Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 14th January 2025

Sheep Sales Reports

Finished Hoggets –1,772 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Top price per kilo – 412p – H O Champneys Ltd
Top price per head – £188.00 – L E Humphreys & Sons

A decent entry of hoggs this week and another lift in the trade with prices now breaking the £4 kg barrier for the first time in quite a while. Heavy hoggs in demand but the feeling would be the small meated types, with good shape, are the real star of the trade with export demand not able to find adequate supply around the country. A super run of smart shaped lambs form H O Champneys Ltd really benefited from this demand with 412p kg topping their run but others all approaching £4kg. L E Humphreys & Sons topped the price per head list with big Suffolk x hoggs to £188 head. I am asked frequently now how far these prices can go with the levels higher than we have ever witnessed in January. It is hard to see a continuous lift for the whole season, considering the high starting point, but who really knows? Most hoggs over £3 kg, with an overall average of 340p kg and all well finished types from 350p kg to 400p kg.

31 – £120.00 (387p kg) – H O Champneys Ltd
32 – £101.00 (316p kg) – G L Porter & Son
34 – £140.00 (412p kg) – H O Champneys Ltd
35 – £123.00 (351p kg) – J Hooker & Son
36 – £127.00 (353p kg) – G L Harris
37 – £136.00 (368p kg) – D G Long
38 – £151.00 (397p kg) – Wilsons Farm Partnership
39 – £141.00 (362p kg) – C H Ellis Ltd
40 – £151.00 (378p kg) – H O Champneys Ltd
41 – £151.00 (368p kg) – Wilsons Farm Partnership
42 – £150.00 (357p kg) – H & J Noakes
43 – £166.00 (386p kg) – B & M Coleman Ltd
44 – £166.00 (377p kg) – Wilsons Farm Partnership
45 – £173.00 (384p kg) – C H Ellis Ltd
46 – £166.00 (361p kg) – M L Wilson & Son Ltd
47 – £167.00 (355p kg) – George Dallaway
48 – £170.00 (354p kg) – Loxley Farm
49 – £170.00 (347p kg) – C H Ellis Ltd
50 – £159.00 (318p kg) – W & P New T/A Moorhouse Farm
51 – £174.00 (341p kg) – L Stevens & Sons
52 – £178.00 (342p kg) – M L Wilson & Son Ltd
53 – £174.00 (328p kg) – L E Humphreys & Sons
54 – £169.00 (313p kg) – M L Wilson & Son Ltd
55 – £159.50 (290p kg) – N C & C G Hedges
56 – £160.00 (286p kg) – H G Tompsett & Sons Ltd
57 – £167.00 (293p kg) – L E Humphreys & Sons
58 – £178.00 (307p kg) – K T D Axell
63 – £173.00 (275p kg) – H G Tompsett & Sons Ltd
73 – £188.00 (258p kg) – L E Humphreys & Sons
81 – £168.00 (207p kg) – Wilsons Farm Partnership

Averages (p/kg)

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 189– Top 412, Average 352.1
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 744 – Top 386, Average 342.1
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 686 – Top 376, Average 335.0
Other 52.1+ kgs – 120 – Top 384, Average 319.4

Store Hoggets – 894 sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Top price: £147.00 – S J F Agriculture – Ave. £109.67

Obviously, this trade has been driven up by the strengthening trade we have seen in the finished section in recent weeks and several buyers came out to buy stores, who didn’t even manage to get a bid in! Genuine store hoggets sold to a staggering £147 head from S J F Agricultural and no! these sheep were not sent to slaughter, they were stores. Overall average of £109 head for all stores sold and very few other than the extremely long term types sold below £95. All strong store types were sold over £115 and many between £120 and £140. More stores will be sold week on week now, but I fear that numbers will drop away sooner this year as there is simply not the numbers of sheep in the country that we have seen in recent years.

