Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 28th January 2025

Sheep Sales Reports

Finished Hoggets –1,570 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Top price per kilo – 378p kg – C Saunders.
Top price per head – £179.00 – S P Howland.

A few less hoggs on offer this week and quality was more mixed than last week, particularly amongst the heavier hoggets. The trade remained the same with an average of 320p kg and £140 head, which is about 40-50p ahead of last year’s average throughout January. The trade is very strong at the moment and is really being boosted by the smaller numbers on offer nationally. This can be seen in all sectors of the market, not just in the sheep department as we have seen in the past 12 months. Despite quality overall being more mixed today, some very good runs of sheep from James Wayman and S P Howland were all over £150, topping at £179 from S P Howland. Lighter weight, but meat hoggs were more available this week, which is unexpected at this time of year, and these often sold in excess of 350p kg this week and topped with some superb Texel cross hoggets from Charlie Saunders at 378p kg.

33 – £123.00 (373p kg) – D Barnwell
35 – £112.00 (320p kg) – P & R Locke
36 – £115.00 (319p kg) – Robert Woods
37 – £140.00 (378p kg) – C Saunders
38 – £133.00 (350p kg) – W J Hurley
39 – £139.00 (356p kg) – Langdon Farms
40 – £139.00 (348p kg) – Langdon Farms
41 – £145.00 (354p kg) – J Wayman
42 – £149.00 (355p kg) – J Wayman
43 – £146.00 (340p kg) – W G Watkins & Sons
44 – £158.00 (359p kg) – J Wayman
45 – £156.00 (347p kg) – J Wayman
46 – £147.00 (320p kg) – M L Wilson & Son Ltd
47 – £167.00 (355p kg) – J Wayman
48 – £177.00 (369p kg) – S P Howland
49 – £151.00 (308p kg) – N A Balcomb & Son
50 – £155.50 (311p kg) – M L Wilson & Son Ltd
51 – £178.00 (349p kg) – S P Howland
52 – £164.50 (316p kg) – S Wickens
53 – £165.00 (311p kg) – S Wickens
54 – £153.50 (284p kg) – E Gingell
55 – £158.00 (287p kg) – S Wickens
56 – £170.00 (304p kg) – C Saunders
57 – £154.00 (270p kg) – E Gingell
58 – £179.00 (309p kg) – S P Howland
63 – £161.00 (256p kg) – N A Balcomb & Son

Averages (p/kg)

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 212– Top 378, Average 330.0
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 756 – Top 359, Average 320.4
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 505 – Top 369, Average 315.2
Other 52.1+ kgs – 95 – Top 316, Average 288.1

 

Store Hoggets – 1,262 sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Top price: £139.50 – R & S L M Smith – Ave. £93.18

Another big entry of stores but not the size of hoggs on offer that we saw last week, which in turn dropped the averages. The best stores were still in excess of £130 and topped at £139.50 from Rex Smith for a large pen of 56 Charollais crosses. Longer term stores made up the majority this week with these trading from £80-100 head, and then the next grade above being £100-115. There is great confidence in this section now and prices being achieved are unheard of for this time of year.

Cull Sheep – 268 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Top price ewes: £248.00 – J Wayman – Ave.£126.02
Top price rams: £221.00 – M L Wilson & Son Ltd – Ave. £174.00

A cracking trade from start to finish with more well fleshed ewes in pens. A few less numbers forward which can often be the case this time of year. The best ewes regularly £130 – £160 to a top price of £248 for a superb Texel cross ewe from J Wayman followed closely by N A Balcomb & Son with Beltex crosses to £214.  Medium sorts £90 – £120 on most occasions, with leaner grazing types £50 – £70 throughout. 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 £248, £203 – J Wayman, Beltex cross to £214 – N A Balcomb & Son, Charollais to £180, £176 – N A Balcomb & Son, Suffolk cross to £171 – L E Humphreys & Sons, Romneys to £165, £160 – H V Link Partnership, Mules to £149 – W & P New T/A Moorhouse Farm, Easycare to £144 – J & K Walther.

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle –  33 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Difficult to find numbers at present and today the overall quality was a little more variable. Trade remaining outstanding with no sign that rates are going to diminish as all sectors of the retail market compete strongly to secure supply.
Very few of the best forward with top grades 320-350p. Majority of cattle over 300p with only lesser shaped types below. Strong demand for any cattle with the potential to carry further finish.
A smart Blue Limousin x steer from W S Furnival Ltd topping the day at 349p, £2108, closely followed by a Blonde x steer from G L Boulden & Sons at 345p, £2101. Top heifers 330p from both S J Theobald & Sons £2092, and W Alexander (Shoreham) Ltd £1648.
Dairy bred steers from A J Down saw Limousin x to 316p, £1909, Hereford x to 309p (2) £1805, Friesian 291p, £1816. Powerful British Blue x heifers from Leggat Farming to 314p, £2273.
Not the most polished of Native entries overall but good Sussex steers to 315p £1635 from W Alexander; Angus x steers to 306p £1726 WS Furnival; Angus x heifers to 300p £1617 MJ Ashworth; and a heavyweight Angus heifer from J Tapley at £2231 (294p).

