Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their weekly sale of prime stock on Thursday 17th November 2022. Forward were 250 Cattle, 2261 Sheep and 7 Pigs.
54 Prime Bulls sold to 291ppk or £2329
29 Prime Steers sold to 316ppk or £2220
165 Prime Heifers sold to 345ppk or £2303
2 Stock Bulls sold to 147ppk or £1494
1906 Prime Lambs sold to 307ppk or £157
355 Cast Ewes & Rams sold to £240
7 Prime Pigs sold to 140ppk or £113
Prime Bulls (54) – Fewer forward today and a wide range of quality within, the top 1/3 were excellent as 18 of 54 sold beyond £2000 and the top 10 all reaching over 280ppk helped the averages to 243ppk and £1769. Top price per kilo at 291 pence was an excellent 694kg Limousin from A G Watson & Sons, Nunstainton Grange; a close-run race today as five other vendors produced bulls within four pence of the top. Top gross valued bull today went to J R Knox & Son, Bracks Farm with a perfectly finished 806kg Limousin, two further vendors sitting in the £2200’s were W J & A S Bowes & Sons, Great Stainton and the far travelled John Burnett & Sons all the way from Blairdrummond. Native bred bull trade today belonged to another cross-border challenger as some superb Aberdeen Angus from F J Fraser & Son of Forfar reached 234ppk and £2070. Friesian bulls this week were few and far between, the pick of the bunch came from the immensely consistent R Hall & Son, Kilton Hall reaching 207ppk and £1306. Below are some of the days leading pen averages.
John Burnett & Sons, Stirlingshire sold 2 to average 286ppk and £1957
J R Knox & Son, Heighington sold 2 to average 283ppk and £2254
L S Staley, Marwood sold 2 to average 283ppk or £2070
J K & C E Farming, Piercebridge sold 2 to average 280ppk and £1950
T W Clark & Son, Durham sold 2 to average 275ppk and £2007
A G Watson & Sons, Rushyford sold 4 to average 272ppk and £1985
W J & A S Bowes & Sons, Stainton sold 2 to average 268ppk and £2173
Continental Bulls – Top prices ppk 291 287 285 AG Watson & Sons. 290 270 JK&CE Farming. 289 278 JR Knox & Son. 287 265TW Clark & Son. 287 280 LS Staley. 287 286 J Burnett & Sons. 276 261 WJ&AS Bowes & Sons. 275 261 254 252×2 D Richardson & Co Ltd. 269 SW Bowe. 243 229 JA&A Herbert. 239 Rigel Pedigree. 235 J Wightman. 235 DM Lyle.
Lead Grossing Continental Bulls £2329 £2179 JR Knox & Son. £2246 £2101WJ&AS Bowes & Sons. £2216 J Burnett & Sons. £2158 £1983 LS Staley. £2156 £2121 £2090 £2067 £2008 D Richardson & Co Ltd. £2155 £2114 £2019 AG Watson & Sons. £2093 DM Lyle. £2070 £1830 JK&CE Farming. £2066 £1947 TW Clark & Son. £1971 J Wightman. £1802 DM Lyle.
Friesian Bulls – Top prices ppk 227 209 C&N Atkinson & Sons. 207 201 173 R Hall & Son. 193 184 GW Dobson & Son.
Lead Grossing Friesian Bulls £1306 £1262 R Hall & Son. £1284 £1277 GW Dobson & Son. £1114 £1080 C&M Atkinson & Sons.
Native Breed Bulls – Top prices ppk 234 217 FJ Fraser & Son. 230 223 222 221 211 R&C Rettie.
Lead Grossing Native Breed Bulls £2070 £1822 FJ Fraser & Son. £1942 £1899 £1871 £1870 £1603 R&C Rettie.
OTM Bulls – Top prices ppk 147 127 FJ Fraser & Son.
Lead Grossing OTM Bulls £1494 £1115 F Fraser & Son.
