Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their weekly sale of Prime Stock on Thursday 3rd June 2021. Forward were 203 Cattle, 2083 Sheep and 14 Pigs.
87 Prime Bulls sold to 260ppk or £1937
25 Prime Steers sold to 268ppk or £2037
79 Prime Heifers sold to 298ppk or £1823
7 OTM sold to 240ppk or £1602
5 Cast Cows sold to 200ppk or £1336
1084 New Season Lambs sold to 409ppk or £183
601 Prime Hoggs sold to 316ppk or £191
398 Cast Sheep sold to £150
Prime Bulls (87) – A sale average of 225ppk rightly suggests that the bull beef was considerably dearer, some 16 bulls this week at 250ppk or beyond with the pick of the day reaching 260 pence as a beautiful 680kg British Blue from J B Thompson of Stainby House, Grantham led the charge. A very close race as 5 others sold within 2 pence of the leader, another from the good Grantham feeders was joined by a brace each for S & J Dent & Son, Great Burdon and J R Smith & Son, Melton Mowbray. Top of the gross values this week was the prolific L S Staley of Marwood as his 772kg British Blue realised £1937, a high quality chasing pack saw 6 beyond £1800 and a further 11 the right side of £1700. The native bragging rights this week were won by some lovely handy weighted pure Hereford bulls from W & R Kemp & Son, St Helens Auckland when they peaked at 226ppk and £1323, the Holstein Friesian trade was topped, as is so often the case, by R Hall & Son, Kilton Hall, Brotton at £1187 whilst another familiar face J & J H Musgrave led the pence per kilo at 193. Some impressive returns are listed below.
S & J Dent, Great Burdon sold 2 Bulls to average 258ppk or £1522
L S Staley, Marwood sold 2 Bulls to average 251ppk and £1898
J & A Moralee, Bardon Mill sold 5 Bulls to average 251ppk and £1668
J B Thompson, Grantham sold 9 Bulls to average 246ppk and £1653
J R Smith & Son, Melton Mowbray sold 10 Bulls to average 245ppk and £1535
J Layfield, Willington sold 6 Bulls to average 243ppk and £1666
M D Copley, Grantham sold 7 Bulls to average 243ppk and £1563
A G Watson & Sons, Rushyford sold 6 Bulls to average 242ppk and £1785
Continental Bulls – Top prices ppk 260 258 251×2 248 245 239 238 JB Thompson. 258×2 S&J Dent & Son. 258×2 252 249 247 244×2 240 233 JR Smith & Son. 255 249×2 248 234 AG Watson & Sons. 255 253×2 248 247 J&A Moralee. 255 249 246 244 240 238 233 MD Copley. 252 251 LS Staley. 249 245×2 244 238×2 J Layfield. 247 246 PJ&ES Rogerson. 246 239 231 P&E Ellis. 238 233 PM Bradley & Bros.
Lead grossing Continental Bulls £1937 £1859 LS Staley. £1898 £1790 £1717 £1706 J Layfield. £1857 £1820 £1795 £1790 £1730 £1719 AG Watson & Sons. £1816 £1805 £1768 £1715 £1641 JB Thompson. £1736 £1711 £1659 £1619 £1614 J&A Moralee. £1675 £1662 £1558 £1533 £1528 31525 MD Copley. £1669 £1650 £1586 PJ&ES Rogerson. £1628 £1603 £1597 £1564 £1539 £1534 JR Smith & Son. £1620 S&J Dent & Son. £1606 £1541 P&E Ellis. £1537 £1535 PM Bradley & Bros.
Friesian Bulls – Top prices ppk 193 187 180×2 177 J&JH Musgrave. 190 R Hall & Son. 185 JK&CE Farming. 182 178 175 161 JE&B Morgan. 179 170×2 GW Dobson & Son. 178 174 D Walker. 160 148 140 D Walker.
Lead Grossing Friesian Bulls £1187 R Hall & Son. £1135 JK&CE Farming. £1028 £984 £904 GW Dobson & Son. £1021 £1012 £827 £771 D Walker. £1019 £970 £954 £946 £928 J&JH Musgrave. £945 £940 £934 £850 JE&B Morgan.
Native Breed Bulls – Top prices ppk 230 226×2 217 W&R Kemp & Son. 184 MJ Hutchinson.Lead Grossing Native Breed Bulls £1323 £1297 £1237 £1224 W&R Kemp & Son. £1105 MJ Hutchinson.
