Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their weekly sale of Prime Stock on Thursday 30th September 2021. Forward were 249 Cattle, 3120 Sheep and 6 Pigs.
90 Prime Bulls sold to 267ppk or £2170
44 Prime Steers sold to 291ppk or £1976
109 Prime Heifers sold to 320ppk or £2094
6 Cast Cows & Bulls sold to 170ppk or £1620
2325 Prime Lambs sold to 309ppk or £151
795 Cast Ewes & Rams sold to £130
6 Prime Pigs sold to 115ppk or £112
Prime Bulls (90) – Trade very similar to last week and rolling along very nicely indeed, the one to catch today was a beautiful 768kg Limousin from regular sellers A G Watson & Sons, Nunstainton Grange which led the way at 267 pence per kilo, a further 15 bulls today sold at 250ppk or beyond. The 340 mile trip made from the Braes of Enzie, Buckie, Aberdeenshire by Messrs W A Fettes was certainly worthwhile, todays first mention from the Northern raiders goes to their outstanding 897kg Limousin bull which led the gross values at a whopping £2170; moving back across the border to Newcastle and another great Limousin chased, and came close to the top slot as M & J Cheesbrough & Sons, Heddon Haugh reached £2131. Two more in the £2k plus club today both came from the aforementioned Nunstainton Grange feeders with 9 more over £1900 and 14 selling £1800 to £1900. A nice show of native breeds this week peaked at an amazing £1999 and 235ppk when a heavyweight Hereford from J A & M Boyes, Cleatlam went under the hammer, Friesian bulls topped at 201ppk from J & J H Musgrave, Pawton Hill and a very credible £1362 from the tremendous yard of R Hall & Son, Kilton. Below, as is customary, are some of the leading averages.
J H & M & N W Brown, Darlington sold 3 Bulls to average 253ppk and £1873
C Harle & Sons, Brandon sold 2 Bulls to average 253ppk and £1870
W J & A S Bowes & Sons, Stainton sold 2 Bulls to average 250ppk and £1907
J Layfield, Willington sold 5 Bulls to average 250ppk and £1879
A G Watson & Sons, Rushyford sold 6 Bulls to average 244ppk and £1886
L S Staley, Marwood sold 2 Bulls to average 243ppk and £1871
W A Fettes, Aberdeenshire sold 2 Bulls to average 234ppk and £2023
Continental Bulls – Top prices ppk 267 258×2 230 AG Watson & Sons. 260 258 253 244 240 J Layfield. 260 247 C Harle & Sons. 260 251×2 JH&M&NW Brown. 259 230 LS Staley. 258 229 M&J Cheesbrough. 253 252 248 246 229 D Richardson & Co Ltd. 250×2 WJ&AS Bowes & Sons. 245 242 LW Martin. 242 226 WF Fettes & Son. 240×2 232 TW Clark & Son. 233 229 J&K Woodward. 228 227 JA&A Herbert. 226 JA&M Boyes Ltd. 226×2 M&J Hayhurst.
Lead Grossing Continental Bulls £2170 £1875 WF Fettes & Son. £2131 £1813 M&J Cheesbrough & Sons. £2050 £2027 £1916 £1838 £1778 AG Watson & Sons. £1980 £1852 £1788 JH&M&NW Brown. £1965 £1775 C Harle & Sons. £1937 £1908 £1862 £1853 £1838 J Layfield. £1900 £1885 WJ&AS Bowes & Sons. £1923 £1914 £1897 £1848 £1805 £1802 D Richardson & Co Ltd. £1893 £1849 LS Staley. £1790 £1771 TW Clark & Son. £1733 M&J Hayhurst.
Friesian Bulls – Top prices ppk 201 189 179 176 J&JH Musgrave. 201 D Lupton.190 JA&A Herbert. 198 193 190 R Hall & Son. 192 JK&CE Farming. 192 188 GW Dobson & Son.
Lead Grossing Friesian Bulls £1362 £1354 £1198 R Hall & Son. £1331 £1303 GW Dobson & son. £1165 JK&CE Farming. £1149 D Lupton. £1139 £1041 £1009 £982 J&JH Musgrave.