Top Steers

W S Furnival Ltd – Limousin cross – 349p (£2108)
G L Boulden & Sons – Blonde cross – 345p (£2101)
W Alexander (Shoreham) Ltd – Limousin cross – 325p (£2109)
A J Down – Limousin cross – 316p (£1909)
W Alexander (Shoreham) Ltd – Sussex – 315p (£1635)

Top Heifers

S J Theobald & Sons – Simmental cross – 330p (£2092)
W Alexander (Shoreham) Ltd – Limousin cross – 330p (£1648)
W Alexander (Shoreham) Ltd – Limousin cross – 325p (£1509)
G L Boulden & Sons – Limousin cross – 320p (£1566)
Leggat Farming Ltd – British Blue cross – 314p (£2273)

Average Prices

Steers 200 to 550 kg – 1 – Top 315p – Ave. 315p
Steers 551 to 650 kg – 14 – Top 349p – Ave. 306p
Heifers 300 to 500 kg – 5 – Top 330p – Ave. 309p
Heifers 501 to 590 kg – 5 – Top 303p – Ave. 293p
Heifers 591 kg + – 8 – Top 330p – Ave. 301p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 76 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Decent numbers again though not quite the level of flesh on offer as last week. Trade again sensational and dearer on the week with more customers around the ring to take both meat and feeding cows.
The best young continental cows pushing up over 280p and plenty of returns over £2000. Good meat cows regularly 220-260p, sound feeders 180-250p and very few cows under this level.
Limousin x 282p, £2139 G Bates Ltd, 258p, 240p, 232p, £2137, £1677, £1574 P N & C Burden, 249p £1516 R F & E A Simmons, 244p £1498 M J Ashworth, 238p, £1354 J C Loveridge, 236p, 230p, £1754, £1584; Simmental 248p, 232p, £1708, £1586 G Bates; Sussex 262p, £1517 W J Hurley, 258p, 236p, £1378 S C Gammon, 240p, £1269 Sussex Herd Co, 216p, £1432 Mrs SS Gibb; Belted Galloway 248p, £1225 Millers Ark; South Devon 239p, 238p, 228p, £2149, £2093, £1884 Gardners; Hereford x 238p, £1556 J C Loveridge, 215p, £1674 K Bugden; Angus x 235p, 234p, £1806, £1655 V & C Smith, 222p, £1354 J C Loveridge; Beef Shorthorn 230p, £1216 H Harmer; White Park 216p, 204p, £1241, £1185.
A small show from the dairy sector this week but no stopping this trade!
Holstein 209p, 184p, £1751, £1321 P J Forknall; British Friesian 206p, £1685 R & J Ledger; Holstein Friesian 193p, £1338 J W Boyd & Sons; Jersey 141p, £667 Hickson Bros.
Overage (3) Sussex OTM heifer 282p, £1816; Simmental x steer 3yo+ 286p.
Stock Bulls (7) Some good, fleshed bulls selling well.
Stabiliser 200p, £2055; Limousin 198p, £2311; Beef Shorthorn 192p, £2135; Angus 182p, £1933; South Devon 180p, £1867; Sussex 174p, 170p, £1882.

 

Beef Cows – 56 Sold – Top 282, Average 217.3
Dairy Cows – 10 Sold – Top 209, Average 164.4

 

Store & Breeding Cattle – 214 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

An absolute flying trade with buyers present for all grades giving a very positive reaction going forward.
The breeding cattle section saw a herd reduction on behalf of S C L Gammon, Folkestone with young Sussex cows in calf to a Sussex bull topping at £1900, and regularly £1600 – £1800 per head.
Angus bulls 13 – 15 mths from N & A Irwin, Alresford, Hants to £1450 with their outwintered Angus steers 28 – 30 mths  to £2180 (twice) with other pens £1600 – £1900 per head. J A Biddle had homebred Angus steers 7 – 9 mths to £1070, heifers to £920. Friday Street Farmers, Hailsham sold Limousin steers 15 mths at £1560, followed by Sussex x steers 16 mths at £1500 and Limousin x heifers 10m at £1030. E J & T H Gribble, Lewes had their annual run of Angus x Friesian heifers forward 16 – 18 mths topping at £1290, the others generally £950 – £1200 per head. Out wintered Angus x Friesian steers and heifers 22 mths from K Loveridge, Rochester both to £1355, with Blue x Friesian steers 23 mths from Ross Farms, Canterbury to £1770.
There is no doubt that this trade is on fire and more numbers are wanted. If you have any store or breeding cattle, particularly the hard outwintered or open yarded types, to sell please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Principal prices include:

Native Breeds:

Aberdeen Angus cross steers 28 mths – £2180 – N & A Irwin
Aberdeen Angus cross bulls 15 mths – £1450 – N & A Irwin
Sussex steers 16 mths – £1500 – Friday Street Farmers
Aberdeen Angus x Friesian steers 22 mths – £1355 – K Loveridge
Aberdeen Angus x Friesian steers 22 mths – £1355 – K Loveridge
Shorthorn steers 10 mths – £1280 – M Pallet
Aberdeen Angus steers 8 mths – £1070 – J A Biddle
Aberdeen Angus heifers 8 mths – £920 – J A Biddle
Hereford cross heifers 10 mths – £795 – Miss H Challis

Continental Breeds:

British Blue x Friesian steers 23 mths – £1770 – Ross Farms
Limousin cross steers 15 mths – £1560 – Friday Street Farmers
Limousin cross heifers 10 mths – £1030 – Friday Street Farmers
Limousin cross heifers 22 mths – £1400 – K Loveridge
Simmental cross steers 22 mths – £1370 – K Loveridge
British Blue x Friesian steers 24 mths – £1280 – K Loveridge
Limousin cross steers 9 mths – £855 – G F Hawkins
Limousin cross heifers 9 mths – £800 – G F Hawkins

Pigs – 14 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

A quality show of pigs in the pens with the best to 165p pk and £181.50 per head from C A Barnes followed by C K Guest to £156 per head and Brooker & Son to £153 per head. Tamworth gilts from Canterbury Oast Trust Ltd to £81. Only a few sows forward which remain very hard to shift.
Please get in touch with any pigs you have to sell in the next sale on Tuesday 11^th February.

Forthcoming Auctions

Tuesday Livestock – 4th February 2025

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

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