Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their weekly sale of cast cattle, store and breeding stock and also their fortnightly sale of fodder on Monday 5th January 2026. Forward were 186 cattle, 757 sheep and 311 lots of fodder.
92 Cast Cows/OTM sold to 386ppk or £3265
19 Young Bulls sold to £1680
40 Store Steers sold to £2380
35 Store Heifers sold to £1840
670 Store Hoggs sold to £148
87 Feeding Ewes sold to £162
311 Lots of Fodder sold to £120
Cast Cattle – The cows got off to a cracking start for the year, an absolute bag of dolly mixtures offered saw the green market status prove invaluable as from fit and finished to some frailer Friesian’s all classes sold very well. The sale averaged 265ppk and £1703. Top per kilo at 386 pence was an excellent 5-year-old British Blue crossed cow from WM Reed & Sons, Lands Farm; a 4-year-old British Blue from NG Beveridge, Low West House followed at 376ppk ahead of a smart 6-year-old British Blonde cow from CN Whitaker, Low House at 372ppk. Topping the gross values were a pair of magnificent black Limousin crossed cows from J Layfield, Nackshivan Farm; the very well finished duo sold for £3265 and £3067 apiece. Native breed prices per kilo topped at 320ppk for an Aberdeen Angus OTM heifer from A Wilson, Calf Close and 312ppk for a Lincoln Red cow from N Edmondson, Low Wood whilst the top native gross values went to Amy Donkin, West Hope with a strong Beef Shorthorn at an impressive £2272. Finally, the Friesian’s and top per kilo was a tidy heifer from AR & C Booth & Sons, Village Farm at 306ppk whilst the top of twenty-three forward in the lump went to G Thompson & Sons, Softley Farm at £1903.
Cast Cows – Top prices ppk 386 358 326 302×3 WM Reed & Sons. 376 NG Beveridge. 372 CN Whitaker. 366 J Dixon. 350 332 278 W Lodge & Sons. 350 336 334 326 320 312 306 296 J Layfield. 344 340 316 314 286×2 WA Wardman Ltd. 338 312 N Edmondson. 320×2 314 A Wilson. 318 294 TW Clark & Son. 306 AR&C Booth. 298 J Fletcher. 282 JD Bentley & Son. 280 K Hall. 280 OJ Kendall. 278 HS Hutchinson.
Lead Grossing Cast Cows £3265 £3067 £2809 £2588 £2568 £2449 £2261 J Layfield. £2961 CN Whitaker. £2815 £2684 W Lodge & Sons. £2628 NG Beveridge. £2569 £2438 £2345 £2329 £2154 £2100 £2084 WA Wardman Ltd. £2348 £2335 £2226 £2145 £2014 WM Reed & Sons. £2272 A Donkin. £2200 £2077 N Edmondson. £2140 £2037 TW Clark & Son. £2130 K Hall. £2084 JD Bentley & Son. £2008 JR Addison & Son. £2002 J Dixon.
Store Cattle – With the prime cattle ring in fine form there was perhaps little wonder that the store trade began 2026 in good order. Top of the day was a splendid 21-month-old Aberdeen Angus steer from Rose A Farms, Low Houselop when he sold for £2380, another from the same home followed at £2310. Native breeds dominated the top spots claiming a dozen of the top fifteen steer places and fifteen of the top twenty heifer prices. Pick of the heifers however went continental as a bonnie Limousin from TT Hall & Son, Church Farm sold for £1840. The young bulls earlier were almost exclusively first dairy crosses, top of the heap at £1680 was a nice 14-month-old British Blue from Wilkinson & Son, Carrsides Farm.
Store Bulls £1680 £1560×2 £1490×2 £1280×2 Wilkinson & Son. £1510 £1410 £1400 JK Gregory. £1500 £1400×2 £960 RB Farming Ltd. £1110 £980 £960 G&C Norminton.
Store Steers £2380 £2310 Rose A Farms. £2100×2 £1940×2 D Walker. £2080×5 £1900 K Buckle. £1980×2 £1900 £1840×3 £1820 £1780 SC Barron. £1840 £1760 GW&L Marsay. £1800×4 £1560×2 JP Phelan. £1780 £1720 £1610 £1600 I Newton & Son. £1750 J&MJ Walton. £1720 JR&J Crowe. £1580 G&C Norminton.
Store Heifers £1840 TT Hall & Son. £1830 JR&J Crowe. £1820×3 £1810×4 £1740×3 £1500×2 High Mains Partnership. £1740 £1560 W&C Iceton. £1740 £1440 RB Farming Ltd. £1660 £1380×2 J&S Thompson. £1610 I Newton. £1520 J&MJ Walton. £1400×2 M&O Trewhitt & Son.
Store Sheep – Hot were the hoggs as they flew very fast in to 2026 to average £111.31. Top at £148 was a smart Texel from P Swinbourne, Guys Close Farm. Three vendors then checked in at £140 as JR & J Crowe, Bishops Close joined S Fenwick, Southwood and GW Dobson & Son, Wood Close. Short keep hoggs traded anywhere from £130 upwards whilst the healthy runners were selling £100 to £125 and a marvellous Mule trade saw them top at £128 and average £118. Feeding ewes were again in great form as a plain show averaged £98.38. Top went to a strong Texel from WL Robinson & Partners, Prospect selling for £162, other fleshy lowland ewes sold either side of £150. Mule ewes sold to a top of £144, Cheviot’s to £142 and Swaledale’s to £100.
Store Lambs:
Texel – £148 £135 £133 £128 £119 P Swinburn. £140 S Fenwick. £137 £115 £112 £111 LD Laws. £134 P&AR Jopling. £128 £114 JF Henry. £123 £113 £108 £104 C Harle & Sons. £115 G&C Norminton.
Continental – £140 JR&J Crowe. £135 T&A Walton. £130 £128 £127×2 £125×2 £119 £118 Humbleton Farm. £121 GW Dobson & son. £121 £116 EMS Engineering. £117 JR Dowd.
Suffolk – £140 £132 GW Dobson. £113 L Daley.
Beltex – £129 T&A Walton. £124 JR Dowd.
Mule – £128 £113 Humbleton Farm.
Jacob – £114 Humbleton Farm.
Feeding Ewes:
Texel – £162 £152 £140 £138 £120 WL Robinson & Partners. £158 £138 C Harle & Sons. £150 £128 P&AR Jopling.
Suffolk – £156 WL Robinson & Partners.
Continental – £150 JF Henry. £118 P&AR Jopling.
Mule – £144 IR Appleton. £140 WL Robinson & Partners. £128 P&AR Jopling. £125 £112 JF Henry. £110 C&JC Stephenson.
Cheviot – £142 L Daley.
Swale – £100 J Carter.
Fodder – The feed and bedding trade continues at a very strong rate indeed.
440kg bags of rolled oats sold to £120 each, mini-Heston (4 string) bales of haylage sold at £65, round bale haylage sold to a top of £50, round bale silage sold to a top of £48, six string quadrant bales of straw at £48, round bale straw at £35 and fodder beet sold at £35 per ton.