Native Breed Bulls – Top prices ppk 235 229 JA&M Boyes Ltd. 231 JK&CE Farming. 225×2 219 195 WR Kemp & son. 198 196 MJ Hutchinson. 192 JA&A Herbert. 170 165 160 Starfitts Farm.
Lead Grossing Native Breed Bulls £1999 £1781 JA&M Boyes Ltd. £1714 JK&CE Farming. £1590 £1458 £1434 £1281 W&R Kemp & Son. £1411 £1398 £1313 Starfitts Farm. £1094 £1064 MJ Hutchinson. £967 JA&A Herbert.
Clean Cattle (153) – The magical beef trade continued in some style, an amazing 26 heifers today sold at 300 pence or more as vendors from all corners once again ladened the buyers plates full of quality, thick loins were again absolutely crucial. Twice a fantastic run from local producer Nick Hodgson of The Grange, Summerhouse set the bar at 320ppk and despite many chasing hard that was the top of the shop this week; another local Brian Walker of Dalton-on-Tees followed the closest at 318ppk whilst strong showings from the familiar faces of the Hirst’s and the Heslop’s were joined in the chasing pack by Leicestershire’s M & G Chantrell and the Cumbrian charge this week was led by James Crichton, Egremont. The bragging rights for top gross value this week head North of the border as the fettle on the Fettes beast proved irresistible to the buyers and a great Charolais heifer from the Aberdonians climbed all the way to £2094. The race to top the steers per kilo came down to a battle of the Midlands as Leicestershire’s M & G Chantrell fought it out with Nottinghamshire’s T W & P T Moss, on this occasion the plaudits headed back to the Foxes County at a pleasing 291 pence per kilo. The month ends today and tomorrow we turn a page on the calendar, not before though we congratulate T N Callender of Ox Eye Farm as this week they led the steers gross value race at a healthy £1976. Below are some of the top players of the week.
B Walker, Dalton-on Tees sold 2 Heifers to average 298ppk and £1813
J V & J A Hodgson, Summerhouse sold 11 Heifers to average 298ppk and £1727
R Hirst, Neasham sold 8 Heifers to average 296ppk and £1653
J J Crichton, Egremont sold 4 Heifers, 1 Steer to average 294ppk and £1729
P J & M P Gilhespy, Ponteland sold 6 Heifers to average 294ppk and £1590
M & G Chantrell Ltd, Leics sold 13 Heifers, 7 Steers to average 293ppk and £1615
W A Fettes, Aberdeenshire sold 8 Heifers to average 276ppk and £1964
Steers – Top prices ppk 291 290 289 284 281 275 269 M&G Chantrell Ltd. 287 276 257 TW&PT Moss. 286 263 NL Dalton. 273 JJ Crichton. 260 244 235 228 RA&BA Ridley & Son Ltd. 255 237 236 231 225 222×2 220 I&A Hamilton. 252 239 TN Callender. 248 A Crowder. 237 WA Armstrong. 234 Askwiths. 230 227 226 G Bird & Sons.
Lead Grossing Steers £1976 £1688 TN Callender. £1833 £1786 £1721 £1695 £1656 RA&BA Ridley & Son Ltd. £1801 £1785 Askwiths. £1794 £1788 £1709 TW&PT Moss Ltd. £1737 £1700 £1674 £1671 £1619 £1610 I&A Hamilton. £1737 £1708 £1681 £1666 £1650 £1635 M&G Chantrell Ltd. £1659 A Crowder. £1638 £1604 NL Dalton. £1557 JR&B Anderson & Son.
Heifers – Top prices ppk 320×2 316×2 315 309 298 294 JV&JA Hodgson. 318 B Walker. 316 310 308 307×2 302 298 296 295×2 294 M&G Chantrell Ltd. 314 310×2 302 295 R Hirst. 312 300 K&J Heslop. 307 303 293 W Fettes & Son. 306 Askwiths. 305 304 298 JJ Crichton. 304 SH Watson & Son. 302 TW&PT Moss. 300 297 295 294 PJ&MP Gilhespy. 297 JE Suddes & Son. 295 WA Armstrong. 294 WF Hustwit.
