Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held a monthly sale of rearing calves alongside their weekly sale of cast cattle, store and breeding stock on Monday 25th March 2024. Forward were 389 cattle, 283 sheep and 24 pigs.
101 Cast Cows/OTM sold to 288ppk or £1979
3 Stock Bulls sold to 230ppk or £1895
66 Rearing Calves sold to £560
35 Young Bulls sold to £1650
77 Store Steers sold to £1980
107 Store Heifers sold to £1740
2 Ewes with Lambs sold to £260
250 Store Hoggs sold to £176
27 Feeding Ewes sold to £144
24 Prime Pigs sold to 104ppk or £98
Cast Cattle – Trade remains excellent; with youth on the side of a fair proportion of today’s offering helping to elevate the sale average to a terrific 194 pence per kilo and £1238 per head. Some of the younger beast duly led the prices as sharp Hereford steers from B Cave, Rowley topped at 288ppk and £1979. A magnificent Limousin crossed cow from J B Luck & Son, Bowes led the older ladies over the line when she sold for 248ppk and £1822 only bettered by a thumping Limousin from A C Simpson & Son at £1859. A fast Friesian trade saw them top at 220ppk and £1509 for an OTM heifer from Messrs Sayer and Tallantire, Gayles. Just a trio of bulls over the scale today, top per kilo at 230 pence was a handy weight Lincoln Red from TAE & ARJ Dobell, Wormingford however probably the pick of the bull bunch due to his impressive gross value was an excellent young Beef Shorthorn from A J Gibson Farming, Gibside which sold for 222ppk and £1895.
Cast Cows – Top prices ppk 278 GK KN & GJ Hird. 248 JB Luck. 240 P&CM Graham. 228 BR Lawson. 224 AC Simpson & Son. 220 JD&IW Sayer & Tallentire. 216 200 WR Thompson. 213 J Dixon. 210 202 200 198 194×2 193 190 JD&G Hugill. 207 RE Dickson. 204 AJ Hunter. 201 Stevens & Son. 199 196 ABP Wilsons. 197 G Thompson & Sons. 194 Duell Partners. 190 GW&L Marsay. 190 Northfield Farms. 188 T&C Smith. 188 Wilkinson & Son. 188 TC Walton.
Lead Grossing Cast Cows £1859 £1344 AC Simpson & Son. £1822 JB Luck & Son. £1762 GK KN & GJ Hird. £1601 GW&L Marsay. £1581 £1468 WR Thompson. £1550 P&CM Graham. £1535 £1481 £1427 £1372 £1361 JD&G Hugill. £1524 G Hall. £1509 JD&IW Sayer & Tallentire. £1503 RE Dickson. £1458 Duell Partners. £1452 £1408 Deerness Valley Dairy. £1390 J Dixon. £1389 ABP Wilsons. £1383 TC Walton. £1377 Northfield Farms. £1357 GW Dobson & son. £1332 WJ&FJ Hadley.
Cast Bulls – Top prices ppk 230 T&E & ARJ Dobell. 222 AJ Gibson Farming. 140 W Emerson.
Lead Grossing Cast Bulls £1895 AJ Gibson Farming. £1308 TAE&ARJ Dobell. £894 W Emerson.
OTM Cattle 288 284 282 280 254 250 249 248 244 242 B Cave. 252 234 218 GA Rogerson & Son.
Lead Grossing OTM Cattle £1979 £1915 £1831 £1817 £1595 £1426 £1353 £1319 £1279 B Cave. £1519 £1516 £1447 £1319 GA Rogerson & Son.
Today’s calf average was a great £369, with calves in demand yet again, the sale did not disappoint. A range of calves attended, however a great show overall. Top of the day for the bulls was a brilliant blue from Wilkinsons & Son, Carrsides Farm, making £560. Following with another Blue was CN Bentley, The Gables, which made £540. Parthenais cattle to £510 from HM Dent, East Farm, whilst Angus’ topped at £455 from ME Robinson & Sons, Robin Hill. Simmental Bulls from CN Bentley also topped at £500.
Taking home top price again was Wilkinson & Son, Carrsides Farm, with a blue heifer at £460. Closely following with the Blues was ME Robinson & Sons, making £440. Angus’ and South Devon Heifers topped at £390 from ME Robinson & Sons, who also topped with the Herefords at £380. Following behind closely with top priced heifers of the day, was CN Bentley with a Blue, making £420.
Calves Leading Prices-
Bulls:
British Blue- £560 £510 £500 £480 £450 x3 Wilkinson & Son. £540 £480 425 £365 CN Bentley. £530 £510 HM Dent. £530 £450 SJ Kellett & Son. £480 ME Robinson & Sons. £350 J&A Stevenson & Sons.
Parthenaise- £510 £500 x2 HM Dent.
Simmental- £500 £410 £320 CN Bentley.
Angus- £455 £430 £425 £415 £380 ME Robinson & Sons.
