Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their weekly sale of cast cattle, store and breeding stock and their fortnightly sale of rearing calves on Monday 15th December 2025. Forward were 175 cattle, 781 sheep, 64 calves and 10 pigs.
86 Cast Cows/OTM sold to 423ppk or £3007
3 Stock Bulls sold to 250ppk or £2646
2 Breeding Cattle sold to £1240
16 Young Bulls sold to £2280
19 Store Steers sold to £2300
49 Store Heifers sold to £2410
678 Store Lambs sold to £151
103 Feeding Ewes/Rams sold to £210
64 Rearing Calves sold to £725
Store Pigs sold to £92
Cast Cattle – More dairy cows and feeders forward this week to see the sale average 254ppk and £1703, trade continues in fair form with a few superstars full of flesh headlining. A splendid 33-month-old Limousin heifer from LR Welsh & Co, Green Lane Farm set the pace when she sold for a brilliant 423 pence per kilo, following her were more Limousin OTM’s; from BR Lawson, Buddle House at 390ppk, JJ Kemp & Son, Elstob Hill at 376ppk and WI Suddes & Son, South Farm at 370ppk. Top of the cows over 4-years-old was another great Limousin from the Suddes at South Farm, weighing 840kg she sold for 332ppk and £2788. Topping the gross values this week was a thumping Limousin OTM steer from GA Rogerson & Son, Thistleton Farm, at 840kg the fleshy lad sold for a marvellous 358ppk and £3007. Two Aberdeen Angus and a Friesian forward in the stock bull ranks peaked at 250ppk and £2646 whilst the increased offering of Friesian cows topped at 264ppk from FS Sturrock & Sons, Elwick and £1865 from Reveley Farms, Lingdale.
Cast Cows – Top prices ppk 423 288 LR Welsh & Co. 390 322 BR Lawson. 376 JJ Kemp & Son. 370 332 319 WI Suddes & Son. 364 F Bainbridge. 344 P Tindale. 330 M Gallon. 326 364 G Beadle. 321 JR&G Walton & Sons. 316 HS Hutchinson. 304 K&A Harker. 300 294 288 282 N White. 300 278 F Hare & Sons. 297 TT Hall & Son. 294 D&J Hunnam. 292 K&A Harker. 288 A Hughes. 288 M&E Burrell. 284 283 RG&HE Thompson. 276 DL Brown. 272 W Weightman.
Lead Grossing Cast Cows £2788 £2786 £2363 WI Suddes & Son. £2762 £2347 LR Welsh & Co. £2601 JJ Kemp & Son. £2489 £2073 K&A Harker. £2464 £2456 BR Lawson. £2330 £1845 £1747 G Beadle. £2240 D&J Hunnam & Son. £2214 JR&G Walton & Sons. £2180 P Tindale. £2067 £2013 RG&HE Thompson. £2045 F Bainbridge. £2043 TT Hall & Son. £1929 £1908 £1896 £1858 N White. £1892 HS Hutchinson. £1865 Reveley Farms. £1838 DL Brown.
OTM Cattle – Top prices ppk 358 332 GA Rogerson & Son.
Lead Grossing OTM Cattle £3007 £2227 GA Rogerson & Son.
Cast Bulls – Top prices ppk 250 Leas Farm Ltd. 246 R&A Chapman. 226 PJ Glass.
Lead Grossing Cast Bulls £2646 PJ Glass. £2495 Leas Farm Ltd. £1788 R&A Chapman.
Store Cattle – The store cattle are like reindeer, ending the year flying high. Lots of life in the trade for all shapes and sizes with demand considerably outstripping supply. Top of the tree at £2410 was an excellent Aberdeen Angus heifer from B & B Kitching & Son, Elstob Cottage Farm, the same great run also led the steers at £2300. Dairy bred yearlings perhaps the trade of the week, up arguably £100 to £150 with plenty trading £1600 to £1800. Young bull trade was also sharp, top of the day at £2280 was an excellent British Blue from R Dent, Mount Pleasant Farm, Brough. Numbers through our vibrant store ring have increased during the year, little wonder why as we can only thank the weekly gallery of buyers who again assembled and bid freely for all classes. One more Monday sale remains in 2025, next week, the 22nd; numbers will be sought after.
Store Bulls £2280 £2130 RL Dent. £1840 £1750×2 £1740×2 Wilkinson & Son. £1800×2 £1750×2 £1680 £1390 DL Brown. £1560 JB&JA Fenwick. £880 ACM Spalding.
Store Steers £2300 B&B Kitching & Son. £1980×3 JC Thwaite. £1930×3 £1780×4 BJS Farms. £1880 High Mains Partnership. £1850 £1740 £1600 £1340 S&P Brogden. £1800×2 NG Beveridge. £1640 M&E Burrell.