Clean Cattle (111) – Boom! The clean beast trade was simply out of this world, how about a sale average of 258.79ppk for the 79 heifers sold, the statistics are unreal this week as a magnificent 7 sold beyond 290ppk and a further 11 sold 280-290ppk. Top price of the day went home North to Hexhamshire with regular supporter Richard Ridley of Dipton Foot Farm, Riding Mill; a beautiful 600kg Limousin selling for 298 pence per kilo. Joining Richard in the exclusive 290 club were amazingly 3 heifers from Watson Swinbank plus one apiece for local producers Nick Hodgson and Brian Walker plus the pick of a smart run from Melton Mowbray’s Marcus Smith. The steers followed suit with the smarter types an absolute flyer, top today of 268ppk came from J E Suddes & Son, Cornsay Colliery with a host chasing hard behind. With the extraordinary trade today there is little wonder that the gross values are impressive, twice in to the £2000 plus club went Barker Farming Partnership, Scorton with some hefty steers weighing either side of 800kg, may the deadweight price setters audacious enough to read this report tonight hang their heads in shame. To the heifers, a wonderful 25 sold beyond £1600, 11 of which were £1700 plus and the top pair amazingly checked in over £1800, both the top two were Limousins as a super 626kg from W J & A S Bowes & Sons, Great Stainton sold for £1809 and a 618kg beauty from W Swinbank & Sons, Caldwell led when selling for £1823. Credit to the vendors today as Northumberland, Durham, North Yorkshire, Cleveland, Cumbria, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire were all represented and very well rewarded, finally gratitude must be offered to the tremendous wholesalers and butchers who support the live auctions every week enabling great trades like the one witnessed today to be possible. Some super returns listed below.
W Swinbank & Sons, Caldwell sold 5 Heifers to average 286ppk and £1738
B Walker, Dalton-on-Tees sold 3 Heifers to average 284ppk and £1590
Barker Farming Partnership sold 4 Steers to average 248ppk and £1949
J E Suddes & Son, Cornsay Colliery sold 1 Steer, 3 Heifers to average 272ppk and £1693
J V & J A Hodgson, Summerhouse sold 5 Heifers to average 271ppk and £1598
W J & A S Bowes & Sons, Great Stainton sold 3 Heifers to average 267ppk and £1702
R A & B A Ridley & Son Ltd, Riding Mill sold 6 Heifers to average 266ppk and £1546
Continental Steers – Top prices ppk 268 JE Suddes & Son. 265 262 257 250×3 I Bosworth. 256 228 227 226 PR&V Barlow & son. 256 K&J Heslop. 255 2536 244 240 Barker Farming Partnership. 226 214 GW&L Marsay. 204×2 190 TH Hodgson & Sons.
Lead Grossing Continental Steers £2037 £2027 £1935 £1797 Barker Farming Partnership. £1743 £1607 £1557 31554 PR&V Barlow & Son. £1661 K&J Heslop. £1605 JE Suddes & son. £1513 £1488 £1485 £1362 £1330 £1252 I Bosworth. £1432 £1333 GW&L Marsay. £1303 £1205 TN Hodgson & Sons.
Continental Heifers – Top prices ppk 298 283 270 RA&BA Ridley & Son. 296 295 290 282 269 W Swinbank & Sons. 291 284 280 B Walker. 291 285 267×2 JV&JA Hodgson. 290 283 279 275 270 JR Smith & Son. 289 283 WJ&AS Bowes & Sons. 288 P&PJ Sayer. 287 268×2 JE Suddes & Son. 283 264 R Hirst. 279 262 SH Watson & Son. 275 PR&V Barlow & son. 268 AS Chapman. 268 MJ Croft. 266 D Robson & Sons. 266 263 K&J Heslop. 263 I Bosworth.
Lead Grossing Continental Heifers £1823 £1754 £1740 £1725 £1647 W Swinbank & Sons. £1809 £1703 £1595 WJ&AS Bowes & Sons. £1795 £1696 £1677 JE Suddes & Son. £1788×2 £1647 RA&BA Ridley & Son. £1752 £1661 £1607 £1577JV&JA Hodgson. £1738 £1705 SH Watson & Sons. £1709 £1584 B Walker. £1681 £1667 £1632 £1602 £1552 £1548 £1504 JR Smith & Son. £1677 PR&V Barlow & Son. £1653 AS Chapman. £1593 I Bosworth. £1570 R Hirst. £1555 P&PJ Sayer. £1541 £1507 J Richmond.
Native Breed Steers – Top prices ppk 265 236 AW Hurton & Son. 208 T Watson.Lead Grossing Native Breed Steers £1529 £1180 AW Hurton & Son. £1235 T Watson.
Native Breed Continental Heifers – Top prices ppk 215 208×2 T Watson.Lead Grossing Native Breed Heifers £1248 £1239 £1228 T Watson.
Cast Cows – Top prices ppk 200 183 158 AS Chapman. 164 PR&V Barlow & Son. 160 G Anderson.Lead Grossing Cast Cows £1336 £1141 £984 AS Chapman. £1156 PR&V Barlow. £1078 G Anderson.
OTM Heifers – Top prices ppk 240 236 230 220 210 198 JR Smith & Son. 223 AS Chapman.Lead Grossing OTM Heifers £1602 £1548 £1377 £1346 £1233 £1155 JR Smith & Son. £1054 AS Chapman.
