Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 18th March 2025

Sheep Sales Reports

Finished Hoggets –2,335 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Top price per kilo – 415p kg – P Gorringe, Henfield.
Top price per head – £183.00 – Husk Farms Ltd, Nonnington.

With 2,400 finished hoggets penned this week it was a busy day again, but this is what we expect to see in March, with many of the finishers running short of winter keep and selling them now as opposed to turning these hoggets back to grass. Prices are stationary now and they do not really show many signs of the anticipated lift that many were hoping for. We did see a lift in the prices of the lighter weight hoggs this week but the quality in this section was considerably higher with many Beltex sorts on offer and top spot claimed by Peter Gorringe at 415p kg (41kgs @ £170 head). Heavy hoggets were again harder to sell with many of these now coming out nationally. Evidence of this being that this week’s entry in Ashford was made up of over 50% of the hoggets over 46 kg in weight. These heavy sheep may firm in price nearer to Easter but holding off for this will only create an oversupply in those weeks and be the reason that they do not firm in price so our advice would be to keep selling each week with Mothering Sunday and Eid al-Fitr upcoming positives.

31 – £120.00 (387p kg) – P Ashlee
32 – £114.00 (356p kg) – P Ashlee
34 – £128.00 (376p kg) – S B & A E Martin
35 – £128.00 (366p kg) – S B & A E Martin
36 – £137.00 (381p kg) – P Ashlee
37 – £142.00 (384p kg) – S B & A E Martin
38 – £152.00 (400p kg) – P Ashlee
39 – £150.00 (385p kg) – P Ashlee
40 – £150.00 (375p kg) – P Gorringe
41 – £170.00 (415p kg) – P Gorringe
42 – £160.00 (381p kg) – Husk Farms Ltd
43 – £161.00 (374p kg) – S B & A E Martin
44 – £160.00 (364p kg) – Husk Farms Ltd
45 – £166.00 (369p kg) – J Cook
46 – £159.00 (346p kg) – T Archer
47 – £169.00 (360p kg) – Husk Farms Ltd
48 – £170.00 (354p kg) – P Gorringe
49 – £171.00 (349p kg) – Husk Farms Ltd
50 – £168.00 (336p kg) – P Gorringe
51 – £157.00 (308p kg) – M R Woodroofe
52 – £168.00 (323p kg) – W Mandry Ltd
53 – £183.00 (345p kg) – Husk Farms Ltd
54 – £154.00 (285p kg) – Lucy Chantler
55 – £173.00 (315p kg) – P Gorringe

Averages (p/kg) 

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 338 – Top 400, Average 342.3
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 859 – Top 415, Average 322.2
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 764 – Top 360, Average 289.0
Other 52.1+ kgs – 359 – Top 385, Average 287.9

Store Hoggets – 333 sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Top price per head: – £125.00 – S B & A E Martin, Hampshire.

A smaller entry of stores this week, with mixed quality on offer and few good runs like we saw last week. Averages would be similar with several buyers present for the stronger lambs which are trading up to £125 this week from S B & A E Martin, Hampshire. Overall average of £105 which is a bit less than last week but very much based on quality of the hoggets on offer.

Cull Sheep – 566 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678

Top price ewe: £245.00 – Husk Farms Ltd, Nonnington. – Ave. £143.57

The trade is on fire with averages going up, up and up every week and good numbers in the pens. The best ewes regularly £150 – £180 and to a top price of £245 from Husk Farms Ltd for cracking Texel ewes. Medium sorts £110 – £140 on most occasions with leaner grazing types £70 – £100 throughout with fewer of these in the pens. Please keep these ewes coming forward with a good number of competitive buyers forward every week for all grades of ewes.

Top prices included:

Texels to £245 – Husk Farm Ltd, Texel cross   to £238 – Husk Farm Ltd, Suffolk cross to £226 – Husk Farm Ltd, Charollais to £200 – L Bernard, Romneys to £168 – A J W Smith & Son, Mules to £160 – H Heathcote.

