Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their weekly sale of cast cattle, store and breeding stock on Monday 1st September 2025. Forward were 357 cattle and 1800 sheep.
95 Cast Cows & OTM sold to 390ppk or £2800
5 Stock Bulls sold to 332ppk or £3333
24 Cows & Calves sold to £4000
6 Young Bulls sold to £2040
109 Store Steers sold to £2400
94 Store Heifers sold to £2480
39 Breeding Sheep sold to £155
1508 Store Lambs sold to £168
253 Feeding Ewes/Rams sold to £201
273 Bales of Fodder sold to £30
Cast Cattle – The cow ring continues its recent momentum as all classes were again keenly bid for, an increased number of dairy cows this week saw forty-four cross the bridge therefore somewhat distorting the averages; still not to be sniffed at as the sale levelled at 244ppk and £1614 per head. Top call of the day went to a smashing Limousin OTM heifer from M Shepherd, Fulthorpe Farm when she sold at 380ppk, the same good home followed at 350ppk with a Simmental OTM as did a fabulous Friesian OTM heifer from Messrs TG & K Fisher, The Glebe. The Shepherd feeding continued its good form when topping the gross values in the females with a hefty Aberdeen Angus cow which sold for £2800, following her over the line was a fleshy Limousin from A Crowder, Butsfield Burn at £2631 and a 14-year-old Limousin from R Gilson, Old Park Hall at £2535. The Friesian’s of the Fisher’s were flying again when it came to gross values for the dairy cows as they sold fleshy sorts at £2308 and £2219, following at £2154 was a Friesian from J H Brown, West Hartburn which was an incredible 15-years-young. A blistering bull trade was led by a cracking Limousin from J C Thwaite & Son, Crag Hill at 332ppk and £3333 whilst his nearest challenger was also worthy of mention as a British Blonde from I R Appleton, Pudding Poke Farm sold for 302ppk and £3062.
Cast Cows/OTM – Top prices ppk 390 350 346 316×2 298 292 280 256 M Shepherd. 350 316 312 302 270 268 258 Messrs TG&K Fisher. 340 A Crowder. 338 WH Smith & Sons. 330 A Hughes. 324 282 254 RL Walker. 320 B Summerson. 314 HS Hutchinson. 312 294 286 RA Patterson & Son. 298 M Gallon. 294 260 C Binks & Son. 285 258 D&J Hunnam & Son. 282 RO Gilson. 272 264 F&JS Gargett. 270 JH Brown. 268×2 JV Hodgson & Son. 252 NA Roberts Agri.
Lead Grossing Cast Cows/OTM £2800 £2486 £2408 £2325 £2273 £2124 £2110 M Shepherd. £2631 A Crowder. £2535 RO Gilson. £2480 B Summerson. £2326 £2118 £2098 RL Walker. £2308 £2219 £2129 £2127 £2117 £2100 £2033 £1987 Messrs TG&K Fisher. £2296 A Hughes. £2202 £2022 C Binks & Son. £2154 JH Brown. £2142 M Gallon. £2082 WH Smith & Sons. £2042 JV Hodgson & Son. £2018 £1985 NA Roberts Agri. £1993 £1987 RA Patterson & Son.
Cast Bulls – Top prices ppk 332 JC Thwaite & Son. 302 IR Appleton. 242 AP Taylor. 240 K Curry. 228 B&B Kitching.
Lead Grossing Cast Bulls £3333 JC Thwaite & Son. £3062 IR Appleton. £2768 AP Taylor. £2478 B&B Kitching & Son. £1555 K Curry.
OTM Steers – Top prices ppk 328 302 Mill Pond Farm.
Lead Grossing OTM Steers £1540 £1508 Mill Pond Farm.
Breeding Cattle – A nice offering of cows and calves attracted a busy ringside of customers; grabbing the headlines at £4000 was a smart 4-year-old Limousin with her British Blue heifer calf at foot from M & S Gledhill, Glebe Farm. Next in line at £2800 was the pick of a run from GE & MG Dixon, Hill Top Farm, this one a 10-year-old Limousin cow with a British Blue bull calf at foot.
Cows & Calves £4000 M&S Gledhill. £2800 £2500 £2450 £2400 £2300 £2220 £2120 £2080 £2000×2 £1850×2 £1700 GE&MG Dixon.
Store Cattle – Another week passes in the vibrant store ring and the low grain prices ensure a competitive trade for all shapes and sizes as £2000 and beyond remains very common place. Two cattle today topped at £2480, an excellent 17-month-old Limousin steer from RG Richardson, East Farm plus a smashing 16-month-old Limousin heifer from G Beadle, Primrose Hill. First to follow the leader at £2400 was another steer, a thumping 2-year-old Simmental from JE Holliday & Son, Woodland House; the high-flying Holliday’s followed with a second Simmental at £2380 whilst the Beadle’s checked in again at £2330 with a 17-month-old Limousin steer. Native breeds aplenty and buyers in abundance for such sorts, top today at £2280 were two vendors with steers as a Hereford from J Terry, Low Mill joined an Aberdeen Angus from K Norman Farms, Windy Hill. Earlier in the sale a marvellous run of young bulls from D Dixon, Middle Heads impressed to a top of £2040 with a 16-month-old Limousin.
