Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their weekly sale of Prime Stock on Thursday 22nd July 2021. Forward were 228 Cattle, 1741 Sheep and 7 Pigs.
101 Prime Bulls sold to 282ppk or £2160
43 Prime Steers sold to 277ppk or £2137
84 Prime Heifers sold to 308ppk or £1760
1541 New Season Lambs sold to 327ppk or £144.50
200 Cast Ewes & Rams sold to £118
7 Prime Pigs sold to 110ppk
Prime Bulls (101) – Those who abandoned the harvest for long enough to bring bulls to the mart were deserving beneficiaries of very high rewards, quite possibly the best trade ever witnessed, an all in average of 240 pence per kilo. The figures are mind blowing; 15 bulls grossed beyond £2000, 3 bulls over 280ppk, 5 more over 270ppk and another 34 between 250ppk and 269ppk. None bettered the impeccable run of home bred bulls down from Morpeth and the Renton family of High Highlaws as they led the way at £2160, the same home twice sold to 282 pence per kilo as did W J & A S Bowes & Sons of Stainton Hill House Farm. Seven vendors in total joined the £2000 plus club as a magical 7 from the Renton pen were joined by 3 from the aforementioned Bowes run and five other top feeders each had a bull in the exclusive £2k club. The native breeds also shone today peaking at a magnificent £1954 for a well finished Aberdeen Angus from A S & S M Kemp, Whitwell Farm, Shorthorn bulls topped at £1798 from D Richardson & Co, Bracken House and Herefords sold to £1703 from J A & M Boyes Ltd, Strathmore House. The Friesian bulls also joined the party as well fleshed bulls from G W Dobson & Son, Wingate and R Hall & Son, Brotton led the way.
W J & A S Bowes & Son, Great Stainton sold 3 Bulls to average 273ppk and £2067
P Weightman & Sons, Easington sold 2 Bulls to average 268ppk and £2008
Renton Highlaws Ltd, Morpeth sold 12 Bulls to average 263ppk and £1990
C Harle & Sons, Brandon Village sold 3 Bulls to average 264ppk and £1890
J J Horn, Richmond sold 2 Bulls to average 244ppk and £1898
A S & S M Kemp, Sherburn sold 12 Bulls to average 242ppk and £1822
Continental Bulls – Top prices ppk 282×2 272 270×2 265 264 263 260 256 250 Renton Highlaws Ltd. 282 273 267 WJ&AS Bowes & Sons. 270 268 P Weightman & Sons. 269 267 263 256 248×2 243 AS&SM Kemp. 268 264 260 C Harle & Sons. 266 250×2 J Layfield. 266 252 JA&M Boyes Ltd. 264 256 250 248 JW Holmes & Son. 264 246 DW Humphrey. 260 250 J&K Woodward. 259 JJ Horn. 256×2 J Richmond. 256 K&A Harker. 254×2 247 243 242 C Parker.
Lead Grossing Continental Bulls £2160 £2077 £2053 £2036 £2019 £2006 £2003 £1987 £1960 £1939 Renton Highlaws Ltd. £2141 £1876 P weightman & Sons. £2119 £1961 £1947 £1932 £1917 £1798 AS&SM Kemp. £2115 £2085 £2002 WJ&AS Bowes & Sons. £2048 JJ Horn. £2026 £1794 £1783 JA&M Boyes Ltd. £2020 £1827 £1824 C Harle & Sons. £1971 £1855 J Layfield. £1963 JW Holmes & Son. £1922 K&A Harker. £1887 L Claughan. £1887 J&K Woodward. £1783 £1762 C Parker. £1779 DW Humphrey.
Friesian Bulls – Top prices ppk 200 198 R Hall & Son. 200 194 182 178 D Walker. 200 194 GW Dobson & Son. 198×2 184 180 J&JH Musgrave. 198 188 184 JA&A Herbert. 170 164 R Carter & Son.
Lead Grossing Friesian Bulls £1301 £1266 GW Dobson & Son. £1288 £1191 R Hall & Son. £1186 £1041 £984 £919 J&JH Musgrave. £1102 £1068 £899 D Walker. £1073 £1024 £896 JA&A Herbert. £1070 £1069 R Carter & Son.
Native Breed Bulls – Top prices ppk 231 AS&SM Kemp. 230 D Richardson & Co Ltd. 221 214 JA&M Boyes Ltd. 219 R Hall & Son. 219 JK&CE Farming.