Prime Lambs (1084) – On the lamb trade marches in tremendous form, no funny business or empty promises in Darlington, weighed and played with a straight bat left us with an immense all in average of 342 pence per kilo and £137.21 This time last year we were doing summersaults and lagging 80 pence per kilo behind these levels, all but the impossible to please surely have to be satisfied today. The Caldwell Cavalier himself John Simpson was at it again with an exceptional run of lambs, top price per kilo for John today a magical 409 pence with the outstanding run of 163 lambs averaging £156.10. Leading the gross values today were Cole Hill Farm Ltd, Elwick as they climbed as high as £183 with their 21 averaging £172.71. Good runs of sheep from far and wide this week as lambs from the Midlands up to Northumberland and everywhere in-between joined us taking our new season lamb numbers beyond 1000 for the first time this season, this confirms, as expected the wicked weather has things running 2 to 3 weeks behind.
Lambs – Top prices ppk 409 395 387 386 382 381 379 377 375×3 374 372 369×2 365 364×2 363×2 361 JC Simpson. 381 TW&PT Moss Ltd. 380×2 370 T Grix. 378 366 361 353 PR Weaver. 376 C Binks & Son. 372 368 D&PH Brown. 370 C Moralee & Sons. 368 363 361 356 355 350 Ian Kirk. 366 358×2 Cole Hill Farm Ltd. 363 JR Knox & Son. 361 T Nesbitt & Son. 359 J Hird. 356 351 JA&A Herbert. 354 JP Floyd. 352 W Kirk & Sons.
Lead Grossing Lambs £183 £165×2 Cole Hill Farm Ltd. £182 £180 £178 £174 £170 £163 £161 £159×2 £158 £157 £156.50 £154×3 JC Simpson. £175.50 £170 TW&PT Moss Ltd. £175 £166.50 £156 T Grix. £173 D&PH Brown. £170 £159 £155.50 PR Weaver. £165.50 J Hird. £163 T Patchett. £160 Ian Kirk. £158 C Binks & Son. £155.50 C Moralee & Sons. £155 T Lawson & Son. £154 W Kirk & Sons. £149.50 AW Sanderson. £149 D&PH Brown. £146 JA&A Herbert.
Prime Hoggs (601) – Still they appear, still they are in demand. Top price today a very pleasing 316ppk and £191 from R H Thompson & Son, Whins Farm; a great run of 120 Suffolk and Charollais hoggs from this good home today averaged 59kg and £176. The better fleshedd hoggs then are still very able to sell either side of 300ppk, remarkable for June.
Hoggs – Top prices ppk 316 310 309 307 303 301 296×2 295 293×2 RH Thompson & Son. 314 J&S Thompson. 314 295 J Dent. 308 302 M Robinson & Sons. 304 JL Potter & Sons. 301 287 281 RE&L Frank. 298 AW Sanderson. 295 J Hicks. 294 TN Callender. 294 D Blake. 291 DA Gill. 290 J Butterfield & Son. 289 C&M Atkinson & Sons.
Lead Grossing Hoggs £191 £190 £189 £186×2 £185×3 £182×2 £181 £179 £176 £175 £174 £170 RH Thompson. £179 £172 J Hicks. £170 £163 £150 F&N Cook. £166 £154 J&S Thompson. £158 AW Sanderson. £157 J Dent. £157 RE&L Frank. £153 JL Potter. £153 J Gilson Agriculture. £150 M Hutchinson. £147 D Blake. £144 £139 M Robinson & Sons.
Cast Ewes (398) – A plainer show this week however another three figure average is very good for the time of year, top of the tree at £150 were some lovely pure Texel’s from two separate vendors as Whitby based J P Floyd shared the gold medal with Capheaton’s R A Patterson & Son. Best of the Mule ewes this week were a pen of 17 strong sorts shown by B & S M Rutherford & Son, Old Cassop whilst horned ewes sold several times £80-£85.
Lead Grossing Cast Sheep £150 £140 £125 RA Patterson & Son. £150 £141 JP Floyd. £149 £134 C Moralee & Sons. £147 H Thompson. £140 P Cockburn. £137 JG Walton & Son. £135 D&PH Brown. £134 William Tindale. £133 DA Gill. £133 J&S Thompson. £130 £125×2 GC&JCPullan. £130 C&M Atkinson & Sons. £129 D&AM Bayles. £128×2 P&CM Graham. £128 V Petch. £126 AW Sanderson. £126 P Tindale. £126 TN Callender.
Prime Pigs (14) – The pig trade is perhaps very slightly better, the reason is obviously an increase in demand; possibly the 476,000 sausages which dropped through a barbeque grill this week are responsible?
Pigs – Top prices ppk 105×2 100 J Mitchell & Son. 90 RH Gray.Lead Grossing Pigs £82 £81 £74 J Mitchell & Son. £64 RH Gray.
