Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their weekly sale of cast cattle, store and breeding stock on Monday 10th February 2025. Forward were 285 cattle, 835 sheep, 68 calves and 7 pigs.
88 Cast Cows/OTM sold to 342ppk or £2745
10 Stock Bulls sold to 320ppk or £3699
3 Cows & Calves sold to £900
24 Young Bulls sold to £1880
66 Store Steers sold to £2210
91 Store Heifers sold to £2550
105 In Lamb Ewes sold to £270
579 Store Hoggs sold to £153
151 Feeding Ewes/Rams sold to £198
68 Rearing Calves sold to £730
1 Sow & Piglets sold to £400
Cast Cattle – There is no point saying the cast cattle can’t get any dearer because they do so every week, absolutely electrifying, the colossal cow trade saw them average all in 261ppk and £1739 per head. Top per kilo at a wonderful 342 pence was a stunning 46-month-old British Blue from L D Laws, High Village Farm; behind her two Limousin cows reached 336ppk as a 5-year-old from W & M Knaggs & Son, East Newbiggin joined a 7-year-old from B R Lawson, Buddle House in the silver medal position. Top native of the day per kilo was a superb Aberdeen Angus OTM from Springhill Partnership, Masham at 332 pence whilst the marvellous milk maids saw Montbeliarde’s to 247ppk, Friesian’s to 244ppk, Fleckvieh’s to 240ppk and Brown Swiss to 228ppk. Some gigantic gross values were achieved up at the top end, top of them all at a stunning £3699 (320ppk) was a fantastic 1156kg 11-year-old British Blonde stock bull from P Weightman & Sons, Hallfield Farm. Top grossing cow was the brilliant Limousin from W & M Knaggs & Son when she tipped the scale to 817kg and reached £2745; behind her a British Blue from W J & A S Bowes sold for £2688 and a Charolais from A J Marr & Son, Old Ravensworth reached £2426. Top native was a fleshy sort from Mayfield Beef Shorthorn’s, Wolsingham at £2330 and the top two milk cows in the lump were both Friesian’s as both Deerness Valley Dairy and Revely Farms surpassed £1700.
Cast Cows/OTM Leading PPK – 342 L D Laws. 336 B R Lawson. 336 W & M Knaggs & Son. 332 Springhill Partnership. 328 294 282 F & J S Gargett. 325 294 R E Dickson. 324 316 292 G Beadle. 322 290 W A Richardson Ltd. 318 286 A J Marr & Son. 318 288 J A & U M Fawcett. 316 J T & M Atkinson. 309 288 W J & A S Bowes & Sons. 308 T T Hall & Son. 304 S Taylor. 296 G H Farms Ltd. 292 G Cant. 291 Mayfield Beef Shorthorn’s. 289 286 284 W & R Kemp & Son. 286 Rose A Farms Ltd. 282 C & J C Stephenson. 280 Reed & Hill.
Stock Bulls Leading PPK – 320 P Weightman & Sons. 318 A P Greenshields. 296 J R Spink. 280 F Ward. 278 G S Bainbridge. 248 231 Skelton Farming. 238 W A Richardson Ltd. 202 A Wilson.
Cast Cows/OTM Leading Gross Value – £2745 W & M Knaggs & Son. £2688 £2318 W J & A S Bowes & Sons. £2426 A J Marr & Son. £2409 G H Farms Ltd. £2399 B R Lawson. £2353 £2334 W A Richardson Ltd. £2330 Mayfield Beef Shorthorn’s. £2307 M Gallon. £2294 J T & M Atkinson. £2276 £2242 £2127 W & R Kemp & Son. £2212 L D Laws. £2187 Rose A Farms Ltd. £2160 £2042 S Taylor. £2157 £2079 J A & U M Fawcett. £2133 A J Marr & Son. £2125 F & J S Gargett.
Stock Bulls Leading Gross Value – £3699 P Weightman & Sons. £2805 F Ward. £2781 £2710 Skelton Farming Ltd. £2604 J R Spink. £2521 G S Bainbridge. £2372 A P Greenshields.
