Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 12th November 2024

Sheep Sales Reports

New Season Lambs –794 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Top price per kilo – 343p – S King
Top price per head – £170.00 – Snowfields Academy

A few less this week and a slightly improved trade as a result. The number of well finished and concentrate fed lambs has certainly increased in the past month ensuring that the quality of the entry has kept above the level we would normally see in October and November. This is, generally, as a result of the restriction in place due to BTV and consequently the reduction in the numbers of store sheep sold. The biggest are the most sought and are really coming to some good money for time of year with all over £3/kg and topping at £170 from Snowfields Academy for quality heavy continental lambs. Lighter lambs are starting to regain a little bit of demand with the numbers dropping away now we are coming to the end of the main grass lamb selling season, and those 38-42kg types that are well fleshed are, generally, traded around £3/kg which is probably the biggest improved on the week. Topping this section was Steve King at 343p/kg.

34 – £96.00 (282p kg) – D C G & D K Warr
36 – £110.00 (306p kg) – Mrs C Wimble
37 – £104.00 (281p kg) – M Ciccone
38 – £110.00 (289p kg) – J Cain
39 – £119.00 (305p kg) – S J Reeve & Son
40 – £134.00 (335p kg) – Lovejoy Farm Partnership
41 – £140.00 (341p kg) – S King
42 – £144.00 (343p kg) – S King
43 – £147.00 (342p kg) – S King
44 – £150.00 (341p kg) – S King
45 – £150.00 (333p kg) – R G Hobbs Farms
46 – £156.00 (339p kg) – S King
47 – £148.00 (315p kg) – John Monnington Farms Ltd
48 – £160.00 (333p kg) – P N & C Burden
49 – £157.00 (320p kg – T Higgins
50 – £151.00 (302p kg) – Kinnear & Co
51 – £159.00 (312p kg) – R G Hobbs Farms
52 – £158.00 (304p kg) – P Bates
53 – £164.00 (309p kg) – P N & C Burden
54 – £157.00 (291p kg) – L E Humphreys & Sons
56 – £160.00 (286p kg) – S King
59 – £170.00 (288p kg) – Snowfields Academy

Averages (p/kg)

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 71 – Top 306, Average 269.9
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 445 – Top 343, Average 303.4
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 221 – Top 339, Average 307.7
Over 52.1 kgs – 48 – Top 309, Average 294.6

Cull Sheep – 309 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Top price ewe: £120.00 – P Broad – Ave. £74.38

Trade on a par with recent weeks with a continued shortage of the best fleshed ewes in the pens. The best ewes regularly £90 – £110 to a top price of £120 for Texel cross ewes from P Broad. Medium sorts £70 – £85 on most occasions with leaner grazing types remaining plentiful and £45 – £65 throughout with only very few sold below these figures.  Please do not hesitate to get in contact with any large consignments of ewes that you intend on selling in the coming weeks.

Top prices included:

Texel cross to £120 – P Broad, Crossbred to £110 – Kingsley Farms, Suffolk cross to £105 – P Broad, Mules to £99 – L E Humphreys & Sons, Romneys to £95 – D C G & D K Warr

 

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle –  35 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Another step up in the trade! Without having a particularly high quality entry there was no doubt that buyers were keener to secure stock and, with extra customers around the ring, prices rose higher.

Short of the very best beef bred continentals this week and top price of the day went to a classy Angus cross heifer from W S Furnival Ltd at 311p £1677 with the best of the continentals from G L Boulden & Sons with Limousin cross heifers to 309p £1820 and 300p closely followed by W Alexander (Shoreham) with Limousin cross heifers at 301p and 300p. Steers topped with Limousins from W Alexander (Shoreham) at 298p (twice) £1859 whilst a grand pair of Blue x steers from Leggat Farming sold to 293p grossing to £2106 and £2076.
Hereford x Friesian steers from A J Down sold to 290p (£1799) and nothing under 277p. Friesian heifers to 281p from T Castle & Son.
Some very good natives forward today with cover wanted on all cattle for the hanging period before Christmas.
Other Angus cross heifers from W S Furnival Ltd to 296p; Angus steers from D W Page & Son to 287p; Sussex steers and heifers from P Bates to 290p and 280p respectively. A smart little Dexter well sold at 178p £612 from D E Norris & Son.

Top Steers

W Alexander (Shoreham) Ltd – Limousin cross – 298p (£1859)
W Alexander (Shoreham) Ltd – Limousin cross – 298p (£1845)
Leggat Farming Ltd – British Blue cross – 293p (£2106)
A J Down – Hereford cross – 290p (£1708)
P Bates – Sussex cross – 290p (£1505)

Top Heifers

W S Furnival Ltd – Aberdeen Angus – 311p (£1677)
G L Boulden & Sons – Limousin cross – 309p (£1820)
W Alexander (Shoreham) Ltd – Limousin cross – 301p (£1548)
G L Boulden & Sons – Limousin cross – 300p (£1617)
W Alexander (Shoreham) Ltd – Limousin cross – 300p (£1423)

