Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their weekly sale of prime stock on Thursday 19th August 2021. Forward were 174 Cattle, 2342 Sheep and 11 Pigs.
73 Prime Bulls sold to 275ppk or £2339
17 Prime Steers sold to 298ppk or £2269
79 Prime Heifers sold to 329ppk or £1956
5 Cast Cattle sold to 144ppk or 1487
1763 Prime Lambs sold to 288ppk or £147
579 Cast Ewes & Rams sold to £122
11 Prime Pigs sold to 106ppk or £96
Prime Bulls (73) – On rolls the beef juggernaut with another blistering trade today, the super sale average of 236ppk included 7 over £2000 and an amazing 27 at 250 to 275ppk. Limousin’s led the way with two a fierce battle between A C Simpson & Son, Witton-le-Wear and J B Luck, Bowes who both deserved to reign supreme in the bull ring today. The brilliance from Bowes earned the top price per kilo at a terrific 275 pence whilst the weight from Witton topped the gross values at a humungous £2339, the photo finish was almost to close to call as just coppers separated Messrs Luck’s 3 bulls which averaged £2104.49 and the Simpson’s quartet averaged £2104.21. The limelight in the native breeds was claimed by some perfectly finished dairy crossed Aberdeen Angus bulls from C & M Atkinson & Sons, Saltburn which peaked at 239ppk and £1549 whilst the pure dairy boys were dearer on the week and sold as high as 218ppk and £1362 from the super consistent yard of R Hall & Son, Brotton. Below are listed as usual some of the top players on the day.
J B Luck, Bowes sold 3 Bulls to average 265ppk and £2104
A C Simpson & Son, Witton-le-Wear sold 4 Bulls to average 263ppk and £2104
Foxton Livestock, Barnard Castle sold 2 Bulls to average 260ppk and £1873
L R Welsh & Co, Spennymoor sold 4 Bulls to average 258ppk and £1869
L S Staley, Marwood sold 2 Bulls to average 255ppk and £1873
N White, Marrick sold 6 Bulls to average 254ppk and £1675
I R Appleton, Elwick sold 2 Bulls to average 250ppk and £1769
A G Watson & Sons, Rushyford sold 4 Bulls to average 245ppk and £1935
Continental Bulls – Top prices ppk 275 266 256 JB Luck. 266 262 254 252 LR Welsh & Co. 265 264×2 260 AC Simpson & Son. 265 P Weightman & Sons. 265 262 257 250 247 245 N White. 260×2 Foxton Livestock. 260 250 247 AG Watson & Sons. 256 WJ&AS Bowes & Sons. 256 255 LS Staley. 255 250 245 242 J&JH Musgrave. 251 250 IR Appleton. 250 S&J Dent. 247 J Richmond. 245 235 DH Lawson. 245 240 235 C Parker. 242 240 S Luck. 238 JK&CE Farming. 233 C&M Atkinson & Sons.
Lead Grossing Continental Bulls £2339 £2201 £2113 £1762 AC Simpson & Son. £2158 £2109 £2046 JB Luck. £2146 P Weightman & Sons. £1995 £1970 £1955 £1822 AG Watson & Sons. £1966 £1753 WJ&AS Bowes & Sons. £1945 £1920 £1868 £1744 LR Welsh & Co. £1942 J&JH Musgrave. £1942 £1804 Foxton Livestock. £1935 £1812 LS Staley. £1885 £1704 S Luck & Son. £1873 £1739 £1685 £1644 N White. £1849 £1795 DH Lawson. £1800 £1739 IR Appleton. £1682 J Richmond.
Friesian Bulls – Top prices ppk 218 216×2 R Hall & Son. 217 215 208 JA&A Herbert. 206 198 185 180 C&M Atkinson & Son. 190 184 D Walker. 188 159 J&K Woodward. 180 172 R Carter & Son.
Lead Grossing Friesian Bulls £1445 £1362 £1331 R Hall & Son. £1353 £1085 £1052 £1000 £978 C&N Atkinson & Sons. £1185 £1036 R Carter & Son. £1131 J&K Woodward. £1111 £1106 £1029 JA&A Herbert. £995 £988 D Walker.
