Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 5th November 2024

Sheep Sales Reports

New Season Lambs –889 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Top price per kilo – 345p – J Watt
Top price per head – £175.00 – Barleybrook Farm

Close to 1000 lambs again this week and a slightly improved trade in terms of averages but, overall, in line with last week and just a bit higher due to some good runs of lambs. Top spots on the day were also a little higher with Barleybrook Farm taking No.1 at £175, as high as we have seen the bigger lambs for a couple of months now. Bigger fed lambs are really what the buyers want now and, fortunately, we are able to find a draw of these most weeks, with the leaner grass types favouring the store ring more at this time of year. Shapey lambs this week topped at 345p from J Watt for some super continental crosses (42kg at £145). Trade is very good for the time of year and, whilst I seem to be repeating myself on this fact, if numbers stay low I anticipate that we should be able to sustain these price levels.

32 – £92.00 (288p kg) — N Trower
34 – £96.00 (282p kg) – R J Adams
35 – £80.00 (229p kg) – A Denning
36 – £95.00 (264p kg) – R J Adams
37 – £109.00 (295p kg) – D Thompson
38 – £105.00 (276p kg) – R J Adams
39 – £130.00 (333p kg) – J Watt
40 – £129.00 (323p kg) – J Watt
41 – £134.00 (327p kg) – N C & C G Hedges
42 – £145.00 (345p kg) – J Watt
43 – £134.00 (312p kg) – C A Worley Farming Ltd
44 – £128.00 (291p kg) – W J Hurley
45 – £147.00 (327p kg) – N C & C G Hedges
46 – £141.00 (307p kg) – W Pynn Contractors Ltd
47 – £144.00 (306p kg) – C Higgins
48 – £154.00 (321p kg) – Barleybrook Farm
49 – £151.00 (308p kg – Barleybrook Farm
50 – £144.00 (288p kg) – W J Hurley
51 – £155.00 (304p kg) – Barleybrook Farm
52 – £160.00 (308p kg) – Barleybrook Farm
53 – £165.00 (311p kg) – Barleybrook Farm
54 – £161.00 (298p kg) – Barleybrook Farm
55 – £164.50 (299p kg) – Barleybrook Farm
58 – £170.00 (293p kg) – Barleybrook Farm
59 – £175.00 (297p kg) – Barleybrook Farm

Averages (p/kg)

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 81 – Top 295, Average 271.8
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 414 – Top 345, Average 288.7
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 282 – Top 321, Average 291.7
Over 52.1 kgs – 112 – Top 311, Average 288.6

Cull Sheep – 424 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Top price ewe: £125.00 – M A & F W Owen – Ave. £75.19

A slight lift in the trade, as numbers nationally tighten, with a few more stronger sorts in the pens than we have been seen in recent weeks. The best ewes £100 – £120 to a top price of £125 from M A & F W Owen for strong Texel cross ewes. Medium sorts £75 – £90 on most occasions with leaner grazing types £45 – £65 throughout with only very few sold below these figures. Please do not hesitate to get in contact with any ewes that you intend selling in the coming weeks while the trade remains firm.

Top prices included:

Texel cross to £125 – M A & F W Owen, Suffolk cross to £120 – P N & C Burden, Beltex cross to £110 – D Isaac, Romneys to £95 – C Ballard, Mules to £90 – M A & F W Owen

 

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle –  37 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Finished cattle nationwide are in short supply and, all at a time, when retailers at any level are preparing themselves for the Christmas trade. Rates maintaining themselves at very high levels but, certainly, a more varied selection of stock on offer this week.
At the top end W Alexander (Shoreham) Ltd sold smart Limousin x heifers at 316p £1499 whilst steers were led by Leggat Farming Ltd with quality heavyweights to 306p £2077. Generally best beef bred and fed types 280-310p and more wanted!
Alan Down`s run of Hereford x Friesian steers sold to 290p £1803 (8 av 280p) whilst Blue x Friesian heifers from George Sim sold to 285p £1750.
Natives saw Angus steers and heifers from A C Hulme & Sons sell to 296p £1832 and 294p £1658 respectively. Sussex heifers from W S Furnival Ltd to 281p.

Top Steers

Leggat Farming Ltd – Limousin cross – 306p (£2077)
Leggat Farming Ltd – Limousin cross – 304p (£2018)
Leggat Farming Ltd – Limousin cross – 296p (£1862)
A C Hulme & Sons – Aberdeen Angus – 296p (£1832)
A C Hulme & Sons – Aberdeen Angus – 293p (£1623)

Top Heifers

W Alexander (Shoreham) Ltd – Limousin cross – 316p (£1499)
A C Hulme & Sons – Aberdeen angus – 294p (£1658)
P W & P Sim & Son – Limousin cross – 292p (£1516)
A C Hulme & Sons – Aberdeen Angus – 290p (£1563)
W S Furnival Ltd – Aberdeen Angus – 289p (£1486)

Average Prices

Steers 551 to 650 kg – 17 – Top 296p – Ave 277p
Steers 651+ – 2 – Top 306p – Ave 305p
Heifers 300 to 500 kg – 6 – Top 316p – Ave. 245p
Heifers 501 to 590 kg – 10 – Top 294p – Ave 272p
Heifers 591+ – 2 – Top 285p – Ave 267p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 66 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

