Weekly Sales News – 9th November 2021

Finished Sheep – 1,323 Sold         

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Top price per head £143.50 – Mr R L Pack: Top price per kg – 299p – Mr A Denning

Report on trade: A bigger entry this week, and as I seem to keep repeating in these pages, another lift in the trade. Numbers of well finished sheep nationally are coming under serious pressure and with the prices that store have been achieving, it is easy to see why a number of farmers may be choosing not to fatten their lambs. Now we are seeing finished sheep well in excess of 250p kg and up to £3, the finished market looks the way to go currently.

Some great quality lambs on offer this week with runs from R L Pack, C Ballard and Mervyn & Tom Woodruffe all selling over £130 hd to a top price of £143.50 from R L Pack. Lighter weights this week were also in demand with handy weight continentals selling to 299p from Mr Andy Denning.

Auctioneer: James Cook O’Connell

Top price – £131 (Ave. £82.50)

Report on trade: A good show of ewes on offer today with the grazing numbers fading out and better finished ewes starting to show. Trade for well finished ewes looks to be on the rise with buyers competing strongly for them. There was a lot of Romney ewes seen in the pens today in comparison to continentals all looking well sold and over the £100 mark on a number of occasions.

Top prices to include Suffolk x to £123 from S Phillips, Continentals to £131 from T Lyle and Partners, Mules to £107 from E J Stanford and Sons and Romneys to £117.50 from H V Link Partnership.

Top Continental cross

Blue cross steer                   £1831 (230p)        K & P M Sinden & Son

Limousin cross heifer         £1154 (269p)        R J Husk

Top Native bred

Sussex cross steer              £1444 (223p)        T Masters

Angus cross heifer              £1252 (235p)        Gary Stokes

Report on trade: Another strong trade for a good show of finished cattle with a big percentage of well fleshed heavy weights forward.

The best handy weights sold readily in excess of 250p with smart Limousin cross taking the pick of the trade with steers to £1564 (257p) and heifers £1385 (257p) and £1354 (256p) from W Alexander (Shoreham) and Blonde cross steer £1373 (248p) from G L Boulden & Sons.

Heavier cattle generally in the 220 to 230p bracket and grossing well I excess of £1400 with superb British Blue cross steer £1831 (230p) and £1752 (239p) from K & P M Sinden & Son, a run of heavy weight Simmental cross steers grossed well up to £1658 and ranged 210 to 230p from T Masters and Simmental cross steer and heifer £1519 (224p) and£1443 (226p) from T Pateman & Son.

The best of the dairy bred cattle around 225p notably Limousin cross Friesian steer £1492 (222p), British Blue cross Friesian steer £1426 (223p) and Limousin cross Friesian heifer £1245 (225p) from A J Down while a run of lean Limousin cross heifers in need of further finish sold well in the £1100 to £1215 bracket and up to 269p from R J Husk.

A few native bred cattle on offer with the pick including a Aberdeen Angus cross heifer £1252 (235p) from Gary Stokes, Sussex cross steer £1262 (226p) from R D E Spencer and purebred Sussex heifer £1194 (228p) from A H Hoad & Son

Report on trade: A grand show of cows and a quite outstanding trade for the time of the year. Processors are easing cow prices back as they switch to Christmas work for prime beef but there was no evidence of any easing in the cull trade. My advice at this time of the year is to continue marketing the feeding cows and the best meat cows which will yield well but to perhaps hold off with the ordinary slaughter cows for 3-4 weeks when boners will switch back to cow beef for the New Year demand.

Best fleshed meat cows 150-170p with some superb younger white Charolais feeders from the Stannard family selling up to 228p kg £1467. Again, only a handful of older beef cows under 100p kg with sound long term grazers wanted. Prospects look good.

Charolais 228p, 225p, 202p, 174p, 168p(2), £1467, £1300, £1249, £1145, £1135 R V A Stannard; Limousin cross 168p, 156p, 152p, 149p, £1189, £1062 J Berryman; Aberdeen Angus cross 187p, £1138 R D E Spencer; 152p, £1091 R J & C M Greengrow; 146p, 134p (Non-FA) Wey Street Farm LLP;136p £1016 (Non-FA) J C & F C Dallaway; Sussex 163p, 145p, £1024 (Non-FA) J Muscat; 160p, £1099 (Non-FA) Bosney Farm; 154p, 151p, £1061, £1028 J & S Harmer; Lincoln Red 157p, £1182 A W Vincent; Simmental cross 155p, 152p, 149p, £1257, £1236, £1002 C & J Georgetti & Sons; Longhorn 133p, £888 J W Chamley & Son.

Overage beef mostly definitely wanted. OTM Limousin cross steer 208p, £1172; 3-year-old plus Sussex heifer 150p, £1230, British Blue cross heifer 149p, £1158.

Dairy culls were a good trade with flesh wanted. Keep feeding those dry cows for the New Year trade.

British Friesian 139p, 134p, £981 Debden Court Ltd; 133p, 124p, £1179 R & J Ledger; 130p, £886 Falconhurst Estate; Holstein Friesian 135p, 134p, 128p, 124p, £1235 Appleton Farms; 129p (2), £1034 Huddlestone Farms.

A good clear out of bulls! Good British Blue bull 131p, £1194, fleshed Aberdeen Angus 107p, £1305, Half meat Friesian 102p, lean Aberdeen Angus 95p; Old Highlanders 87p, 80p.

Steers: Top price £1405 Av £906

Heifers: Top price £1200 Av £811

Report on trade: The largest show of cattle this season comprised several top-quality runs of continental cross Spring born calves and 18 mths strong stores from regular Autumn sellers. The numbers and quality on offer attracted a good attendance of buyers at ringside and trade was brisk throughout.

