Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 15th October 2024

Sheep Sales Reports

New Season Lambs –477

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Top price per kilo – 347p – L E Humphreys & Sons
Top price per head – £169.00 – Barleybrook Farm

A desperately short entry of finished lambs this week with the buyers crying out for more. Less lambs have been forward around the country and the horrifically wet weather on Monday didn’t help enthusiasm of vendors to go out and draw lambs. Trade was absolutely flying with hot competition for all on offer and averages up by nearly 25p kg on the national averages for Mondays markets. We could have sold well over double this entry without any issues and with prices where they are, we urge vendors to draw lambs and possibly even try replacing them with some stores for later on…?
Top price on the day was £169 hd from Barleybrook Farm with several pens also over £160 hd form Robinson Farm Partnership, T J Bignell and L E Humphreys & Sons also. Prices per kilo was where you see the biggest lift today with L E Humphreys & Sons topping this class at 347p kg with RG Hobbs Farms at 338p kg and Robinson Farm Partnership at 335p kg.

36 – £116.00 (322p kg) – R J Adams
37 – £109.00 (295p kg) – D Thompson
38 – £127.00 (334p kg) – R J Adams
39 – £124.50 (319p kg) – D Thompson
41 – £136.00 (332p kg) – D Thompson
42 – £138.00 (329p kg) – R G Hobbs Farms
43 – £145.50 (338p kg) – R G Hobbs Farms
44 – £147.00 (334p kg) – R G Hobbs Farms
45 – £156.00 (347p kg) – L E Humphreys & Sons
46 – £151.00 (328p kg) – Robinson Farm Partnership
47 – £143.00 (304p kg) – H G Tompsett sons Ltd
48 – £150.00 (313p kg) – Robinson Farm Partnership
49 – £164.00 (335p kg) – Robinson Farm Partnership
50 – £167.00 (334p kg) – Barleybrook Farm
51 – £165.00 (324p kg) – Barleybrook Farm
53 – £169.00 (319p kg) – Barleybrook Farm
54 – £167.00 (309p kg) – Barleybrook Farm
55 – £163.00 (296p kg) – Catherine Cox
56 – £114.00 (204p kg) – D Thompson
60 – £166.00 (277p kg) – Barleybrook Farm
61 – £165.00 (270p kg) – T J Bignell

Averages (p/kg)

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 72 – Top 334, Average 269.8
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 208 – Top 338, Average 307.4
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 139 – Top 347, Average 326.7
Over 52.1 kgs – 43 – Top 319, Average 302.9

Cull Sheep – 157 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Top price ewe: £134.00 – Ross Farms – Ave. £75.06

We had less ewes on offer than expected however with the determination of ongoing rainfall on Monday very little sorting was done ahead of the sale. The best ewes remain a good trade and remain short with majority £110 – £130 and to a top price of £134 for big Texels from Ross Farms. Medium sorts £75 – £90 on most occasions with leaner grazing types £50 – £70 throughout and only very few below these figures. We have buyers forward every week for all grades of ewes so do not hesitate to get in touch if you have ewes to sell.

Top prices included:

Texels to £134 – Ross Farms, Beltex cross to £125 – C A Worley Farming Ltd, Texel cross to £117 – M Hooker & Son, Romneys to £95 – H G Tompsett & Sons.

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle –  67 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Trade remaining at very strong levels with a larger entry of cattle forward finding more customers from both retail and wholesale levels. Quality again with plenty of flesh offer. Feeding men keen for anything leaner. Best beef bred types 280-310p with top call for a Limousin heifer at 316p, £1830, their steers Selling to 300p, £1963 A J Thompson & Sons. W Alexander (Shoreham) sold Limousin heifers and steers to 308p and 298p whilst three strong Limousin cross steers from Leggat Farming sold to 292p (3 av. 290.6p £1915 head). All fleshed dairy bred cattle a firm trade. Alan Down’s Limousin x Friesian steers to 288p, £1768; Hereford x Friesian to 275p, £1688; British Friesian steers to 250p, £1422. British Blue x Friesian heifers to 274p, £1641 J S & M D Antrum & Sons. British Blue x Friesian steers to 258p, £1863 P W & P Sim & Son.
A few more natives forward this week and a very firm enquiry. Quality Aberdeen Angus from A C Hume & Sons saw steers to 282p, £1950; heifers to 285p, £1795. Smart Sussex heifers From W S Furnival to 280p, £1565.

