Weekly Sales News – 7th November 2017

Top price per kg – 229p – A Denning; Top price per head – £94.50 – Ms H V Link

Report on trade: A bigger entry of lambs were on offer this week with some very well fleshed sorts penned. We had a slightly better trade than last week with the heavier lambs on offer the most improved in price, the best of these selling in excess of £90 with a top price of £94.50 from Ms H V Link closely followed by Mrs J Walker at £93.50. Smarter export sorts were also well sold and in short supply with the very best Beltex selling to 229p for some shapey 36kg lambs from A Denning.

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: Another good sized entry of ewes for the time of year were penned, the number just keep coming out.! There were still several leaner sorts on offer today with a good number of grazing buyers present looking to secure sheep to farm on. These grazing sorts traded between £35 and £55. Meated ewes on offer sold to £87 from W Hurley, with a few rams which were purchased to farm on, topping at £200.

Top prices included Suffolk ewes to £86 from W Hurley, crossbred sorts to £75 from L J Gotto, Lleyn ewes to £74 from East Marden Farms and Romneys to £67.50 from M C Cheeseman

We are now have only 3 more Friday sales and bigger numbers will be coming forward on Tuesdays. Please prebook large consignments with our auctioneers or fieldsmen

Auctioneer: Richard Wood

Report on trade: There is not much wrong with the beef trade at the moment with a real cross section of qualities on offer! There were plenty of buyers around the ring and all were competing strongly for all grades. Prospects remain positive with certainly no glut of finished cattle anywhere in the country and, obviously, Christmas work just beginning.

Some outstanding cattle were forward with D W Ferguson leading the day with Limousin and British Blue heifers selling to 239p per kg, 230p (twice), 227p and 220p and grossing to a marvellous £1446. Not far behind, again with Limousin heifers, was J Batchelor & Ptnrs at 234p whilst the steers topped with Limousin from Alastair Boyd & Co at 217p with others 210p and 208p from W Alexander(Shoreham).

Commercial cattle were a strong trade at 180-200p with very good interest in the Sussex and other native breeds. A higher number of manufacturing types were shown this week but all wanted with Ayrshire to 170p, Dairy Shorthorn to 167p and Holstein to 159p.

A good trade.

Support the live market and compare deadweight returns. Buyers are in attendance every week  for all qualities of finished cattle and specialist feeders competing well for cattle to feed

Auctioneer: Richard Wood

Report on trade: Another very good entry of close to 100 cows and, despite the obvious inconveniences of the days disruptions a highly successful result, with cows looking dearer on the week. Certainly more flesh was on offer amongst the dairy culls and whilst there were few fleshed beef cows there is still good interest from the feeders for all but the oldest and plainest.

Best young fleshed Sussex cross cows made to 158p per kg from N Shorter; Limousin cross 146p, 145p R J Husk; British Blue cross 140p A Boyd & Co; Charolais cross 134p £1219, Murray Grey 130p £1079 and Aberdeen Angus cross 128p £972 (Non FA) Mrs G West and Sussex 127p £985 Earl de la Warr.

Dairy culls were a better trade but a much better sample too! Holstein Friesians 128p £1168 W S Furnival; 128p Oncoland Ltd 125p £1022, 124p, 123p, 122p, 121p, R C & J L Pickering; 124p M W Goddard; Imported cows 118p, 116p(2) – but good meat! and Jerseys to 88p £492 Hickson Bros.

Just the one bull this week – Aberdeen Angus 107p £1066.

This continues to be a good trade.

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Report on trade: Another big autumn show of store cattle and a large attendance of customers. A very different make up in the catalogue to last week with a few more suckled calves now coming forward, a large show of Sussex and Sussex cross cattle together with other native breeds but less stronger continental cross steers and heifers.

Trade remained firm and positive particularly for the younger smart cattle but plenty of competition from a good and patient audience around the ring saw native breeds remain very popular with good quality entries of Sussex and Hereford in particular.

A few bulls on offer sold to £690 for Aberdeen Angus crosses at 21mths from E M & A R Roger-Smith. Age is critical with bulls and producers finding themselves with bulls or rigs at this time of weaning are well advised to sell them sooner rather than later.

All young cattle found a solid customer base with young native cattle particularly in demand at £350 to £700. Some very nice suckled calves were on offer including Aberdeen Angus x Simmental steers 8mths making £705, £680, £630 and heifers £635,£610 from G Hosmer & Son; Hereford cross steers 8mths £685, £620, £600 and heifers £620,£600 from G J Ostridge; Simmental cross steers 8mths  £815, £810, £805 and heifers £740, £705, £685 Foyle Farmers; Limousin cross steers 7mths  £825, £770, £735, £705 Gardners and Limousin cross heifers 9mths £770, £650 R M & J Penny.

