross steers £910 and heifers £890 R A Wade; Limousin cross steers £1050, £1020, £928 and Simmental cross £960, £880 M J Ashworth; Limousin cross £870, £845 K I Lingham & Son; Limousin steers £1020, £930, £910 L E Humphreys & Son; Limousin cross heifers £840, £835(2) C & J Georggetti & Sons and Limousin cross steers £985, £900 R Coleman & Sons.

Older cattle were similarly, a marvellous trade with feeders drawn hard from fattening yards. Limousin steers 15mths £1020, £910, £880 from E Stretton; Limousin cross and Charolais cross steers 20-24mths £1030, £995, heifers £970, £910 (twice), £890 J Berryman; Limousin cross heifers 24mths £1060 G Bates Ltd;  Simmental cross heifers 24mths £1020 G Bates Ltd and Aberdeen Angus steers 28mths £1040 Ross Farms.

Large entries of cattle are expected every Tuesday now for at least 2 months. Please keep in touch with our auctioneers and fieldsmen for up to date marketing advice

For information on all livestock sales please contact at anytime

Elwyn Davies (Sheep) 07710 803901            Peter Kingwill (Cattle) 07795 200357

Mark Cleverdon (Pigs/Calves) 01233 506288 John Rossiter (Sheep) 07557 3929033

Martin Crowhurst (Cattle/Sheep) 07710 803903  Simon Husk (Cattle/Sheep) 07885 968077

Hobbs Parker Auctioneers and Car Auctions

run over 200 auction sales every year

Our next Auction Sales include ……

Farm Dispersal sale

Thursday 16^th March at 11am

Bonhurst Farm, Birtley Green, Bramley, Guildford. GU5 0LA for Mr Trevor Telling (retiring).

Lots on offer include

Tractors – 2010 Class Axion 530 4WD tractor with loaders 5500 hours; 2001 John Deere 6310 4WD tractor with loader, 10,355 hours and a 2015 Polaris Ranger with canopy, 1700 hours.

Trailers – 1995 Warwick 8 tonne grain trailer, Ifor Williams DP120G12 12′ 6″ livestock trailer with cattle partition, Warwick 2007 tandem axle 25′ bale trailer, Sheep snacker feed trailer, Logic multi-feed snacker trailer, 4 Tonne tipping trailer and others

Implements and machinery – 2007 Claas Variant 360 round baler, 2014 Lely Welgar AP730 conventional baler, 2014 Cooks flat 8 bale sledge, Lawrence Edwards round bale wrapper, 2012 Kuhn GF780 hay tedder, 2012 Kuhn 4321 master drive rowing up rake, 2004 Kuhn FC283 mower, 2003 Kuhn 3m flail topper, Browns 56 bale carrier, Browns flat 8 bale grab, Hardi LY800 800 litre 12 metre mounted crop sprayer, Kuhn B1210 mounted fertiliser spreader, McConnel PA34 hedge cutter, Wessex hydraulic log splitter, Allman 625 12 m special crop sprayer, Grays yard scraper, Accord 4 metre air drill, Accord 4 row maize drill, Quantock hydraulic 170kg post thumper, Kverneland 4 furrow reversible plough, Opico 20′ hydraulic folding tined grass harrows, Opico 12 Bush Hog 5′ bushwacker topper, Kuhn 3 metre power harrow, Lawrence Edwards silage grab, Dalbo hydraulic fold 6 metre, Cambridge ring rolls, Vicon vari-spreader, Covenbrook safety access platform.

Also many lots of livestock and workshop equipment including sheep handling equipment, gates and hurdles, feeders and many other items

Full catalogues are available online and in hard copy – please ring if you require one in the post..

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Lairage bookings for Monday and Thursday evenings

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

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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.

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

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Notices – John Jordan

The family have asked us to advise that John Jordan of Tudeley near Tonbridge sadly passed away on Tuesday 21 February. John was a regular market attender and in the words of the family “he looked forward to going to each auction, and we would like to thank the staff and farmers at the market, for being part of his life for many years”.

A  funeral will be held at Tunbridge Wells Crematorium on Tuesday 14 March at 1.45pm.

Livestock for sale by private treaty – ex farm

Updated 28^th February 2017            

For Sale 700 Suffolk x Mule shearlings, on Heptavac system, which have run with Charollais and Texel rams from 5^th November – to be scanned. On an East Anglian farm. Contact 07710 803901.

South East Point to Point Meetings (www.pointingse.com)

Updated 7^th March 2017    

The fixture list for the season has been circulated with this report recently. Further copies are available here in the market

Saturday 18^th March – Crawley & Horsham; Parham, Storrington, West Sussex. RH20 2ER – 1.45pm

Sunday 26^th March – Old Surrey, Burstow and West Kent; Penshurst, Kent – 1.30pm

Sunday 9^th April – Southdown & Eridge; Godstone, Surrey. RH9 8DB at 2.15pm

Saturday 15^th April – Ashford Valley; Charing, Kent. TN27 0JS – 2pm

Monday 17^th April – East Kent: Aldington, Kent. TN25 7EJ – 2pm.

