Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 1st April 2025
2711 Sheep and 385 Cattle Sold
Finished Hoggets to £168 – H V Link Partnership and Cattle to £2613.33 from Leggat Farming Ltd.
Sheep Sales Reports
Finished Hoggets –2,163 Sold
Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903
Top price per kilo – 380p/kg – Mr Peter Gorringe
Top price per head – £168 – H V Link Partnership
Report on trade: Similar entry but trade was certainly a bit harder this week, a bit of a battle from start to finish with again with over 60% of the total hoggets on offer falling into the heavy category, which is the same nationally. Unfortunately, neither the ethnic nor the export trade can handle these carcasses and outlets are limited in times of over supply like this. Many sellers are selling sheep heavier than they normally would as a result of very favourable conditions for the past month, really helping these sheep to put on weight and condition more so than in previous years. I would also say that the prices being achieved are considerably less than we saw 12 months ago, however, the trade is at a constant and has found a new level that has been with us since last summer, with very little in terms of peaks and troughs. This is a more favourable position for all producers as all now benefit from improved prices, as opposed to just those who can keep lambs on their farms for over one year and will have knock on effect to help the store prices, as we saw last season.
Top spots on the day were still close to last week’s figures, with Mr Peter Gorringe taking the top spot again at 380p/kg and HV Link at £168/hd. Overall the averages are down in comparison to last week, but more likely a result of last weekend’s Ramadan feast being the reasons for last weeks boosted figures.
Finished Hoggets
Kgs Top Price Top Vendor p per kg
32 £110 P Ashlee 344.0
34 £110 I M Symonds 324.0
39 £135 J C Loveridge 346.0
40 £150 Peter Gorringe 375.0
41 £147 Peter Gorringe 359.0
42 £138.50 Langrish Farmers 330.0
43 £156 C Saunders 363.0
44 £167 Peter Gorringe 380.0
45 £151.50 R F & E A Simmons 337.0
46 £164 Peter Gorringe 357.0
47 £158 P Ashlee 336.0
48 £158 I Lucas 329.0
49 £161 I Lucas 329.0
50 £164 W Mandry Ltd 328.0
51 £162.50 O’Neil Smith Ltd 319.0
52 £168 H V Link Partnership 323.0
Averages (p/kg)
Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 7 – Top 324, Average 318.5
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 798 – Top 380, Average 315.8
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 995 – Top 357, Average 306.6
Other 52.1+ kgs – 392 – Top 344, Average 276.9
Store Hoggets – 135 sold
Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903
Report on trade: Only a few penned this week but trade really not showing any signs of slowing up whatsoever and “pound for pound” these end of season hoggets would possibly be some of the dearest sheep we have seen this season. Overall averages of £101/hd and topped at £119 from Ashby Farms with any hoggets with size and frame over £100/hd.
Cull Sheep – 339 Sold
Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678
Top price ewe: £250 – Husk Farms Ltd Ave. £137.50
Report on trade: A few less numbers in the pens as to be expected for the time of year however a firm trade remains for all grades following the end of Ramadan last week. There were less of the best ewes forward this week however regularly £150 – £180 and to a top price of £250 for smart Texel ewes from Husk Farm Ltd. Medium sorts £110 – £140 on most occasions with leaner grazing types £70 – £100 throughout with only very few sold below these figures. Please do inform me of any ewes that you intend on selling in the coming weeks with more ewes wanted to satisfy buyers demands.
Top prices included:
Texel to £250 from Husk Farms Ltd
Texel Cross to £216 from Husk Farms Ltd
Suffolk Cross to £190 from Southwood Farm
Romneys to £158 from A B Jones & Partners
Mules to £137 from A B Jones & Partners
Ewes and Lambs 72 sold
Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678
Report on trade: A few more couples than last week which topped at £100 per life for Romney ewes and single lambs with the others £90 – £100 per life. Please do inform me of any breeding sheep you have to sell with the Spring Fair on Saturday 3rd May and large numbers of commercial couples plus any other breeding sheep are wanted for this day.