Lead Grossing Native Breed Bulls £1954 AS&SM Kemp. £1798 D Richardson & Co Ltd. £1703 £1628 JA&M Boyes Ltd. £1508 JK&CE Farming. £1252 R Hall & Son.
Clean Cattle (127) – The clean cattle sellers were also making hay whilst the sun shines, indisputably one of the hottest days and hottest trades we have ever had the pleasure of. The heifers this week averaged a stratospheric 264 pence per kilo as 8 sold at 300ppk and beyond, 10 more 290ppk to 299ppk and 9 lovely ladies reached over £1700. The leading price per kilo went to regular vendor J L Marks, Gilly Flatts with a super sweet 512kg Limousin at 308ppk. Mention must also go to J W Holmes, Chestnut Farm; B Walker, Birch Springs; R Hirst, Neasham Grange and J V & J A Hodgson, The Grange who all had at least one entry in the 300 plus chart. Naturally when the female trade is fierce then the bullocks are a high tariff also and today was no exception, the prolific Marks pen was on target at 277 pence per kilo and chased hard by both Armett Brothers, Leicestershire, K & J Heslop, Fishburn both at 275ppk; now mention as usual goes to the incredible hulks from Barker Farming Partnership, Scorton which this week stormed to 273ppk and a massive £2137. As always the show wasn’t just for Cinderella as her sisters came to the party as well, excellent returns for all creeds and colours, the leader board listed below however contained some absolute crackers and credit must go to those who made it.
B Walker, Dalton-on-Tees sold 3 Heifers to average 296ppk and £1555
J W Holmes & Son, Notts sold 5 Heifers to average 294ppk and £1635
R Hirst, Neasham sold 9 Heifers to average 293ppk and £1558
J L Marks, Bishopton sold 2 Steers & 2 Heifers to average 287ppk and £1491
J V & J A Hodgson, Summerhouse sold 12 Heifers to average 280ppk and £1547
T N Callender, Stockton-on-Tees sold 3 Heifers to average 278ppk and £1528
Barker Farming Partnership, Scorton sold 6 Steers to average 253ppk and £1936
Continental Steers – Top prices 277 275 JL Marks. 275 Armett Bros. 275 K&J Heslop. 273 259×2 252 247 230 Barker Farming Partnership. 266 264 232 Renton Highlaws Ltd. 237 219 I Bowe. 235 MF Hall. 216 184 P Metcalfe.
Lead Grossing Continental Steers £2137 £2104 £1976 £1901 £1752 £1748 Barker Farming Partnership. £1813 I Bowe. £1724 Armett Bros. £1721 £1694 £1526 Renton Highlaws Ltd. £1688 K&J Heslop. £1572 £1387 P Metcalfe. £1529 MF Hall. £1465 £1412 JL Marks.
Friesian Steers – Top prices ppk 227 190 188×2 187 184×3 183 182×3 280×2 178 177 176 JM Stuart & Son. Lead Grossing Friesian Steers £1278 £1276 £1261 £1260×2 £1257 £1254 £1243 £1235 £1206 £1193 £1192 £1191 £1188 JM Stuart & Son.
Native Breed Steers – Top prices ppk 240 I Bowe. 238 231×2 Armett Bros. 210 T Watson.
Lead Grossing Native Steers £1826 £1526 I Bowe. £1224 £1211 £1175 Armett Bros. £1169 T Watson.
Continental Heifers – Top prices ppk 308 289 JL Marks. 302 300 297 293 281 JW Holmes & Son. 300×2 299×3 295 286 281 280 R Hirst. 300×2 289 B Walker. 300 297×2 291 289 286 278 270 268 267 JV&JA Hodgson. 297 Renton Highlaws Ltd. 288 277 271 TN Callender. 287 285 275 274 271 269 263 WF Hustwit. 279 277 272 266×2 265 I Bowe. 278 270 269 268 K&J Heslop. 269 263 243 Armett Bros. 264 255 DL&D Lovegreen.
Lead Grossing Continental Heifers £1760 £1711 £1656 £1580 JW Holmes & Son. £1749 £1537 Renton Highlaws Ltd. £1731 £1649 £1645 £1633 £1612 £1606 JV&JA Hodgson. £1721 £1701 £1644 £1639 £1614 £1580 WF Hustwit. £1716 £1714 £1710 £1683 £1581 I Bowe. £1675 £1629 £1605 £1596 £1548 £1536 £1524 R Hirst. £1638 £1533 B Walker. £1576 £1508 JL Marks. £1558 £1537 TN Callender. £1554 K&J Heslop.
