Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 19th November 2024

Sheep Sales Reports

New Season Lambs –923 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Top price per kilo – 347p – Miss Amy Hedges
Top price per head – £177.00 – Barleybrook Farm

Just under 1,000 lambs this week with a very good trade throughout as numbers were certainly down nationally due to a huge number of UK farmers attending the rallies in London. A lot of fed and well finished lambs on offer today with a number of people choosing this route this year as opposed to selling in the store ring and the rewards are there for those who did, with big well finished lambs all over £150 head and topping at £177 from Barleybrook Farm, who sold a lovely run of lambs averaging 50 kg at 310p kg. Smarter continentals at lower weights are the lambs that have probably shown the most improvement recently as the heavies have been dear all year really. These were topped by Miss Amy Hedges at 347p kg for some smart Beltex crosses. The lamb trade is certainly sitting nicely around £3 kg consistently in recent weeks and with numbers tight it appears that we will stay somewhere in this bracket until Christmas unless large numbers come to market.

30 – £95.00 (317p kg) – R J Adams
32 – £90.00 (281p kg) – R J Adams
34 – £83.00 (244p kg) – P H & Mrs P E Skinner
35 – £106.00 (303p kg) – R J Adams
36 – £113.00 (314p kg) – J S Evans Farm
37 – £126.00 (341p kg) – G P King
38 – £120.00 (316p kg) – G P King
39 – £131.00 (336p kg) – N A Balcomb & Son
40 – £133.00 (333p kg) – G P King
41 – £136.00 (332p kg) – N C & C G Hedges
42 – £133.00 (317p kg) – W & P New T/A Moorhouse Farm
43 – £139.00 (323p kg) – N C & C G Hedges
44 – £149.00 (339p kg) – Barleybrook Farm
45 – £142.00 (316p kg) – C R & G Daws
46 – £145.00 (315p kg) – Barleybrook Farm
47 – £150.00 (319p kg) – Barleybrook Farm
48 – £152.00 (317p kg) – W & P New T/A Moorhouse Farm
49 – £170.00 (347p kg) – Miss Amy Hedges
50 – £159.00 (318p kg – C R & G Daws
51 – £162.00 (318p kg) – Barleybrook Farm
52 – £156.50 (301p kg) – Barleybrook Farm
53 – £160.00 (302p kg) – Barleybrook Farm
54 – £156.00 (289p kg) – L Stevens & Sons
56 – £160.00 (286p kg) – Link Bros
57 – £146.00 (256p kg) – Bowley Farm
68 – £177.00 (260p kg) – Barleybrook Farm

Averages (p/kg)

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 130 – Top 341, Average 286.2
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 440 – Top 339, Average 294.7
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 237 – Top 347, Average 303.7
Over 52.1 kgs – 104 – Top 316, Average 295.8

Cull Sheep – 367 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Top price ewe: £155.00 – Mrs A Head-Hickson – Ave. £73.90

A great trade for all grades with the best fleshed ewes looking to have taken a lift in trade. Averages remain much the same overall due to a large percentage of the ewes in the pens being leaner grazing types. The best ewes regularly £120 – £140 and to a top price of £155 for cracking Texels from Monty Head. Medium sorts £80 – £100 on most occasions with leaner grazing types £45 – £65 throughout and remain plentiful. Please do not hesitate to get in contact if you have ewes to sell in the coming weeks.

Top prices included:

Texels to £155 – Mrs A Head – Hickson, Texel cross to £145 – H V Link Partnership, Suffolk cross to £144 – M Critcher & Partners, Mules to £110 – M Critcher & Partners, Romneys to £90 – C J Flood.