Cattle Sales Reports
Finished Cattle – 46 Sold
Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357
Report on trade: Another very strong trade for everything on offer with fewer of the best beef bred types forward today, with more dairy bred forward. Flesh is the important factor and congratulations to producers for feeding cattle so well, though any leaner types are largely sought by a wide range of buyers.
Best beef bred cattle 380- 420p with heifers led by a smart Limousin at 417p £2083 from D W Ferguson Ltd whilst the steers sold to 399p £2471 from R F & E A Simmons. Other smart heifers topping the 400p level from Leggat Farming and M L Williams with Limousin at 413p £2351 and 408p £2445 respectively. Weight no issue to buyers with heavy weights keenly sought with Limousin steers to £2604 398p from Leggat Farming and Blonde heifers to £2486 398p from G L Boulden & Sons.
Dairy bred cattle sold to 369p, 368p, 367p £2271for Limousin x Friesian from Alan Down his Hereford cross to 363p, £2338 and purebred British Friesian steers to 359p £2038. Angus x Friesian steers to 367p £2382 W S Furnival, their Angus cross heifers to 368p £2150.
Natives saw heavyweight Sussex from Miss T Maddocks, Swanley to 375p £2472 whilst Sussex heifers from Dan Mackelden sold to 369p twice £2064 £2027.
Young bulls (1) A smart Limousin x Friesian from A J Down to 351p £2173.
Leading steer prices
R F & E A Simmons Limousin £2471 399p
Leggat Farming Ltd Limousin cross £2604 398p
G L Boulden & Sons Blonde cross £2596 388p
Leading heifer prices
D W Ferguson Ltd Limousin cross £2083 417p
Leggat Farming Ltd Limousin cross £2352 413p
M L Williams Limousin cross £2445 408p
G L Boulden & Sons Blonde cross £2486 398p
Leggat Farming Ltd Charolias cross £2130 395p
S J Theobald & Sons Simmental cross £2340 369p
Average prices
Steers 551 to 650 kg 19 to 399p Ave. 366p
Steers 651kg + 4 to 398p Ave. 381p
Heifers 300 to 500 kg 4 to 417p Ave. 378p
Heifers 501 to 590 kg 9 to 413p Ave. 378p
Heifers 591 kg + 4 to 408p Ave. 388p
OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 68 Sold
Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357
Report on trade: Cull (49)
No stopping this trade! Another excellent entry from far and wide as producers search out their non-performers and take advantage of this incredible level of trade. Not the smartest of offerings overall with a high proportion of older grazing cows, and many minorities, but everyone fought over to tremendous levels.
Best of the fleshed beef cows to 318p £2,254 for blue x from McWilliams, Canterbury whilst feeding cows also sold to 318p from R J Stickland, Billingshurst. Plenty of good meat or keepers 270-310p per KG with little but the very oldest under 200p per KG. Cows grossed up to £2,437 for Angus X from R Douglas, Tenterden. British Blue X 318p £2,254 M L Williams 276p £1929 J Berryman, 276p £1,845 R Douglas, Blonde X 318p £1,778 R J Stickland, Limousin X 315p £1,887 P N & C Burden 299p £2,060 C W Jones, Hever, Angus X 294p £1,893 D Mackelden Ltd, 279p £2,437 R Douglas, 278p £1,859 RF & EA Simmons, South Devon X 276p £1,501 A & H Edmonds, Sussex 260p £1,570 K Axell, Battle, 255p, 252p, 250p, £1,635, £1,622, £1,603 Wright Farm Partnership; Blue Albion 288p £1,162 T R Marsh, Great Dunmow.
A few more from the dairy sector but certainly a mixed batch, though all gratefully received with feeding interest clearly shown and continuing to demonstrate the scandal lying within the relationship of big dairies and big retailers where the farmers interest count for nothing.
Holstein Frisian UTM Heifer 336 £2,130 J W Boyd & Sons, Jersey UTM Heifer 338p £2,008 Hickson Bros, Ayrshire 270p, 256p, 249p £1,657, £1,590, £1,491 A N Waters; Holstein Frisian 265p £2,288 W F Farms; 262p £1,896 Goddard and Son; 239p, 236p £1,693, £1,574 D Murdoch & Sons; Dairy Shorthorn 256p £1,418 M Elphick.
