Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their weekly sale of cast cattle, store and breeding stock which included a special sale of in-lamb ewes and also their fortnightly fodder sale. Forward were 351 cattle and 798 sheep.
84 Cast Cows/OTM sold to 438ppk or £3734
6 Stock Bulls sold to 338ppk or £3074
28 Young Bulls sold to £2260
113 Store Steers sold to £2700
120 Store Heifers sold to £2220
117 Breeding Sheep sold to £330
399 Store Hoggs sold to £195
282 Feeding Ewes/Rams sold to £270
841 Fodder sold to £122
Cast Cattle – A superb cow trade, a show which contained everything from dinky Dexter’s and horny Highland’s right up to some bewilderingly brilliant British Blue’s averaged a terrific 283ppk and £1944 per head. Top per kilo was a high quality British Blue OTM heifer from D Alderson, Bowl Turner when she sold for 438 pence and £3543. Following in the pence per kilo race was another brilliant Bowl Turner blue, a six-year-old selling for 414ppk and £3452. The gross values look absolutely mouth-watering, top of the day at £3734 was a thumping 12-year-old British Blue cow from F & R Simpson, Square House Farm; three further Simpson successes also joined the party selling between £3244 and £3458. Pick of the native breed cows per kilo this week was an excellent 8-year-old Galloway from G & A Crayston, Thornholme at 334 pence, top gross valued native was a fleshy Aberdeen Angus from Jack Henshaw, Mainsgill at £2353. Dairy cows continued at recent good rates, tops this week went to a Friesian from R Tookey & Son, 10 South Side at 323ppk and a Fleckvieh from D Alderson, Bowl Turner at £2244. Stock bulls of all creeds and colours, top in the lump at £3074 was an Aberdeen Angus from R & W Todd, High Toft Hill whilst the top per kilo was a Limousin from R J & R Greenbank, Foster Flatts at 338 pence.
Cast Cattle – Top Prices PPK 438 414 300×2 D Alderson. 396 380 376 372 F&R Simpson. 378 354 308 JE&E Dobson. 376 352 R&S Purdham. 358 RL Carter. 358 DMR Plant. 352 JR Addison & Son. 342 328 318 AP&E Procter. 338 RJ&R Greenbank. 334 310 G&A Crayston. 324 JE Holliday & Son. 323 R Tookey & Son. 318 Jack Henshaw. 314 RL Walker. 308 302 EW Grieves.
Lead Grossing Cast Cattle – £3734 £3458 £3405 £3244 F&R Simpson. £3543 £3452 D Alderson. £3074 R&W Todd. £2956 EW Grieves. £2835 £2517 £2458 JE&E Dobson. £2782 £2330 R&S Purdham. £2661 JR Addison & Son. £2482 £2475 £2384 RL Walker. £2476 I Lancaster. £2421 AP&E Procter. £2387 JE Holliday & Son. £2371 A&MJ Henshaw. £2353 Jack Henshaw. £2347 A Hollings. £2306 FJ Forrest. £2303 TT Hall & Son. £2301 RL Walker.
Store Cattle – The store trade goes from strength to strength as all classes seemingly just get dearer by the week, a genuinely marvellous day for the vendors in attendance. Beginning with the young bulls and it was the first of the days two Sisterson success stories as J Sisterson of Newlands Haugh led the way with a classy Charolais at £2260, all bulls in big form with plenty of small, but smart, continentals trading £1500 to £2000. The second Sisterson success wasn’t far away as the firm in form topped the store cattle with a lovely Limousin steer at £2700. Next in line with a great quartet of British Blue steers between £2340 and £2400 was P Metcalfe, Newsham with a classy Cumbrian run from TW West, Picket Howe knocking on the door at £2320 and then thrice at £2300. Heifers were hot too, top spots went to RL Walker, East Highwood with Limousin’s at £2220 and £2210 whilst Messrs West from the west were again in the mixer with a best of £2180. Young cattle in need of a summer at grass would also be up a gear, with some rare sightings of the sun now occurring (very occasionally) following months of rain all shapes and sizes were in high demand.
Store Bulls- £2260 £2100 £2080 J Sisterson. £2140 TC Walton. £2060 £2010 x3 £1980 E Parsons. £1880 x3 £1780 M Hutchinson. £1700 £1680 x5 Wilkinson & Son. £1660 x2 £1640 x4 RJ&R Greenbank.
