Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 1st October 2024

Sheep Sales Reports

New Season Lambs –850

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Top price per kilo – 342p – W Pynn Contractors & R L Pack
Top price per head – £170.00 – W Pynn Contractors

A few more lambs, but still under 1,000, which whilst disappointing is a reflection on how tight supplies are and, perhaps, the level we are now going to have to get used to for some while! Trade is holding firm with a two-tier level of pricing evident between the heavy meated lambs and the leaner grass types, which are selling on a trade more in line with the store price. Star run on the day came from Billy & Alex Pynn who showed a “big load” of over 100 lambs to average £151 head and topping at £170. Smarter export type lambs were in strong demand this week and top in this category was taken by some Beltex crosses from R L Pack at 342p kg.
Two heavy hoggets were donated today by staff member Charlie Saunders to the Ellenor Hospice following his father`s, Steve, epic tractor journey around the UK on a Massey Ferguson 135. The two hoggets raised £1,820 for the hospice and all at Ashford Market along with Charlie and Steve are extremely grateful to the generosity of all the buyers and local donators towards the cause. Total donations on the day came to almost £2,200 and during some slightly uncertain times, for some in the farming industry, this generosity certainly brightens up a wet October Tuesday! Thank you to all, and “well done” Steve.

35 – £116.00 (331p kg) – G H Dean & Co
36 – £90.00 (250p kg) – R F & E A Simmons
37 – £111.00 (300p kg) – R F & E A Simmons
38 – £130.00 (342p kg) – R L Pack
39 – £127.00 (326p kg) – R L Pack
40 – £130.00 (325p kg) – N C & C G Hedges
41 – £126.00 (307p kg) – R White
42 – £135.50 (323p kg) – R L Pack
43 – £143.00 (333p kg) – W Pynn Contractors
44 – £136.50 (310p kg) – R L Pack
45 – £152.00 (338p kg) – Link Bros
46 – £138.00 (300p kg) – Darren Manser & Son
47 – £144.00 (306p kg) – G H Dean & Co
48 – £164.00 (342p kg) – W Pynn Contractors
49 – £166.00 (339p kg) – W Pynn Contractors
50 – £170.00 (340p kg) – W Pynn Contractors
52 – £159.00 (306p kg) – Price & Shelbourne
53 – £161.00 (304p kg) – G H Dean & Co
54 – £150.00 (278p kg) – R L Pack
55 – £156.00 (284p kg) – Link Bros

Averages (p/kg)

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 122 – Top 342, Average 297.3
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 481 – Top 338, Average 286.6
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 195 – Top 342, Average 295.1
Over 52.1 kgs – 22 – Top 306, Average 287.3

Cull Sheep – 555 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Top price ewe: £134.00 – G H Dean & Co – Ave £76.36
Top price ram: £136.00 – Miss V & Miss S Tester – Ave £100.25

Trade on par to recent weeks with those best fleshed ewes becoming harder to find every week. The best ewes regularly £110 – £130 and to a top price of £134 from G H Dean & Co for strong Texel cross ewes. Medium sorts £75 – £95 on most occasions with leaners grazing ewes £50 – £70 with little sold below these figures. Buyers remaining plentiful for leaner grazing ewes. There is a strong demand for all grades and well fleshed ewes are certainly being rewarded.

Top prices included:

Texel cross to £134 – G H Dean & Co, Suffolk cross to £126 – G H Dean & Co, Suffolk to £125 – Mrs V & Miss S Tester, Mules – to £110 – J L Hall, Romneys to £109 – D Wimble.

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle –  66 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Another excellent entry of well fleshed finished cattle, with a few feeders alongside. Trade holding fiercely strong with the best heifers taking another move forward.
Best beef bred cattle readily 285- 320p, with the smartest heifers on fire. A J Thompson & Son`s fine run of cattle saw their top 5 heifers sell to 331p (New Record), and all over 310p. They also topped the steer honours sharing the award with both W Alexander (Shoreham) and W S Furnival Ltd at 299p.
A few more dairy bred cattle forward today with a bit more variation in quality overall. A J Down`s Limousin x Friesian 281p (2) £1683, Hereford x Friesians 279p, £1674 whilst strong Blue x Friesian heifers from George Sim sold to £1812 (268p).
Natives saw Hereford x steers to 299p, £1672 from WS Furnival Ltd; Angus heifers to 288p, £1885 from A C Hulme & Sons; and Sussex heifers to 283p, £1554 from WS Furnival Ltd.
Anything needing a little longer readily picked up by a good attendance of buyers and depending on quality generally 250-300p kg.
A nice show of young bulls with smart Sussex from W J Hurley to 269p, £1731; lighter traditional Herefords to 188p.