Hay, Straw and fodder

Updated 7^th March 2017

For Sale – Large quantity Quadrant rectangular bales of 2016 season made threshed ryegrass hay. Good quality. Romney Marsh. Ring 07885703458

For Sale – Large quantities of 2016 made and gathered organic hay, haylage and silage. Buckhurst Park, East Sussex. Ring 01892 770220 or email: office@buckhurstpark.co.uk

For Sale – 100 Mini Hesston 4 string bales of oat straw, 60 Mini Hesston 4 string and 200 4’ round bales of exceptional hay. Transport can be arranged get at cost. East Sussex. Ring 01580 819000 or 07768 771933

For Sale – 157 Massey Ferguson 8’ x 4’ 6 string bales of 2016 season gathered winter barley straw, stored dry. East Kent. Ring 07703 130575

For Sale – 2000 Conventional bales of 2016 season made meadow hay. East Kent. Ring 07885 305520.

For Sale – 150 Claas Quadrant 2016 season gathered winter barley straw, stored dry. Ashford area. Ring 07850 789113.

For Sale – upto 500 Conventional bales of 2016 season made hay. West Kent. Ring 07905 269113.

For Sale – 200 Round bales of 2016 season made meadow hay. Maidstone area. Ring 07813 741636

For Sale – 50 Round wrapped bales of 2016 season made haylage from organically farmed grassland. Mid Kent. Ring 01233 756468.

For Sale – 500 bales of 5` long mini Hesston bales of July 2016 meadow grass haylage with delivery available at cost. Chiddingfold, Surrey. Ring 01428 654695 or 07966 452256.

For Sale – 300 to 400 wrapped 4 string bales of 2016 season haylage and 50 7’ long 6 string bales of meadow hay. Kent / Sussex borders. Ring 07773 384271 or 07973 634519.

To advertise your stocks in this section please speak to Mark Cleverdon or Adam Leonard for details of our very reasonable charges

RABI, FCN, Kent Herdsmans, Ashford Cattle Show and YFC Club news

Updated 7^th March 2017

Fund raising events over the next few months include:

Clay Pigeon Shoot – Friday 31^st March. West Kent Shooting School, Brenchley. TN12 7DG. 70 bird R.A.B.I Charity shoot. Ring Sally Field 01903 882741 or Charles Tassell 01622 858733. £75

Beef Dinner, British Beef Week – Saturday 22^nd April. London Beach Hotel, Tenterden. TN30 6HX. Limited to 100 tickets. Ring David Chantler 01622 850207

Kart Racing – April or May, date TBC. Buckmore Park. Ring Charles Tassell 01622 858733

Elmley Bird Sanctuary private tour and barbeque  – Sunday 14^th May. Emley, Isle of Sheppey. ME12 3RW. Ring Roger Pickard 01227 832045 for full details

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

Kent Herdsmans Club

Monday 13th March at 7.30pm – Susannah Robin Parking from Spring Rise is giving a talk about the company and what they can offer to sheep farmers regarding worm egg counts – at the Conningbrook Hotel, Canterbury Road, Ashford. TN24 9QR.

For all details on Herdsman’s Club events contact Chairman Sandra Brown on 01233 502796 or Jo Masters 01580 240568

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A huge “Thank you” from Sarah Burden

Updated 7^th March 2017

Sarah Burden (Dale’s wife) set up a charity stall in the foyer on Tuesday and raised £863 for Prostate Cancer Awareness. We all wish her well in the London Marathon – search Sarah Burden on Just Giving website to sponsor her efforts.

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Kent Wool Growers wool sheet distribution

Wool sheets will be available between 10am and 3 pm on Tuesdays 4^th and 11^th April. Further information is available from the Wool desk on 01233 648052

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Kent County Ploughing Match

Saturday 18^th March at Malmaynes Hall Farm, Stoke, Rochester. ME3 9SG.

Sponsored by the Kent County Agricultural Society. For all information ring Ron on 07929 374244

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South East Farmer and Farm Machinery magazines

The March edition of this popular regional farming magazine is now available here in the market. Hobbs Parker are regular contributors to the editorial content.

In addition our Property Consultants Outlook for Spring 2017, is included with this months publication and available hare in the . Articles looking at current issues affecting many aspects of land ownership make interesting reading for all landowners and occupiers.

Jon Chapman – Marathon man !!

Come Sunday April 23^rd our Jon will not be on his rostrum selling cars (or even in church!) because he has entered himself for the London Marathon.  As well as proving to himself, and all of us, how fit he is he will be raising money for Meningitus Reasearch Foundation. Sponsorship forms to complete are available here in the market.

We all wish him well and look forward to hearing he has completed the course in a respectable time (for his age!)

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Hobbs Parker Auctioneers and Car Auctions

run over 200 auction sales every year

Our next Auction Sales are ……

Commercial Vehicle sales

Thursday 23^rd March at 3.00pm

Commercial vehicle sale to include special sale of leisure vehicles

Thursday 6^th April at 3.00pm

Commercial vehicle sale

Property Auction

Wednesday 29^th March

Please contact James Hickman for more details

Pedigree Sussex Spring Show & Sale

Friday 7^th April

This is the Sussex Cattle Societies sale of breeding bulls and females

Horse & Saddlery Sale

Thursday 13^th March at 10am

Catalogues will be available about a week before the sale.

Entries expected of riding ponies, event horses and youngstock

New & nearly new saddlery & tack, grooming kit, yard equipment, rugs, harness Riding boots, show jackets, jodhpurs, body protectors, yard clothing & boots