Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their opening sale of breeding sheep and their weekly sale of cast cattle, store and breeding stock plus their fortnightly sale of rearing calves on Monday 28th July 2025. Forward were 315 cattle, 1312 sheep and 64 calves.
54 Cast Cows/OTM sold to 386ppk or £3225
3 Stock Bulls sold to 340ppk or £4086
9 Stirks sold to £1050
7 Breeding Cattle sold to £1700
21 Young Bulls sold to £2040
106 Store Steers sold to £2230
109 Store Heifers sold to £2160
5 Breeding Rams sold to £590
188 Breeding Ewes sold to £300
838 Store Lambs sold to £162
273 Feeding Ewes sold to £164
64 Rearing Calves sold to £865
Cast Cattle – Cow trade this week was in fabulous form, be they finished, feeders or milkers all classes were in demand to see them all in average 278ppk and £1817 per head. Beginning with a bull this week as the 2021 born pedigree Beef Shorthorn Oakleigh Rodney was certainly blessed to attend a green market on what would otherwise have been his final journey, thankfully he earned himself a reprieve from the butcher’s block for now and sold to go on and work elsewhere for a fabulous £4086 (340ppk). The top two cows in the market were a pair of magnificent Limousin’s from W Barron, Morrow Edge; the delightful duo sold for £3225 (364ppk) and £3155 (364ppk). Leading the prices per kilo were a couple of Stabiliser heifers from E R & G I Younger, High Trewhitt Farm when they saw the hammer fall at 386ppk and 378ppk. Top of the native breeds was a 36-month-old Aberdeen Angus steer from E A & N Thompson & Son, Bromley Green at 316ppk and £2521, chasing him over the line was a 5-year-old Angus cow from D Dowson, Swallowtail Meadows when she sold for 305ppk and £2430. Finally, to the Friesian’s, top calls this week went to an OTM from R & A Chapman, Easby Grange at 284ppk and £1806 and a 7-year-old cow from Messrs Beckwith, Brough Castle at £1807.
Cast Cows- Top Prices PPK 386 378 370 358 ER&GI Younger. 364 358 W Barron. 358 328 RD Anderson. 328 324 298 AJ Marr & Son. 318 HS Hutchinson. 316 EA&N Thompson & Son. 305 302 D Dowson. 304 284 J Dixon. 294 262 256 254 252 224 A Wilson. 290 284 248 242 JC Hope & Son. 288 P Leese. 284 R&A Chapman. 276 Juaul Farms. 270 J&A&DA Horn. 260 248 E Parsons. 258 DT&E Whitfield. 248 232 Beckwith. 244 R&W Todd. 241 224 AR&C Booth.
Lead Grossing Cast Cows- £3225 £3155 W Barron. £2616 £2010 RD Anderson. £2521 EA&N Thompson & Son. £2494 £2158 £2135 AJ Marr & Son. £2430 D Dowson. £2237 £1937 £1820 £1761 ER&GI Younger. £2122 £2051 £1697 £1674 £1607 £1456 £1447 A Wilson. £2079 J&A&DA Horn. £2015 £1721 J Dixon. £1807 £1443 Beckwith. £1806 £1471 R&A Chapman. £1791 P Leese. £1711 £1709 JC Hope & Son. £1698 HS Hutchinson. £1653 Juaul Farms. £1600 R&W Todd. £1572 AR&C Booth & Sons. £1553 DT&E Whitfield.
Stock Bulls- Top Prices PPK340 S&D Ferrie. 316 J&A&DA Horn. 246 A Davison.
Lead Grossing Stock Bulls- £4086 S&D Ferrie. £2973 J&A&DA Horn. £2364 A Davison.
Store Cattle – Confidence remains high amongst the feeding fraternity as all classes kept momentum and if anything, look dearer on the week. The blistering Beef Shorthorn breed followed on from the geld ring and set the pace in the store cattle when a superb steer from D A & E R Thirtle, Gloster Park led the day at £2230. Next in line at £2220 and £2180 were a nice duo of British Blue steers from D & H M Hodgson, Dyke Nook just ahead of our top heifer which was a tidy Limousin from J Thompson & Sons, Springwell Cottage Farm at £2160. A worthy winner in the young bulls this week was a well grown 13-month-old Limousin from J R & M Richardson, Etherley House at £2040. All cattle regardless of breed, shape, size or age once again exceeded expectations as vendors from Morpeth to Essex and Cockermouth to Whitby all descended on a flying Darlington store ring.
Bull Stirks- £1050 x2 £1020 x2 £880 P Leese. £880 £800 A Wilson.
Heifer Stirks- £880 x2 £780 A Wilson. £800 x2 £760 x2 P Leese.
Cows & Calves- £1700 £1550 £1300 C Bewley.
Store Steers- £2230 £2160 £2100 x6 £2040 £2030 x2 £1990 x3 £1980 £1970 x2 £1930 x3 £1920 x6 D A & E R Thirtle. £2220 £2180 D&HM Hodgson. £2110 £1980 £1900 J Thompson & Sons. £2010 GS Bainbridge. £1960 £1700 x6 Greening LTD. £1940 JP Phelan. £1920 x2 £1910 A&D Heyes. £1850 £1840 x2 £1730 AW Dixon. £1790 x2 William Tindale. £1740 x2 £1690 x3 JC Hope & Son. £1700 DR Smith.