Clean Cattle (194) – Absolutely stunning, quite probably the dearest we have ever seen as an absolutely insane 93 times bidding passed 300 pence per kilo and 26 heifers sold at 320ppk and beyond. This week’s heifers averaged 293ppk with the steers 279ppk and the whole show £1675 per head. Whilst most vendors will be delighted tonight it’s surely a nice chap from Shap who is smiling the widest, congratulations to Alan Barnett of Brinns Farm who topped the sale with a wonderful 609kg Limousin heifer when she sold for 345 pence per kilo, more class from the Cumbrian consignor filled the silver medal position at 338ppk ahead of a sweet sort from M F Hall, Ponteland at 335ppk. Another five heifers sold over 330ppk as the third off the Shap trailer was joined by J B Luck & Son, W J Scott Ltd, J V & J A Hodgson and J E Suddes & Son on this exclusive club on an extraordinary day. Top steer per kilo at 316 pence came from regular sellers W J Smith & Partners, Belle Isle Farm with Ponteland based P J & M P Gilhespy the closest rival at 312ppk. On to the gross values now and a seriously sorry day for the deadweight procurement people as the live ring again made monkeys of their weight capping, red tractor worshiping, age discriminating set up. Top steer at £2220 hailed from Long Myers Farm and M J & E A Sedgewick; other steers beyond £2000 came twice from the reliable Rentons of High Highlaws and another flying Scot, Angus based G A Mackie, Drimmie Farm; this fab four tipped the scales to anywhere between 670kg and 720kg. A terrific 10 hot heifers sold over £2000, the top six were fantastic and all deserve mention, they included our aforementioned chap from Shap (£2101), more magic from Mr Mackie (£2129), a humdinger from the Hirst’s of Neasham (£2141) and a luscious Limousin from A C Simpson & Son at a whopping £2275; top of the shop though with a 748kg British Blue superstar was yet another of our Scottish raiders Messrs S & J Andrew of Letter Farm, Loch of Lowes at a staggering £2303, the on form Perthshire feeders also sold our 4th placed heifer at £2138. Below is a justifiably long and absolutely incredible list of this week’s top performers.
Heifers
A Barnett, Shap sold 3 to average 338ppk and £2055
J E Suddes & Son, Cornsay Colliery sold 2 to average 328ppk and £1964
M F Hall, Ponteland sold 6 to average 321ppk and £1698
J B Luck & Son, Bowes sold 5 to average 319ppk and £1800
S & J E Andrew, Perthshire sold 2 to average 317ppk and £2221
P & N Tattersall, York sold 4 to average 317ppk and £1735
T N Callender, Stockton-on-Tees sold 2 to average 314ppk and £1878
W A Armstrong, Coxhoe sold 10 to average 313ppk and £1691
W J Scott Ltd, West Woodburn sold 6 to average 309ppk and £1790
Renton Highlaws, Morpeth sold 4 to average 308ppk and £1922
J V & J A Hodgson, Summerhouse sold 12 to average 308ppk and £1843
R Hirst, Neasham sold 15 to average 308ppk and £1800
Steers
W J Smith & Partners, Richmond sold 2 to average 305ppk and £1744
Renton Highlaws, Morpeth sold 2 to average 302ppk and £2071
W J Scott Ltd, West Woodburn sold 4 to average 289ppk and £1848
Steers – Top prices ppk 316 294 WJ Smith & Partners. 312 PJ&MP Gilhespy. 309 296 Renton Highlaws Ltd. 308 MJ&EA Sedgewick. 299 K&J Heslop. 296 291 286 285 WJ Scott Ltd. 295 261 246 GA Mackie. 294 292 287 284 279 273 M&G Chantrell Ltd. 291 243 G&JY Marshall. 287 263 JR&B Anderson. 283 SW Bowe.
Lead Grossing Steers £2220 MJ&EA Sedgewick. £2082 £2060 Renton Highlaws Ltd. £2020 £1667 £1595 GA Mackie. £1876 £1874 £1847 £1795 WJ Scott Ltd. £1810 £1678 WJ Smith & Partners. £1778 PJ&MP Gilhespy. £1760 G&JY Marshall. £1728 K&J Heslop. £1678 £1567 £1421 JR&B Anderson. £1604 SW Bowe. £1576 £1439 £1419 M&G Chantrell Ltd.
Heifers – Top prices ppk 345 338 334 A Barnett. 335 326×2 325 MF Hall. 334 318 317 314×2 JB Luck & Son. 334 320 314 313 WJ Scott Ltd. 330 329×2 326 325 324 322 JV&JA Hodgson. 330 326 JE Suddes & Son. 329 S&JE Andrew. 327 324 318 P&N Tattersall. 326 319×3 WA Armstrong. 324 320 319 315×2 R Hirst. 320 314×2 PJ&MP Gilhespy. 317 Renton Highlaws Ltd. 316×2 GA Mackie. 316 314 TN Callender. 316 P&JH Davison. 314 AC Simpson & Son. 314 313 312 M&G Chantrell Ltd.