There was strong interest in yearling cattle including Beef Shorthorn heifers £695, £635, £605 D & J Murray and Hereford  steers £755 M J Burton. Continentals were all wanted but shape and potential are all important and still a little resistance by some to the high and edge areas cattle.

A decent show of purebred Sussex cattle were well received by buyers including steers 15mths £905, £890 J C & C Lewis; 18mths £880, £830 and heifers £825, £740 D J Martin; heifers 18mths £740, £730, £670, £640 Passmore Coombes; steers 8mths £600, £590 L & J Clark; steers 17mths £800 M T Braxton; steers 17mths £765 J Paine Farms and  steers 18mths £975 Mrs J F Jackman.

Stronger Aberdeen Angus cattle were again a marvellous trade with Aberdeen Angus (Red) x Charolais steers 20mths  £1180, £1150 A J Strand & Son; steers 24m £1055 ALNM Ltd and steers 22mths  £1060, £960 E M & A R Roger-Smith.

A much more variable show of older cattle but customers were present right to the end for these. Conformation and potential all important and several cattle were spoilt by being too old for their size! County status for TB is not really an issue with the older, forward cattle. Limousin cross and Charolais cross heifers 19-21mths from E W & R E Hanks topped at £1060 and generally made £800-£1000.

Report on trade: The stable place the beef trade appears to be in is giving confidence to rearers buying young calvevs to maintain numbers in the system and another large entry of mainly young (2 to 8 week old) calves were well received again. Three more sales until Christmas now and we expect good numbers for these.

Today’s sale started with 2 beef crosses out of beef cows – £380 for an Aberdeen Angus bull 11 weeks old and £310 for the Hereford bull at 13 weeks. Oncolands black and white bulls made £20 to £66 at 4 to 12 weeks old, F W Hamblyn & Son sold British Blue bulls to £270 and Simmental bulls £275 with Sussex bulls to £195 (all October born), J W Boyd & Sons October borns made to £255 for British Blue bulls and the same price for heifers with Aberdeen Angus bulls to £205 and heifers £200, H O Champneys Ltd British Blue bulls made to £290and heifers £265 (September and October born) and young calves again from P J Forknall rang the bell with British Blue bulls to £310 and heifers £260 with Aberdeen Angus bulls to £280 . Ledger Farms (Appleton) offered a run of British Blue crosses which made to £300 for bulls (7 aver’ £216) and £212 for heifers (10 aver £180)

Please keep your entries of calves coming – we have customers for all classes . 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: Christmas is coming and the dip in the pig trade appears short lived and demand outstripped supply in the finished  pens. The best 70 to 90kg pigs made 135 to 140p per kg and good heavy pigs 118p. S Scott & Son sold 16 in 3 pens making 134, 140 and 142p and averaging £107.90

Sows and boars sold to 62p for young and not heavy first litter gilts and 43p and £107 for and good sow from S J M Evans.

Store pig demand did not respond immediately to the lift in the finished trade 68 were sold with P & R Marshalls well bred sorts making £44 to £49 and a good pen of white pigs from the Museum of Kent Life £41.

We remind all pig farmers of the information below

Identification of pigs – again we draw your attention to the fact that it is essential all pigs have permanent identification when offered for sale in a market ie slap mark or ear tag. Please ensure you comply with this regulation.

Miscellaneous wanted and Livestock for sale ex farm

For Sale – Pedigree Limousin bull, bn 2013, fertility tested and weighing over 1,000kg – West  Kent. Contact Mark Cleverdon for details – 07748 202688

For Sale – 15 Pedigree Holstien heifers – freshly calved at 24 to 30mths and cubicle trained from a herd averaging 11,500 ltrs. West Kent. Ring Elwyn on 07710803901

For Sale – 3 Pedigree British Blue bulls at 18 to 30 mths, one black and 2 blue and white – Suffolk – Contact Mark Cleverdon for details – 07748 202688

RABI, FCN and Kent Herdsmans Club News

RABI – Forthcoming events were they will be represented or are promoting include:

Monday 27^th and Tuesday 28^th November – Ashford Cattle Show

Sunday 2^nd December Maidstone Symphony Orchestra charity evening in connection with George Jessel, High Sheriff at Mote Hall, Maidstone Leisure Centre. ME15 7RN

Tuesday 5^th December – Live nativity Carol evening at 6pm in the auction ring at Ashford market

Kent Herdsmans Club

Monday 13th November at 7.30pm – a talk by Caroline Pinchbeck of Canterbury Diocese about her work in the community and with RABI at the Conningbrook Hotel, Canterbury Road, Ashford TN24 9QR

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

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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

Hobbs Parker Auctioneers and Car Auctions run over 200 auction sales every year. Our next Auction Sales are ..

