Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their weekly sale of cast cattle, store and breeding stock on Monday 12th May 2025. Forward were 343 cattle and 447 sheep.
69 Cast Cows/OTM sold to 364ppk or £2984
4 Stock Bulls sold to 318ppk or £3548
34 Young Bulls sold to £1860
81 Store Steers sold to £2600
155 Store Heifers sold to £2600
58 Ewes & Lambs sold to £330
96 Hoggs & Lambs sold to £330
48 Store Hoggs sold to £144
75 Feeding Ewes/Rams sold to £202
Cast Cattle – A tidy show presented afore the weekly ringside of buyers, trade perhaps a shade easier than the recent high levels however still very healthy to average 264ppk and £1850 per head which sits a remarkable 72ppk and £656 in front of this week last year. Top per kilo at 364 pence was an excellent 6-year-old Limousin cow from J H Brown, West Hartburn Farm, the top eight per kilo were all genuine cows all over 48-months and selling from 312ppk upwards. The top gross valued cow was a thumping Limousin from B Watson, Baal Hill Farm which sold for an impressive £2984, following at £2853 was a cracker from T N Callender, Ox Eye Farm at £2853 just ahead of a hefty Aberdeen Angus cow from B Cave, Whitehall Farm at £2676. The pick of the dairy cows this week was a fleshy 37-month-old Friesian from R & W Todd, High Toft Hill Farm at 280ppk and £1744 whilst a great quartet of stock bulls saw them all sell over £2700 to a terrific top of £3548 for a stunning 1116kg Limousin from G & E A Herdman, Luns House Farm.
Cast Cattle/OTM Leading PPK – 364 J H Brown. 338 326 GK, KN & GJ Hird. 328(x2) B Watson. 328 T N Callender. 312(x2) 300 296 J B Luck & Son. 310(x3) 276 J J Dowson & Son. 302 W & M Knaggs & Son. 302 T E Dobson. 292 286 R Bradley & Son. 286 J L & J A Sunter. 284 J R Calvert. 284 C Moffett. 282 I M Maughan. 280 R & W Todd. 276 I & R A Watson. 274 M Metcalfe. 274 F Hare & Sons. 272 W A Wardman Ltd.
Stock Bulls Leading PPK – 318 G & E A Herdman. 318 J J Kemp & Son. 290 E Scott & Sons. 264 R W Raper & Sons.
Cast Cows/OTM Leading Gross – £2984 £2056 B Watson. £2853 T N Callender. £2676 £2291 £2092 B Cave. £2420 J H Brown. £2337 £2010 C Moffett. £2331 £2190 £2171 £2101 J B Luck & Son. £2307 W & M Knaggs & Son. £2290 £2160 R Bradley & Son. £2212 D Barron. £2207 £2066 GK, KN & GJ Hird. £2164 J Richmond. £2126 T E Dobson. £2104 J L & J A Sunter. £2095 £2073 J J Dowson & Son. £2085 F Ward.
Stock Bulls Leading Gross – £3548 G & E A Herdman. £3097 J J Kemp & Son. £2987 E Scott & Sons. £2724 R W Raper & Sons.
Store Cattle – Trade remains firm, arguably not as fiery as in recent times but still absolutely excellent looking at the bigger picture. Topping the day were a run of superb Limousin crossed cattle from D W Dresser, Hall Farm as the prolific Greatham based firm sold two-year-old heifers and steers to £2600. Aberdeen Angus sat at the top of the native breed list this week as both W & J Herbert, Woodwell House and G L & M Steel, Bunker Hill produced steers at £2320 apiece. Yearling stores continue to impress, none more so this week than an outstanding Limousin heifer from F Ward, Rogerley Hall reaching £2040, the super run of twenty-one from Rogerley Hall averaged a pleasing £1890. Earlier in the day the young bulls went under the hammer, perhaps a touch more resistance here than with the steers and heifers however still on average £500 ahead on the year; top price went to Wilkinson & Son, Carrsides Farm with a trio of dairy crossed British Blue’s at £1890.