Stock Bulls (2) excellent! Hereford 212p £2,252; Dexter 174p £885.
Overage (17) A good entry with plenty of flesh competed for strongly by all outlets searching for margin in an industry that continues to see rising prices.
Limousin X 3T heifers 359p, 346p £2,367 £2,330 P N & C Burden; Sussex OTM heifer 358p £1,752 J Berryman; Angus X Fr OTM Steers 351p, 348p, 346p, 342p (2) £2,664, £2,326, £2,168, £2,015, £1,988 Scott Bros, Horsham.
British White 3 + Str 301P £1,983 S Goody, Leatherhead; Blonde x Steer 5+ 258p £1,854 R J Stickland, Billingshurst.
Beef Cows – 28 Sold – Top 318, Average 260.6
Dairy Cows – 21 Sold – Top 338, Average 237.5
Store & Breeding Cattle – 195 Sold
Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678
Report on trade: An improved show of cattle forward with fierce competition ring side for all grades of store cattle with buyers out in abundance looking to fill their boots. We had some superb homebred single sucked cattle in the pens with credit to the producers who now seek the rewards of having these better bred cattle to sell. Top call £2080 which went to R D E Spencer for a superb pen of Limousin steers 13 months with other from the same home £1910 and £1770. Limousin steers 18 months from R Douglas to £1980 followed by Limousin heifers 18 months from M L Willaim to £1870 with 13 months heifers from the same home to £1510. M J Ashworth also put forward a lovely run of Limousin steers 13 months which topped at £1790 with others from the same home £1770 and £1650. Well put together Blue x Fr steers 14 month from E Stretton to £1740 with Angus x Fr heifers from the same home to £1790. Angus steers from J & S Baldwin 15 months to £1460 and Blue x Fr steers 16 months from P Lanham to £1460 also. Younger and rougher coated sorts look well sold with Blue x Fr steers 14 months from P Ashlee to £1100 and Blue x Fr heifers 14 months from Langdon farms to £1180. Just a few TB1 cattle this week with Sussex heifers 13 months from F J Butler to £1170 and Hereford x Fr heifers 15 months from C W Farms to £1100.
We expect large numbers of store cattle on both Tuesday 8th and 15th April with a catalogued breeding sale on Tuesday 22nd of April with a good selection of Limousin bulls already entered for this date.
Calves – 76 Sold
Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795200357
Report on trade: Another very good trade for the calves with perhaps the oldest a shade easier after the record busting trades of the last month but younger, middling calves of all types finding a strong company of competitive buyers. A few nice young calves from the beef sector also very well received and sold.
D Murdoch & Sons topped the dairy bred calves with very well muscled British Blue x bulls and heifers selling to £525 and £535, Oncoland Blues sold to £480 and £400, bulls and heifers. A Blue x heifer from J W Boyd & Sons at £410.
Angus very much in demand with bulls from Oncoland to £495, heifers from A & WJ Hitchcock to £420. Simmental cross bulls to £400 D Murdoch & Son. Black and white to £225 D Murdoch & Sons £160 J W Boyd & Sons.
A few Calves coming from beef cows with a super month old Limousin bull from PN & C Burden selling to £560, whilst Limousin cross bulls to £415, Simmental cross bulls £390, Limousin cross heifers £370, Angus cross heifers £360, all 2-4 weeks from A J Thompson & Sons.
Stirks (23) Good numbers of hard reared Angus cross, Hereford cross and Blue Friesian cattle met a famous trade with plenty of potential customers for all grades.
Angus x Friesian 7-8 mths £580, British Blue x Friesian 7-8 mths £480, Angus x Friesian heifers 11mths £440, Hereford x Friesian heifers 9 mths £390, Hereford x Friesian steers 11 mths £370.
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.
Forthcoming Auctions
Tuesday Livestock – 1st April 2025
Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle
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