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 March 2026. Forward were 214 cattle, 278 sheep and 103 calves.
31 Cast Cows/OTM sold to 386ppk or £3914
1 Stock Bull sold for 300ppk or £3327
17 Young Bulls sold to £2180
65 Store Steers sold to £2400
100 Store Heifers sold to £2560
22 Ewes & Lambs sold to £380
151 Store Hoggs sold to £210
73 Feeding Ewes/Rams sold to £200
103 Rearing Calves sold to £860
Cast Cows – A light show of numbers met with a sensational trade to average 291ppk and £2077. Top of the day was a real showstopper, a superb 6-year-old Limousin cow from W & M Knaggs & Son, East Newbiggin pushed the scales around to 1014kg and sold for a terrific 386 pence and a whopping £3914. Next mention goes to our only bull of the day, a cracking Limousin from M Shepherd, Fulthorpe Farm sold for 300ppk and £3327. Back to the continental cows and another couple of excellent 6-year-old Limousin cows to mention as AJ Marr & Son, Old Ravensworth Farm sold at 378ppk and WJ & AS Bowes & Sons, Stainton Hill House reached £3048. The native breed cows were topped by SN Bird & Sons, Naisberry Farm with their run seeing Lincoln Red’s to £2131 and 292ppk and also Aberdeen Angus to 294ppk and £2131. Finally, to the Friesians, the ten on offer were all hard worked cows, the pick of them at 250ppk and £1890 came from Stainton Hill Farms, Streatlam.
Cast Cows – Top prices ppk 386 292 W&M Knaggs & Son. 378 342 AJ Marr & Son. 358 294 288 RI Jones. 346 298 WJ&AS Bowes & Sons. 340 A&MJ Henshaw. 332 290 RW Ridley. 332 RO Gilson. 322 L Claughan. 312 M Shepherd. 294 292 SN Bird & Sons. 290 NG Beveridge. 280 C Binks & Son. 272 TT Hall & Son. 270 R Nattrass & Sons.
Lead Grossing Cast Cows £3914 £2184 W&M Knaggs & Son. £3048 £2711 WJ&AS Bowes & Sons. £2676 £2561 AJ Marr & Son. £2461 A&MJ Henshaw. £2440 L Claughan. £2360 RO Gilson. £2180 M Shepherd. £2161 RW Ridley. £2131 £1884 SN Bird & Sons. £2131 £1975 £1943 RI Jones. £2064 NG Beveridge. £1890 Stainton Hill Farms.
Cast Bulls – Top prices ppk 300 M Shepherd.
Lead Grossing Cast Bulls £3327 M Shepherd.
Store Cattle – Less forward than witnessed at last weeks special sale however another high volume of ringside buyers ensured absolutely no drop off in trade whatsoever, all shapes and sizes are in demand. Young bulls kicked off proceedings, top of the pile were a couple of smart 10-month-old Limousin’s from D Dixon, Middle Heads Farm when they sold at £2180 and £2140. Top of the store cattle prices was an excellent 23-month-old Limousin cross heifer from RL Walker, East Highwood when she sold for the day’s best of £2560. The wonderful Walker heifers impressed with a further eight over £2000 however second place in the heifer highlights belonged to A Gregg, Low House Farm with a British Blue selling for £2560. Top priced steer this week was a strong Simmental from JH Johnson, White Lea when he reached £2400, the same feeding followed with an Aberdeen Angus at £2320. Smaller stores destined for a summer outside continue to look very well sold, plenty are trading £1500 to £1800 with the smartest sorts consistently £1800 to £2000.
Store Bulls £2180 £2140 £2000 £1860 D Dixon. £1750 £1760 Juaul Farms. £1500 £1490 £1420 £1410 JK Gregory. £1490 TT Hall & Son. £1420 LH Ford & Co. £1340 G Bolton.
Store Steers £2400 £2320 JH Johnson. £2120 £2020 £1960 E Taylor & Son. £2100×2 GW&L Marsay. £2060 £1960 £1740 ER&GI Younger. £1990×2 £1840 A&D Heyes. £1980×3 £1930 £1900 D Robson & Sons. £1830 £1740 F Fabi. £1800×2 £1780×2 £1770 W Wearmouth & Son. £1710×2 C&JC Stephenson.
Store Heifers £2560 £2240×2 £2200 £2190×2 £2020 £2000×2 £1980 RL Walker. £2340 £1940 £1920 A Gregg. £2000 ER&GI Younger. £1990×5 £1940 Wilkinson & Son. £1980 £1880 £1840 D Robson & Sons. £1950 £1940 £1800 L&BM Kidd & Son. £1930 £1800 W Denham. £1900 £1890 G Cant. £1890 F Fabi. £1880×2 R Errington & Son.
Store & Breeding Sheep – A first foray in to the ewes and lambs this week as a tidy offering of Texel crossed shearlings from R & L Farming, Long Green Farm set a fast pace to kick things off. Ten with twins sold for £380 per family whilst those suckling singles sold at £270 and £272.
