Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their weekly sale of cast cattle, store and breeding stock and their fortnightly sale of rearing calves on Monday 23rd February 2026. Forward were 314 cattle, 492 sheep and 55 calves.
59 Cast Cows/OTM sold to 370ppk or £2924
4 Stock Bulls sold to 374ppk or £4158
29 Breeding Cattle sold to £2750
42 Young Bulls sold to £2280
80 Store Steers sold to £2570
100 Store Heifers sold to £2320
309 Store Hoggs sold to £178
183 Feeding Ewes/Rams sold to £255
55 Rearing Calves sold to £730
Cast Cattle – Some brilliance in the bulls this week grabbed the headlines whilst the cows continued in the very fine form we have become accustomed to, the sale averaged 280ppk and £1996 per head. A brilliant 9-year-old British Blue bull from HW & M Alderson & Son, Howgill Grange set an impressive pace when he tipped the scales to 1112kg and sold for 374ppk and a whopping £4158. Staying with the bulls and some honourable mentions for the Limousin breed as a hefty 7-year-old from A & MJ Henshaw, Mainsgill reached £3446 and a classy sort the same age from J Layfield, Nackshivan impressed at 360ppk and £3340. OTM heifers led the females this week when a smart Limousin from E Scott & Sons, Middridge Grange topped per kilo at 370 pence and a bulky Beef Shorthorn from G Beadle, Primrose Hill led the prices in the lump at £2924. Top of the older continental cows was a lovely Limousin from Five Houses at 362ppk and £2769 whilst the pick of the older native bred cows was an Aberdeen Angus from J Layfield, Nackshivan at 320ppk and £2499. Twenty Friesian cows forward this week, none bettered a super sort from R & W Todd, High Toft Hill at 312ppk and £2149.
Cast Cows – Top prices ppk 371 348 328×2 300 290 E Scott & Sons. 364 NG Beveridge. 362 Five Houses. 346 330 JE Jordon & Son. 340 JJ Dowson & Son. 340 G Beadle. 334 320 304 302 J Layfield. 324 HS Hutchinson. 320 290 WA Richardson Ltd. 320 GK KN & GJ Hird. 318 JUAUL Farms. 312 R&W Todd. 306 GW&L Marsay. 304 PM Hill. 302 Rigel Pedigree. 298 F Watson. 294 GS Dixon. 294 Stainton Hill Farms. 294 PJ&JA Adamski. 290 W Denham.
Lead Grossing Cast Cows £2924 G Beadle. £2769 Five Houses. £2712 £2217 JE Jordon & Son. £2528 NG Beveridge. £2585 £2499 £2358 £2290 £2179 J Layfield. £2405 £2262 £2050×2 £1984 E Scott & Sons. £2401 PD&JA Adamski. £2387 WA Richardson Ltd. £2164 HS Hutchinson. £2149 R&W Todd. £2118 J Graham. £2114 JJ Dowson & Son. £2098 P Foster. £2077 Rigel Pedigree. £2056 F Watson. £2024 £1967 GW&L Marsay. £2007 JH&M&NW Brown.
Cast Bulls – Top prices ppk 374 HW&M Alderson & Son. 360 J Layfield. 320 B Watson. 286 A&MJ Henshaw.
Lead Grossing Cast Bulls £4158 HW&M & Alderson & Son. £3446 A&MJ Henshaw. £3340 J Layfield. £3027 B Watson.
Breeding Cattle – An excellent dispersal of twenty-five dairy bred British Blue in-calf cows from R Peart, Mayland Hall attracted a sizeable crowd to ringside with buyers from far and wide in attendance. An-excellent 8-year-old cow led proceedings when she was knocked down for £2750 to RL Carter, Woodland. Following at £2600 were two cows, a 5-year-old selling to TW Dinning, Northumberland and a 6-year-old which stayed local with JH & M & NW Brown, Darlington. Eleven more from the Mayland herd sold over £2000.
