Weekly Sales News – 8th November 2016

Top price per kilo – 207p – Mrs C Worley:  Top price per head – £88 – Link Bros

Report on trade: A larger entry of lambs this week but not the quality that we saw last week which was reflected in the overall average which was returned at 165p per kg. This trade is still 15p ahead of last years figures for the same week but the gap has begun to close between the current period and last year as a result of the reduction in numbers coming forward during November last year. Best continental lambs from Mrs C A Worley still sold in excess of 207p for 41kg Beltex lambs.

Heavy weights were still in demand but not quite at the levels we saw last week with top spot taken at £88 from Link Bros followed by £85 from David Clarke Farms.

Report on trade: A steady trade with no real fireworks to be seen as has been the case for several weeks now. A few less in the pens with the leaner sorts still looking the dearest sold on the day in comparison to the meat ewes. Many are buyers indicating that the wholesale market is very slow at the moment and that several ewes are on the market nationally.

Top Prices on the day included continental ewes to £81 from AJ Skinner & Sons, Suffolk crosses to £78 from S W Mount & Sons, Romney Ewes to £65 from Langrish Farmers and rams to £101 from RL Goodman & Sons.

Cattle sales reports

Finished Cattle – 74 Sold
Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

Report on trade: This week saw another very good trade with more cattle forward and more customers present to buy stock of all grades. Volume demand is now picking up as pre- Christmas procurement begins and competition was strong for the best meat cattle from butchers and wholesalers. In addition there is no let up in demand for any cattle for further feeding  and the bigger better heavier cattle were also a good trade.

D W Ferguson Ltd took top honours in both sections with their British Blue heifer selling at 236p and grossing £1225 and their British Blue steer at 210p and £1226. MB Farms were not far behind with their British Blue heifer at 230p £1251. W Alexander ( Shoreham) had Limousin steers to 207p £1229 and heifers to 214p £1185.

Native cattle are continuing to find strong demand with Sussex and Aberdeen Angus steers both making up over 190p to 194p from Langrish Farmers and Sussex heifers to 188p £1001 R Padfield.

Commercial cattle sold at good rates though not the quality overall of recent weeks were in the pens. Good British Friesians from A J Down made to 177p.

Please remain aware of cattle ages as both the 30 month and 36 month thresholds do make a difference.

Cull Cows – 72 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Report on trade: This week was certainly harder work in the cow section not helped by a very high proportion of non assured cows and few real fleshed cows. Rates are easing particularly for the lean cows with the change in the weather adding to national numbers being offered. Processors will be altering their work patterns over the next month as demand balance moves towards primal cuts for Christmas before mince returns to the fore mid December in preparation for the New Year marketing discounts.

The beef cows were generally short of flesh. The entry included a few feeding cows but was generally older beef types and not the ideal cows to be yarding. A Charolais cross made 123p (Non FA) from D & K Plumley; Sussex 113p Mrs V M D McDonald, 109p D J Miles and 106p (Non FA) R J Horsman; Simmental 110p £837 L Palmer & Sons; Hereford cross 108p J Hobden and 104p D J Miles; White Park 100p (Non FA) Hatfield Park Farms and their Longhorn 96p £688.

Dairy culls were very short of flesh with the majority plain cows straight from the parlour but generally, with farm assurance status. No best meat cows which would be 110p plus. Norwegian Reds made 109p, 106p, 102p £775 (Non FA) from A R J Cyster& Sons; Holstein 108p £854 S Reynolds, 104p A L Betts Ltd and Jersey 93p £569 M W Goddard.

Auctioneers: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901 and Mark Cleverdon

Report on trade: A good show of store cattle included a big percentage of strong 18 mths continental beef crosses and native breeds, particularly several runs of well bred pure Sussex stores. The quality and strength of cattle on offer proved an obvious attraction with several big feeding buyers around the ring. The trade was brisk throughout with plenty of local customers competing for the younger cattle and specialist finishers competing for the stronger cattle.

In the continental section, the annual consignment of 58 18 mths beef cross heifers from R E Hanks attracted lots of interest with the Limousin crosses mainly making £800 plus and up to £960 while the British Blue and Charoilais crosses ranged £850 to £900 with a superb Charolais cross topping the run at £1100. Other top prices included 18 mths Limousin cross steers and heifers to £1095 and £1035 respectively from E Chantler & Sons and a 28 mths Charolais cross heifer topping the market at £1130 from J E Berryman.

In the native breeds several runs of purebred Sussex steers sold particularly well with no shortage of bidders. Smart 12-14 mths sorts topped at £890 from J C & C Lewis while 18 mths sold at £890 and £880 from Passmore Coombes and V M D McDonald. In addition quality 18 mths  Aberdeen Angus cross steers and heifers sold well at £1095 and £1000 from D I Issac. Several customers in attendance for heifers suitable for breeding with 20 mths Hereford cross heifers at £870 from R G Nash & Son, and £860 from D Ward.