Inra 95- £410 £390 J&A Stevenson & Sons.
South Devon- £380 ME Robinson & Sons.
Hereford- £225 John Archer.
Friesian- £170 x3 SJ Kellett & Son.
Heifers:
British Blue- £460 £430 £390 £385 £350 x2 Wilkinson & Son. £440 ME Robinson & Sons. £420 £345 CN Bentley.
Angus- £390 x2 ME Robinson & Sons.
South Devon- £390 ME Robinson & Sons.
Hereford- £380 £360 ME Robinson & Sons. £200 John Archer.
Limousin- £250 RW Raper & Sons.
Store Cattle – The store cattle bubble shows no signs of bursting as prices remain exceptional for all shapes and sizes. A blistering young bull trade kicked off proceedings with highlights aplenty, the top six all 11-12 months of age sold over £1500 including British Blonde’s from J J Horn, Marske and Limousin’s from R White, Middleton Tyas however non could catch three super Limousin’s from E Parsons, Little Stainton which sold between £1570 and £1650. Limousins also topped the store cattle thanks to some excellent two-year old’s from D W Dresser, Greatham with heifers to £1740 and a stunning steer selling for £1980. Elsewhere some fabulous 20-month-old Beef Shorthorn steers continued A J Gibson Farming’s successful day selling at £1600 and £1550 whereas the pick of the native heifers was an excellent Aberdeen Angus from F Crawford, Gainford at £1480.
Store Bulls £1650 31590 £1570 £1420×2 E Parsons. £1550 £1410 £1370 £1300 £1210 £1150 £1020 R White. £1530 £1500 £1480 £1470 £1410 £1320 JJ Horn. £1460 £1400 £1370 Messrs Ashley. £1250×3 £1160 £1150 £1050 Wilkinson & Son. £1140 JS Foster & Son. £1130 £870 £845 RW Raper & Sons. £890 RW&NV Chamley.
Store Steers £1980 DW Dresser. £1600 £1550 £1470 AJ Gibson Farming. £1490 £1480 £1420 D&HM Hodgson. £1480 31460 F Crawford. £1460 £1310×2 L&BM Kidd & Son. £1440 RW Dalton. £1420×4 R Errington & Son. £1420×2 D Walker. £1410 WB Rutter & Sons. £1400 K Sayer. £1380 CH&MC Phalp. £1370×4 £1330 HS Hutchinson. £1350 GW&M Singleton & Sons. £1300×2 £1255 I Newton & son.
Store Heifers £1740 £1680 DW Dresser. £1480 £1390×3 F Crawford. £1410 MW Cook & Son. £1390×2 £1260×2 £1230 JP&R Ward. £1380 £1240 GW&M Singleton & sons. £1340 £1250 WB Rutter & Sons. £1260×2 £1200×3 Wilkinson & Son. £1260 £1250 JR&L Harding. £1210 £1190 CH&MC Phalp. £1190×2 W&JM Clifford. £1190 £1180 £1170 J Davies. £1190 RW Dalton.
Store Sheep – The numbers may be drying but the unbelievable trade continues as the hogg buyers foot remains very firmly pressed on the accelerator. Top today at £176 were a fabulous pair of Texel hoggs from Northfield Farms, Bowes; a super single from D & M Buck followed at £174 ahead of a plethora of the stronger types between £150 and £170. Mule hoggs topped at £135 from W H Brown, Swale Hall and the same good home also topped a sharper feeding ewe trade with a Texel at £144.
Store Hoggs:
Texel – £176 £170 Northfield Farms. £174 D&M Buck. £166 £150 S Thompson & Son. £164 G Williamson. £164 £156 £144 £100 WH Brown. £140 £111 N Gill. £138 £84 GH&RG Stobbs. £116 £96
Continental – £164 £132×2 £92 380 P Kirk. £154 £90 £88 A Tunstall. £143 £136 £110 N Gill. £132 WH Brown. £120 £105 D&M Buck. £95 P Wilks.
Mule – £135 WH Brown. £118 £94 J Campbell. £79 G Williamson. £76 GH&RG Stobbs.
Suffolk – £84 P Wilks.
Swale – £70 Northfield Farms. £70 WH Brown.
Feeding Ewes £144 £110 WH Brown. £142 £138 £120 AJ Gibson Farming. £131 £84 £60 A Spence. £120 Northfield Farms. £116 P Armstrong. £113 £90 CA&J Kipling. £94 A Tunstall. £90 £77 P Kirk.
Ewes & Lambs £260 LJ Thompson.
Prime Pigs – The pigs are now permanently moved to a Monday; trade continues to go up and down like a bride’s nightgown and there was sadly little to be excited about today. On a brighter note the homemade sweet treats were truly exceptional, the best yet!
Pigs – Top prices ppk 104 102 97 C Weightman. 100×2 94 72 J Mitchell & Son.
Lead Grossing pigs £101 £85 £83 C Weightman. £84 £80 £76 £72 J Mitchell & Son.