Store Cattle – The brake cable on the store cattle trade remains well and truly broken as the February flyer continued to see steers average £1656, heifers £1542 and young bulls £1200. For the second week running a superb run of heifers from the Askwiths of Crook led the way, this week’s best a 22-month-old Limousin sold for £2550 with five of her mates following between £2200 and £2300. The super steers topped thrice at £2210 from P & J H Davison, Morley Farm with a great run of 21-24-month-old British Blue’s and Limousin’s. Nine from Morley Farm left proceedings with an average of £2150 whilst fourteen from the Askwith’s levelled at £2109. The demand for young bulls also continues to outstrip the supply, tops this week were a run of 11-13-month-old Limousin’s from D Dixon, Middle Heads Farm all selling over £1800 to an impressive top of £1880. Don’t wait until Spring arrives, the trade is absolutely wonderful now.
Young Bulls – £1880 £1820(x2) £1800 D Dixon. £1700 B R Lawson. £1700(x2) £1440 J W Richardson. £1140(x2) £1120(x2) A W Sanderson. £1000 M Radford. £990 J Nicholson.
Store Steers – £2210(x3) £2200 £2180 £2110 £2080(x2) £2070 P & J H Davison. £2180 £2130 £2070(x2) £1980 W Denham. £2150 £2070 J E Holliday & Son. £2020 D Alderson. £1960 £1840 L & B M Kidd & Son. £1870(x2) G T & M A Wearmouth. £1730 W & C Iceton. £1720 D & B Harding. £1720(x3) B R Lawson. £1690 L Claughan.
Store Heifers – £2550 £2300 £2220(x2) £2200(x2) £2020(x3) £2010(x2) £1980(x2) £1800 Askwiths. £2110 S Taylor. £1860 L & B M Kidd & Son. £1850 R Errington & Son. £1850(x2) G W & L Marsay. £1820 J Walton. £1800 W & J M Clifford. £1760 D M McClurg. £1700 W & C Iceton. £1700 J R & J Crowe.
In Lamb Ewes – Plenty of life as you would expect this year as we took a first look at the in lambers. Excellent sheep from the dispersal of S & D Ferrie, Carthagena Farm saw Mule ewes carrying twins top the day at £270 with Cheviot ewes out of the Mule not far adrift at £250. Plenty of ringside interest ahead of next week’s special sale as the thriving lamb trade this season and some average scanning results around and about have numerous firms looking to expand and solidify their lambing flocks.
Top Prices
Mule – £270 £265 £230 £220 S & D Ferrie.
Cheviot (ex-Mule) – £250 £230 £210 S & D Ferrie.
Store Sheep – The hot hogg trade continues, healthy well grown sheep found the flying trade we are now so very accustomed to, it must be said that some of the extra long-term projects are arguably running out of time as some of the tiddlers would be easier on the week however still a healthy average of £116.27 was achieved. Top price of the day went to a strong Texel hogg from C & N Waters, Little Ayton Hall at £153. Five shapely Beltex from D R Smith, East Roughlea followed at £150; also at £150 was the wonderful first pen of forty-five strong Mule’s from N B & R Hird, Gillfield as this good home sold 144 Mule hoggs to average a superb £121.35. Feeding ewes remain every bit as easy to sell and averaged £109; top of them all was a tidy Beltex from A Wilson, Calf Close at £198. See the top prices below.
Store Hoggs
Beltex – £150 D R Smith. £148 B R Lawson. £138 £129 W & J Herbert.
Texel – £153 C & N Waters. £144 £138 D R Smith. £142 £120 K Mowbray. £138 £132 £122 A Tunstall. £134 £130 C A & J Kipling. £128 £113 K Buckle. £124 £118 R I Jones. £120 B Willis. £118 Bowes Bros. £115 I R Appleton.