Cull Sheep – 432 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Top price ewe: £240.00 – J Warnock & Sons – Ave. £114.90

Plenty of ewes on offer again this week but it was a poorer show in terms of quality. Nationally the trade has eased, with more numbers and reports that the meat has been a little harder to sell this week. Those good bred and well fleshed ewes are still very much in demand as they are in very limited supply nationally and these purebred continental types went past £200 again and topped out at £240 for Texel ewes from R Warnock. Grazers were plentiful but with the weather and ground conditions easing the appetite for these. They generally traded from £75-95 head but soundness and quality important.

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle –  38 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

There is nothing stopping the prime trade at present with rates for all grades dearer again on the week.
A few more numbers today, but a commercial entry, with not enough of the very best beef bred types.
William Alexander topping both sections with his Limousin x steers up to 324p and grossing up to £2054 whilst his heifers sold to 329p, £1532. G L Boulden & Sons topped gross returns with Blonde x steers to £2087 (312p).
Alan Down had his weekly run of dairy bred steers with most over 300p, with Limousin x Friesian steers to 319p, £2022, Hereford x steers to 311p, £1941. North Kent College had Hereford x Friesian heifers to 303p, £1863, their steers to 299p, £1985.
Native cattle a fierce trade throughout. Sussex heifers from Stephen Furnival to 326p, £1676, with Angus steers and heifers 319p, £1943 and 315p, £1714 respectively. A tremendous heavyweight Angus heifer from Graham Tomsett at 317p, £2026. Traditional Hereford heifers to 291p, £1448 Great Malgraves and a pair of well fleshed maiden Jersey heifers from Hickson Bros sold to 267p,265p £1442.
Not the prettiest of bulls on offer today but all very well sold. Gloucester x Sussex to 230p, £1120 Longcroft Ltd.

Top Steers

W Alexander (Shoreham) Ltd – Limousin cross – 324p (£1844)
W Alexander (Shoreham) Ltd – Limousin cross – 319p (£2054)
A J Down – Limousin cross – 319p (£2022)
W S Furnival Ltd – Aberdeen Angus – 319p (£1943)
A J Down – Limousin cross – 317p (£1693)

Top Heifers

W Alexander (Shoreham) Ltd – Limousin cross – 329p (£1413)
W S Furnival Ltd – Sussex cross – 326p (£1676)
W Alexander (Shoreham) Ltd – Limousin cross – 323p (£1532)
B G & M A Tomsett – Aberdeen Angus – 317p (£2026)
W S Furnival Ltd – Aberdeen Angus cross – 315p (£1714)

Average Prices

Steers 200 to 550 kg – 3 – Top 317p – Ave. 301p
Steers 551 to 650 kg – 13 – Top 324p – Ave. 304p
Steers 651 + – 2 – Top 312p – Ave. 305p
Heifers 300 to 500 kg – 5 – Top 329p – Ave. 299p
Heifers 501 to 590 kg – 7 – Top 326p – Ave. 298p
Heifers 591 kg + – 3 – Top 317p – Ave. 310p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 112 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Nothing short of sensational! A good number forward and a very strong attendance of buyers from far and wide.
Certainly, a Record Overall Average with the cows, alone, averaging just a fraction under 200p kg and an outstanding new Record Top Price of 348p, £2693 for a 7 year old purebred British Blue cow from Andrew Price.
A large run of empty cows, of mixed ages and breeds, ideal for further feeding from the late Rod Christie and his family hit the button and the season perfectly selling to 236p, £1382 and regularly 170-220p. Feeding season is in full force – seek them out!
Meat was in short supply and competition to secure cows was intense. The best 230-260p, with some quality feeders pushing dearer. Young cows at a premium with the older empty cows regularly over 200p. Only 5 cows below 150p!
British Blue 348p, £2693 Price & Shelbourne, 224p, £1486 D G & J W Gore, 215p, £1512 H & S Nesfield; Limousin x 264p, 256p, 242p, £1910, £1661, £1642 G Bates Ltd, 242p, 230p, £1424 D G & J W Gore; Simmental x 264p, £1541 H & S Nesfield, 221p, £1235 N Morgan; Angus x 256p, £1482 D G & J W Gore, 230p, £1603 Llewellyn Farms; Sussex 245p, £1443 Dan Mackelden Ltd, 224p, £1296 D G & J W Gore, 222p, £1528 Torry Hill Farms, 202p, £1572 T Pengilley; Hereford x 232p, £1783 D G & J W Gore; Lincoln Red 210p, £1362 N Morgan; Horned Highland 140p, £551.
A short entry from the dairy sector but with a few more cows now carrying more flesh.
Best meat now well up over 200p and huge returns coming to producers not restricted by “cock and bull” conditions from their lame milk buyers who “kowtow” to their supermarket masters whose obvious intention is to reduce competition rather than to stimulate it, as ably demonstrated by the open livestock market system.
British Friesian 219p, 206p, £1540, £1459 B J Goodsell & Son; 208p, 194p, 190p, 189p, 188p, £1797, £1508, £1451, £1406, £1392 G D & E E Field; Holstein Friesian 206p, 198p, £1613, £1462 J W Boyd & Son; Holstein 187p, 175p, £1324, £1213 P J Forknall; Dexter 170p (2), 168p, 164p, 152p £746, £712, £695, £613, £530 Westerlands Stud – all included in the averages!
Stock Bull (1) Lean Limousin well sold at 198p, £1778.
Overage (7) Wanted more than ever!! Sussex OTM heifers 311p, 295p, 288p, £1816, £1711, £1443; Limousin x OTM heifer 291p, £1917.

