Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their weekly sale of prime stock on Thursday 27th April 2023. Forward were 192 Cattle, 1411 Sheep and 6 Pigs.
63 Prime Bulls sold to 364ppk or £3126
17 Prime Steers sold to 340ppk or £2358
111 Prime Heifers sold to 360ppk or £2150
1 Cast Cow sold for 152ppk and £925
27 New Season Lambs sold to 390ppk or £160
934 Prime Hoggs sold to 409ppk or £182
444 Cast Ewes & Rams sold to £170
6 Prime Pigs sold to 130ppk or £101
Prime Bulls (63) – The awesome April in the bull business ended on a high with some absolutely monumental averages, a fine show from Carlisle in the West to Whitby in the East and as far South as Sheffield levelled at an incredible 298 pence per kilo and £2144 per head. A superb 23-month-old 859kg British Blonde from P Weightman & Sons, Hallfield Farm, Easington proved to be the pick of a very fine bunch when he sold for a mesmerising 364ppk and £3126. Some seventeen bulls sold over 340 pence on the day, getting closest per kilo to the Weightman wonder bull were a pair of Limousin’s from regular consignors A G Watson & Sons, Nunstainton Grange which sold for 354 and 355ppk. An amazing thirteen bulls sold over £2500 with twenty-seven others between £2000 and £2500; the aforementioned Blonde had most fun at £3126, behind him a thumping 1000kg Charolais practically off the doorstep of Flamingo Land, North Yorkshire and Messrs M & J Hayhurst sold for a straight £3000 with a brilliant 858kg Limousin from Sheffield based S Wilde finishing a credible third on the list when he sold for £2797. Lest we forget the dairy breeds, not unusually the pick of our Friesian feeders this week were R Hall & Son, Kilton Hall who topped at 253ppk and £1683 whilst mention must go to a hefty Fleckveih bull from G W Dobson & Son, South Wingate selling for a remarkable £2056. See below some excellent returns as once again the weight, age and farm assured status mattered not a jot in the thriving live ring.
Bulls (leading averages)
T N & J Hall, Carlisle sold 4 to average 343ppk and £2506
L S Staley, Marwood sold 2 to average 342ppk and £2609
F & J S Gargett, Barnard Castle sold 3 to average 341ppk and £2515
S & J Dent & Son, Darlington sold 3 to average 332ppk and £2254
A G Watson & Sons, Rushyford sold 6 to average 325ppk and £2288
R W & R Henry, Worsall sold 3 to average 321ppk and £2422
Continental Bulls – Top prices ppk 364 P Weightman & Sons. 355 354 330×2 299 286 AG Watson & Sons. 353 347 344 326 TN&J Hall. 348 336 LS Staley. 345 343 338 F&JS Gargett. 343 331 324 S&J Dent & Son. 341 325 317 286 LR Welsh & Co. 341 288 WJ&AS Bowes & Sons. 339 312 310 RW&R Henry. 328 324 394×2 285 D Richardson & Co Ltd. 326 S Wilde. 312 305 C Binks & Son. 306 304 K&A Harker. 300 M&J Hayhurst. 286 JK&CE Farming. 285 JK Gregory. 284 274 GH Farms Ltd. 280 JA&A Herbert.
Lead Grossing Continental Bulls £3126 P Weightman & Sons. £3000 M&J Hayhurst. £2797 S Wilde. £2758 £2260 WJ&AS Bowes & Sons. £2756 £2266 £2246 RW&R Henry. £2728 £2489 LS Staley. £2707 £2661 £2533 £2125 TN&J Hall. £2582 £2558 £2404 F&JS Gargett. £2573 £2477 £2366 £2260 £2196 AG Watson & Sons. £2518 £2289 K&A Harker. £2491 £2209 £2206 £2087 LR Welsh & Co. £2393 £2371 £2339 £2302 £2202 D Richardson & Co Ltd. £2321 £2302 C Binks & Son. £2313 £2229 £2221 S&J Dent & Sons. £2148 £2056 GW Dobson & Son. £2067 J Richmond.
Friesian Bulls – Top prices ppk 253 248 233 R Hall & Son. 236 235 JR Knox & Son. 228 JK Gregory. 191 190 D Walker.
Lead Grossing Friesian Bulls £1683 £1654 £1535 R Hall & Son. £1489 £1341 JR Knox & Son. £1477 JK Gregory. £1018 £1002 D Walker.
Native Bred Bulls – Top prices ppk 247 JK Gregory.
Lead Grossing Native Bred Bulls £1600 JK Gregory.