A few more numbers forward but very little flesh amongst mostly older beef cows. Those cattle carrying cover eagerly taken up with plenty up around 200p. The plain, older cows, not really suitable, for feeding a little less but with overall rates so positive all looking a good price. A few feeders but nothing very young. Better types 180-210p, with empty older types 150-170p. Three well bred, older, but fleshed, Sussex cows from Chandler & Dunn Ltd sold to 214p £1356, averaging £1269 shows what can be achieved!
Sussex 214p, 193p, 184p £1356, £1229, £1222 Chandler & Dunn Ltd, 199p, 186p, 177p, 176p £1156, £1039, £1002 Langrish Farmers, 190p £1098 G W & B Bridges, 168p,157p £1221, £1206 P & A Butler; Limousin x 208p, 200p £1525, £1416 G W & B Bridges, 208p £1338 (Non FA) R Woods, 197p £1307 (Non FA) R Martin; Simmental x 190p £1327 W J Hurley; Angus x 175p, 169p £1091, £1053 E W & R E Hanks; Hereford x 169p £1091 E W & R E Hanks; South Devon 167p £1299 G C Kirby & Son.
Dexters outnumbered the dairy culls this week, sadly! Danish Red 173p £1302 Kingcott Dairy; Jerseys 95p, 89p £486, £412 S E Lane & Ptrs; Foreign cow to 124p £939. Dexter 89p £350.
All overage beef a very good trade to kill or feed! Sussex OTM steers 264p, 258p, 246p £1331, £1313, £1205; Beef Shorthorn x OTM steer 242p £1763; Beef Shorthorn x 3yo+ steer 206p £1603.
More Wanted.

Beef Cows – 50 Sold – Top 214, Average 154.7
Dairy Cows – 7 Sold – Top 173, Average 110.6

Store & Breeding Cattle -400 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Another strong show of cattle in the pens with a larger number of single sucked calves now coming forward. All were a keen competitive trade and topped at £1070 from Messrs Gardners for a cracking pen of Limousin cross steers 7mths old. These were closely followed by a smashing run of Limousin cross 7 – 8mths from Goodwin Bros with the best of these to £1050 for the steers and £850 for the heifers. R Murtagh had Charollais cross steers 8mths to £795 while reared calves 5mths old from M Roos sold to £500 for Blue x Friesian steers and heifers to £400. We then moved on to a strong run of Limousin cross heifers 16 – 17mths from E W & R E Hanks which met a fierce trade topping at £1170, with steers from the same home 27mths at £1510. Top call of the day went to A J Bray with a tremendous run of Limousin cross cattle 18 – 20mths with their steers to £1690 and the heifers to £1420 – what a credit this run of cattle were to their producer. Beef Shorthorn steers 18mths to £1460 from Kinnear & Co, and Lincoln Red steers 20mths from Stone Farms to £1345. To finish off the day we had W F Farms Blue x Friesian steers 26mths to £1620 and Angus x Friesian steers 27mths to £1590. We will have store and breeding cattle sales throughout November so if you have any to sell do not hesitate to get in contact.

Principal Prices include:

Continental Bred Cattle

Continental:

Limousin cross steers 20mths – £1690, £1570 – A J Bray
British Blue x Friesian steers 26mths – £1620 – W F Farms
Limousin cross heifers 20mths – £1420, £1350 – A J Bray
Limousin cross steers 28mths – £1510 – E W & R E Hanks
Limousin cross heifers 18mths – £1170, £1150 – E W & R E Hanks
Limousin cross steers 7mths – £1070, £1030 – Gardners
Limousin cross steers 7mths – £1050 – Goodwin Bros
Limousin cross heifers 7mths – £850 – Goodwin Bros 

Natives:

Aberdeen Angus cross steers 27mths – £1590 – W F Farms
Shorthorn cross steers 18mths – £1460 – Kinnear & Co
Sussex steers 18mths – £1230 – Kinnear & Co
Sussex heifers 18mths – £960 – Kinnear & Co
Abeerdeen Angus cross steers 12mths – £830 – Goodwin Bros
Aberdeen Angus cross heifers 12mths – £725 – Goodwin Bros
Hereford x Friesian steers 18mths – £880 – P H Hope
Aberdeen Angus x Friesian heifers 12mths – £850 – P H Hope
Hereford cross steers 9mths – £620 – G D K George
Hereford x Friesian heifers 10mths – £500 – A Laver

Calves – 36 Sold

Auctioneer:James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

A small entry of mixed age calves faced a good company of buyers keen to buy. Quality variable but trade strong throughout as recognition that cattle numbers are tight is clear for all to see.
Stronger, older Angus bulls from B J Goodsell & Son to £345, smart younger types from A & W J Hitchcock to £270. Others generally £180-£240. Stronger heifers to £260 Goddard & Son, £235 B J Goodsell & Son.
Good interest in the Blue calves with bulls, generally £170-£250, topping at £270 for a nice fresh calf from J W Boyd & Son Ltd. Heifers £100-£200, depending on breeding.
Top trade of the day for Simmental x heifers from R&J Ledger at £305 (twice).

Bull Calves 

British Blue cross – 7 – Ave £212.86 – Top £270.00 – J W Boyd & Sons Ltd
Limousin cross – 2 – Ave £160.00 – Top £185.00 – M S Clifford-Baynes
Simmental cross – 1 – Ave £240.00 – Top £240.00 – M S Clifford-Baynes
Aberdeen Angus cross – 6 – Ave £167.50 – Top £270.00 – A & W J Hitchcock
Holstein Friesian – 3 – Ave £76.67 – Top £125.00 – J W Boyd & Sons Ltd

Heifer Calves

British Blue cross – 7 – Ave £160.71 – Top £215.00 – M S Clifford-Baynes
Limousin cross – 2 – Ave £197.50 – Top £225.00 – M S Clifford-Baynes
Simmental cross – 2 – Ave £305 – Top £305 – R & J Ledger
Aberdeen Angus cross – 3 – Ave £203.33 – Top £260.00 – Goddard & Son

Steer calf

Aberdeen Angus cross – 3 – Ave £308.33 – Top £345.00 – B J Goodsell & Son

 

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Tuesday Livestock – 12th November 2024

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

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