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle –  34 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Another very good trade for the beef this week with a noticeable shortage of the best continental beef breed cattle, and a higher proportion of dairy bred Hereford and Angus.
Top steer price to a smart homebred Limousin x Sussex from Gillshaw Farms at 406p, £2135 whilst Limousin x heifers from Paul Burden and Dylan Isaac sold to 378p, £2190 and £2020 respectively, with the Isaac Family also showing an Angus x at 378p, £2057. Limousin x steers from Dan Mackelden well sold to 388p, £2383.
Dairy bred Hereford steers from the Pickering Family to 378p, £2208, their Angus x to 376p, £2272. British Blue x heifers from North Kent College to 348p, £2311.
Angus steers from Leggatt Farming sold to 389p, £2273; Sussex steers from A B Jones & Ptnrs to 364p, £2254. Sussex heifers from W S Furnival to 351p, £1875.
Bulls (3) Simmental x from S J Theobald & Son, Brentwood to 320p, £2396; Beef Shorthorn from W Sadler & Son, Chichester 308p £1922.

Top Steers

Gillshaw Farms Ltd – Limousin cross – 406p (£1967)
Leggat Farming Ltd – Aberdeen Angus – 389p (£2273)
Dan Mackelden Ltd – Limousin cross – 388p (£2344)
R C & J L Pickering & Sons – Hereford cross – 378p (£2208)
R C & J L Pickering & Sons – Aberdeen Angus cross – 376p (£2272)

Top Heifers

P N & C Burden – Limousin cross – 378p (£2190)
Dylan Isaac – Aberdeen Angus cross – 378p (£2057)
Dylan Isaac – Limousin cross – 378p       (£2020)
R C & J L Pickering & Sons – Hereford cross – 371p (£2056)
Dylan Isaac – Simmental cross – 370p (£2014)

Average prices

Steers 200 to 550 kg – 2 – Top 406p – Ave. 385p
Steers 551 to 650 kg – 14 – Top 389p – Ave. 367p
Heifers 300 to 500 kg – 2 – Top 355p – Ave. 334p
Heifers 501 to 590 kg – 12 – Top 378p – Ave. 349p
Heifers 591 kg + – 1 – Top 348p – Ave. 348p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 55 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Good to see a few more numbers when the trade is as sharp as it is currently. Both meat cows and feeders to superb levels with Charolais x feeders to 328p, £1981 R C & J L Pickering & Sons, Tonbridge; Limousin x meat to 290p, £1940 from J Berryman, Redhill; whilst a thick heavyweight Angus cow from Llewellyn Farms, Crowborough sold to 288p, £2674.
Meat cows regularly 250-290p with the best of the feeders pushing well through the 300p level. Competition intense and with supplies only going to shorten at this time of the year rates will be fully maintained.
Charolais x 328p, £1981 R C & J L Pickering; Limousin x 324p, £2054 M J Ashworth, Lydd 311p, £2360 Farrant Bros, Rye 290p, £1940 J Berryman, 280p, £1984 R J Stickland, Billingshurst; Angus 288p, £2674 Llewellyn Farms; Hereford x 286p, £1285 North Kent College, Tonbridge; Simmental x 273p, 252p, £2180, £1761 M J Ashworth, 246p, £1547 R C & J L Pickering; Sussex 261p, 256p, £1686, £1550 Chandler & Dunn, 254p, 250p, 247p, £1775, £1709, £1676 Wright Farm Ptnrs; Beef Shorthorn 261p, £2136 J Berryman.
More Black & White cows this week and staying right at the top of the trade with generally half meat cows on offer. A good Montbeliarde x cow from D Murdoch & Sons to 251p, £2402 with a lot of cows 200-240p. Good interest in the lean, drier, younger cows for further feeding.
Montbeliarde x 251p, £2402 D Murdoch & Sons; Holstein Friesian 237p, 235p, 224p, £1724, £1715, £1676 R C & J L Pickering; 236p, 225p, 218p, £1908, £1740, £1566 Appleton Farms; 230p, £1697 P J Forknall; 216p, £1584 Goddard & Son; Jersey 184p, £780; Imported Cows 178p, £1402.
Stock Bulls (3) Demand very strong. Angus to 223p, 218p, £2480, £2047; Dexter 182p, £871.
Overage (7) Good quality on offer and a terrific trade. Blue x OTM heifer 358p, £2038 J Berryman; Sussex OTM steer 336p, £2013 Wright Farm Ptnrs; Angus x OTM heifer 348p, £2068 R Scott, Horsham; Angus x 3yo+ heifer 365p, £2151, Limousin x 3yo+ heifer 364p, £2508.