Mule – £150 123 £105.50 £91 N B & R Hird. £132 D R Smith. £125 J Walshaw & Son. £109 R I Jones. £92 H H Smith & Son. £79 D Alderson.
Other Continental – £134.50 F Hare & Sons. £134 J Walshaw & Son. £130 J Campbell. £120 B Willis. £118 R Wade & Son. £115 A Fox. £114 C A & J Kipling. £111 G W Dobson & Son.
Suffolk – £127 J Walshaw & Son. £119 £108 D Alderson. £90 I R Appleton.
Cheviot – £81 I R Appleton. £80 S Dodsworth. £78 H H Smith & Son.
Horned – £70 S Dodsworth. £63 K Buckle.
Feeding Ewes/Rams
Continental – £198 £100 A Wilson. £190 £148 R I Jones. £180 Y L Simmons. £178 C J & J M Simpson. £165 C A & J Kipling. £160 £132 £114 £109 B & J Bainbridge. £160 £156 £112 A Fox. £153 £126 £102 A Tunstall. £144 £130 K Mowbray. £138 J P & R Ward. £136 C & N Waters. £133 £100 J V Hodgson & Son. £130 R Stapleton. £131 £128 R I Jones. £124 I R Appleton. £120 F Hare & Sons.
BFL – £142 J Walshaw & Son.
Suffolk – £110 £80 K Mowbray.
Jacob – £100 A Wilson.
Swaledale – £79 R I Jones. £70 M G & W D Burton. £58 A Wilson.
Rearing Calves – With everything else on the up it was more of the same in the calf ring as a sale average of £439.34 was achieved, an increase of £60 per head from just two weeks ago. Top of the day at £730 was an excellent December born Aberdeen Angus bull calf from Bethany Boyle, Coxhoe; following at £685 was a tremendous British Blue bull calf from H M Dent, East Farm whilst T D Goldie & Son, Manor House Farm sold Aberdeen Angus bulls to a high of £680. Heifer calves maxed at £650 which was another December born Aberdeen Angus from Bethany Boyle whilst British Blue heifers sold to a top of £600 from Deerness Valley Dairy.
Bull Calves
7 British Blues averaged £577
3 Inra 95 averaged £523
20 Aberdeen Angus averaged £482
8 Holstein Friesian averaged £276
1 Jersey averaged £180
Heifer Calves
1 Friesian averaged £630
5 British Blue averaged £472
19 Aberdeen Angus averaged £405
4 Inra 95 averaged £382
Leading Prices
Aberdeen Angus Bulls – £730 £650 B Boyle. £680 T D Goldie & Son. £580 Deerness Valley Dairy. £540 £470 R Tookey & Son. £505(x2) £490 R W Raper & Sons. £490(x2) G Thompson & Sons. £465(x3) J T Forster & Son. £465 Miresdale Dairy Holding.
British Blue Bulls – £685 £640 H M Dent. £635 £545 £525 Deerness Valley Dairy. £515 Miresdale Dairy Holding. £495 G Thompson & Sons.
Inra 95 Bulls – £590 £570 £410 Kitchings of Summerfield.
Holstein Friesian Bulls – £360 £240(x2) T D Goldie & Son. £320(x3) R W Raper & Sons. £205 Deerness Valley Dairy.
Aberdeen Angus Heifers – £650 B Boyle. ££585 £500 T D Goldie & Son. £490 £430 £410 R Tookey & Son. £465 Miresdale Dairy Holding. £450 A J Thompson. £400 J T Forster & Son. £390 £370 G Thompson & Sons. £370 Deerness Valley Dairy. £350 £330(x2) J T Forster & Son.
British Blue Heifers – £600 Deerness Valley Dairy. £440(x3) G Thompson & Sons. £440 Miresdale Dairy Holding.
Inra 95 Heifers – £400 £390 £380 £360 Kitchings of Summerfield.
Holstein Friesian – £630 Miresdale Dairy Holding.
Store Pigs – An Oxford Sandy & Black sow with half a dozen of her offspring sold today from Springhill Farm for £400.