Store hoggs possibly the dearest ever seen, a mixed bag averaged a mind blowing £163.46. Two tidy Blue Texel’s from CR McLaren, Grindon Grange led the way at a marvellous £210 apiece, following at £204 was a thumping hogg from TE Dobson, Unthank Farm whilst a fine trio of Texel’s from J & F Hartley & Sons, Low Shipley followed at £196.
Feeding ewes continue their recent winning streak with all classes keenly contested at ringside. Best on the day at £200 were a strong pair of Texel ewes from M Radford, Wyville Grange; plenty of others followed £160 to £200 whilst Mules sold to £165 from P Kirk, Stonehouse Cote and Swaledale’s reached £132 from TE Dobson, Unthank Farm.
Ewes & Lambs:
Texel – £380 £272 £270 £245 R&L Farming.
Feeding Sheep:
Continental – £200 £165 M Radford. £150 CJM Hedley. £144 JV Hodgson & Son. £110 £93 M&G Hodgson.
Texel – £190 B Cowton. £188 £180 M Radford. £188 H Ward. £166 JV Hodgson & Son. £140 B&J Bainbridge. £132 BR&S Fell.
Suffolk – £185 £112 JV Hodgson & Son. £182 NG Beveridge. £180 BR&S Fell. £158 M Radford.
Dutch Spotted – £182 £145 M Radford.
Mule – £165 P Kirk. £164 AP Martin. £160 £152 3122 CJM Hedley. £155 M Radford. £145 B Cowton. £141 NG Beveridge. £118 £105 B&J Bainbridge. £110 P Kirk.
Blue Face Leicester – £162 B&J Bainbridge.
Swale – £132 TE Dobson.
Goats – £130 £100 £82 C Hall.
Store Hoggs:
Blue Texel – £210 £190 £188 CR McLaren.
Continental – £204 £182 £166 TE Dobson. £190 £144 P Kirk. £174 £172 £162 CJM Hedley. £146 £144 J Davis. £142 G Bolton.
Texel – £196 £190 £186 £182 £176 £172 J&F Hartley & Sons. £188×2 £186 £182 AP Martin. £148 BR&S Fell.
Mule – £170 TE Dobson.
Suffolk – £166 AP Martin. £162 £150 CJM Hedley.
Swale – £139 TE Dobson.
Herdwick – £137 J Davis.
Rearing Calves – A nice offering of predominantly young calves sold this fortnight to average £499.08. Arguably some slight resistance from the buyers operating for the native breed calves however much keener on the continentals and a real bounce about the British Blue’s in particular. Ticking all the boxes were a super run of 4-8-week-old British Blue calves from H Gibb & Son, Eachwick Red House as they led the bulls at £860, heifers at £840 and sold nine today to average an impressive £791.11.
Other highlights certainly included Aberdeen Angus calves which topped at £690 for a smart heifer from J Miles & Sons, Little Bridge Farm. Next sale will be held in two weeks’ time.
Bull Calves:
British Blue – £860 £850×2 £840 £790 £780 £680 £630 H Gibb & Son. £560 £530 £520 £500 Deerness Valley Dairy. £560 £490 Stockdale Partners. £520×2 £510 JR&JA Wharton. £500 3480 JT Forster & Son.
Angus – £620 £595 £570×2 £550×2 £510 £470 £440 £400 £380 Baysleap Dairy Farm Ltd. £570 Stockdale Partners. £550×2 £450 £430 £420×2 £410 Deerness Valley Dairy.
Hereford – £570 £560 £550 J Archer. £440 RG Johnson. £400 J Noble. £380 Deerness Valley dairy.
Simmental – £540 JL Miles & Sons.
Charolais – £510 £460 RG Johnson & son.
Friesian – £500 S&R Teasdale. £400 RW Raper & Sons. £280 £260 £240 £210 Deerness Valley Dairy.
Shorthorn – £450 Baysleap Dairy Farm Ltd. £410 RG Johnson & Son.
Heifer Calves:
British Blue – £840 H Gibb & Son. £570 Baysleap Dairy Farm Ltd. £550 JL Miles & Sons. £540 £520 £510 £500 Deerness Valley Dairy. £530 £480 £470 JT Forster & Son. £520 Stockdale Partners. £520 £500 £470 JR&JA Wharton. £500 £480 RW Raper & Sons.
Angus – £690 £460 JL Miles & Sons. £555 £490 £470 Stockdale Partners. £550 £510 JT Forster & Son. £480 £460 £440×2 £430 £400×2 £370 Baysleap Dairy Farm Ltd. £475 £460 £450 £380 £350 Deerness Valley Dairy. £300 RW Raper & Sons.
Simmental – £610 £560 JL Miles & Sons.
Limousin – £570 RW Raper & Sons.
Hereford – £500 Baysleap Dairy Farm Ltd. £400×2 £390 £380×2 £370 J Archer.
Friesian – £200 Deerness Valley Dairy.