Store Heifers £2410 £2250 £2140 B&B Kitching & Son. £2100 £1910 C Rodriguez. £2020 £1980 £1800 AC Walton. £1930 £1800 JR&J Crowe. £1890×3 G&H Johnson & Son. £1870 £1800 £1770×3 £1720 £1640×3 BJS Farms. £1850×2 £1800 High Mains Partnership. £1840×2 £1700 F Fabi. £1780×3 Northfield Farms. £1690×2 Elemore Hall. £1620 G Williamson. £1620×2 G&H Johnson & Son.
Store Sheep – Store lambs sharper again, a quality top end helped the average climb to £109.02 this week. Nine classy Texel lambs from KO Stones, Nun Cote Nook Farm topped the trade when they sold for £151 apiece. Other strong lambs followed frequently £130 to £150 whilst the healthy runners are predominantly in three figures. Feeding ewes an absolutely ferocious trade this week, every breed under the sun available and accounts operating for them all. Top at £210 was a Charollais tup from C Bell, The Pry but make no mistake, for the eclectic mix of goods on offer, trade was absolutely flying for all breeds in all conditions.
Store Lambs:
Texel – £151 £147 KO Stones. £150 £148 £124 J Musgrave. £147 £146 £139 £132 £112 P Foster. £144 B Henderson. £140 G Parsons. £139 £118 DE Stones. £134 A Pennell. £118 RN Kirby & Son. £114 MW Cook & Son. £114 J Bolton. £112 J Campbell. £112 RG McNeal.
Continental – £148 £137 £130 KO Stones. £129 DM&PM Nelson & Sons. £128 A Pennell. £119 J Butterfield & Son. £118 £116 J Terry. £117 Beckwith.
Charollais – £144 P Foster.
Beltex – £140 £117 T Walton. £130 KO Stones.
Cheviot – £122 KO Stones.
Feeding Ewes & Tups:
Charollais – £210 C Bell.
BFL – £182 C Bell. £140 SMA&J Swinbank.
Texel – £170 £100 P Foster. £130 WJ Wade. £128 A Eavis.
Mule – £150 £120 WJ Wade. £134 P Foster. £132 A Eavis. £132 SMA&J Swinbank. £115 RG McNeal. £94 C&I Watson & Sons.
Continental – £132 £106 J Musgrave.
Dutch Spotted – £128 J Campbell.
Swaledale – £98 JR&JA Wharton.
Rearing Calves – A tidy offering for the final sale of 2025 met a vibrant trade to average £450 all in. A lovely November born Limousin bull topped the trade from JR & JA Wharton, Segbushwell when he sold for £725. Following at £700 was another Limousin bull from Segbushwell along with a smart British Blue from H Gibb & Son, Eachwick Red House. Sixteen Aberdeen Angus bull calves offered impressed with an average of £532 and topped twice at £690 from N & AD Brass & Son, Ox Close and G Thompson & Sons, Softley Farm whilst a dozen pure dairy bred bulls were also in demand with a Fleckvieh to £550 from Ox Close, Friesian’s to £380 from WD Richardson, Manor Farm and Ayrshire’s to £275 from DA Howie, Morwick Farm. British Blue’s led the heifer calf trade as the on-song Ox Close pen sold to £640 and the aforementioned Segbushwell to £570. Calf sales return to DfAM on January 12th 2026.
Bulls-
Limousin- £725 £700 JR&JA Wharton.
British Blue- £700 £670 £660 £630 £620 x2 £510 H Gibb & Son. £670 N&AD Brass & Son. £600 SJ Kellett & Son.
Aberdeen Angus- £690 £600 G Thompson & Sons. £690 £680 £595 x2 £565 £460 N&AD Brass & Son. £520 £400 JL Miles & Sons. £500 L James. £490 x2 WD Richardson. £485 £450 H Gibb & Son.
Hereford- £510 Bethany Boyle. £400 x2 WD Richardson.
Fleckvieh- £550 N&AD Brass & Son.
Friesian- £380 £265 £200 WD Richardson. £250 £150 x2 £135 SJ Kellett & Son.
Ayrshire- £275 £270 £150 DA Howie.
Heifers-
British Blue- £640 £510 N&AD Brass & Son. £570 JR&JA Wharton. £380 JT Forster & Son.
Aberdeen Angus- £530 £520 £450 £440 N&AD Brass & Son. £480 £460 G Thompson & Sons. £410 £400 JL Miles & Sons.
Hereford- £340 x2 WD Richardson.
Friesian- £320 WD Richardson.