Friesian Heifers – Top prices ppk 239 227 JM Stuart & Son.
Lead Grossing Friesian Heifers £1445 £1382 JM Stuart & Son.
Native Breed Heifers – Top prices ppk 285 243 231×2 230 228 225 223 222 217 202 Armett Bros. 238 T Watson.
Lead Grossing Native Breed Heifers £1561 £1300 £1280 £1268 £1256 £1205 £1163 £1153 £1127 £1119 £1075 £1052 £1050 £1048 £949 Armett Bros. £1041 T Watson.
New Season Lambs (1541) – The lamb trade once again lights the blue touch paper and stands well clear, another explosion as prices continue to better the past few years. Whilst we appreciate the fixed costs of production have risen significantly the below certainly makes good reading; still this resilient sheep trade manages to defy the Brexit doom-mongers , and for now, keep the four horsemen of the apocalypse predicted by the Corbynites in recess.
This week in 2018 our sale averaged 167ppk
This week in 2019 our sale average 179ppk
This week in 2020 our sale averaged 224ppk
Today our sale averaged 272ppk
Hundreds of lambs today in the £120-£130 bracket, some 16 pens sold £130-139 and an awesome foursome the right side of £140. A pen of 6 from P R Weaver, Knapthorpe joined a super single from J Atkinson, Fir Tree at a straight £140 however neither could reach the £144.50 which was achieved twice by separate vendors; a heavyweight Suffolk from D R Smith, Ferryhill had its price matched by a tremendous Texel ‘doon from the Roman Wall’ and the good home of J & A Moralee, Bardon Mill. Top price per kilo at 327 pence stayed local with J E Stobbs of Killerby as a host sold beyond 300 pence on the day, as always in Darlington played straight and weighed straight the sale averaged a wonderful £112.90, again a good number of pet lambs included.
Lambs – Top prices ppk 327 288 JE Stobbs. 313 302 286 285×2 W&M Knaggs & Son. 307 W.K M.M Lamb. 302 C Binks & Son. 302 291 PR Weaver. 301 C&E Gaskin. 298 294 293 289 287 J&A Moralee. 296 294 M&A Gaskin. 295 JR Knox & Son. 295 I Hedley. 294×3 293 289 287 285 PJ&MP Gilhespy. 292 Charlotte Newton. 292 290 284×2 D&PH Brown. 292 289×2 G Thompson & Sons. 287 M&J Dryden. 286 PRE Marwood. 286×2 AWSM Farms. 285 JJ Horn. 283 DR Smith. 281 JS Davison. 281 Ivan Walker.
Lead Grossing Lambs £144.50 £132.50 £127.50 J&A Moralee. £144.50 £130.50 DR Smith. £140 £136 £132 £130 £126 PR Weaver. £140 £130 J Atkinson. £139.50 £129 £128.50 D&PH Brown. £138.50 C&E Gaskin. £133 JR Knox & Son. £133 £129 £128.50 G Thompson & Sons. £132.50×2 £125.50 PJ&MP Gilhespy. £132 £129 W.K M.M Lamb. £130.50 £129.50 M&A Gaskin. £130 F Shield. £130 Pam Stewart. £128.50 £126.50 JJ Horn. £127.50 PRE Marwood. £125.50 W&M Knaggs & Son. £125 AWSM Farms.
Cast Ewes & Rams (200) – As expected the ewe numbers declined after the Qurbani celebrations, a poor quality show on the whole sold well with the top price achieved by a Lleyn ram from T A & J Swinbank of Brafferton at £118; close behind and best of the females at £117 was Texel ewe leaving Alan Binks of Walworth the 2nd happiest customer in the ewe ring. Mule ewes sold to a top of £101 whilst Swaledales reached £80.
Lead Grossing Cast Sheep £118 £108 TA&J Swinbank. £117 C Binks & Son. £110 £101 PRE Marwood. £109 F&JS Gargett. £108 BG Dale. £108 EW Grieves. £108 RA Patterson & Son. £105×2 £104 £100 £97 Thoresby Livestock. £103 JR Knox & Son. £98 £96 P Dent. £96 M Barley. £96 A Swinbank & son. £94 Winsbury Farm Partners. £94 D Knowles. £93 R Tookey & Son. £90 W&M Knaggs & Son.
Pigs (7) – Pigs slightly easier, however, as ham salad was by far the most popular dish in the café today it is quite likely we will see an increased trade next week.
Pigs – Top prices ppk 110 95 J Mitchell & Son.
Lead Grossing Pigs £83 £78
