Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their weekly sale of cast cattle, store and breeding stock and their fortnightly sale of rearing calves on Monday 27th January 2025. Forward were 479 cattle, 911 sheep, 104 calves and 18 pigs.
118 Cast Cattle/OTM sold to 340ppk or £2387
7 Stock Bulls sold to 316ppk or £2809
29 In Calf Cows sold to £2700
4 Cows & Calves sold to £2450
38 Young Bulls sold to £1740
112 Store Steers sold to £2180
167 Store Heifers sold to £2110
780 Store Hoggs sold to £185
131 Feeding Ewes/Rams sold to £166
104 Rearing Calves sold to £640
18 Store Pigs sold to £62
Cast Cattle – The magnificent cow trade is unrelenting and marches on to see those over the scale this week average 226ppk and £1533 per head. A dozen cattle passed 300 pence per kilo, top of them all at 340 pence was a superb OTM Limousin heifer from T W Clark & Son, Frankland Park Farm; OTM’s from D Walker, High Woodifield East and I M Maughan, New Hall followed in the 330’s ahead of our leading older cow per kilo which was a tremendous Limousin from M Wilson, Arngill House at 322ppk. A marvellous British Blonde topped the cows in the lump as the 775kg superstar from J & C Barker, Greylands Farm sold for 308ppk which totted her up to an impressive £2387; Limousin cows from both W J & A S Bowes & Sons, Stainton Hill and J N Swinbank, Cold Comfort also surpassed £2300. Top of the native breed cows this week per kilo was a remarkable 10-year-old Aberdeen Angus from E Wilson, White Hills which sold for 276 pence, pick of the native breed cow gross values was a thumping Beef Shorthorn from N & A Hunter, Woodlands Hall which sold for a mighty £2279. Limousins led a flying stock bull trade this week with two vendors with 5-year-olds setting the pace as J R & J A Wharton, Segbushwell, 316ppk and £2796 joined A & A G Moralee, Lowfield Farm at 306ppk and £2809 up at the top of the day’s trading; three other breeds surpassed £2500 as a British Blonde, Beef Shorthorn and a Simmental all impressed. Included in the averages were no less than forty-six pure dairy breeds, top of them all at an eye-watering 266ppk and £2029 was a wonderful Holstein OTM heifer from T G & K Fisher, The Glebe; the same good home also sold a marvellous Montbeliarde at 254ppk and £1844.
Cast Cows/OTM Leading PPK – 340 308 244 T W Clark & Son. 334 D Walker. 330 314 298 274 I M Maughan. 322 M Wilson. 310 252 Northfield Farms. 308 286 J & C Barker. 304 250 G C & K J White & Son. 300 J Brearley. 292 270 264 W J & A S Bowes & Sons. 282 R W Welford & Sons. 282 A Wilson. 282 276 W A Dinsdale & Son. 276 E Wilson. 274 J Mitchell & Son. 270 254 J N Swinbank. 270 R Bradley & Son. 266 254 Messrs T G & K Fisher. 260 Angram Livestock Ltd. 250 M J Marley. 244(x2) R L Walker.
Stock Bulls Leading PPK – 316 J R & J A Wharton. 306 A & A G Moralee. 274 G A Swinbank. 226 A Wilson. 218 R W Welford & Sons. 218 S Beeforth. 200 J J Horn.
Cast Cows/OTM Leading Gross – £2387 £1896 J & C Barker. £2376 £2284 £2278 W J & A S Bowes & Sons. £2303 £1795 J N Swinbank. £2279 N & A Hunter. £2234 M Wilson. £2201 D Walker. £2182 £1976 £1918 £1680 I M Maughan. £2134 £1940 W A Dinsdale & Son. £2029 £1844 £1734 £1654 Messrs T G & K Fisher. £1960 G C & K J White & Son. £1954 E Wilson. £1952 £1689 R Bradley & Son. £1948 J Mitchell & Son. £1910 R L Walker. £1907 £1695 T W Clark & Son. £1845 J Brearley. £1829 Northfield Farms. £1824 A & A G Moralee. £1778 R I & M J Murray. £1701 F Fabi. £1657 M J Marley.
Stock Bulls Leading Gross – £2809 A & A G Moralee. £2796 J R & J A Wharton. £2633 G A Swinbank. £2620 S Beeforth. £2560 A Wilson. £2084 R W Welford & Sons. £1594 J J Horn.
Breeding Cattle – Darlington Mart were today privileged to disperse the suckler cows of John Norman, Aysdale Gate Farm, Guisborough; John has been a valued customer here for over twenty years. The dispersal was terrifically well supported by our regular buyers who bid hard alongside a host of friends and neighbours which ensured the herd went out on a marvellous high; the cows were in calf to a Charolais bull and due over the next few months, the top call of £2700 was twice made by British Blue crossed cows (6 & 7 years old). The twenty-nine cows from Aysdale left with an excellent average of £1966 per head. Elsewhere in the breeders an impressive 10-year-old British Blue cow with a Limousin sired bull calf at foot from W Ramsay & Sons, Blakeley Hill impressed at £2450 and a British Blonde with bull calf from T W & G Corner, Rye Close sold for £2050.