Store Bulls £1860×3 £1700×3 Wilkinson & Son. £1820 £1480×2 £1440 A Gregg. £1620×3 £1440 R Simpson & Sons. £1580 £1380 TT Hall & Son. £1560×2 £1380 £1280×3 MJ Hutchinson. £1360 HS Hutchinson. £1300×2 £1240 WD Richardson. £1040×4 F&A Gilchrist.
Store Steers £2600 DW Dresser. £2450 £2320 GL&M Steel. £2320 £2140 R Stainthorpe. £2320 £2040 £1800 W&J Herbert. £2080 GW&L Marsay. £2080×2 £2000 £1960 GW&M Singleton & Sons. £2000×2 £1920 £1840 £1800 £1720 £1700 F Ward. £1980 £1720 C&M Burnett. £1940 31800 £1720 31640 E Taylor & Son. £1920×2 IW Cairns. £1880 £1680 A&D Heyes. £1860 GT&MA Wearmouth. £1800 £1780×2 £1720 JC Smith. £1780 WA Wardman Ltd.
Store Heifers £2600 £1900 DW Dresser. £2260 £2120 IM Maughan. £2120 £1800 31720 W&J Herbert. £2040 £1980×3 £1940×4 £1900×4 F Ward. £2000×2 GT&MA Wearmouth. £1960×4 B Needham. £1960 £1900×4 Wilkinson & Son. £1940 D&HM Hodgson. £1920 £1800 E Taylor & Son. £1920 £1900 W&JM Clifford. £1860×2 S&RT Lowson. £1860 JW Richardson. £1820×2 £1740×2 A&AG Moralee. £1800 £1780 £1760 WA Wardman Ltd. £1800 W Wearmouth & Son. £1800 GW&L Marsay.
Store Sheep – The store hoggs remain in fine form and the feeding ewe trade is bouncing along nicely. Top of the hoggs at £144 were a fine pair of Charollais from A Bloomfield, Aeolian House; the same good home followed with another two at £142 ahead of nineteen excellent Cheviot cross Lleyn hoggs from J & J Clark, Bowlees Farm at £120. Feeding ewes and rams averaged a stunning £143, top of them all at £202 was a heavy Texel from T T Hall & Son, Church Farm whilst Mule ewes topped at £170 from G W Dobson & Son, Wood Close Farm.
Leading Prices
Store Hoggs – £144 £142 A Bloomfield. £120 £116 J & J Clark. £120 M Toas. £100 Brad Valks. £90 E Walsh. £88 S & D Ferrie.
Feeding Ewes/Rams – £202 £186 T T Hall & Son. £196 £182 £161 £154 £150 £148 J W Richardson. £175 £174 Ainsty Farms. £170 Dorothy Watson. £170 G W Dobson & Son. £170 G H Lister. £166 £160 Kirkbride & Bell. £164 Rachel Valks. £163 £149 J P & R Ward.
Breeding Sheep – The lack of rainfall is poaching the grass and is now really beginning to hurt the breeding sheep trade, following last week’s miraculous prices the ewes and hoggs with lambs were much harder work today. Top of the sale at £330 were two vendors as a pair of Texel ewes with twins from R A Patterson & Son, White House Farm matched five excellent Mule hoggs with single lambs from R G Johnson & Son, Summerfield Farm.
Ewes & Lambs – £330 £290 £285 £250 R A Patterson & Son. £305 £275 £215(x2) £205 G Sedgewick. £280 £220 M Toas. £264 D M & P M Nelson & Son. £260 J W Richardson. £208 £200 B R Lawson.
Hoggs & Lambs – £330 R G Johnson & Son. £280(x2) H S Hutchinson. £250 £200 M W Reed. £225 I Hedley. £205 £200 M W Reed & Sons.
