Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their weekly sale of cast cattle, store and breeding stock and their fortnightly sale of rearing calves on Monday 24th February 2025. Forward were 283 cattle, 735 sheep, 36 calves and 2 pigs.
92 Cast Cows/OTM sold to 370ppk or £2993
3 Stock Bulls sold to 346ppk or £3214
17 Breeding Cattle sold to £2120
35 Young Bulls sold to £1830
48 Store Steers sold to £2280
88 Store Heifers sold to £2280
621 Store Hoggs sold to £190
114 Feeding Ewes/Rams sold to £221
36 Rearing Calves sold to £645
2 Store Sows sold to £150
Cast Cattle – The cow trade is a wow trade, those in the first-class carriages calling at Darlington were again shouting green for go as further proof materialised that when it comes to selling cows a red market is a dead market. Top of the shop at 370ppk and £2993 was a wonderful 6-year-old British Blue crossed cow from W A Dinsdale & Son, Harkerside Place; the same good home followed at 346ppk and £2404 with a 5-year-old, parting them was a stunning 6-year-old Limousin from T W Hutchinson, Bail Hill Farm at 320ppk and £2665. Top of the native breeds was a tremendous Longhorn OTM steer from G Willey, Broomfield Farm at a whopping 348ppk whilst top in the lump was a cracking Aberdeen Angus at £2051 from P D Shepherd, Glebe Farm. Stock bull trade was again exemplary and none bettered a 34-month-old Aberdeen Angus from G & J H Tomlinson & Son, Sunniside Farm when he raised the roof selling for 346ppk and £3214. Top of the dairy breeds was a marvellous 5-year-old Montbeliarde from J E Holliday & Son, Woodland House Farm at an incredible 272ppk and £2205 whilst Friesian females peaked at 308ppk and £2186 from R Summerson, Limber Hill Farm. More on the milk maids before we finish as forty-two were offered on the week and saw… Friesian’s to 308ppk or £2186; Montbeliarde’s to 272ppk or £2205; Fleckvieh’s to 246ppk or £2174; Jersey’s to 218ppk or £1055; Brown Swiss to 218ppk or £1445 and Ayrshire’s to 218ppk or £1310.
Cast Cows – Top prices ppk 370 346 246 WA Dinsdale & Son. 320 TW Hutchinson. 318 244 TF Bothroyd & Son. 316 P&CM Graham. 314 300 246 J Dixon. 312 Forster Hall & Sons. 308 R Summerson. 304×2 Tallentire. 300 AC Simpson. 294 288 286 282 S Jackson. 274 252 DW Humphrey. 272 JE Holliday & Son. 264 Juaul Farms. 264 244 JP&R Ward. 260 C Binks & Son. 256 F Fabi. 254 JB Thompson. 248 246 Anderson. 248 W&OM Jackson & Son. 246 N&AD Brass & Son. 246 JR Wesson. 244 C&M Burnett. 244 HM Dent.
Lead Grossing Cows – £2993 £2404 WA Dinsdale & Son. £2665 TW Hutchinson. £2331 AC Simpson & Son. £2205 £1773 JE Holiday & Son. £2186 R Summerson. £2174 N&AD Brass & Son. £2135 £1917 £1881 £1667 FS Sturrock & Sons. £2070 £1899 J Dixon. £2051 £1679 PD Shepherd Farm. £2037 Forster Hall & Sons. £1937 F Fabi. £1920 £1879 DW Humphrey. £1892 P&CM Graham. £1864 HM Dent. £1845 Tallentire. £1842 £1730 JP&R Ward. £1839 F Hare & Sons. £1781 £1664 £1635 S Jackson. £1755 C Binks & Son. £1659 TF Bothroyd & Son.
Cast Bulls – Top prices ppk 346 G&JH Tomlison & Son. 278 FS Sturrock & Sons. 250 JF Latimer.
Lead Grossing Cast Bulls £3214 G&JH Tomlinson & Son. £2777 FS Sturrock & Sons. £1177 JF Latimer.