Native Breed Bulls – Top prices ppk 239 238 C&M Atkinson & Sons. 229 S&J Dent & Son. 229 JA&A Herbert. 222 210 JT Layfield & Sons.210 TB Hunter.
Lead Grossing Native Breed Bulls £1549 £1364 C&M Atkinson & Sons. £1440 £1403 JT Layfield & Sons. £1435 S&J Dent & Son. £1173 TB Hunter. £1163 JA&A Herbert.
Cast Cows – Top prices ppk 144 Skelton Farming Ltd. 125 C&M Atkinson & Sons. 115 J Elliott. 115 114 JJ Horn.
Lead Grossing Cast Cows £1487 Skelton Farming Ltd. £946 J Elliott. £815 C&M Atkinson & Sons. £671 £642 JJ Horn.
Clean Cattle (96) – NEVER have they been dearer, almost ridiculous scenes as the buyers blew the place apart and auctioneer Scott Ferrie certainly made merry today. So hot are the heifers right now that for the first time in Darlington’s 1000 year history they averaged over 300 pence per kilo, a magnificent 7 sold over 320ppk with 26 between 310 and 319ppk and another 20 between 300ppk and 309ppk. I imagine that this morning if I had told Brian Luck, Brian Walker, Nick Hodgson or Robin Hirst that they’d sell a heifer for 323 or 324 pence per kilo but not top the market they might well have questioned my sanity, it was however exactly how things transpired. The top of the day was an amazing 329 pence per kilo as Cumbrian raider James Crichton popped across the Pennine’s with a magical 591kg Limousin, not satisfied at that the prolific raider out of the West also produced the top gross valued heifer with a 631kg British Blonde at £1956, three other heifers topped £1900 as both I R Appleton, Elwick and J V & J A Hodgson, Summerhouse showed off some top class feeding. The steer’s were also in terrific tune, for those selling in the live ring please spare a thought for your neighbours who may still be consigned to the deadweight, they are in a very dark place and may need your support and condolences again this week. Absolutely smashing it out of the park were Barker Farming Partnership, Scorton as they sold 5 of their 6 heavyweight steers beyond £2000 with their top an incredible 883kg Limousin at £2269. Top priced steer per kilo went to the Askwith’s of Crook with a 616kg Limousin selling for 298ppk, just edged out by a penny were the Callender boys of Whinney Hill at 297ppk with a fleshy 620kg Limousin. Looking at some of the returns below it is safe to say that if were ever on the clock, then today we went off it.
B Walker, Dalton-on-Tees sold 3 Heifers to average 318ppk and £1700
J B Luck, Bowes sold 3 Heifers to average 317ppk and £1837
J V & J A Hodgson, Summerhouse sold 10 Heifers to average 314ppk and £1785
J E Suddes & Son, Cornsay sold 5 Heifers to average 312ppk and £1693
J J Crichton, Egremont sold 4 Heifers to average 309ppk and £1756
P J & M P Gilhespy, Ponteland sold 6 Heifers to average 307ppk and £1659
R Hirst, Neasham sold 17 Heifers to average 306ppk and £1666
JH & M & NW Brown, Darlington sold 3 Heifers to average 304ppk and £1785
Steers – Top prices ppk 298 284 Askwiths. 297 281 278 TN Callender. 274 268 265 258 257 256 Barker Farming Partnership. 246 245 K&J Heslop. 226 JH Johnson.
Lead Grossing Steers £2269 £2260 £2240 £2211 £2016 1976 Barker Farming Partnership. £1969 £1845 £1841 TN Callender. £1835 £1777 Askwiths. £1680 £1586 K&J Heslop. £1676 JH Johnson.
Heifers – Top prices ppk 329 310 302 JJ Crichton. 324 315 314 JB Luck. 324 317 313 B Walker. 323×2 318 317 314 313×2 310 309 JV&JA Hodgson. 323 320 315×3 310×2 308×2 307 304 R Hirst. 318 317 315 307 305 PJ&MP Gilhespy. 316×2 314 310 308 JE Suddes & Son. 313 300×2 JH&M&NW Brown. 310 GH Farms Ltd. 310 Askwiths. 309×2 M Robinson & Sons. 306 304 N White. 306 JA&DA Horn. 300 S&J Dent & Son.