Clean Cattle (128) – The best end butchers beast look dearer again as our faithful parliament of independent butchers and wholesalers prepare to feed a nation for a Coronation celebration, their willingness to bid freely ensured a trade fit for the King. Not so many steers this week averaged 289ppk with the heifers averaging 301ppk and the whole show just beyond £1770. J B Luck & Son, Milestone House, Bowes made their own luck when they produced our sale topper a fabulous 556kg Limousin heifer which sold to Taylor’s Butchers, Darlington for 360 pence per kilo. Five other handy heifers sold over 350ppk with local producers the Askwith’s of Crook and the Hirst’s of Neasham joining a stunning trio from T N & J Hall, Ainstable Hall in the exclusive club 350. Top steer per kilo came from P J & M P Gilhespy, Low House who produced a terrific 594kg Limousin bought in the DfAM store ring back in September from Messrs Hutchinson, White House, Eastgate and sold today for 340ppk. Some grand old gross values appeared throughout the sale today, ladies first as the top twenty heifers all sold beyond £2000, pick of the girls was an excellent 670kg from Gerard Quinn of J E Suddes & Son, Rowley Farm at £2150 with a plethora of familiar faces including the Hirst’s of Neasham, Hodgson’s of Summerhouse and Bowes’s of Great Stainton all snapping at her heels. The mighty Quinn then had a good stab at topping the steers however the Rowley Farm raider reaching £2227 was twice beaten as the Askwith’s of Crook reached £2265 but neither could touch a 704kg Limousin from A G Watson & Sons, Rushyford which added up to an impressive £2358. See below some seriously super returns.
Heifers (leading averages)
J B Luck & Son, Bowes sold 2 to average 343ppk and £1957
P J & M P Gilhespy, Ponteland sold 4 to average 332ppk and £1907
Askwiths, Crook sold 3 to average 330ppk and £1892
R Hirst, Neasham sold 15 to average 325ppk and £1888
W Swinbank & Sons, Caldwell sold 4 to average 324ppk and £1940
T W Clark & Son, Durham sold 3 to average 319ppk and £1957
J V & J A Hodgson, Summerhouse sold 12 to average 314ppk and £1953
W J Smith & Partners, Richmond sold 3 to average 314ppk and £1682
J E Suddes & Son, Cornsay Colliery sold 4 to average 313ppk and £1923
W J & A S Bowes & Sons, Great Stainton sold 2 to average 306ppk and £2030
Steers (leading averages)
P J & M P Gilhespy, Ponteland sold 2 to average 332ppk and £2012
Askwiths, Crook sold 2 to average 325ppk and £2147
A G Watson & Sons, Rushyford sold 2 to average 320ppk and £2273
Steers – Top prices ppk 340 326 PJ&MP Gilhespy. 335 306 AG Watson & Sons. 331 320 Askwiths. 327 MF Hall. 315 JE Suddes & Son. 308 WJ Smith & Partners. 281 K&MM Henderson. 270 J Henshaw. 266 250 TF Bothroyd & Son. 245 W Lewis & Sons.
Lead Grossing Steers £2358 £2187 AG Watson & Sons. £2265 £2029 Askwiths. £2227 JE Suddes & Son. £2019 £2004 PJ&MP Gilhespy. £2013 W Lewis & Sons. £1824 MF Hall. £1804 WJ Smith & Partners. £1792 K&MM Henderson. £1713 £1542 TF Bothroyd & Son. £1699 £1630 J Henshaw.
Heifers – Top prices ppk 360 327 JB Luck & Son. 354 350×2 346 345 344 TN&J Hall. 352 348×2 344 342 334 333 330 324 319 318 309 307 R Hirst. 351 338 305 Askwiths. 348 338 334 330 328 321 312 310 JV&JA Hodgson. 345 WJ&AS Bowes & Sons. 343 340 324 322 PJ&MP Gilhespy. 334 326 320 316 W Swinbank & Sons. 332 321 JE Suddes & Son. 329 324 308 304 300 WF Hustwit. 329 318 311 TW Clark & Son. 325 314 305 WJ Smith & Partners. 311 K&MM Henderson. 309 S Wilde. 306 GH Farms Ltd. 305 JR Tiplady.
Lead Grossing Heifers £2150 £2041 JE Suddes & Son. £2084 £2042 £2039 £1996 £1994 £1950 £1940 £1908 £1901 £1876 R Hirst. £2083 £1977 WJ&AS Bowes & Sons. £2069 £2065 £2020 £2019 £2018 £2004 £1976 £1910 £1872 JV&JA Hodgson. £2047 £2004 £1888 W Swinbank & Sons. £2047 £2006 £1870 TC Walton. £2044 £1899 £1876 PJ&MP Gilhespy. £2008 S Wilde. £2002 WF Hustwit. £2001 £1912 JB Luck & Son. £1984 £1977 £1911 TW Clark & Son. £1983 £1954 £1929 £1890 TN&J Hall. £1979 £1882 Askwiths.