 

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle –  33 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

An outstanding level of trade, and with numbers remaining tight, liveweight and deadweight, up and down the country this trade is certain to stay with Christmas, at the moment, heightening the trade.
High quality from W Alexander (Shoreham) Ltd took top honours in both sections with Limousin x steers to 323p, £1983, and their Limousin x heifers to 316p, £1798. G L Boulden & Sons not far behind with Blonde x British White steers at 305p and 298p.
Dairy bred now breaking through the 300p level with British Blue x Friesian heifers from George Sim to 305p, £2116 whilst Alan Down`s Hereford x Frisian steers often over 290p, topping at 294p, £1866.
Natives in short supply. Angus x heifers from W Alexander to 315p and 309p, £1667; Angus x steers to 284p, £1625 W S Furnival; Sussex heifer to 290p, £1578 W S Furnival. Fleshed minority breed cattle in demand with Limousin x Belted Galloway steer to 270p, £1374 J J Livestock whilst Dexter steers sold to 143p from Curly’s Farm.
Young Bulls (2) Two good bulls and well sold. Parthenais at 280p, £1859 from Herbert & Sons; Sussex 271p, £1785 from Chandler & Dunn.

Top Steers

W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 323p (£1983)
G L Boulden & Sons – Blonde cross – 305p (£1781)
G L Boulden & Sons – Blonde cross – 298p (£1607)
A J Down – Hereford cross – 294p (£1702)
A J Down – Hereford cross – 292p (£1676)

Top Heifers

W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 316p (£1798)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Aberdeen Angus cross – 315p (£1667)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Aberdeen Angus cross – 309p (£1620)
W & P Sim & Son – British Blue cross – 305p (£2116    )
W S Furnival Ltd – Sussex – 290p (£1578)

Average Prices

Steers 200 to 550 kg – 5 – Top 298p – Ave. 239p
Steers 551 to 650 kg – 12 – Top 323p – Ave. 289p
Steers 651 + – 2 – Top 266p – Ave. 251p
Heifers 300 to 500 kg – 2 – Top 253p – Ave. 243p
Heifers 501 to 590 kg – 7 – Top 316p – Ave. 291p
Heifers 591 kg + – 3 – Top 305p – Ave. 289p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 46 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

After such a good show and trade last week it was disappointing not to have more forward but, perhaps, with the demonstration in London on the minds of many not altogether surprising. Quality overall was good, and another tremendous trade resulted with high prices and outstanding returns.
Best of the meat cows well over 200p with an under 48 mths Charolais from Jan Boomaars at 228p, £1616; commercial meat cows generally 160-200p with the leaner older types for feeding or slaughter 130-170p. Little under 130p.
Charolais 228p, £1616 J Boomaars; Angus 199p, 196p, £1623, £1618 J Boomaars, 180p, £1032 (Non FA) A J Bray; Sussex x 195p, £1644 Birt Bros; British Blue x 190p, £1270 Birt Bros; Shorthorn 189p, £1423 (Non FA) H S Nicholls; Hereford 187p, £1595 J Boomaars; Limousin x 182p, 180p (Non FA) I D Machin; Simmental x 179p, £1214 (Non FA) P J & P B Wade; Sussex 179p, £1026 Chandler & Dunn, 178p, £1270 (Non FA) M Moncrieffe.
Again, few cows from the dairies but all wanted.
Holstein Friesian 181p, 180p, £1399, £1292 D Murdoch & Sons; 173p, £1294 M A & F W Owen.
Stock Bulls (6) A few holdings getting tidy before Christmas. Trade good for the largely leaner bulls on offer and all non-Assured.
Limousin 154p; Angus 154p, £1397; Hereford 146p, 140p, £1586, £1276; Sussex 140p, £1297; Red Poll 124p, £969.
Overage (13) Strong trade throughout both for killing cattle, as well as the feeders.
South Devon x OTM heifer 275p, £1578; Angus x OTM heifers 256p, £1416; Limousin x OTM heifer 252p, £1547; Shorthorn OTM heifer 240p, £1653; Dexter OTM steer 148p, £553.

