Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their weekly sale of Cast Cattle, Store & Breeding Stock on Monday 11th April 2022. Forward were 323 Cattle and 33 Sheep.
54 Cast Cows & OTM sold to 268ppk or £1964
5 Stock Bulls sold to 224ppk or £2052
12 Breeding Cattle sold to £2120
83 Young Bulls sold to £2020
116 Store Heifers sold to £1580
51 Store Steers sold to £1440
2 Stirks sold to £795
21 Store Hoggs sold to £120
8 Feeding Ewes sold to £176
2 Ewes & Lambs sold to £130
Cast Cattle – How high can the cow trade climb? An absolutely unbelievable trade once again, quite possibly the dearest ever witnessed. On the whole a tidy show of cows pushed averages and top prices to new heights, the stats are staggering as dairy cows averaged 163ppk, native breed cows averaged 184ppk, continental cows averaged 199ppk and the super stock bulls levelled at 201ppk leaving an all-in sale average of very nearly 191 pence per kilo and a staggering £1234 per head. A terrific trio of pure Limousin’s from W I Suddes & Son, Cornsay Village impressed the most, a beautiful three-year-old sold for 268ppk and £1964 whilst her eight-year-old stable companion wasn’t far behind at 242ppk and £1955; completing the trio was a ten-year-old selling for 216ppk and £1749. An amazing 18 of the 59 cattle today sold beyond 200 pence including a brilliant ten-year-old British Blue cow from J L Marks, Bishopton at 234ppk and £1717; also impressing were our top Friesian sellers G Thompson & Sons, Butterknowle who peaked with a five-year-old at 186ppk and amazingly £1601. Best of the native’s today were the Aberdeen Angus of J D & G Hugill, Faceby as they topped at 212ppk and £1476 whilst the bull race went to Limousin’s from A & M J Henshaw, East Layton at 224ppk and £2052 hailing from C C W McGregor, Welbury.
Cast Cows & OTM Leading PPK – 268 242 216 W I Suddes & Son. 234 J L Marks. 226 214 200 C & R Metcalf. 218 214 W Emerson. 212 210 198 192 J D & G Hugill. 210 G D Davies. 208(x2) 202 188 R O Gilson. 204 196 W A Wardman. 198 J & E M Lawson. 194(x2) A & M J Henshaw. 194 I & R A Watson. 194 C G Robinson. 192 188 L Booton. 192 H S Hutchinson. 188 T H Richardson & Sons.
Stock Bulls Leading PPK – 224 A & M J Henshaw. 214 C C W McGregor. 198 E A Martin & Son. 192 A R Thomas. 184 E N B Farms Ltd.
Cast Cows & OTM Leading Gross – £1964 £1955 £1749 W I Suddes & Son. £1717 J L Marks. £1601 £1223 G Thompson & Sons. £1572 £1301 W A Wardman Ltd. £1476 £1384 £1242 J D & G Hugill. £1474 R O Gilson. £1468 C G Robinson. £1446 £1406 £1311 C & R Metcalf. £1395 J & E M Lawson. £1339 G D Davies. £1319 £1290 L Booton. £1293 T H Richardson & Sons. £1259 I & R A Watson. £1242 H M Dent. £1213 H S Hutchinson. £1206 A R & C Booth. £1203 R O Gilson.
Stock Bulls Leading Gross – £2052 C C W McGregor. £1964 E A Martin & Son. £1793 A R Thomas. £1491 A & M J Henshaw. £1437 E N B Farms Ltd.
Breeding & Store Cattle – Spring is in the air and it would also seem very much in the step of the cattle trade, excellent returns throughout as the buyers move rapidly through the gears. Proceedings began with a small offering of breeders and plenty of interest ringside, the pick came from R G & G Rutter, Hamsterley who sold a Limousin heifer with steer calf at foot for £2120. The young bulls came next and a fine showing enjoyed an absolutely flying trade, with prime bull beef at record levels the feeders are willing to pay handsomely; topping the bulls was a majestic 2-year-old Limousin from J W R & M Suddes, Towdy Potts Farm, Wolsingham when he sold for a staggering £2020, a further 8 vendors showing 10- to 14-month-old bulls enjoyed blistering prices between £1180 and £1520 as the bull balloon is well and truly inflated at the moment. More success for Towdy Potts Farm in the store cattle sale as they led the way at a whopping £1580 with their strong 27-month-old Limousin heifer on what proved to be a wonderful trade for all classes, ages, shapes and sizes. Worthy of mention is certainly a superb Limousin heifer from R C Raper & Daughters of Doncaster which sold for £1570 as is our leading yearling a magical Charolais from W A Wardman Ltd, Yearby which sold for £1470. Top of the steers came a strong quartet from K & J Heslop, Fishburn which peaked at £1440 whilst a hefty run of Friesian’s from R & W Todd, Toft Hill excelled when they peaked at £1270 and the 11 averaged £1215. An excellent day all round with the heifers averaging £1079, steers £1067 and the young bulls a wonderful £1090.
Breeding Cattle – £2120 £2000 R G & G Rutter. £1550 £1400 £1300 £1060 M Jopling & Son. £920 D H Craig.
Stirks – £795 £530 M Jopling & Son.
Young Bulls – £2020 J W R & M Suddes. £1525 £1505(x2) £1440 T L Holmes & Son. £1520 £1380(x2) £1240 £1140 C G Robinson. £1475 £1425 £1410 £1400 £1395(x2) £1380(x2) £1340 W A Wardman Ltd. £1420 M J Hutchinson. £1380 T & D I Allen & Son. £1310 £1275(x2) £1250(x3) R L Walker. £1285 £1220 £1185(x3) £1140 £1120 J J Horn. £1245(x2) £1235(x2) £1190 E Parsons. £1180 S G Horn.
Store Steers – £1440 £1435 £1380 £1355 K & J Heslop. £1270 £1220(x4) £1205(x3) £1200(x3) R & W Todd. £1200(x3) A P & E Procter. £1130(x2) £1125 K Sayer. £1120 £1070(x2) D & B Harding. £1095 J G Wall & Sons. £1095(x3) £1070 M E & T D Tailford. £1090 £1070 M Shepherd. £1090 R N Foord & Son. £1060(x2) £1020 G W & M Singleton & Sons. £1030 W Emerson. £1030 W & J M Clifford.
£1580 J W R & M Suddes. £1570 £1210 R C Raper & Daughters. £1470 £1430 £1295 £1290 W A Wardman Ltd. £1470 £1365 £1290 £1260 £1235 W & M Knaggs & Son. £1420 £1390 £1290 £1280 £1260 J G Wilkinson & Son. £1370 A P & E Procter. £1335 A & A G Moralee. £1305 £1295 D G & P D Ayre. £1290(x2) £1245(x3) R N Foord & Son. £1275(x2) G E Raw. £1270(x2) W Emerson. £1260 £1230 £1165(x2) W B Rutter & Sons. £1255(x2) £1190(x2) G Beadle. £1240 £1165 L W Martin.
Store & Breeding Sheep – A very light show as is customary for the time of year, what it lacked in numbers it made up for with an absolutely astonishing trade still very apparent, particularly the few feeding ewes were in super high demand.
Store Hoggs – £120 £110 £105 B Williamson.
Feeding Ewes – £176 £92 R M Guy. £176 £146 M Lindley. £144 £126 £118 C L Ianson.
Ewes & Lambs – £130 £115 J E Braithwaite & Son.