The run of 68 Aberdeen Angus and Limousin cross steers from Burden Bros Farm attracted prices in excess of £800 with the Angus topping at £900 and Limousin to £885. Quality runs of continental cross heifers from both J C Loveridge and Messrs Gardners sold exceptionally well with the top in excess of £800 and favourable averages of around £750 for the runs.

A fantastic show of 18-month-old stronger stores were well received with competitive bidding throughout with the best £1200 plus and topping at £1405 for Simmental cross steer from T Bateman & Son. The top run of the day included 23 Limousin cross steer to £1370 (Av £1278) and 13 Limousin cross heifer to £1200 (Av £1070) from A J Bray.

A smaller selection of native bred cattle sold equally well with strong purebred Sussex steers and heifers at £1170 and £1060 respectively from Latters Toll Farm Ltd.

Store cattle are wanted and more could be sold at favourable prices with keen buyers from all parts of the country in attendance.                                                                         

Principal prices include  

Continental cross

8 mths Charolais cross heifer                            £835                       J C Loveridge

8 mths Charolais cross heifer                            £835                       Gardners

8 mths Limousin cross steer                              £885                       Burden Bros Farm

18 mths Simmental cross steer                         £1405                    T Bateman & Son

18 mths Simmental cross heifer                       £1040                    T Bateman & Son

18 mths Limousin cross steer                            £1290                    Hawkfibre Ltd

18 mths Limousin cross heifer                          £1170                    Hawkfibre Ltd

18 mths Limousin cross heifer                          £1060                    E W & R E Hanks

18 mths Limousin cross steer                            £1370                    A J Bray

18 mths Limousin cross heifer                          £1200                    A J Bray

18 mths Limousin cross steer                            £1270                    P M Langridge

18 mths Charolais steer                                     £1290                    R V Stannard

18 mths Charolais heifer                                    £1100                    G Venner

18 mths Blonde cross steer                               £1210                    R D E Spencer

18 mths Simmental cross steer                         £995                       P Tassell

18 mths Simmental cross steer                         £990                       W J Hurley

Native Bred

8 mths Aberdeen Angus cross steer                £830                       J Prior & Son

8 mths Aberdeen Angus cross steer                £900                       Burden Bros Farm

8 mths Beef Shorthorn steer                              £890                       Burden Bros Farm

8 mths Hereford cross steer                               £800                       C Yarnold

8 mths South Devon steer                                  £850                       Gardners

12 mths Aberdeen Angus cross steer              £960                       W Morgan

16 mths Hereford cross steer                            £1055                    A G Dodd

20 mths Sussex steer                                         £1170                    Latters Toll Farm Ltd

20 mths Sussex heifer                                        £1060                    Latters Toll Farm Ltd

Auctioneer: Mark Cleverdon 07741 845230

Report on trade: The continuing strong trade for store and finished cattle continues to give confidence to calf buyers. Despite the ring appearing quiet 12 individuals purchased calves from 10 different farms.

In sale order J W Boyd & Sons Ltd sold black and white bulls to £64 at a month old; T Castle & Son British Blue x British Friesian bulls to £430 and heifers £375 and Falconhurst Estate (Pickering) from a consignment of 14 saw young British Blue bulls to £230, 6-week-old Charolais bulls to £415 and heifers to £385 and Hereford bulls and heifers to £140.

R & J Ledger sold a Simmental bull at £340; J Warnock & Sons British Blue bulls to £420 and a 3 mths black and white bull £140 while Kingcott Dairy had Aberdeen Angus bulls to £290 at 1 mths old and heifers £170 and a Swedish Red Bull £190. P J Forknall’s usual 2-week-old British Blue calves made to £310, and W F Farms sold nice 1 mths old Aberdeen Angus bulls to £405 and heifers £200.

Weanlings –1 sold

Just one calf, a British Blue bull at 4 mths which made £400.

A reminder that we are able to offer calves from Arla vendors under 56 days old subject to a declaration being signed by the purchaser, any queries on this please do get in touch.

Kent Show news

Your opinions matter – The Kent County Agricultural Society would like to invite anyone interested in the livestock section at the show to a function to discuss how to make improvements to the event for the Show in 2022.

This is evening event will take place on Wednesday 17th November 7 to 10pm, at the Emson Exhibition Hall on the showground. It is an opportunity to meet the livestock committee and board of directors of the show to discuss the livestock section.

A free buffet and drinks will be provided by the Kent Agricultural Society, Kent Showground, Detling, Maidstone.  ME14 3JF. Ring Sally at the showground for further details 01622 633057 or rsvp to Sally@kentshowground.co.uk by the 5th of November 2021.

Cattle Producers, Please Note

Producers from all counties are reminded that if a beast is at any time in its life identified as an Inconclusive Reactor then they are unable to move it off their holding to any other place other than a place of slaughter, irrespective of any subsequent test that may turn out negative. They are not allowed to come to Ashford Cattle Market for onward movement to slaughter.

Ashford Cattle Show News

In conjunction with Hobbs Parker Auctioneers and the Ashford Cattle Market Co are promoting a show and sale of quality livestock prepared for the Christmas trade.

On Tuesday 30^th November – entries close Tuesday 16^th November

A schedule of classes and entry form have recently been circulated with Hobbs Parkers weekly mailings. If you have not received this information, please contact

Show secretary Julie Coney on 07887 643002 (Evenings after 6pm or all-day Wednesdays) or via email ashfordcattleshow@gmail.com.