In Calf Cows – £2700(x2) £2550 £2450 £2350(x2) £2250 £2200 £2080 £2020 £2000 £1920 £1900(x4) £1880 £1820 £1800 £1780 £1750(x2) £1700(x3) £1600 £1550 £1420 £1400 J Norman.
Cows & Calves – £2450 £1950 W Ramsay & Sons. £2050 £1500 T W & G Corner.
Store Cattle – The supersonic store trade continues, a normal week if there is such a thing nowadays and young bulls average £1336, steers £1462 and heifers £1470. Young bulls to begin with and top today of £1740 went to an excellent 14-month-old Limousin from the annual consignment of W Lodge & Sons, Nags Fold Farm; next in line was a brilliant 9-month-old Limousin from J & P Armstrong, Sherburn Tower Farm at £1610. W T Hall of Humber Hill Farm followed at £1590 with a 9-month-old Charolais then more came from the Lodge and Armstrong pens as the bull trade booms. Top of the store cattle today was a superb British Blue steer from A Thompson, White House Farm when he sold for £2180, following at £2110 was our top native and top heifer as an excellent Aberdeen Angus from B & B Kitching & Son, Elstob Cottage Farm impressed. A tidy Limousin heifer from Commondale based L W Martin checked in at £2060 followed by four vendors all tied at £1990. Of the under-year beasts today, the highlights included Simmental and Charolais steers from E Parsons, Newstead Farm to a top of £1610 as all breeds, shapes and sizes remain extraordinarily easy to sell.
Store Bulls £1740 £1560×3 £1500 £1490×3 £1470×3 £1460×2 £1400×2 £1340×2 £1020 W Lodge & Sons. £1610 £1510×2 £1480×2 J&P Armstrong. £1610×2 £1580 £1540×2 E Parsons. £1590 £1480 £1150×2 WT Hall. £1430 £1280 £1200 GA Swinbank. £1020×2 £990×2 AW Dixon. £1000×2 A Swinbank.
Store Steers £2180 A Thompson. £1990 £1740 W&J Herbert. £1990 JR&L Harding. £1990 £1960 £1930 £1900 L&BM Kidd & Son. £1990 £1870 £1850 £1800 £1770 DR Smith. £1900 A&AG Moralee. £1860 £1700 D Walker. £1830 £1790 £1700 £1670×2 ££1660 £1650 £1620×2 £1610 £1580 £1550 £1540 K Metcalfe. £1780 £1570×2 W&C Iceton. £1600×2 B Storey. £1590 R&W Todd. £1580 G Bolton. £1570×2 W Wearmouth & Son. £1550 W&JM Clifford. £1540 C&N Waters. £1540 £1530×2 PT Stephenson.
Store Heifers £2110 £1850×2 B&B Kitching & Son. £2060 £1910 £1660×2 LW Martin. £1960 £1880×2 £1800 £1700 A&AG Moralee. £1920 £1840×2 £1780 CH&MC Phalp. £1860×2 A Wilson. £1790 CN Bentley. £1750 J&C Barker. £1730×6 £1660×6 JH&C Ltd Oulton. £1730 £1600 £1590×5 RB Farming Ltd. £1720 £1670×2 £1630 TN Hodgson & Son. £1700 JR&J Crowe. £1690 £1680 GL&M Steel. £1650 JR&J Crowe. £1640×4 Wilkinson & Son. £1620 JN Swinbank. £1620 JR&J Crowe. £1610 GL&M Steel. £1600 W&J Herbert. £1600 JC Thwaite & Son. £1600 DR Smith.
Store Sheep – Much like the cattle trade the store sheep continue in excellent form, the sale average of £113 this week although down a touch on paper contained many smaller hoggs and hill bred types as in reality they would be every bit as dear as we have seen. Two terrific Beltex hoggs from A & B Herworth, Crake Scar Farm set the pace when they sold for an impressive £185 per head, the same good home followed at £170 and £168. Plenty of the strong hoggs again sold in the £140’s and £150’s whilst long keep sorts are predominantly in three figures. Mule hoggs topped at £135.50 for a pen of eighteen from D R Smith, East Roughlea whilst Cheviot’s sold to £119, Blackface £117 and Swaledale’s to £70. Feeding ewes remain good to move, top this week was a Texel from J D Brannen, Red Barns at £166; Suffolks sold to £160 from S Pybourne, Wolsingham whilst Mule’s topped at £132 and Blackface at £103 from N Medd & Son, West Whorley Hill and Swaledale’s sold to £95 from W B Rutter & Sons, Greengill Farm.