Breeding Cattle:
In Calf Cows – £2750 £2600×2 £2350 £2250 £2200 £2120 £2100×3 £2080 £2020 £1850 £1820 £1720 £1680 £1650 £1620 £1480 £1450 R Peart. £1980 £1920 G Hall.
Cows & Calves – £2180 G Hall.
Store Cattle – J Sisterson of Newlands Haugh claimed the top spot in the store ring for the second successive week as trade remained absolutely excellent for all shapes and sizes. Young cattle in particular are commanding some remarkable returns as the pending Spring begins to look more of a reality. Short keep types were naturally leading the way, topping at £2570 was a strong Simmental steer from the aforementioned Newlands Haugh, following at £2560 was another of the same description before a quartet of Limousin steers from the same feeding at £2410. Top of the heifers this week at £2320 was a classy Parthenais from D Robson & Sons, Merryshields Farm, following at £2280 were two vendors with British Blues as A Gregg, Low House and AP & E Procter, Hillcrest each enjoying a good day’s trading. Earlier the young bull trade took flight as the top dozen, all Limousin’s aged 8-13-months, all sold over £2000. Pick of the pack at £2280 was an exceptional 12-month-old from F Hickson & Sons, Homilton Farm.
Store Bulls – £2280 F Hickson & Sons. £2200×3 £2070×2 £1960 £1700 £1620 JWR&M Suddes. £2080×5 £1980×4 £1700×3 £1600 £1580 £1540×3 W Lodge & Sons. £2040 Five Houses. £1980×2 £1940×3 E Parsons. £1920×2 £1620 £1600 Messrs Ewbank Ltd. £1900 R Potts. £1450 P Foster. £1270 M Brown & Son.
Store Steers £2570 £2560 £2410×4 £2370 £2310 £2220 £2060 J Sisterson. £2120 £2040 £2020 £1990 £1980 £1970 £1960 £1930 £1920 D Robson & Sons. £2100×2 J Pallister & Sons. £2080 IW Cairns. £2080 AP&E Procter. £1960×2 G Cant. £1920 J&MJ Walton. £1920 £1910 £1860 R Potts. £1900×2 £1880 E Taylor & Son. £1840×2 WA Wardman Ltd. £1800×2 L Tabner. £1800×3 SC Barron.
Store Heifers £2320 £2020 £1960 £1900×2 D Robson. £2280 £1960 £1910 £1820 A Gregg. £2280 £2030 £2010 AP&E Proctor. £2010 £1980 £1840 IW Cairns. £1920 £1820×4 D Walker. £1890 E Taylor. £1880 R Wood & Son. £1850×3 £1700×3 G&H Johnson & Son. £1840 £1720 W Lodge & Sons. £1840 £1700 F Hickson & Sons. £1820 GM&V Bayles. £1800×2 £1760 I Newton & son. £1800 GW Dobson & Son. £1760 £1720 G Cant. £1720 WA Wardman Ltd.
Store Sheep – Hogg trade followed Thursday’s flying fat and despite some cleanings up being included averaged a stunning £124.40. Top of the day at £178 were a fine pair of Texel’s from K Mitchelson, Dene House, plenty of the better end followed £130 to £170. Horned hoggs are coming forward now and selling today to a top of £107 from RL Dent, Mount Pleasant with a nice pen of seven Swaledale’s.
Feeding ewe trade remains flawless, all breeds and sizes are in a marvellously mesmerising mood; top at £255 was a tidy Texel from S Bell, Lough Head with £200 plus on the cards for the fittest and £170 and over available for the better-bred continental feeders. Top of the Mule ewes at £164 was CS Robinson, Valley View with the breed averaging £122 whilst Swaledale’s topped at £119 from Hagg Farm with an average of £75.