Commercial Vehicles

Thursdays 16^th and 30^th November at 3.00pm

A wide selection of up to 40 vehicles are generally offered in these sales

Collective Machinery & Equipment sale

Friday 10^th November at 9.30am.

Catalogues will be available about a week before the sale.

Lots will include new & nearly new mowers & garden machinery. New tools, farm & agricultural equipment, timber plus large selection of miscellaneous items.

Special Sports and High Performance Vehicle sale

Wednesday 29^th November at 6.30pm

This auction of cars will include a special sale sports and high performance cars with the normal car auction to follow

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The South Eastern Primestock Winter Fayre Show and Sale

Thursday 23^rd November at t

Miscellaneous wanted and Livestock for sale ex farm

For Sale – Pedigree Limousin bull, bn 2013, fertility tested and weighing over 1,000kg – West  Kent. Contact Mark Cleverdon for details – 07748 202688

For Sale – 15 Pedigree Holstien heifers – freshly calved at 24 to 30mths and cubicle trained from a herd averaging 11,500 ltrs. West Kent. Ring Elwyn on 07710803901

For Sale – 3 Pedigree British Blue bulls at 18 to 30 mths, one black and 2 blue and white – Suffolk – Contact Mark Cleverdon for details – 07748 202688

RABI, FCN and Kent Herdsmans Club News

RABI – Forthcoming events were they will be represented or are promoting include:

Monday 27^th and Tuesday 28^th November – Ashford Cattle Show

Sunday 2^nd December Maidstone Symphony Orchestra charity evening in connection with George Jessel, High Sheriff at Mote Hall, Maidstone Leisure Centre. ME15 7RN

Tuesday 5^th December – Live nativity Carol evening at 6pm in the auction ring at Ashford market

Kent Herdsmans Club

Monday 13th November at 7.30pm – a talk by Caroline Pinchbeck of Canterbury Diocese about her work in the community and with RABI at the Conningbrook Hotel, Canterbury Road, Ashford TN24 9QR

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

********************************************************

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

Hobbs Parker Auctioneers and Car Auctions run over 200 auction sales every year. Our next Auction Sales are ..

Commercial Vehicles

Thursdays 16^th and 30^th November at 3.00pm

A wide selection of up to 40 vehicles are generally offered in these sales

Collective Machinery & Equipment sale

Friday 10^th November at 9.30am.

Catalogues will be available about a week before the sale.

Lots will include new & nearly new mowers & garden machinery. New tools, farm & agricultural equipment, timber plus large selection of miscellaneous items.

Special Sports and High Performance Vehicle sale

Wednesday 29^th November at 6.30pm

This auction of cars will include a special sale sports and high performance cars with the normal car auction to follow

***********************************************************************

The South Eastern Primestock Winter Fayre Show and Sale

Thursday 23^rd November at the South of England Showground, Ardingley from 9am

Usual livestock show classes, pred bred calf show plus South Eastern Charolais calf show

Cattle, pig and lamb classes

For all details please contact Mary Masters on 01273 517824

he South of England Showground, Ardingley from 9am

National Sheep Association South East Region

After a successful inaugural Sheep Health and Welfare Conference in February 2016, NSA South East Region is holding the event again this year on Wednesday 22^nd November at the School of Veterinary Medicine, Surrey University, Guildford.

The theme for this year’s event is Sheep Health, Wealth and Production.

For further details please contact bob Blanden on Bob Blanden – bob@nationalsheep.org.uk / 07860 689391 / 01666 860308. www.nationalsheep.org.uk/events

David Martin

You may be aware that David has not been looking after the lairage for us for a couple of months.

This is to let you know that we have agreed with David that his employment at Hobbs Parker Ventures Ltd ended on 30 September.

David started working for W & B Hobbs over 50 years ago and he has been a very valuable and important member of our livestock team.

We understand that David plans to continue his relationship with the market and Hobbs Parker Auctioneers LLP and will be buying and selling stock on behalf of himself and others.

We would like to thank David for all his hard work and wish him well going forward.

Elwyn Davies

Director, Hobbs Parker Ventures Ltd

Usual livestock show classes, pred bred calf show plus South Eastern Charolais calf show

Cattle, pig and lamb classes

For all details please contact Mary Masters on 01273 517824