OTM Steers – Top prices ppk 348 338 GA Willey.
Lead Grossing OTM Steers £2041 £1983 GA Willey.
Store & Breeding Cattle – Never mind the Calcutta cup, the cattle trade put in a faultless performance, much more like the free scoring French. The recent upward trajectory just goes on and on as the supersonic steers averaged £1757, the harmonious heifers £1721 and the brilliant young bulls £1346. Beginning with the bulls, the top half dozen were all just 9-months-old as five fantastic Aberdeen Angus from C Dawson, Nunstainton checked in between £1770 and £1830 and were duly joined by a lovely Limousin from T Common & Son, Low Ardley at £1770. The store cattle trade looks exceptional, three beasts led the way at £2280 when a strong 2-year-old Limousin heifer from G H & R G Stobbs, High Wiserley Farm was matched by an excellent pair of 16-month-old Aberdeen Angus steers from D & M Lowes, Wilson House. Another price increase was apparent for the younger cattle; F Fabi of Broad Lea Farm sold 12-month-old Aberdeen Angus steers to a top of £1940 whilst a sensational run of Limousin suckler bred calves from F Ward, Rogerley Hall saw 10-month-old steers to £1900 and 12-month-old heifers to £1880.
Cows & Calves £2120 L Brown. £1850 £1020 JB&LM Knight.
In Calf Cows £1800 £1480 £1450 £1400 £1380 £1320 £1120 Broom Mill Farms. £1480 £1400 £1180 £1000 L Howley.
Store Bulls £1830 £1810 £1800 £1790 £1770 £1750 £1740 £1700 C Dawson. £1770 £1540 £1390 T Common & Son. £1750 £1620 WT Hall. £1700 £1590 £1360 £1320 JK Gregory. £1690 £1400 J Jimminson. £1680 HS Hutchinson. £1130 £990 £920×4 AW Sanderson. £950×6 £940 A Wilson.
Store Steers £2280 £2000 GH&RG Stobbs. £2070 £2010 £1960 £1930 MH Hodgson. £2010 £1890 £1840 £1760 I Newton & Son. £2010 D&PH Brown. £1950 £1920 JG Wilkinson & Son. £1940 £1580 F Fabi. £1920 £1900 £1820 £1720 F Ward. £1870×2 £1550×2 Y Robinson Farming. £1800×4 £1790×2 HS Hutchinson. £1800 £1790 £1680 £1540 SC Barron. £1800 TW Brown & Sons. £1720×2 J&JW Kenney. £1630 B Watson. £1580×2 TT Hall & Son. £1530×4 J Brearley.
Store Heifers £2280×2 £2220 £2180×4 £2140 £2120 £2100 D&M Lowes. £2260 £1880 £1860 £1820 £1740 F Ward. £2170×2 £2020×2 RL Walker. £1940 F Fabi. £1910 £1900 A&D Heyes. £1880 £1820×2 £1780×3 £1740×3 M Johnson & Son. £1870 £1780 £1720 JG Wilkinson & Son. £1870 £1750 A Willey. £1860×2 £1740 E Parsons. £1780×5 RB Farming Ltd. £1780 £1760 £1730 DM McClurg. £1780 N Basey & Son. £1740 £1720 £1630 £1610 B Watson. £1720×2 JW Richardson. £1710 HS Hutchinson.
Store Sheep – After reporting a slight drop in trade last week the whole shooting match took a noticeable rise today to average over £120 per head. An excellent Beltex hogg from D R Smith, East Roughlea led the way at £190, plenty of the stronger sorts sold in the £150’s and £160’s in behind. The Mule hoggs were in big form this week as the breed averaged £120 to a top of £138 from M R Souter, Bail Hill whilst over one-hundred Swaledale hoggs averaged £95 and sold to a top of £110 for a pen of twenty-three from N B & R Hird, Gillfield. Feeding ewes again found their stride ahead of Ramadan and sold to a top of £221 for a Texel from Duell Partners. Mule ewes averaged £132 and topped at £164 from Leslie Brown, Westholme Farm whilst Jacob’s and Cheviot’s sold to £100 and Swaledale’s topped at £92.