Beef Cows – 88 Sold – Top 348, Average 201.7
Dairy Cows – 15 Sold – Top 219 Average 187.8

Store & Breeding Cattle – 150 Sold
Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

A thoroughly respectable entry of store cattle for early in the season with a host of buyers present to take cattle of all grades at rates reflecting the increasing levels in the prime market.
Strong short term finishers, and hard out wintered or open yarded cattle for early turn out are clearly top of everybody’s list but all ages are in demand and selling very well.

Principal Prices include:

Continental Breeds

Limousin cross steer 20 mths – £1370 – J Prior & Son
Limousin cross heifers14 mths – £1370, £1140 – Gallagher Farms
British Blue cross heifers 15 mths – £1195 – Gallagher Farms
Limousin x Shorthorn steers 16 mths – £1560, £1190 – S J M Evans
British Blue x Friesian steers 20 mths – £1570 – R & H Vincent
British Blue x Friesian steers 27 mths – £1490 – Yardbrook Farm Partners
British Blue x Friesian heifers 27 mths – £1220 – Yardbrook Farm Partners

Native Breeds

Angus cross heifers 8-10 mths – £690 – Gann & Brown
Angus cross steers 5-9 mths £970, £940, £775, £645 – P C Coleman
Angus cross heifers 5-9 mths – £900, £760, £600, £530 – P C Coleman
Angus cross steers 9-10 mths – £910 – Llewellyn Farms
Angus cross heifers 9-10 mths – £870, £715, £660 – Llewellyn Farms
British Friesian steers 12-16 mths – £845, £800 – R T J B & I Lockwood
Beef Shorthorn x Friesian steer12 mths  £875 – R T J B & I Lockwood
Angus cross heifers 15-17 mths – £1290, £1100 – Gallagher Farms
Angus cross Friesian steers18 mths – £885 – J P J Wanstall
Angus x Friesian steers 24 mths – £1355 – D Ward
Angus x Friesian heifers 25 mths – £1150 – D Ward
Angus cross steers 28-34 mths – £1380, £1230 – K Vincent
Angus cross heifer 31 mths – £1130 – K Vincent
Horned Highland steers 25 mths – £560 – Coles Agriculture.

Finished & Store Pigs – 20 Sold
Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

A quiet day in the pig section following last week`s sale but, if anything, just a bit more trade for some better pigs.
Buyers want shape, weight and finish!
Smart Duroc pork from A P & P C Rose to 145p, £123 with heavier boars 105kg from C K Guest to 142p, £150. Coloured types a little less at 110-130p.
Sows and boars remain very difficult.
Two pens of quality Duroc strong stores well sold with gilts to £68, boars to £58.
Next Pig Sale Tuesday 28^th January.

Forthcoming Auctions

Friday Livestock – 21st January 2025

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

For our Auction Calendar and Catalogues click here