New Season Lambs (27) – Still the springers appear at only a trickle as the moderate weather during March and April has slowed their usual progress. This week’s offering averaged 341ppk and £142.54, the top price came from the first draw of A S & G Donaldson, Little Langton when selling a cracking pair of 41kg Texel crosses to Roots Farm Shop, East Rounton for £160 (390ppk).
Spring Lambs – Top prices ppk 390 352 346 337 328 AS&G Donaldson. 356 327 322 Anna Herbert. 337 325 Anthony Tindale. 333 322 BR&R Routledge. 333 325 308 304 R Tookey & Son.
Lead Grossing Spring Lambs £160 £148 £141 £135 £125 AS&G Donaldson. £155 £146 £144 Anna Herbert. £145 £140 Anthony Tindale. £145 £140 R Tookey & Son. £145 £143×2 £130 R Tookey & Son.
Prime Hoggs (934) –Hoggs met with an improved trade, the weighed straight average of 290ppk tells only half the story as a collection that the Rare Breed’s Survival Trust would be proud of found homes with ease. Beltex from M W Cook & Son, Kildale led the trade when they sold to 409 pence per kilo whilst our top gross value hoggs were five thumping Texel’s from P Suddes, Yarm at £182; A C Simpson & Son was as usual in hot pursuit of the top spot. With such a variety below are some of the often less mentioned breeds and hill bred hoggs along with their respective leading prices.
Ryeland to £147; Zwartbles to £140; Blue Faced Leicester to £138; Cheviot to £130; Kerry Hill to £130; Scottish Blackface to £127; North of England Mule to £125; Swaledale to £110.
Hoggs – Top prices ppk 409 330×2 MW Cook & Son. 384 324 IM Maughan. 347 339 TN Callender. 340 328 322 318 J&A Layfield. 338 322 DK Barker. 336 333 310 308 307 G Whittington. 332 WE Frank & Son. 331 J Pallister & Sons. 328 J Waters. 328×2 H Haywood & Son Ltd. 328 309×2 JD Brannen. 326 JH&D Wise. 325 AC Simpson & Son. 322 315 PR&V Barlow & Son. 322 310 RE&L Frank. 321 AS&G Donaldson. 321 312 TH Richardson & Son. 320 315 308 DA Burn. 320 O&LW Welford. 320 312 TW Clark & Son.
Lead Grossing Hoggs £182 £176 £170 P Suddes. £180 £173×2 £171 £170×2 £169×2 £165×3 £164×2 £160×2 AC Simpson & Son. £173 £165 M Robinson & Sons. £171 G Whittington. £171 £170 £160 W Denham. £170×2 £164 M&CLR Dale. £170 £167 £165 £164×2 £161 H Haywood & Son Ltd. £169 £160 DK Barker. £167×2 £166 £162 £159 J&A Layfield. £166 £160×2 JH&D Wise. £162 I Spedding. £161 RE&L Frank. £160 TW Clark & Son. £160×2 GC&JC Pullan. £159 J Pallister & Sons.
Cast Ewes & Rams (444) – Ewe trade again pretty firm with a large percentage being lambing catastrophises and still averaging £100. Top of the pile at £170 were two vendors as five monstrous Suffolk ewes from the Skirpenbeck sorcerer Chris Dale of M & C L R Dale, Bank House Farm matching a price earlier set by a Texel tup from Tim Denham, Dent Gate Farm. Mule ewe trade was led by Pip Dale (Chris’s Uncle) of L Dale & Sons, The Willows, Skirpenbeck when a pen of twenty-six sold for £116 whilst Cheviot’s sold to a best of £112, Rough Fells to £80 and Swaledale’s to £75.
Lead Grossing Cast Sheep £170 W Denham. £170 £146 £134 £120 M&CLR Dale. £150 £142 £126 BR&R Routledge. £150×3 £140 £138 £130 CM Rushby. £140 S Sanderson. £140 £120 Beckwith. £140 £120 JH Johnson. £140 £138 £130×3 £120 AS&G Donaldson. £138 3120 PR&V Barlow. £135 £118 East Mellwaters. £134 £130 £128 G Thompson & Sons. £132 I Spedding. £132 GC&JC Pullan. £130 C Moralee & Sons. £130×2 JM&S Walton. £130 EW Grieves. £128×2 £120×2 MW Cook & Son.
Prime Pigs (6) – Just the six pigs this week sold in two lots which is probably seven or eight hundred less lots than we will sell at the collective machinery sale on Saturday; therefore, as the tractors, tedders and ploughs need my attention the pig report is rather mundane, apologies.
Pigs –
Top prices per kilo 130 115 J Mitchell & Son.
Top prices per head £101 £89 J Mitchell & Son.