Early arrival of cattle is appreciated, particularly between 8am – 10am, to ensure proper sorting and penning prior to sale. Lairage facilities available every Monday evening. Please help us to help you.

We also remind all livestock producers again that ………

It is essential we have a completed entry form with every consignment of livestock to this market. FCI Market Forms must be filled out with vendor’s name, holding number, FABBL and TB status, plus the ear numbers and details of animals entered.  This is compulsory and the market staff do not have time to fill out vendor forms – please comply.

DEFRA regularly remind us of our responsibilities regarding unfit animals. No unfit animal should be exposed for sale in a market.

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.

See store cattle report above

Calves – 120 Sold

Auctioneer: Mark Cleverdon 07748 202688

Report on trade: Another good selection of calves were on offer and demand was strong with buyers on hand for all offered. The beef farming sector is in a reason able place with confidence looking forward reassuring calf buyers and rearers of a return for their endeavour – lets hope this continues.

From the main runs of beef cross calves offered the headlines were

Young British Blue bulls at 6 weeks old to £405 and then £400 from J Warnock & Sons

July, August and early September born British Blue bulls to £415 from Ledger Farms and their heifers to £325. In this consignment the bulls averaged £390 and heifers £314

October born Sussex cross bulls to £205 from W S Furnival Ltd

The black and white lines again lacked quality with killing sorts anything from £5 to £70 and those with rearing potential selling between £50 and £100.

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.

Please confirm entries on Monday so we can inform the buyers.

Store and Finished Pigs – 61 Sold
Auctioneer: Mark Cleverdon 07748 202688

Report on trade: Just as the trade developes some bite with nationally pig supply tightening we have the smallest entry of stock for a long time here in Ashford. The pigs forward was not strong on quality either but buyers competed well for those available.

A very strong trade for the entry of finished pigs saw the better, but not best quality pigs, make 110p to 130p per kg and the rest 30 to 101p

Sows and boars made to 49p and 45p respectively with a heavy boar grossing £193.50

A small offering of store pigs saw D Finchs pure Welsh strong weaners made to £36.

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.

South East Farmer and Farm Machinery magazines

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

News from Kent / South East RABI

The South East RABI would like to say “Thank you for supporting the recent harvest supper here in the market. Over 160 people attended and we all had a wonderful meal prepared by the Stock Pot and over £6,000 was raised in aid of R.A.B.I.

Dates for your diary include Tuesday 13^th December at 6pm for 6.30pm – Carols at Christmas will be held again in the Cattle Sales ring here in Ashford Market.

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.

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

General news

Updated 8^th November 2016

For Sale – a working pedigree Lincoln Red bull on an East Kent farm

Wanted – Work experience as a lambing assistant in March 2017, 6 days a week for 2 weeks for 2 Vet students. Please ring 01233 635879 or 07968397611

For Sale – Up to 12 autumn calved pedigree Sussex cows in West Sussex.

Wanted – Up to 12 spring calving Sussex cows (not necessarily pedigree).

Kent Herdsmans Club – For all details on Herdsman’s Club events contact Chairman Sandra Brown on 01233 502796 or Jo Masters 01580 240568. Meetings at the Conningbrook Hotel, Ashford.

Monday 14th November at 7.30pm – a talk by John Arthur Boyd about his travels around the UK and his book.

South Eastern Prime Stock Winter Fayre, South of England Showground, Ardingly, Haywards Heath on Thursday 17^th November.

Shows of cattle, sheep and carcases and new for 2016 pigs plus the Sausage & Meat Pie competitions.

Purebred calf shows supported by the South Eastern Charolais Association and Southern Beef Shorthorn Breeders Club.  Further information from Mary Masters 01273 517824 or email: mary.m@btconnect.com

Hobbs Parker Auctioneers and Car Auctions run over 200 auction sales every year

Our next Auction Sales are…….

Rural Property auction

Wednesday 23rd November

Contact James Hickman on 01233 506223 for all details

Ashford Cattle Show and Sale of Christmas stock Monday and Tuesday 28th and 29th November Annual show of livestock, crops, carcases and much much more. All details from Julie Coney 07887 643002 or email ashfordcattleshow@gmail.co.uk Entries are now closed and a show catalogue will be produced shortly.

Ashford Cattle Show – It is Christmas Show time !

Our pre Christmas primestock show includes

75 Cattle, 355 Lambs, 43 Pigs, 96 Lamb Carcases & Turkeys

Show Day Monday the 28^th November from 2pm

Sale of Carcases will be on the Monday at 6.30pm

Livestock Auctions on Tuesday the 29th December from 9.30am

Free admission so bring the family for and afternoon an evening out in the Market.

Catalogue of exhibits and sponsors is available now from the secretary