Lead Grossing Heifers £2303 £2138 S&JE Andrew. £2275 £1916 AC Simpson & Son. £2141 R Hirst. £2129 £2003 £1944 £1914 GA Mackie. £2101 £2070 £1994 A Barnett. £2014 WJ Scott Ltd.£2003 £1926 JE Suddes & Son. £1987 31914 £1903 £1885 £1854 £1848 £1839 £1820 JV&JA Hodgson. £1975 £1822 £1805 JB Luck & Son. £1974 £1959 £1923 Renton Highlaws Ltd. £1964 £1924 £1891 £1859 £1844 R Hirst. £1889 PJ&MP Gilhespy. £1884 MF Hall. £1884 £1873 TN Callender. £1874 £1866 WA Armstrong.
Prime Lambs (1906) – Weight selling great, lean they aren’t so keen. Weighed straight on a wet day the lambs this week averaged £113 and 248 pence per kilo which is £8 per head adrift of what was a rising trade this week last year. No doubting the top pen of the week as a quite sensational pen of bare clipped 51kg Beltex from W A Wardman Ltd, Thrushwood Farm, Yearby sold to Roots Farm Shop, East Rounton for £157 (307ppk). The top end sold regularly in the £130’s and £140’s but no question that the coin lies in the loin and the lighter leaner lambs look forever better sold through the store ring.
Lambs – Top prices ppk 307 287 284×2 273 259 WA Wardman Ltd. 300 289 273 260 JV&JA Hodgson. 287 284 281 268 257 CK&D Muir Ltd. 273 I Spedding. 268 266 263 AW Dixon. 268 263 G Thompson & Sons. 267 A Graham. 267 IM Maughan. 267 MJ Blacklidge. 266 LD Laws. 266 S Thompson & Son. 265 J&A Layfield. 265 264 MF Hall. 264 258 Cole Hill Farm Ltd. 263 261 257 KJ&SS Bell. 262 W Denham. 262 J Norman. 262 JC&A Hutchinson. 261 JJ Horn.
Lead Grossing Lambs £157 £138 £131 £130×2 £128 WA Wardman Ltd. £147 £140 MJ Blacklidge. £145 £142 £127 Cole Hill Farm Ltd. £138 £125.50 AWSM Farms Ltd. £136 £135 £134.50 £133.50×2 £132 £131 J&A Layfield. £134.50 £128 M&A Gaskin. £134.50 FW Hodgson & Son. £134 £127.50 J Gilson. £132.50 £132TH Richardson & Son. £132 W Snaith & Sons Ltd. £132 £130 R Wood & Son. £130 £129.50 £129 £128 CK&D Muir Ltd. £129×2 JV&JA Hodgson. £129 G Thompson & Sons.
Cast Ewes & Rams (355) – A better show forward averaged a pleasing £87, a case of déjà vu as the superb sheep from William Wardman also shone brightest in the ewe ring, a terrific Texel ewe sold for £240. Heavy Mule ewes sold either side of £100 whilst the best of the hill dwellers saw horned ewes £50 to £60 and hill Cheviots to £80.
Lead Grossing Cast Sheep £240 £160 £130X2 £124 £122 £97 £96 WA Wardman Ltd. £144 £135 £120 T Lawson & Son. £142 £108×2 £100 WL Robinson & Partners. £140 £120 £94 J Norman. £135 £120 £100×2 WR Thompson. £130 £122 G I’Anson. £130 F Johnson. £130 £105 AWSM Farms. £130 S&RE Williamson. £130 A Pennell. £125 LD Laws. £124 M Gallon. £110 £108 GF Whitfield. £110 £100 A&PA Jopling. £108 J&A Layfield. £105 C&M Atkinson & Sons. £98 F Hare & Sons.
Prime Pigs (7) – Despite a recent price revival the humble pig still remains the cheapest way to fill your freezer this winter, with a turkey crisis imminent and other industry not eggsactly filling us with confidence, start saving for the council tax rise now and put some pork on your fork.
Pigs Leading PPK – 140(x2) 135 J Mitchell & Son
Pigs Leading Gross – £113 £106 £103 J Mitchell & Son.