Store Hoggs:
Texel – £178 £170 K Mitchelson. £167 £138 £136 £135 J Waters. £160 SA Braithwaite. £147 C Jackson. £145 £144 High Mains Partnership. £145 £140 £138 £124 TB Walton. £142 £116 £110 RL Dent. £134 £133 £128 £120 A Tunstall. £131 B Willis. £130 £122 £119 CA&J Kipling. £128 AJ Williams. £125 £114 C Jackson.
Dutch Spotted – £158 £140 PA Thompson.
Suffolk – £154 £151 £130 J Waters. £132 P Armstrong. £126 RL Dent.
Continental – £145 £142 P Armstrong. £142 £116 A Wilson. £128 W Marley. £125 £110 AG Williamson. £115 £111 P Kirk.
Charollais – £143 J Waters. £140 High Mains Partnership.
Beltex – £135 AG Williamson.
Mule – £108 RL Dent.
Swale – £107 RL Dent.
Feeding Ewes/Rams:
Texel – £255 £172 £152 S Bell. £240 A Tunstall. £230 £220 C Jackson. £198 £180×2 £157 £130 M&A Gaskin. £169 £141 IW Cairns. £162 S Pybourne. £160 K Sayer. £150 £130 CA&J Kipling. £138 Messrs Bell. £146 NG Beveridge. £140 J Waters. £132 P Kirk.
Beltex – £212 C Everitt. £156 C Jackson. £155 A Tunstall. £139 SA Braithwaite.
Continental – £169 A Tunstall. £156 JA Walton. £152 £129 K Sayer. £148×2 Rose A Farms. £144 W Marley. £134×2 High Mains Partnership. £128 SA Braithwaite.
Mule – £164 £138 CS Robinson. £150 £132 CA&J Kipling. £147 J Waters. £145 £140 £130 Messrs Bell. £140 A Tunstall. £131 Hagg Farm. £129 K Sayer. £128 JA Walton.
Rearing Calves – A fantastic trade with calves today, all ages and breeds selling exceptionally well and in demand. A higher percentage of younger calves through the calf ring today, saw a terrific average of £562 across the board. Top Price of the day goes to RW Raper & Sons, High Mulberry Farm, with a cracking British Blue bull making £730. British Blue Heifers topped at £660 from JT Forster & Son, Killerby Farm. CN Bentley, The Gables, reached £660 for a shapely Limousin bull calf, whilst Limousin heifers topped at £550 from JR&JA Wharton, Segbushwell. Angus Bulls made up to £660 from WD Richardson, Manor Farm, whilst Hereford bulls from RG Johnson & Son, Summerfield Farm, made £510. Inra95 bull calves from P&CA Harrison, Breckney Hill, made £680 and £670, whilst another Inra95 bull from J&A Stevenson & Sons, Blue House Farm, reached £560. Friesian Bulls topped at £500 from Miresdale Dairy Holding Ltd.
Bull Calves-
British Blue- £730 £600 RW Raper & Sons. £720 £650 JT Forster & Son. £710 £700 £690 x2 £665 £650 £630 x3 H Gibb & Son. £660 £605 Stockdale Partners. £640 £610 £600 JR&JA Wharton. £630 £605 CN Bentley.
Inra95- £680 £670 P&CA Harrison. £560 J&A Stevenson & Sons.
Limousin- £660 CN Bentley. £590 JR&JA Wharton. £510 RG Johnson & Son.
Aberdeen Angus- £660 WD Richardson.
Hereford- £510 £400 RG Johnson & Son.
Friesian- £500 Miresdale Dairy Holding Ltd. £370 £300 P&CA Harrison. £340 £320 RW Raper & Sons. £270 £240 Stockdale Partners. £270 WD Richardson.
Heifer Calves-
British Blue- £660 £440 JT Forster & Son. £640 £590 JR&JA Wharton. £640 £620 Miresdale Dairy Holding Ltd. £630 £580 Stockdale Partners. £600 £470 CN Bentley.
Limousin- £550 JR&JA Wharton. £540 CN Bentley.