Average Prices

Steers 200 to 550 kg – 3 – Top 290p – Ave 274p
Steers 551 to 650 kg – 15 – Top 298p – Ave 284p
Steers 651+ – 2 – Top 293p – Ave 287p
Heifers 300 to 500 kg – 6 – Top 300p – Ave. 269p
Heifers 501 to 590 kg – 9 – Top 311p – Ave 278p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 89 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

A tremendous cull section with a much-improved level of flesh amongst the cows, beef and dairy, and more better shaped, younger cows for the feeding men. Indeed, the overage section was as well fleshed as we have seen for many months. Buyers out in force with strength in their pockets to secure numbers.
Good heavy fleshed beef cows either side of 200p with the better feeders pushing over 220p. Commercial beef cows 160p – 180p with the older feeders 140p – 170p whilst the plain and cold 120p – 150p.
Limousin cross 222p £1119 (non FA) T Martin, 207p 205p 198p 195p £1449 (2) £1424 (2) £1392 £1390 Campbell Bros; Sussex 198p 179p 177p £1225 £1183 £1169 (non FA) City of London, 191p 184p £1257 (2) Chandler & Dunn; Simmental cross 190p £1308 Campbell Bros, 188p £1369 M J Ashworth; Angus cross 190p £1090 T Martin.
Flesh on the dairy culls which was well received. Best young British Friesian cows up over 200p with fleshed heavyweights 170p – 185p. Lean steakers remain very well sold at 140p – 160p.
British Friesian 210p 183p 182p 179p 178p (2) £1425 £1293 £1250 £1226 (2) £1163 Debden Court; Holstein Friesian 175p £1396 D Murdoch & Sons, 162p £1220 J W Boyd & Sons Ltd; Dexter 150p £1665 D E Norris & Son.
Overage (16) – An excellent show of flesh and shape. A tremendous trade throughout with more buyers present.
Limousin cross OTM heifers 272p 270p (2) £1482 £1334; Sussex OTM heifers 266p 258p 257p 254p £1646 £1616 £1506 £1482, 260p £1557, 253p £1427; Angus cross OTM heifer 256p £1789; Holstein Friesian OTM heifer 181p £1273; Blue x Friesian OTM steer 236p £1425; Sussex x Friesian steer 229p £1382.
Bull (1) – Older Angus at 137p £1092.

Beef Cows – 54 Sold – Top 222, Average 158.0
Dairy Cows – 19 Sold – Top 210, Average 169.7

Store & Breeding Cattle -228 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

The season is moving on and we have now seen the back of most of the big runs, and the big overall entries this autumn. However, a very decent entry with a good mixture of suckled calves; stronger 2023 beef cattle; and dairy bred stock. Buyers are very much in the mood recognising the shortage of stock in the country and its declining availability over coming months.
Good runs of suckled calves saw Betchworth Estate Farms sell young Simmental cross to £790; Angus cross to £760. Another fine run from Gardners who sold Limousin cross heifers to £910. Angus cross steers from Llewellyn Farms to £780. A fine run of Spring 2023 Limousin steers from G D Black & Son sold to £1550, £1470, £1370 and £1270 (2). Limousin steers from R J Husk sold to £1280. Hard Angus cross steers, 16mths from P C Coleman sold £1150 and £1080.
Homebred Angus x Friesian heifers from J E Scutt & Sons to £1040 and £850.

Principal Prices include:

Continental:

Limousin cross steers 20mths – £1550, £1470 – G D Black & Son
Limousin cross steers 20mths – £1280 – R J Husk
Limousin cross heifers 24mths – £1060 – R J Husk
Limousin cross heifers 8mths – £910, £890 – Gardners
Simmental cross heifers 7mths – £790 (2) – Betchworth Estate Farms

Native:

Aberdeen Angus cross steers 18mths – £1455 – T Martin
Hereford cross steers 20mths – £1270, £1070 – G D Black & Son
Aberdeen Angus cross steers 16mths – £1150, £1080 – P C Coleman
Aberdeen Angus cross heifers 18mths – £1180, £990 – T Martin
Aberdeen Angus x Friesian heifers 17mths – £1040 – J E Scutt & Sons
Sussex steers 18mths – £1150 – W J Hurley
Sussex steers 20mths – £940 – City of London
Sussex heifers 20mths – £900 – City of London
Aberdeen Angus cross steers 14mths – £915 – V & C Smith
Aberdeen Angus cross heifers 14mths – £780 – V & C Smith
Aberdeen Angus cross heifers 7mths – £760, £700 – Betchworth Estate Farms
Aberdeen Angus cross steers 9mths – £780 – Llewellyn Farms

 

Store & Finished Pigs – 23 Sold

Auctioneer:James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

A great trade for the best finished pigs with top spot taken by C K Guest with a 105kg gilt to £166 followed closely by Brooker & Son with 97kg boars to £136 per head. Rare breed finished pigs around the 100p p/kg mark with an In-Pig sow due in January from D Light to £180. Coloured store pigs from Lucketts Farm to £28 per head. Please get in contact with any pigs that you intend on selling in the next pig sale on Tuesday 26^th November.

 

Forthcoming Auctions

Tuesday Livestock – 19th November 2024

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

For our Auction Calendar and Catalogues click here