Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 2nd April 2024

Sheep Sales Reports

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Finished Hoggets – 1,714 Sold

Top price per kg: 462p – T Husk
Top price per head: £257.50 – T Husk

For some reason, I had considered that we may see a drop in prices in the week after Easter, following the exceptional prices we have been seeing. But, once again, with prediction of the trade, I was wrong! Without doubt, the dearest we have ever seen the sheep with an overall average returned at 390p kg and £178 head, all included. Simply amazing prices and the highlights of the day were almost every pen of sheep we offered! Top on the day, fresh in with a new RECORD PRICE for finished sheep, was £257.50 from Tom Husk, who manages to bring out better and better sheep as the weeks progress. A huge number of pens over £200, with that price barrier now being almost commonplace! Endless pens over £4 kg, which was once the promised land only achieved at prime-stock shows but is now almost the average! Simply an incredible trade.

38kg – £163.00 (429p/kg) – S J Reeve & Son
39kg – £177.00 (454p/kg) – N A Balcomb & Son
40kg – £174.00 (435p/kg) – S J Reeve & Son
41kg – £173.00 (422p/kg) – R F & E A Simmons
42kg – £181.50 (432p/kg) – S J Reeve & Son
43kg – £184.00 (428p/kg) – N A Balcomb & Son
44kg – £194.00 (441p/kg) – N A Balcomb & Son
45kg – £208.00 (462p/kg) – T Husk
46kg – £208.00 (452p/kg) – T Husk
47kg – £216.00 (460p/kg) – T Husk
48kg – £210.00 (438p/kg) – S J Reeve & Son
49kg – £225.00 (459p/kg) – T Husk
50kg – £206.00 (412p/kg) – T Husk
51kg – £224.00 (439p/kg) – T Husk
52kg – £215.00 (413p/kg) – T Husk
53kg – £217.00 (409p/kg) – T Husk
54kg – £224.00 (415p/kg) – T Husk
55kg – £215.00 (391p/kg) – R L Pack
56kg – £231.00 (413p/kg) – T Husk
57kg – £211.00 (370p/kg) – E A Chantler
60kg – £250.00 (417p/kg) – T Husk
61kg – £229.00 (375p/kg) – T Husk
66kg – £257.50 (390p/kg) – T Husk 

Averages (p/kg) 

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 182 – Top 429, Average 369.3
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 661 – Top 454, Average 396.4
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 570 – Top 462, Average 390.9
Other 52.1+ kgs – 291 – Top 417, Average 376.5

Store Sheep – 404 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

A small entry this week following the bank holiday weekend, and because we are really getting down to the bottom of the numbers of stores that are out there. We are now into April; the season is drawing towards an end for this section and, as prices have been so high for so long, we have seen the bulk of the numbers already. Those that were penned sold to another super trade and averaged £120 head and topped at £148 head.

Cull Sheep – 574 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Ewe: Top £263 – Miss E Husk – Ave £121.85
Ram: Top £172 – A Denning

A cracking trade from start to finish with a better-quality show of well framed ewes in the pens. The best ewes regularly £130 – £160, to a top price of £263 for Texel ewes from Miss Ellie Husk. Medium sorts, generally, £85 – £110 and were certainly scarcer along with the leaner grazing sorts £55 – £75 throughout. Few sold below these figures. The trade has certainly taken a lift, with demand strong, and the best ewes being very well rewarded at this stage. We have buyers present for all grades of ewes every week so do not hesitate to take advantage of the trade.

Top prices included

Texel to £263 – Miss E Husk, Texel to £208/£200 – Kingswood Farmers, Texel cross to £199/£183 – T Husk, Charollais to £167 – N A Balcomb & Son, Suffolk cross to £160 – J Wayman, Romneys to £120 – A Budd, Mules to £115 – J Wayman

Ewes and Lambs – 114 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

The first decent show of couples we have seen this year with Miss H Challis selling Texel cross ewes with lambs at foot to £210 or £70 per life. Chandler & Dunn Ltd had a larger consignment of ewes with Suffolk cross ewes and their lambs to £208 and Romney ewes with their lambs to £211, averaging £72.50 per life. We hope to see more couples come forward in the coming weeks, and a bit more sunshine would certainly be a help.
Please contact me if you have any ewes and lambs to sell so that potential purchasers can be kept informed.

Sock Lambs – 44 Sold

Auctioneer: Tom Hamplett 07966 104532

Trade a little easier this week with supply increasing. Strongest lambs in best demand with tops of £36 from R Price & Son, with an average of £19.05 for all on the day.

 

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle –  47 Sold

Auctioneer:Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

A decent entry post Easter and quality was good throughout with plenty of flesh and cover, in general. Trade stronger with more customers around the sale ring.
Best cattle all up over 300p with the highest spec types 320-350p. M B Farms took top honours at 348p, £1983 and 330p, £2271 for Limousin x heifers and steers, respectively. Young Blonde bulls topped at 285p, £2404 from G L Boulden & Sons.
Special mention also to R F & E A Simmons 320p, W G Vant & Sons 318p, a pair from L Smith 314p & 307p, and a trio from W Alexander (Shoreham) 311p, 307p, 300p.
Plenty of good beef bred types 270-300p; Dairy bred Hereford steers to 269p, £1544, Limousin x Friesian to 266p, £1633, Dairy Shorthorn to 265p, £1468 from Alan Down.
Native cattle all a sharp trade. Angus x heifers to 278p, £1610 Dan Mackelden, Angus x steers 270p, £1577 Leggat Farming; Hereford x steers 279p, £1782 W S Furnival Ltd, Hereford x heifers 266p, £1527; Sussex heifers to 269p, £1597 L Stevens & Sons.

