Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held a fortnightly sale of rearing calves alongside their weekly sale of cast cattle, store and breeding stock on Monday 29th July 2024. Forward were 274 cattle, 155 calves and 337 sheep.
76 Cast Cows/OTM sold to 238ppk or £1644
7 Stock Bulls sold to 202ppk or £2039
3 Cows & Calves sold to £1550
15 Young Bulls sold to £1585
88 Store Steers sold to £1805
82 Store Heifers sold to £1615
155 Rearing Calves sold to £650
69 Shearling Ewes sold to £240
308 Store Lambs sold to £128
29 Feeding Ewes sold to £108
Cast Cattle – Averages down on paper however the show forward today looked every bit as diverse as the Olympic opening ceremony, the sale levelled at 169ppk which in reality would be very similar to the recent high levels witnessed. Top of the females was a smart British Blonde cow from Rebecca Appleton, Pudding Poke Farm, Elwick which sold for 238ppk and £1644. The Wolsingham based Mayfield herd of Beef Shorthorn’s topped the native breeds when they reached 212ppk and £1556 with a 40-month-old whilst the dairy breeds were topped at 220ppk by a Montbeliarde from A Willey, Brromfield Farm, Chopwell and £1231 by a Holstein from Deerness Valley Dairy, Tow Law. As with the cows the bulls offered were an eclectic mix; top per kilo at 202 pence was a Hereford from John Archer, Walworth Gate whilst the top gross value went to a thumping 1133kg Limousin at £2039.
Cast Cows – Top prices ppk 238 186 Rebecca Appleton. 228 210 AW Gray. 220 A Willey. 212 196 G Te-Lintelo. 210 G Williamson. 208 204 RD Anderson. 200 196 188×2 Humbleton Farm. 196 186 RW&NV Chamley. 196 172 GP Dobinson. 19×26 192 190 188×2 Anderson. 194 Skelton Farming. 184 W Love Ltd. 182 A Rooke. 180 R Valks. 180 A Wilson. 178 Deerness Valley Dairy. 170 I Appleton.
Lead Grossing Cast Cows £1644 £1331 Rebecca Appleton. £1556 £1395 G Te- Lintelo. £1511 £1426 £1381 £1242 Humbleton Farm. £1462 Skelton Farming Ltd. £1429 £1314 AW Gray. £1425 £1302 RD Anderson. £1372 GP Dobinson. £1368 W Love Ltd. £1356 G Williamson. £1297 £1281 £1247 £1244 Anderson. £1285 IR Appleton. £1251 A Wilson. £1248 RW&NV Chamley. £1231 Deerness Valley Dairy. £1212 A Willey.
Cast Bulls – Top prices ppk 202 J Archer. 192 M Parratt. 180 Anderson. 174 Deerness Valley Dairy. 164 Skelton Farming Ltd.
Lead Grossing Cast Bulls £2039 Anderson. £1861 Skelton Farming Ltd. £1771 J Archer. £1468 Deerness Valley Dairy.
Store Cattle – The feeding beast juggernaut rolls on relentlessly as once again the trade proved excellent for all breeds, shapes and sizes. Top of the young bull section were a shapely pair of 15-month-old Limousin’s from D Dixon, Middle Heads Farm, Rowley selling at £1585 apiece; yearling Aberdeen Angus from A Wilson, Calf Close Farm, Easington followed closest reaching a top of £1485. The strong stores in particular rang the bell this week with well over thirty the top side of £1500 and the steers averaging a monumental £1380; leading the strong pack was a brilliant 2-year-old Aberdeen Angus steer from D R Smith, East Roughlea Farm, Ferryhill when he sold for a whopping £1805 with the top priced heifer at £1615 being a Limousin from M H Hodgson, East Greystones, Gainford.
Cows & Calves £1550 £1320 Humbleton Farm. £1300 B Hutchinson.
Store Bulls £1585×2 £1415×2 D Dixon. £1485 £1435 £1305 A Wilson. £1415 £1295X2 £1135×2 JK Gregory. £975 G Ritzema. £815 F Grieves.
Store Steers £1805 £1695 £1675 £1515 DR Smith. £1675 £1565 £1545×4 £1535×2 £1525×2 £1515 £1505 £1495 £1475×5 £1455 £1445×8 £1405×2 K Metcalfe. £1585 £1555 £1545 £1535 £1505 £1495×2 £1485 £1455×2 A Wilson. £1545×4 £1535×2 £1515 £1505 £1395×3 £1375×3 RJ Bradshaw. £1505 £1375 I Oliver. £1495×2 £1475×3 W Walker & Sons. £1410 D&HM Hodgson. £1265 JD Teasdale. £1195 I Newton & Son.
Store Heifers £1615 £1555 £1545 £1435 MH Hodgson. £1565 £1435 GL&M Steel. £1565 £1385 DR Smith. £1545×2 £1465 £1445 £1405×2 WA Wardman Ltd. £1375 £1295×2 £1175×3 MJ Hutchinson. £1375 £1275 D&HM Hodgson. £1315×4 £1295×2 £1265×2 £1255×2 £1185×2 Wilkinson & Son. £1315 AW Gray. £1285 I Oliver. £1195 £1145 £1105 Humbleton Farm. £1175 JD Teasdale. £1135 JN Swinbank. £1125 I Newton & Son.