Lead Grossing Heifers £2094 £2071 £2068 £1980 £1933 £1877 £1859 £1827 WF Fettes & Son. £2003 £1909×2 £1844 £1811 JE Suddes & Son. £1963 JJ Crichton. £1929 £1877 £1867 £1798 £1792 JV&JA Hodgson. £1909 M&J Cheesbrough & Sons. £1882 B Walker. £1857 FW Hodgson & Son. £1848 Askwiths. £1815 K&J Heslop. £1785 £1766 £1758 R Hirst. £1784 £1769 SH Watson & Son. £1781 WF Hustwit. £1779 £1778 JJ Crichton.
Cast Cattle – Top prices ppk 170 144 M&G Chantrell Ltd. 164 132 Starfitts Farm. 140 A&R Thompson. 139 C Parker.
Lead Grossing Cast Cattle £1620 £1252 M&G Chantrell Ltd. £1379 A&R Thompson. £1377 £1152 Starfitts Farm. £989 C Parker.
Prime Lambs (2325) – The resilient lamb trade lifts again, healthy numbers forward with quite literally every breed, creed and weight under the sun offered averaged 240 pence per kilo and a massive £109 per head. A quartet of beautiful 42kg Beltex from C A & J G Skidmore, Toronto topped the pence per kilo at 309 (£130). Leading the gross values were two vendors today at £151 as again the Skidmore run were on the top spot but on this occasion sharing it with some mighty pet lambs from A C Simpson & Son, Witton-le-Wear, 60 extraordinary pet lambs from the Simpson lorry averaged an unbelievable £131. As we are seeing more and more the hopper fed sheep are ringing the bell at the moment, with feed expensive though the grass systems however also seem more than content as we averaged a massive 47 pence per kilo more than the corresponding week last year.
Lambs – Top prices ppk 309 286 278 274 CA&JG Skidmore. 304 R&W Todd. 302 268 MW&M Skidmore. 297 JA&A Herbert. 295 288 268 AWSM Farms. 292 AS&G Donaldson. 292 272 J&A Moralee. 292 M&A Gaskin. 284 IM Maughan. 284 270 A&EJ Dobinson. 283 JD Brannen. 281 J Thompson. 280 278 HT Davies & Partners. 277 W.K M.M Lamb. 273 H Foster. 267 TH Richardson & Son. 266 JG Atkinson. 266 IM Maughan. 266 F Shield.
Lead Grossing Lambs £151 £134.50 £130 CA&JG Skidmore. £151 £150.50 £148.50 £147.50 £144.50 £140.50 £134.50 £133.50 £133 AC Simpson & Son. £145.50 Dromonby Bridge. £140 R&W Todd. £139 £134×2 MW&M Skidmore. £137 W Denham. £136.50 R White. £136.50 GC&JC Pullan. £135 C Waters. £133.50 £132.50 A&EJ Dobinson. £132.50×2 TH Richardson & Son. £131 D&PH Brown. £130.50 £130 JE Suddes & Son. £130×2 £129 AWSM Farms. £130 JM Rowlandson.
Cast Ewes & Rams (795) – More forward and again the trade stays very firm, top of the pile this week were a super pair of Texel ewes from A & R Thompson, Dimmingdale Farm which sold for £130, plenty of the bigger fitter continental ewes sold in 3 figures. The biggest and fittest Mule ewes trade typically £90 to £100 whilst fleshy horned ewes sold consistently between £50 and £70.
Lead Grossing Cast Sheep £130 A&R Thompson. £128 £125 £120 £114 £102 £97×2 W.K M.M Lamb. £125 J&A layfield. £120 C&E Gaskin. £120 £116 R&W Todd. £118 Charlotte Newton. £118 G Thompson & Sons. £117 D&J Hunnam & Son. £117 T&DI Allen. £116 AWSM Farms. £110 M Hogg. £110 C Harle & Sons. £110 K Hall. £110 M&RJ Hall. £108 AWSM Farms. £107 Gillian I’Anson.
Pigs (6) – Half a dozen terrific pigs forward today, so good was the quality our average will be one of the best in the land; fortunately very few people read our swine report or we would fear that next week we could easily become overrun with our bacon flavoured friends.
Pigs – Top prices ppk 115 110 100 C Weightman.
Lead Grossing Pigs £112 £96 £86 C Weightman.