Top Steers

M B Farms – Limousin – 330p/kg (£2241)
M B Farms – Limousin – 325p/kg (£2271)
W G Vant & Sons – Limousin cross – 318p/kg (£1937)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 307p/kg (£2115)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 300p/kg (£1677)

Top Heifers

M B Farms – British Blue cross – 348p/kg (£1894)
M B Farms – Limousin – 339p/kg (£1828)
M B Farms – Limousin – 336p/kg (£1862)
M B Farms – Limousin – 323p/kg (£1983)
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin cross – 320p/kg (£1693)

Top Bulls

G L Boulden & Sons – Blonde – 285p/kg (£2404)

Average Prices

Steers up to 550kg – 3 sold – Top 291p – Ave 260p
Steers 551 to 650kg – 16 sold – Top 318p – Ave 275p
Steers over 651kg – 5 sold – Top 330p – Ave 295p
Heifers up to 590kg – 17 sold – Top 348p – Ave 289p
Heifers over 591kg – 4 sold – Top 323p – Ave 266p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 33 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Always a few less after the Bank Holiday and a tremendously good trade , admittedly with some very good cows at the top end and plenty of flesh amongst the entry. Few dairy culls forward this week.
Some outstanding heavyweight cows from M B Farms showing clearly what can be achieved with the right goods and the right trade conditions. Their quality Limousin x cows, both over 72 months, sold to 244p and 230p grossing up to £1905.  Good meat commercial cows regularly 190-210p; a few commercial feeders pushing up over 180p; and little below 150p.
Limousin x 244p, 230p, £1905, £1607 M B Farms; Simmental 214p, £1783, (Non FA) Kingswood Farmers; Angus x 217p, 200p, 194p, 190p £1796, £1710, £1434, £1403 (Non FA) J & A Lyon; Charolais x 184p, £1220 (Non FA) J Tapley; Sussex 183p, £1068 (Non FA) H W Richards; Dexter 152p, £510 (Non FA) Herbert & Sons.
Few dairy types today but all wanted.
Norwegian Red x OTM heifer 237p, £1738 D Murdoch & Sons; Holstein Friesian heifer 224p, £1252 J W Boyd & Sons; Brown Swiss x cow 164p £1267
Stock Bull (1) A good big Angus well sold at 152p, £1901.
Overage (9) Plenty of flesh forward and all a strong trade.
British Blue x Friesian OTM steer 256p, £1559; Parthenais x OTM steer 253p, £1376; Limousin x heifers 3+ 240p, 237p, £1617, £1407; Limousin x steers 3+ 228p, 222p, £1422, £1340.

Beef Cows – 20 Sold – Top 244, Average 177.4
Dairy Cows –3 Sold – Top 155, Average 141.0

Store & Breeding Cattle – 58 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

A small selection of store and breeding cattle to follow the Easter bank holiday weekend with the Limousin breeding bulls leading the way. Bulls topped at £4800 from PHR Farms for a 4 yr. old proven Limousin, with a 5 yr. old Limousin from the same home to £3000. Younger Limousin bulls were certainly in demand with 24 mth old Limousin bulls to £4400 from PHR Farms, and £3800 from R Coleman & Sons. Just a few cows and calves with hard Angus cross cows with Angus calves to £1210 and £1145.
Store cattle were a great trade, once again, with the top spot taken by A W Vincent for a smart Limousin cross steer 16m to £1380 followed closely by R J Husk with a hard Limousin cross steer 22m to £1340. K M Goddard Agri had some tidy 18 mth Blue x Fr heifers which topped at £1250 with their Angus x Fr heifers to £1240.
We have a large entry of 500 store cattle already entered for the 9^th of April and entries are now closed. Numbers coming forward for the 16^th April with close to 200 already booked. If you have store cattle to sell please get them booked in sooner rather than later.

Principal Prices include: 

Steers

16mths Limousin – £1380 – A W Vincent
18mths Angus x Friesian – £1270 – P J Forknall
14mths Angus cross – £1100 – J & A Lyon
10mths Shorthorn – £770 – D R Thompson

Heifers

20mths Blue x Friesian – £1250 – K M Goddard Agri
20mths Angus x Friesian – £1240 – K M Goddard Agri
14mths Angus cross – £870 – K Bugden
10mths Shorthorn – £850 – D R Thompson

Store & Finished Pigs – 11 Sold

Auctioneer: Tom Hamplett 07966 104532

Finished (9) – A quiet post bank holiday sale with just a handful forward meeting a decent trade for the goods on offer. A heavy gilt from C Higgins topped the trade a 148p or £148. Best fleshed pigs with weight well followed, as ever; lighter pigs still a decent trade but not hitting the returns of their heavier counterparts.
Cull (1) – A nice well fleshed sow forward from J Howie sold for 40p per kg or £100.

A polite request to all vendors to please pre enter all pigs on the Monday morning prior to a pig sale. This is to help us to help you by ensuring that buyers are kept up to date with entries.

Forthcoming Auctions

Tuesday Livestock – 9th April 2024

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

For our Auction Calendar and Catalogues click here