Store Heifers- £2160 £2100 J Thompson & Sons. £2060 £1950 x2 £1930 x2 JP Phelan. £2050 £1990 £1920 £1780 KWMJ&SW Ward. £2010 x3 £1920 F Crawford. £1990 x5 E Parsons. £1920 x3 £1860 DR Smith. £1890 £1860 £1810 x2 £1800 Anthony Tindale. £1880 £1780 I Newton & Son. £1840 GS Bainbridge. £1830 x2 JT Lamb. £1800 x2 Wilkinson & Son. £1800 x2 J&S Thompson. £1790 R Valks. £1790 x2 £1780 x3 AW Dixon.
Store Bulls- £2040 £2000 JR&M Richardson. £2000 Messrs Grix. £1960 £1880 AP Taylor. £1700 x2 £1690 £1680 £1620 £1600 JK Gregory. £1520 £1320 x2 £1240 WT Hall. £1360 x3 £1240 JW Richardson.
Breeding Sheep – Buoyant are the breeders, a first look at them this season didn’t disappoint with a large crowd assembled and a sharp trade across the board. Top of the females at £300 was a tidy Suffolk X Texel shearling from C A & J G Skidmore, Needless Hall; at the same price was a smart Texel shearling from R Wise, Hall Farm whilst plenty of the stronger end followed between £250 and £300. Tup trade set off strong with the handful forward in high demand, top of the day at £590 was a smart Beltex two shear from Double O Livestock, Bridge House Farm, he was followed by a Suffolk X Texel from R Wise, Hall Farm.
Shearling Ewes – £300 £290(x3) £265 £262 £255(x2) C A & J G Skidmore. £300 £285 R Wise. £222 £190 S & D Ferrie. £208 £200(x2) £190(x2) Railway Farm.
Breeding Rams – £590 £500 Double O Livestock. £560 £500 £280 R Wise.
Store & Feeding Sheep – The super store lambs cruise to another three-figure average, trade looks on-song again as a genuine show of stores offered probably contained half of those forward just 20-30kg in weight. Top call went to a thumping Suffolk from G W Dobson & Son, Wood Close when he sold for £162; strong store lambs (not fat) sold regularly £115 to £135 with the runners £85 to £110 and even the very long-term projects £70 to £90. Feeding ewes forward in more numbers and accounts operating for both slaughter and feeding purposes ensured a lively trade for all classes; top of the day at £164 was a Beltex ewe from D G & P D Ayre, Roger Moor Farm; leading the Mules at £146 were G W Dobson & Son, Wood Close Farm whilst horned ewes topped at £76 for a Swaledale from A Swinbank, West Middleton Farm.
Store Lambs- £162 £122 £112 GW Dobson & Son. £140 £124 GH Lister. £131 £119 £117 JW&GP Furness. £130 £128 £111 J Wigham. £128 £117 KT Anderson & Son. £126 £118 M Radford. £123 £112 £111 JE&AJ Mitchell. £121 £111 £100 £90 R Turnbull. £120 £117 £110 x2 J Atkinson. £119 J Kelly. £118 £117 David Clifford. £117 £106 £97 S Pybourne. £116 D Alderson. £116 £114 D&M Buck. £115 £94 £90 x3 JP Richardson. £110 J Harle. £107 £93 K Cator.
Feeding Ewes- £164 £152 £138 £137.50 £128 £120 DG&PD Ayre. £146 £128 GW Dobson & Son. £142 £110 £70 JV Hodgson & Son. £140 D&M Buck. £129 £120 J Atkinson. £125 £98 J Kelly. £120 £108 £94 £76 A Swinbank. £100 £76 JP Richardson. £98 S Pybourne. £98 C Harle & Sons. £76 M Gray. £76 JP Richardson.
Rearing Calves – Best calves no dearer, plain calves apocalyptically dear. Top of the day at £865 was an excellent British Blue bull from C & N Bentley, The Gables. The same home followed at £780 with another blue bull as did H M Dent, East Farm who then also followed twice at £750. The Bentley family were also top of the heifers with their British Blues when they topped at £670, they followed with others at£550 and £520. Top of the Friesians this week was a smart bull from G Thompson & Sons, Softley Farm at £410, R W Raper & Sons, High Mulbery followed at £365 with any amount of young pure dairy bulls trading £180 to £230.
2 Parthenais Bulls average £700
9 British Blue Bulls average £675
3 Limousin Bulls average £466
3 Aberdeen Angus Bulls average £456
3 Inra 95 Bulls average £440
24 Friesian Bulls average £206
9 British Blue Heifers average £475
4 Limousin Heifers average £455
3 Inra 95 Heifers average £436
4 Aberdeen Angus Heifers average £310
Rearing Calves-
Bull Calves-
British Blue- £865 £780 £400 CN Bentley. £780 £750 x2 £660 HM Dent. £630 M&RK McKenzie. £460 ML Farming.
Parthenais- £710 £690 HM Dent.
Angus- £570 JL Miles & Sons. £400 x2 RW Raper & Sons.
Limousin- £530 £370 CN Bentley. £500 JR&JA Wharton.
Inra95- £465 £445 £410 ML Farming.
Friesian- £410 £230 x2 G Thompson & Sons. £365 £235 x2 RW Raper & Sons.
Heifer Calves-
British Blue- £670 £550 £520 £350 CN Bentley. £495 £450 G Thompson & Sons. £460 £400 £380 JR&JA Wharton.
Inra95- £470 £440 £400 ML Farming.
Limousin- £440 £420 £360 CN Bentley. £200 RW Raper & Sons.
Angus- £370 JL Miles & Sons. £310 ML Farming. £280 x2 RW Raper & Sons.