Beef Cows – 24 Sold – Top 228, Average 170.7
Dairy Cows – 4 Sold – Top 181, Average 167.8

Store & Breeding Cattle -349 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Another big show of cattle forward with a larger percentage being younger spring born stock with less of the short term feeding cattle on offer. Top call went to A J Bray for superb Limousin cross heifers to £1360. To kick the day off we had Shorthorn cows and calves from H S Nicholls to £1230, and £1310 for a Shorthorn cow with twins from the same home. F S Husk had well reared Blue x Friesian steers 6 mths old to £650 followed by Wey Street Farm with superb Blonde x Aberdeen Angus calves 7 – 8 mths topping at £925 for the steers and the heifers to £905. South Devon steers 7 – 8 mths from Gardners topped at £885 with Limousin crosses 6 – 8 mths from Hope Bros to £800 for the steers and heifers from the same home to £740. We then moved onto a run of cattle from Mrs A Christie which were Blonde crosses 16 – 20 mths which saw the steers to £1140 and the heifers to £1000 with majority of the run £750 – £950. Simmental cross steers 18 mths from M Wickens to £1090 and cracking Angus cross steers 18 – 20 mths from G Hosmer & Son to £1260. J D Gribble had a run of hard feeding cattle forward 18 – 20 mths with Simmental cross steers to £1220 and South Devon cross steers to £1095.

Principal Prices include:

Continental:

Limousin cross heifers 21mths – £1360 – A J Bray
Simmental cross steers 20 mths – £1220 – J D Gribble
Blonde cross steers 18 mths – £1140 – A Christie
British Blue x Friesian steers 18 mths – £1100 – Birt Bros
Limousin cross heifers 20 mths – £1110 – R J Husk
Blonde cross steers 8 mths – £925 – Wey Street Farm
Blonde cross heifers 8 mths – £905 – Wey Street Farm
Limousin cross steers 8 mths – £800 – Hope Bros
Limousin cross steers 7 mths – £940 – N A Vincent

Native:

Aberdeen Angus cross steers 20 mths – £1260 – G Hosmer & Son
Aberdeen Angus cross heifers 20 mths – £1110 – G Hosmer & Son
Aberdeen Angus cross steers 19 mths – £1200 – C W Jones
Aberdeen Angus cross heifers 17 mths – £1080 – P C Coleman
South Devon cross steers 20 mths – £1095 – J D Gribble
Sussex steers 19 mths – £980 – D R Miles
South Devon steers 8 mths – £885 – Gardners

 

Calves – 26 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357
Short numbers but nice quality, and a keen trade from a good company of buyers.
A nice show of Blue x bull calves, generally 3-6 weeks, up to £335 and generally £300+ from both J W Boyd & Son and D Murdoch & Sons. Blue heifers £150-£200. Nice medium Angus x bulls £200+ topping at £215 from P J Forknall, heifers to £120. Norwegian Red x bull at £100.
Weanlings (3) Angus x suckled calf 3 mths from Paul Hope at £300; Limousin x steer 5 mths £300.
More Calves Wanted.

Bull Calves
British Blue cross – 10 – Ave £264.30 – Top £335.00 – J W Boyd & Sons Ltd
Aberdeen Angus cross – 4 – Ave £207.50 – Top £215.00 – P J Forknall
Norwegian Red – 1 – Ave £100.00 – Top £100.00 – D Murdoch & Sons

Heifer Calves
British Blue cross – 5 – Ave £174.00 – Top £195.00 – D Murdoch & Sons
Aberdeen Angus cross – 2 – Ave £100.00 – Top £120.00 – P J Forknall
Sussex – 1 – Ave £60.00 – Top £60.00 – M Wragg

Steer weanling
Limousin cross – 1 – Ave £300.00 – Top £300.00 – Mrs T Higgins
Heifer weanling
Aberdeen Angus cross – 1 – Ave £300.00 – Top £300.00 Messrs P H Hope

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Tuesday Livestock – 26th November 2024

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