Lead Grossing Heifers £1956 £1944 JJ Crichton. £1925 IR Appleton. £1905 £1888 £1829 £1808 £1777 £1764 £1701 JV&JA Hodgson. £1872 £1845 £1792 JB Luck. £1871 £1806 JH&M&NW Brown. £1860 Askwiths. £1829 £1722 £1714 N White. £1824 £1786 £1748 £1736 £1728 £1726 R Hirst. £1791 £1734 JE Suddes & Son. £1762 £1711 B Walker. £1752 £1729 £1704 £1683 PJ&MP GIlhespy. £1748 J&A&DA Horn. £1728 K&J Heslop. £1725 £1705 GH Farms Ltd. £1721 M Robinson & Sons. £1710 IR Appleton.
Prime Lambs (1763) – Marvellous remains the lamb trade, just a middling show in the eyes of many this week still averaged a superb 240ppk and £104.85, no doubt that still the creep feeders are earning their keep however with £90 to £100 on offer for grass fed twins the sheep producers are happy campers again this week. The big weights were again the most sought after, a monster from A & V Wade, Stockton-on-Tees topped the sale at £147 whilst the top price per kilo went to J D Brannen, Toronto at 288 pence. The prime sheep ring never pulls in a big crowd and whilst today was no exception the farthest spectator ‘Sibminster Stevo’ was some 424 miles from home checking out the DFAM facilities, at this point we can neither confirm on deny that we were closer than he thought. 😊
Cast Sheep (579) – Still absolutely superb for midsummer, the lean ewes in particular look absolutely poisonous. After the catwalk was well and truly open last week very few of the super models turned out today, it was certainly more Middlesbrough than Milan. After two weeks topping the lamb trade it was operation ewe for H T Davies & Patners, Bolam this week as they led the pack at a healthy £122, best Mule ewes are regularly selling £80-£90 and the horned ewes typically £50 to £70.
Lambs – Top prices ppk 288 278 270 JD Brannen. 286 276 J Thompson. 285 276 270 262 HT Davies & Partners. 280 Charlotte Newton. 279 276×2 261 J&A Moralee. 273 M Smith. 271 S Bolton. 271 266 J Hird. 270 M&RJ Hall. 269 PRE Marwood. 266 R Valks. 266 CH Tindale. 266 DL&D Lovegreen. 266 264 M&A Gaskin. 265 JA&A Herbert. 265 IR Appleton. 265 WR Thompson. 263 G Thompson & Sons. 262 M Pickering. 261 257 I Burn & Sons. 261 JE Suddes & Son. 259 R Tiplady. 258 DR Smith.
Lead Grossing Lambs £147 A&V Wade. £142.50 £123.50 Gillian I Anson. £137.50 £130 J Hird. £137.50 £127.50 £119 DR Smith. £137.50 B Henderson. £135.50 IR Appleton. £135.50 TB Hunter. £135 £125 M&RJ Hall. £134.50 £125 £124.50 M&A Gaskin. £134 C&E Gaskin. £133.50 £129.50 D&PH Brown. £130.50 S Bolton. £130.50 J Hird. £130 JD Brannen. £127.50 WR Thompson. £127.50 M Pickering. £126.50 PRE Marwood. £125.50 JE Suddes & Son. £125 I Burn. £125 MJ Blacklidge. £125 J Scheer.
Lead Grossing Cast Sheep £122 £120 3109 £108 HT Davies & Partners. £118 £115 £110 £95 RA&J Blyth. £116 RA Patterson. £110 KT Anderson. £107 JF Lincoln. £106 Charlotte Newton. £105 JW Firby. £104 BR&R Routledge. £104 J&MJ Walton. £103 JL Alderson. £100 M Smith. £100 T&G Dobson. £99 J&A Ridley. £98 PRE Marwood. £98 JW&J Collin. £95 B Henderson. £93 S Bolton.
Pigs – Top prices ppk 106 105 104 100 C Weightman.
Lead Grossing Pigs £96 £89 £84 £60 C Weightman.