Beef Cows – 18 Sold – Top 335, Average 274.6
Dairy Cows – 27 Sold – Top 251, Average 201.4

 

Store & Breeding Cattle – 129 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678

A smaller, mixed quality show of stores this week with the majority in the pens smaller and younger long term sorts. Top call of the day £1440 for Charollais cross steers 12 mths from J F E Goodsell followed by heifers from the same home to £1250. Out wintered Hereford cross steers 12 mths from M & K L Studd to £870 and Holstein Friesian steers 12 mths from M Godden to £700. Angus x Friesian steers 11 mths from P J & P B Wade look well sold at £1100 and Homebred Hereford cross steers 13 mths from Farrant Bros to £1160. Angus cross steers from K Bugden 11 mths to £1040 with the heifers to £900 and Limousin cross heifers 12 mths from K Clayson to £960. J D Hickman had their Sussex steers 23 mths to £1390 and heifers 17 mths to £1170 followed by 11 mths Sussex steers from the same home to £1060. Angus cross steers 23 mths from S C Gammon topped at £1390 with their 12 mths old Angus cross steers to £1080. Overall trade a little easier than last week’s flying levels with the cold wind not helping grass growth for those turning out.
Please do not hesitate to get in contact if you have store or breeding cattle to sell with the trade strong and the weather just starting to warm up there is no better time.

Cattle Passports
We remind producers that on no occasion should the details on a cattle passport be changed other than by returning it to BCMS.
If details are incorrect return and advise BCMS or advise the auctioneers on market day without writing on the passport.

Calves – 48 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Another marvellous trade. Not the numbers this week but a nice mix of quality fresh, older, and weaned calves with a strong attendance of buyers from near and far.
The team at Oncoland Ltd, Dartford, particularly, deserve congratulating on another outstanding run of 10-12 week British Blue x calves which rewrote the records with bulls to £598, £592, £545, £520; heifers to £410, £395, £378, £375.
Fresh calves from J W Boyd & Sons saw Blue bulls to £415, £380; heifers to £330, £320, £315; their Angus x bulls to £360. Blue x from Hickson Bros a grand trade with bulls to £298, £295, £290; heifers to £340, £300, £288, £285.
Older stirks saw Simmental x heifers 7mths £530, Hereford x heifers 10 mths £522, Angus x heifers 5 mths £425, £405.

Bull Calves
British Blue cross – 9 – Ave £315.67 – Top £415.00 – J W Boyd & Sons Ltd
Aberdeen Angus cross – 2 – Ave £339.00 – Top £360.00 – J W Boyd & Sons Ltd
Heifer Calves
British Blue cross – 18 – Ave £297.72 – Top £410.00 – Oncoland Ltd
Aberdeen Angus cross – 2 – Ave £160.00 – Top £160.00 – J W Boyd & Sons Ltd

Steer Calves
British Blue cross – 5 – Ave £550.60 – Top £598.00 – Oncoland Ltd
Hereford cross – 1 – Ave £315.00 – Top £315.00 – Stilwell Farms Ltd
Heifer Weanlings
Simmental cross – 1 – Ave £530.00 – Top £530.00 – Stilwell Farms Ltd
Charolais cross – 1 – Ave £530.00 – Top £530.00 – Stilwell Farms Ltd
Aberdeen Angus cross – 3 – Ave £418.33 – Top £425.00 – H Stilwell
Hereford cross – 4 – Ave £522.00 – Top £522.00 – Stilwell Farms Ltd

Forthcoming Auctions

Tuesday Livestock – 25th March 2025

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

For our Auction Calendar and Catalogues click here