Store Hoggs:
Beltex – £190 DR Smith. £146 R Thompson. £140 SA Braithwaite. £137 C Longstaff. £135 CA&J Kipling.
Texel – £165 £141 £138 D&G Spry. £163 £153 £150 £141 J Hird. £160 MR Souter. £150 £148.50 £135 £128 G Thompson & Sons. £135 £132 £125×2 SA Braithwaite. £131 G Potts. £126 J Atkinson.
Continental – £158 £145 £136 DR Smith. £155 £138 £128 A Wilson. £149 £143 £135 £130 £126 P White. £148 £145 MR Souter. £134 C Longstaff. £133 £130 WA Stephenson. £133 £129 A Tunstall. £132 CA&J Kipling. £129 G Bolton. £128 J Atkinson.
Mule – £138 MR Souter. £131 J Cooke-Hurle. £131 DR Smith.
Cheviot – £135 DR Smith.
Suffolk – £128 A Wilson. £128 C Readshaw.
Feeding Ewes:
Texel – £221 £210 Duell Partners. £201 £179 £168 £142 CA&J Kipling. £136 £130 BR&S Fell. £127 CG Barraclough.
Mule- £164 £129 L Brown. £152 WA Stephenson. £146 W Coatsworth. £144 DM&PM Nelson & Sons. £141 CA&J Kipling. £116 A Wilson. £110 A Tubstall. £98 MR Souter.
Continental – £158 £141 £96 £71 C Harle & Sons. £142 £136 W Coatsworth. £114 C Longstaff.
Suffolk – £140 C Longstaff.
Jacob – £100 S Dodsworth.
Cheviot – £100 GH&RG Stobbs.
Swale – £92 GH&RG Stobbs.
Store Tups:
Texel – £190 DM&PM Nelson & Sons. £98 BR&S Fell.
Continental – £170 £150 C Readshaw.
Cheviot – £140 A Wilson.
Suffolk – £100 P Armstrong.
Rearing Calves – Numbers way short of buyer requirement and the resulting trade was absolutely fantastic. Top of the day was a late December born British Blue bull calf from Miresdale Dairy Holding, Brompton at £645; the same good home checked in twice more at £620 with blue bulls as did H Gibb & Son, Eachwick Red House. Heifers were scarce and dearer than ever to top twice at £600 for November/December born Simmental’s from J L Miles & Sons, Little Bridge Farm. A young show of black and white bull calves perhaps enjoyed the trade of the day, tops went to R W Raper & Sons, High Mulberry at £340 however mention must also go to S J Kellett & Son, White House Farm with calves just 10-days-old as high as £230. Many, many more calves could have traded to vendor advantage, the next sale is in a fortnights time.
14 British Blue Bulls average £585
7 Aberdeen Angus bulls average £532
10 Friesian Bulls average £228
3 Simmental Heifers average £566
2 Aberdeen Angus Heifers average £352
Bulls Calves:
British Blue – £645 £620×2 £595 £540 Miresdale Dairy Holding Ltd. £620×2 £610 £590 £580×2 £510×2 H Gibb & Son. £555 RW Raper & Sons.
Angus – £595×2 £500 Miresdale Dairy Holding Ltd. £550 £480 RW Raper & Sons. £505×2 H Gibb & Son.
Friesian – £340 £215 RW Raper & Sons. £275 H Gibb & Son. £230×2 £210×2 £200 £160 SJ Kellet & Son. £210 Miresdale Dairy Holding Ltd.
Heifer Calves:
Simmental – £600×2 £500 JL Miles & Sons.
Angus – £395 £310 H Gibb & Son.
Store Pigs – As usual the pig report has absolutely nothing to do with the couple of sows in attendance today, it does however take its inspiration from some other auction reports; some outstanding ones I have read of late got me thinking about the best and worst things… “My three favourite things are eating my family and not using commas.”
£150(x2) R Craig