Top Steers
A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – 300p (£1887)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 298p (£1845)
A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – 295p (£1870)
A J Thompson & Sons – Aberdeen Angus cross – 294p (£1746)
Leggat Farming Ltd – Limousin cross – 292p (£1997)

Top Heifers

A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – 316p (£1830)
A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – 308p (£1553)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 308p (£1461)
A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – 305p (£1812)
A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – 290p (£1534)

Average Prices

Steers 200 to 550kg – 5 – Top 255p – Ave. 233p
Steers 551 to 650 kg – 24 – Top 300p – Ave. 282p
Steers 651 + – 10 – Top 292p – Ave. 274p
Heifers 300 to 500 kg – 10 – Top 308p – Ave. 266p
Heifers 501 to 590 kg – 10 – Top 316p – Ave. 277p
Heifers 591 + – 8 – Top 305p – Ave. 279p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 35Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Cows of all grades are certainly wanted with a typical “back end” entry offering little flesh sold to a marvellous trade. Empty beef cows wanted by the feeders whilst the condition on the dairy culls is just beginning to pick up with many having been on a winter ration for some time now.
Few meat beef cows but selling to 212p, £1449 for tidy types from G L Boulden & Son. Other meat types 160-190p with a generally older selection of feeders 140-190p.
Blonde cross 212p, £1449 G L Boulden & Son; Limousin cross 186p, 183p (2), £1378, £1343, £1122 Gallagher Farms; Simmental cross 186p, £1243 W J Hurley; Aberdeen Angus cross 183p, £1323 W J Hurley; Sussex 169p, £1297 Non FA B Luck Ltd; South Devon 161p, £1099 Non FA H & S Nesfield.
Strong demand for all grades of dairy culls.
Holstein Friesian UTM heifer 230p, £1549 M A & F W Owen; Holstein Friesian cows 177p, 168p, 157p, 154p, £1518, £1189, £1150, £1113 J W Boyd & Sons; 169p, 164p, 152p, £1390, £1171, £1143 M A & F W Owen; British Friesian 178p, £1305 R & J Ledger; Jersey 118p, £611 S E Lane & Partners; Dexter 108p, £468 Non FA H Challis.
Bulls (1) A little easier with a big lean Aberdeen Angus to 120p, £1350.

Beef Cows – 16 Sold – Top 212, Average 162.3
Dairy Cows – 17 Sold – Top 230, Average 144.4

Store & Breeding Cattle -405 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

The market was heaving, and trade was flying with a great show of cattle and a wide variety of shapes and sizes to suit a range of customers. Top call of the day went to F S Husk for a cracking 16 month old Limousin steers which made £1780.  We had a dispersal of in-calf cows to start the day off on behalf of the late A J Britton which topped at £1500 with majority of the other £1350 – £1450. Kicking off the stores was A Laver with Limousin x Friesian heifers 7 mths old to £550 followed by J Latham with single sucked Aberdeen Angus steers 6 months to £730. R Woods sold single sucked youngsters also this time Limousin crosses 7 months to £940 with the heifers to £760. Claygate Farms had some tremendous Sussex steers forward which were 13 months and topped at £1130 and the heifers to £970. H & S Nesfield sold 12 month Limousin cross steers to £1270 followed by Hawkfibre with 17 month old Limousin to £1640 and heifers from the same home to £1570. J Hooker & Son had a run of well turned out Limousin cross steers 17 – 18 months topping at £1490 followed by Simmental crosses from the same home to £1470. J & H Robinson (Iford Farms) had their second run of stores forward 16 – 18 months with the continentals to £1450 and their Angus crosses to £1390. A consistent run of British Blue x Friesian steers 23 months to £1360 from G B Nicholson & Son and Angus x Friesian steers 22 months from D Lanham to £1450.
We have a larger entry of 480 plus stores already for 22^nd October and although this sale is now full please do not hesitate to get in touch in you have cattle to sell in the coming weeks.

Principal Prices include:

Continental Bred Cattle
Limousin cross steers 16mths – £1780 – F S Husk
Limousin cross heifers 18mths – £1510 – F S Husk
Limousin cross steers 17mths – £1640 – Hawkfibre Ltd
Limousin cross heifers 18mths – £1570 – Hawkfibre Ltd
Simmental cross steers 18mths – £1470 – J Hooker & Son
British Blue x Friesian steers 23 mths – £1360 – G B Nicholson & Son
Limousin steers 7mths – £940 – R Woods
Limousin heifers 7mths – £760 – R Woods

Native Bred Cattle

Aberdeen Angus x Friesian steers 26mths – £1495 – P J Mannington
Aberdeen Angus x Friesian heifers 25mths – £1405 – P J Mannington
Aberdeen Angus x Friesian steers 22mths – £1450 – D Lanham
Aberdeen Angus cross steers 18 mths – £1390 – J & H Robinson (Iford) Farms Ltd
Aberdeen Angus cross heifers 17 mths – £995 – J & H Robinson (Iford) Farms Ltd
Shorthorn steers 17 mths – £1240 – A J Strand & Sons
Shorthorn heifers 17 mths – £1100 – A J Strand & Sons
Sussex steers 13 mths – £1130 – Claygate Farms

Pigs -55 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

A larger entry than we saw a fortnight ago in both the finished and store pig section. Top call went to Brooker & Son with their pigs to 205p pk and grossing just shy of £200 per head. Majority of the other finished pigs 150p pk – 190p pk which is massively reflected in the level of finish on the pigs as well as trying to get them over the 80kg mark for the best results. Smart store pigs to £70 from D Light with other £30 – £50 and only very few of the rare breed sorts sold below these figures.
The next sale will be on Tuesday 29^th October so please get in touch with entries for this week.

Forthcoming Auctions

Tuesday Livestock – 22nd October September 2024

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

For our Auction Calendar and Catalogues click here