Top Steers

W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 299p (£1910)
A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – 299p (£1791)
W S Furnival Ltd – Hereford cross – 299p (£1672)
A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – 298p (£2023)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 298p (£1726)

Top Heifers

A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – 331p (£1867)
A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – 325p (£1833)
A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – 322p (£1849)
A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – 313p (£1719)
A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – 311p (£1521)

Average Prices

Steers 200 to 550kg – 4 – Top 278p – Ave. 260p
Steers 551 to 650 kg – 22 – Top 299p – Ave. 281p
Steers 651 + – 6 – Top 298p – Ave. 269p
Heifers 300 to 500 kg – 4 – Top 311p – Ave. 251p
Heifers 501 to 590 kg – 19 – Top 331p – Ave. 284p
Heifers 591 + – 6 – Top 289p – Ave. 274p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 54 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

A few more cows forward today as the weather makes an early impact, and a few early calving herds take the decision to sell their empty cows as feeders. Demand remaining at current high levels. With so little flesh on offer at this stage of the year processing beef will stay in desperately short supply and, little wonder, that fatteners want to get feeding cows under way for the winter period.
Very little flesh on offer amongst the beef cows but some good quality empty feeders were readily 200-250p for the right types, and some big framed Charolais feeders grossing up to £1800.
Limousin x 250p, £1260 M & C Farms, 240p, 236p, 218p (2) £1377, £1367, £1272 D G & J W Gore; Charolais x 214p, 194p, £1335, £1302 M & C Farms, 192p (2) £1800, £1561 A J Strand & Sons; Sussex 202p, £1058 D J Miles, 190p, 180p, £1071, £1050 D G & J W Gore; Simmental x 198p, £1323 D G & J W Gore, 191p, £1543 W J Hurley, 180p, £1400 M & C Farms; Trad Hereford 142p, £855 (Non FA) Grace Natural Foods.
Few dairy culls forward this week but remaining a solid trade.
Holstein Friesians 185p (2) £1661, £1596 W F Farms; Jerseys 137p, 115p, 111p, £833, £653, £580 S E Lane & Ptnrs.

Beef Cows – 40 Sold – Top 250, Average 175.5
Dairy Cows – 10 Sold – Top 185, Average 125.2

Store & Breeding Cattle -64 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

A quieter week in the stores but such is the strength in the trade that there are customers keen to buy cattle every week.
Another move in the Blue Tongue zone continues to enlarge the area, but the real help would come if the rain stopped and allowed another dry month before winter!
Good numbers being booked for all weeks in October.

Principal Prices include:

Continental Bred Cattle

Limousin cross bull 8 mths – £1100 – Gallagher Farms
Limousin cross steers 16-18 mths – £1590, £1300, £1270 – Pallingham Farms
Limousin cross heifers 18 mths – £1200 – Pallingham Farms
Charolais x Friesian steer 23 mths – £1250 – P R Lanham
British Blue x Friesian steers 22 mths – £1210 – P R Lanham
Charolais cross heifer 21 mths – £1345 – M & C Farms

Native Bred Cattle

Sussex heifers 22 mths – £1070 – A H Hoad & Son
Sussex steers 28 mths – £1260 – Pallingham Farms
Sussex heifers 28 mths – £1025 – Pallingham Farms
Angus cross steers 18 mths – £1190 – Pallingham Farms
Angus x Friesian steers 20 mths – £1330 – D Lanham
Angus cross steers 23 mths – £1040 – Crouch Farms
Angus cross heifers 22 mths – £945, £860 – Crouch Farms
Angus cross heifer 18 mths – £1150 – M & C Farms
Angus x Friesian steer 17 mths – £1170 – J Earey

Store & Finished Pigs – 21 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

A firm trade again with top spot taken by Brooker & Son for well finished pigs making 195ppk and grossing just shy of £190 per head. Majority of other finished pigs 160 – 180p pk with a few coloured stores to £20 and remaining hard work to shift.
Please do inform me of any pigs that you intend on selling with our next sale on Tuesday 15^th October.

Forthcoming Auctions

Tuesday Livestock – 8th October September 2024

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

For our Auction Calendar and Catalogues click here