Store Hoggs
Beltex – £185 £170 £168 A & B Herworth. £147 £139.50 J D Brannen.
Texel – £155 £140.50 £138 D R Smith. £147 £142 £128 J Waters. £147 £141 £123 £122 N B & R Hird. £144 Angram Livestock. £142 S Pybourne. £138 K A & V Armstrong. £132 G Potts. £132 R W Spry. £131 J S Wiper. £126 W B Rutter & Sons. £124 R & J Myers. £123 £122 M R Souter.
Dutch Spotted – £134 £126 £109 A Wilson.
Suffolk – £149 £136 £128 D Alderson. £144 £111 A & B Herworth. £143 D R Smith. £126 K Liversedge. £120 G Hall. £114 R & J Myers. £113 J J M Lonsdale.
Continental – £141 £120 D Alderson. £139 £100 D H Craig. £126 £117 B Stevenson. £115 £107 P M Hill.
Mule – £135.50 D R Smith. £134 M G & W D Burton. £129 W B Rutter & Sons. £125 N Medd & Son. £118 M R Souter. £118 N B & R Hird. £116 J J M Lonsdale. £110 R & J Myers. £110 D Alderson. £108 J D Teasdale.
Cheviot – £119 W B Rutter & Sons. £105 R & J Myers.
Blackface – £117 P N Dodsworth
Blue Face Leicester – £113 J J M Lonsdale.
Swaledale – £70 C & J C Stephenson. £62 J J M Lonsdale. £56 £55 J D Teasdale.
Feeding Ewes/Rams
£166 £149 £147 J D Brannen. £160 £148 S Pybourne. £142 £101 K & V Armstrong. £140 £138 £104 J J M Lonsdale. £139 £127 £121 £107 W B Rutter & Sons. £133 £119 £101 J R Mann. £132 £130 £103 N Medd & Son. £129 C G Barraclough. £121 A Martin & Co. £112 R W Spry.
Rearing Calves – With the finished article flying there is little wonder that the calves look a fine trade indeed; many younger calves and also more pure dairy breeds included this time mattered little as the average remained similar on a fortnight ago at £379.57, in real terms considerably dearer. Top of the day went to Deerness Valley Dairy with a British Blue bull calf at £640; the same good home topped the heifer calf trade at £530 also with a British Blue, both claves were born on 14th November 2024. Away from the well know Blue’s the popularity of the Inra 95 continues to surge, the half a dozen bulls today (all December born) from two vendors levelled the fast-advancing French breed just £2 short of their Belgium originated rivals.
Averages
23 British Blue Bulls average £462
6 Inra 95 Bulls average £460
13 Aberdeen Angus Bulls average £433
1 Brown Swiss Bull average £285
1 Limousin Bull average £280
23 Friesian Bulls average £237
3 Limousin Heifers average £426
20 British Blue Heifers average £414
9 Inra 95 Heifers average £387
5 Aberdeen Angus Heifers average £275
Bull Calves:
British Blue – £640 £615 £565×2 £540 £500×2 £375×2 £320 Deerness Valley Dairy. £590 MG&WD Burton. £490 £360 Brenjulin Farm. £190 £185 £475 £465×2 £330 G Thompson & Sons. £385×2 £365×2 H Gibb & Son.
Angus – £560×2 £500×2 £430 £260×2 Deerness Valley Dairy. £550 £470 G Thompson & Sons. £415 Kitchings of Summerfield. £375×3 H Gibb & Son.
Friesian – £545 CN Bentley. £325 £300 £195×2 Kitchings of Summerfield. £260×2 £240×3 £225×3 £200×3 £195×3 £160 SJ Kellett & Son. £200×2 H Gibb & Son.
Inra 95 – £525 £505 £475 £420 Kitchings of Summerfield. £440 £400 J&A Stevenson & Sons.
Brown Swiss – £285 J&A Stevenson & Sons.
Limousin – £280 Brenjulin Farm.
Heifer Calves:
British Blue – £530 £500 £495 £460 £450 £430 £400 Deerness Valley Dairy. £495 £460 G Thomson & Sons. £410 H Gibb & Son. £390 CN Bentley. £385×4 £375×3 £300 H Gibb & Son.
Limousin – £520 CN Bentley. £380×2 Brenjulin Farm.
Inra 95 – £440 J&A Stevenson & Sons. £410×3 £390 £365 £360×2 Kitchings of Summerfield.
Angus – £325 £250×3 H Gibb & Son. £300 Deerness Valley Dairy.
Store Pigs – Thankfully the auctioneer passed a late fitness test to sell the store pigs this morning following a grinding incident at the weekend.
Metal fragments in the eye, shame on those of you who have wrongly assumed an alternative use of the verb ‘grinding’.
Leading Prices
£62(x2) G W & L Marsay. £50(x2) M & A Gaskin.
