Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their weekly sale of cast cattle, store and breeding stock on Monday 23rd January 2023. Forward were 250 Cattle and 635 Sheep.
97 Cast Cattle & OTM sold to 280ppk or £2000
3 Breeding Cattle sold to £1400
23 Young Bulls sold to £1345
61 Store Steers sold to £1495
66 Store Heifers sold to £1430
584 Store Hoggs sold to £109
51 Feeding Ewes sold to £95
Cast Cattle – If the speeding cow bus ever stops surely some of the buyers will want to get off it, trade absolutely incredible today, quite probably the dearest yet. Just an average show of quality forward by recent standards consisting of 42% native bred, 22% dairy and the remaining 36% continental still left a stunning sale average of 184 pence per kilo and £1155 per head. It was the brilliant British Blondes from P Weightman & Sons, Hallfield Farm, Easington which stole the show as a stunning 4-year-old reached a massive 280ppk whilst her stable mate some 9 years her senior topped the gross values at £2000 when she weighed 800kg and sold for 250ppk. Excellent Limousin’s from W I Suddes & Son, Cornsay and W & M Knaggs & Son, Sadberge also impressed on the day. Friesian trade too proved electric with best returns of 210ppk from G Bolton, Chester-le-Street and £1390 from Little Newsham Farms.
The numerous native breeds justify a paragraph to themselves this week; super South Devon’s from W R Barron, Muggleswick sold to 228ppk and £1570 whilst fleshy Hereford’s from W & R Kemp & Son, St Helens reached 214ppk and £1625. Best of the popular Aberdeen Angus breed came from J F Harland, Staindrop at 218ppk and £1445 with Beef Shorthorn’s from F J Hugill, Helmsley and N & A Hunter, Knitsley up as high as £1508 and 216ppk respectively; final mention goes to an impressive 5-year-old Galloway cow from R Valks, Howden-le-Wear which sold for 200ppk and £1432.
Cast Cattle Leading PPK – 280 250 P Weightman & Sons. 266 244 198 W I Suddes & Son. 228 222 208 W R Barron. 224 216 W & M Knaggs & Son. 218 J F Harland. 216 208 200 A J Marr & Son. 216 N & A Hunter. 214 198 W & R Kemp & Son. 212 G Cant. 210 196 G Bolton. 210 P Sobota. 208 K Sayer. 206 202 A J Gibson Farming. 204 G A & C Jopling. 200 198 R Valks. 196 R & A Chapman. 196 I F & C M Herring & Son.
Cast Cattle Leading Gross – £2000 £1794 P Weightman & Sons. £1821 £1604 W & M Knaggs & Son. £1789 G Cant. £1784 £1647 £1336 W I Suddes & Son. £1625 £1431 £1313 W & R Kemp & Son. £1585 £1358 A J Marr & Son. £1570 £1462 £1413 £1324 £1285 W R Barron. £1508 £1436 £1314 F J Hugill. £1507 A J Gibson. £1461 R & W Todd. £1445 £1321 J F Harland. £1432 R Valks. £1404 J Henshaw. £1390 Little Newsham Farms. £1382 T T Hall & Son. £1370 R & A Chapman. £1356 G A & C Jopling. £1320 K Sayer. £1284 R A & M Thompson.
Store Cattle – The brilliant store trade bounds along merrily, as with the cows the buyer’s confidence shows no sign of letting up. A cracking pair of 9-month-old Charolais from regular vendor E Parsons, Newstead Farm led the young bull prices when they sold for £1345, closest behind were a trio of Simmentals from the same good home at £1300. An eclectic mix of clean store cattle followed, all shapes and sizes were in high demand; top price of £1495 went to a 21-month-old Aberdeen Angus steer from G A & C Jopling, Eastgate with J H Johnson of Witton-le-Wear also beyond £1400 with their Angus bred steer as over half of our top 20 steers today were native bred. Best of the heifers this week came from J Thompson & Sons, Springwell Cottage Farm who turned out an excellent 17-month-old Limousin which sold for £1430; J R & J Crowe, Spennymoor followed closest with a strong 18-month-old Limousin cross which made £1370.
Breeding Cattle – £1400 £1150 F J Forrest.
Young Bulls – £1345(x2) £1300(x3) E Parsons. £1215(x2) £1200(x2) £1085 £870 R A Patterson & Son. £1100 W Emerson. £1025 £990 C & M Burnett, £970 £810(x3) R W Raper & Sons. £930 J Bircham. £850 A J Gibson.
Store Steers – £1495 G A & C Jopling. £1415 J H Johnson. £1390 £1295 £1270 £1245 W B Rutter & Sons. £1390 £1345 £1320 G L & M Steel. £1385 A P & E Procter. £1350(x2) £1295(x2) G & E M Nixon. £1295(x2) G W & M Singleton & Sons. £1285 £1275 A & A G Moralee. £1280 £1205 W Emerson. £1260 £1240 £1210 J C Thwaite & Son.
Store Heifers – £1430 £1360 £1330 J Thompson & Sons. £1370 £1295 £1275 £1180 J R & J Crowe. £1285(x2) £1145 A P & E Procter. £1265 £1255 £1250 £1185 £1150 £1115 D R Smith. £1235(x2) G W & M Singleton & Sons. £1205(x4) M H Hodgson. £1135(x3) £1100 G & E M Nixon. £1080(x2) B J S Farms. £1080 W Emerson.
Store Sheep – What a difference a week makes as the hogg trade followed the prime sheep and bounced back. The run of the day undoubtedly came from F Hickson & Sons, Capheaton who produced 59 strong sorts to average a colossal £98.54 with a best of a wonderful £109. The very small hoggs are now looking hardest to place as the clock ticks but anything healthy with strength or shape was very easily sold.
Store Hogg Leading Prices
Beltex- £107 x2 £100 £67 JE Stobbs & Son. £96 £90 JE Braithwaite & Sons.
Texel- £109 £108 £102 £94 F Hickson & Sons. £101 £82 ABP Wilsons. £91 £80 A Spence. £88 G Bolton. £87 £80 AWSM Farms. £85 JR Mann. £84 M Lindley. £83 B&L Robson.
Cheviot- £74 K Borrowdale & A Wearmouth.
Suffolk- £86 J Walshaw & Son.
Continental- £97 £76 J Walshaw & Son. £89 £77 £70 GP Addison. £82 £72 TB Walton. £80 £75 GW Dobson & Son. £76 A Swinbank. £76 F Hickson & Sons.
Mule- £82 D Alderson. £60 A Spence.
Blackface- £90 £62 G Bolton.
Feeding Ewes- £95 £77 £70 £46 Northfield Farms. £94 £75 £68 TB Walton. £90 F Hickson & Sons. £88 £69 £66 GW Dobson & Son. £82 B&L Robson. £79 £60 A Swinbank. £74 JV Hodgson & Son. £65 J Walshaw & Son. £60 G Bolton.