Store Steers- £2700 £2280 £2240 £2060 £1900 £1880 J Sisterson. £2400 x2 £2340 x2 P Metcalfe. £2320 £2300 x2 TW West. £2260 x3 £2180 £1960 D Robson & Sons. £2180 £1960 x2 GL&M Steel. £2010 £1970 I Newton & Son. £2000 £1930 £1900 £1880 Gerard Te-Lintelo. £1980 F Hare & Sons. £1960 W&J Herbert. £1950 x2 R&S Purdham. £1930 £1900 BR Lawson. £1900 x2 E Taylor. £1900 W Denham. £1890 £1860 Messrs Shepherd. £1880 High Mains Partnership.
Store Heifers- £2220 £2210 £2160 £2140 £2120 £2070 RL Walker. £2180 £2080 £2030 TW West. £2160 C Peckitt & Son. £2000 £1810 F Hare & Sons. £1950 x6 Wilkinson & Son. £1920 x2 JR&J Crowe. £1920 GH&RG Stobbs. £1910 WO Grix & Partners. £1900 £1800 E Taylor & Son. £1880 I Newton & Son. £1870 x3 £1840 x2 Messrs Shepherd. £1840 DM McClurg. £1800 RJ&R Greenbank. £1800 x4 High Mains Partnership. £1800 x4 BJS Farms.
Breeding Sheep – The annual in lamb sale didn’t disappoint as the news for in lamb ewes is positive. Pick of the day at £330 apiece were three twin carrying Texel’s from PD Shepherd, Glebe Farm; a pen of four with the same remarks from the same home followed at £270. A hardy run of Cheviot Mule shearlings from S Hallam, Grange Head Farm were arguably one of the picks of the day with twin carriers selling to £285 and singles to £230.
In Lamb Ewes- £330 £270 £265 £245 £180 PD Shepherd. £285 £250 £230 £225 S Hallam. £235 £180 High Mains Partnership. £235 £200 S Straughan. £220 £210 £205 £200 J Britton.
Store & Feeding Sheep – Incredible confidence remains for all breeds and creeds, the hoggs are hot and the ewes simply stupendous. Four fantastic Beltex from W Ramsay & Sons, Blakeley Hill blew the roof off when they sold at £195, the same good home cleaning up their 2025 crop also checked in at £190 and £176. Also selling in the high ranks at £177 were DG & PD Ayre, Roger Moor and B Cowton at £172.
Feeding ewes are in a frenzy with trade arguably unrivalled ever before, Texel’s topped at £270 from A & R Thompson, Dimmingdale Farm; Mule’s made it to £162, Jacob’s to £145 and Swaledale’s to £106 as the whole kit and caboodle averaged over £130.
Store Hoggs- £195 £190 £176 £162 W Ramsay & Sons. £177 £152 £143 £129.50 DG&PD Ayre. £172 B Cowton. £152 £150 £132 J Hird. £137 AP Martin. £136 Mollie Raine. £130 £129 TP&RL Swinbank. £130 £126 £120 £118 Beckwith. £130 x2 AG Williams. £126 Harry Shepherd. £121 £119 A&R Thompson. £120 NG Beveridge. £118 C Rhea. £118 RA Patterson & Son. £117 M&E Burrell. £117 S Bolton. £116 AG Williamson.
Feeding Ewes- £270 £152 A&R Thompson. £255 £210 £192 £190 £185 £182 £180 £158 NG Beveridge. £240 B Cowton. £228 £158 RA Patterson & Son. £190 £172 LF&HC Wood. £186 CA&JG Skidmore. £182 £160 EW Grieves. £178 £165 £150 Robert Bellwood. £175 £160 RL Carter. £172 £170 M&E Burrell. £168 C Rhea. £165 Robert Hickson. £162 AP Martin. £160 C Harle. £150 TP&RL Swinbank.
Fodder- Yet again a fantastic trade for all types of fodder, as the demand continues. Straw sold to £65, Silage sold to £50 and rolled oats sold to £122. See below the top prices.
500kg of rolled oats sold to £122
Round bales of hay sold to £65
6 string square bales of wheat straw sold to £65
Round bales of straw sold to £44
Clamped silage sold to £50 per ton
Round bales of silage sold to £46
Small square bales of barley straw sold to £4.25
