Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their weekly sale of Cast Cattle, Store and Breeding Stock on Monday 2nd January. Forward were 73 Cattle and 490 Sheep.
53 Cast Cattle & OTM sold to 278ppk or £2237
14 Store Steers sold to £1320
6 Store Heifers sold to £1120
448 Store Hoggs sold to £95
42 Feeding Ewes sold to £86
Cast Cattle – Absolutely insane, those who ventured out at the first opportunity in 2023 selling cows enjoyed the trade of the century, a staggering sale average of 203 pence per kilo and £1420 per head as the beef hungry buyers blew the roof off the place. Well over half sold beyond 200 pence per kilo, of these a magnificent seven sold over 250ppk. Top price went to a brilliant British Blonde OTM from P Weightman & Son, Easington when she reached 278 pence; in her slipstream were a pair of tremendous Limousin’s as a 4-year-old from W I Suddes & Son, Cornsay reached 266ppk followed by a superb 7-year-old from J E Jordon & Son, Morpeth at 264ppk. An incredible eleven sold over £1800 with the top four all beyond £2000; the aforementioned Weightman Blonde impressed at £2135 however with the other trio in our £2k club all hailing from Messrs Jordon’s Longhirst Limousin herd it was they who ultimately took top gross value with a sensational 895kg 9-year-old at a massive £2237. Lest we forget the faithful Friesian’s, this week’s winner was an absolute tank of a cow from regular supporters G Thompson & Sons, Butterknowle weighing 982kg and selling for a marvellous £1689; top Friesian per kilo came from C Hird & Son, Low Row at 172 pence.
Cast Cows – Top prices ppk 278 256 P Weightman & Sons. 266 248 232 WI Suddes & Son. 264 254 250 220 JE Jordon & Son. 256 IM Maughan. 240 238 228 226 218 212 208 DA&MAM Brown. 220 208 R Simpson & Sons. 220 WJ&AS Bowes & Sons. 216 208 GA Rogerson & Son. 214 Duell Partners. 200 TT Hall & Son. 200 B Watson. 186 168 J Richmond. 186 C Hird & Son. 184 G&JH Tomlinson & Son. 180 FE Pinkney. 178 160 152 W&C Iceton. 172 G Thompson & Sons. 172 R&RE Everitt. 166 C Binks & Son.
Lead Grossing Cast Cows £2237 £2135 £2032 £1711 JE Jordon & Son. £2135 £1981 P Weightman & Sons. £1899 £1762 £1638 £1635 £1499 £1456 £1414 DA &MAM Brown. £1864 £1846 £1635 WI Suddes & Son. £1841 £1215 WJ&AS Bowes & Sons. £1835 IM Maughan. £1689 G Thompson & Sons. £1612 £1265 J Richmond. £1529 G&JH Tomlinson & Son. £1524 £1329 R Simpson & Sons. £1519 Duell Partners. £1412 TT Hall & Son. £1406 B Watson. £1333 FE Pinkney. £1306 £1223 W&C Iceton.
Cast Bulls – Top prices ppk 202 C Hird & Son.
Lead Grossing Cast Bulls £1260 C Hird & Son.
Store Cattle – Few forward as expected, the store cattle wheels are often slowest to turn again post-Christmas, the handful which appeared on this Bank Holiday enjoyed a very sharp trade indeed. Top price went back to G & J H Tomlinson & Son, Sunniside Farm, Knitsley when an excellent 28-month-old Aberdeen Angus steer sold for £1320. Top heifer at £1120 proved to be a smart 20-month-old Simmental from consistent seller E Parsons, Newstead Farm, Little Stainton.
Store Steers £1320 £1280 G&JH Tomlinson & Son. £1155 C Hird & Son. £1135 £1095 £940×3 £905 D&B Harding. £1115 £1055 A Newton. £1090×2 £1080 JR&L Harding.
Store Heifers £1120 £1100 £1090 £1085×2 E Parsons. £1020 R&RE Everitt.
Store Hoggs & Feeding Ewes – With the prime trade threatening to free fall last week some vendors pre-sale appeared as nervous as a very small nun on a penguin shoot; they need not have worried as the trade bounded along in pretty much identical fashion to that witnessed during December. Top price of £95 went to a fine pair of Texel’s from J R & J Crowe, Middlestone Moor.
Leading Prices – Store Hoggs – £95 £68 J R & J Crowe. £91 £78(x2) £70 D Alderson. £89 £79 L Fowler. £86 £80 £77 K Buckle. £81 £79 £78 T Walton. £79 £74 F Bainbridge. £79 £68 P Swinbourne. £73 Gillian Ianson. £72 F Kearton. £69 R W Dalton.
Feeding Ewes – £86 £70 L Fowler. £70 H G Spensley & Son. £51 £50 D Alderson.