Store Bulls £2040 £1900 £1740 D Dixon. £1260×2 £1160 RA Patterson & Son.
Store Steers £2480 £2180 £2100 RG Richardson. £2400 £2380 JE Holliday & Son. £2330 £2130 G Beadle. £2300 £2280 £2260 £2240 £2200 £2180×3 £2160 £2120×2 £2080 £2060 £2040×2 £1980×2 K Norman Farms. £2280 £2240 £2180 £2160 £2040 £2020×2 £2000 J Terry. £2140 £1920 £1840 K Metcalfe. £1980×4 ML Tallentire. £1940 £1860 £1850 I Newton. £1930 £1900×3 D Walker. £1890×2 M Richardson. £1880 B Needham. £1870 £1840 £1810 M&A Gaskin.
Store Heifers £2480 £2080 £2020 £1920 £1910 G Beadle. £2200×2 £1960 £1950 £1910 £1800 D Robson. £2150 £1810×4 R Errington. £2140 B Summerson. £1980 RG Richardson. £1940 £1780 D&HM Hodgson. £1900 £1890 JG Forster & Partners. £1870 £1800 £1780 £1750 Mill Pond Farm. £1850 B Needham. £1830×2 £1780 P Leese. £1800 £1760×2 £1740 KW MJ&SW Ward. £1780 £1720×3 G Bolton. £1760 ML Tallentire.
Store Sheep – The steadying up of the prime lambs has arguably taken the edge off the strong stores, worry ye not, despite falling trades in some parts the DfAM long keep lambs bucked that trend and would easily be £5 to £10 dearer on the week. All this left a whole sale average of £102.72. Top price of the day went to a quartet of fantastic Beltex lambs from MR Cass, Beacon Farm which sold at £168 apiece, the same great breeding followed at £162 with a pen of seven. Thanks go to Steven Kirby of Barstow Hall who ably judged the show of lambs this morning, winning the red rosette were Beltex lambs from NG Beveridge, Low West House, Tow Law whilst both the second and third prizes were won by a great run of Texel lambs from A & R Thompson, Dimmingdale Farm, Moorsholm.
Store Lambs – Pens of 10 or More
1st NG Beveridge, Low West House (x10) sold to RN Kirby & Son for £148
2nd A&R Thompson, Dimmingdale (x25) sold to P Monkhouse for £124
3rd A&R Thompson, Dimmingdale (x29) sold to P Monkhouse for £123
Feeding ewes continue to come in numbers and there is little wonder why as once again the trade looks terrific. The class from MR Cass was apparent again leading the way at £201 with a heavy continental. Texel’s sold to £188; Suffolk’s and Blue Leicester’s to £184, Mules to £136, Cheviot’s to £122, Blackface to £82 and Swaledale’s to £81.
Store Lambs-
Beltex- £168 £162 £132 MR Cass. £148 £137 £117 NG Beveridge.
Texel- £148 MG&WD Burton. £132 £128 £127 MR Cass. £127 A Martin & Co. £126 £116 B Lowson. £124 £109 P&S Wood. £124 £123 £118 £116 A&R Thompson. £124 £109 108 K&RE Robson. £119 RG McNeal. £118 £111 CA&J Kipling. £117 T Walton. £115 £109 G&L Wood. £114 £111 RA Patterson & Son. £113 £108 Kirkbride & Bell. £112 L&BM Kidd & Son. £109 R Stapleton. £109 B Lowson. £108 TE Dobson.
Continental- £140 £125 £123 £119 NG Beveridge. £129 £87 J Burbury. £123 £112 £107 £88 MG&WD Burton. £110 TE Dobson. £110 £103 £102 RA Patterson & Son. £107 £100 £89 TT Hall & Son. £100 C&I Watson & Sons. £100 £86 RG McNeal. £96 Dyson Farming LTD.
Suffolk- £124 A Martin & Co. £114 MG&WD Burton. £114 £100 M Radford. £110 £109 £107 KT Anderson & Son. £108 £100 RA Patterson & Son. £96 x2 Dyson Farming LTD.
Dutch Spotted- £105 RG McNeal.
Mule- £110 TE Dobson. £105 John Robert Carter.
Cheviot- £54 Emily Hall.
Feeding Ewes-
£201 £182 £140 £130 MR Cass. £188 £184 £150 £136 £122 TT Hall & Son. £184 £155 £114 JWR&M Suddes. £176 £172 £140 £130 £122 DR Smith. £164 A Martin & Co. £137 £110 C Harle & Sons. £135 AF Smith. £132 £130 B&J Bainbridge. £129 £123 £104 £102 JA&UM Fawcett. £126 S Thompson & Son. £120 RE&BJ Potter. £116 T Allanson & Son. £108 C&I Watson & Sons.
Shearlings- £155 £145 Banks Farm LTD. £145 C&I Watson & Sons.
Breeding Ewes- £152 £132 J Mawer. £151 £140 AF Smith. £135 £125 J Wigham.
Fodder- The opening sale of fodder didn’t disappoint, as trade proves strong for all sections. 4ft round Barley straw sold to £28 a bale, whilst small square bales of wheat straw sold to £3.50 per bale. Round hay bales sold to £30. The fodder sales will be held fortnightly, adjacent to the weeks of rearing calves, the next sale of fodder will be Monday 15th September, with more entries wanted and in demand.