Store & Breeding Sheep – The first scattering of shearlings for the season set of in fabulous fashion to average £222 which is £15 up on what looked a fast start in 2023. Three excellent pens of Texel crosses from C M & T F Seymour, Dromonby Farm led the way when they all sold for £240 with smart sorts from C A & J G Skidmore, Needless Hall Farm close behind at £235 and £230.
The store lamb trade continued at a furious pace, the sale averaged £102.96 this week with barely a killing lamb in sight and a real Noah’s Ark of breeds included. Twice texel crossed lambs reached £128 as W Coatsworth, Oaksbank Farm and D & M Buck, Quarry Grange shared the spoils. Sixteen super sorts from S Pybourne, Wolsingham followed at £127 which was matched by another Wolsingham seller G H & R G Stobbs.
Shearling Ewes – £240(x3) C M & T F Seymour. £235 £230 C A & J G Skidmore. £190 £180 J R Mann.
Store Lambs
Texel – £128 £111 W Coatsworth. £128 £97 D & M Buck. £127 £121 S Pybourne. £124 £110 S & D Ferrie. £120 G H & R G Stobbs. £117 L F & H C Wood. £116 £98 G Pickering. £108 L D Laws. £99 James Burns.
Beltex – £127 G H & R G Stobbs. £110 £96 £94 J Wigham.
Suffolk – £124 G H & R G Stobbs. £86 M Radford.
Cheviot – £116 S & D Ferrie. £102 G S Dixon. £91 G Pickering.
Charollais – £111 £96 S & D Ferrie.
Mule – £101 G S Dixon.
Dutch Spotted – £100 M Radford.
Jacob – £76 S Dodsworth.
Feeding Ewes – £108 B Hutchinson. £81 £55 £50 £45 J Shadforth. £78 £50 R Stapleton.
Rearing Calves – A record show of numbers since the reinvention of the Darlington calf ring, trade remains firm however possibly a touch easier than last month’s flyer, most likely due to the excellent weather we are all of a sudden blessed with. Top price of the day went to a strong suckler bred Limousin bull calf from R Valks, Field House Farm when he sold for £650, the same home followed at £635 with a similar sort. Plenty of the better bull calves sold over £500 and as usual in the calf ring the younger they are the dearer they perhaps looked. Top heifers on the day were all British Blue’s, the leaders came from the consistent Wilkinson & Son, Carrsides Farm twice and also from C N Bentley, The Gables, Kepwick; all three were mid-April born and sold at £500.
8 Limousin bull calves average £517
36 British Blue bull calves average £488
5 Inra 95 bull calves average £449
2 Hereford bull calves average £430
12 Aberdeen Angus bull calves average £423
32 Holstein Friesian bull calves average £239
1 Ayshire bull calf £190
15 Holstein Friesian steer calves average £220
26 British Blue heifer calves average £399
2 Inra 95 heifer calves average £380
3 Limousin heifer calves average £353
1 Parthenais heifer calf £280
12 Aberdeen Angus heifer calves average £280
Top prices
Limousin bulls – £650 £635 £555 R Valks. £580 W O Grix & Partners. £480 £460 £390(x2) C N Bentley.
British Blue bulls – £580 £510 R W Raper & Sons. £575 £570 R Valks. £565 £560 £540(x2) £530 £520 £515 £500(x2) £490 Wilkinson & Sons. £540(x2) S J Kellet & Son. £500 £490(x3) Shepherd Orchard Green.
Aberdeen Angus bulls – £530 £500 £460(x2) £410 W O Grix & Partners. £410(x2) £390(x2) Shepherd Orchard Green. £400 £350 M & R K McKenzie. £370 Kitchings of Summerfield.
Inra 95 bulls – £490(x2) £470 £340 Kitchings of Summerfield. £455 J & A Stevenson & Son.
Holstein Friesian bulls – £460 £330 R W Raper & Sons. £410 £300 Miresdale Dairy Holding. £300 G B Corner & Son. £290 £270 £250 G Thompson & Sons. £250(x3) £245(x3) S J Kellet & Son.
Hereford bulls – £430(x2) Shepherd Orchard Green.
Holstein Friesian steers – £240(x3) £220(x2) £215(x10) W Burton.
British Blue heifers – £500 £360 C N Bentley. £500(x2) £480 £430 Wilkinson & Son. £450 £440 £425 £420 £415(x3) £400(x2) Shepherd Orchard Green. £450 £340 G B Corner & Son. £430 R W Raper & Sons. £420 Miresdale Dairy Holding. £350 H M Dent.
Aberdeen Angus heifers – £435(x2) W O Grix & Partners. £350 £325 A Wilson. £270 £250 M E Robinson & Sons. £240 M & R K McKenzie.
Limousin heifers – £420 R W Raper & Sons. £350 C N Bentley. £290 G W Dobson & Son.
Inra 95 heifers – £400 J A Stevenson & Sons. £380 Kitchings of Summerfield.
Parthenais heifer – £280 H M Dent.
