Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their weekly sale of cast cattle, store and breeding stock in conjunction with their closing sale of breeding sheep and also their fortnightly sale of rearing calves on Monday 3rd November 2025. Forward were 353 cattle, 2022 sheep, 6 pigs and 97 calves.
65 Cast Cows/OTM sold to 400ppk or £2523
6 Stock Bulls sold to 320ppk or £3042
3 Breeding Cattle sold to £2080
22 Young Bulls sold to £2280
124 Store Steers sold to £2500
133 Store Heifers sold to £2420
31 Breeding Rams & Ram Lambs sold to £900
129 Female Breeding Sheep sold to £320
1432 Store Lambs sold to £162
430 Feeding Ewes/Rams sold to £235
97 Rearing Calves & Stirks sold to £895
6 Store Pigs sold to £116
Cast Cattle – An excellent trade from top to bottom, despite a shortage of flesh the cow trade was in tip top form to see them all in average 270ppk and £1747 per head. Top of the day at 400 pence per kilo was an excellent Limousin OTM heifer from EA Martin & Son, Manor Grange Farm. The same good home followed with another at 398ppk and was followed by five other OTM’s between 364ppk and 385ppk. Top of the older cows per kilo was a shapely British Blue from JN Swinbank, Cold Comfort at 324ppk, behind her at 318ppk was a 41-month-old Highland heifer from L Ridley, The Lodge. The happy Highlanders weren’t done there as the same home produced our top bull per kilo at 320 pence, a fine five-year-old. Top of the cows in the lump went to a fleshy Aberdeen Angus from S Jackson, The Bungalow when she reached £2523 whilst the top bull of the day was an excellent 1042kg six-year-old Simmental from RI Jones, Biggin House Farm at £3042. Last but by no means least come the parlour princesses, topping per kilo at 270 pence was a Holstein Friesian from G Thompson & Sons, Softley Farm whilst the top gross value was a remarkable £2140 from TH Mace & Sons, Hill Top Farm, also with a black and white.
Cast Cows – Top prices ppk 400 398 376 364 EA Martin & Son. 385 380 376 ER&GI Younger. 280 278 GC&KJ White & Son. 324 JN Swinbank. 318 L ridley. 316 308 290×2 280 278×2 266 256 S Jackson. 312 NG Beveridge. 310 GP Dobinson. 310 288 280 TE Dobson. 300 R&W Todd. 296 268 264 D&B Harding. 294×2 AP Taylor. 284 278 D Robson. 282 272 PM Beveridge. 272 LR Welsh & Co. 270 G Thompson & Son. 268 AR&C Booth & Sons.
Lead Grossing Cast Cows £2523 £2220 £2060 £2018 £1948 £1940 S Jackson. £2504 £1949 GP Dobinson. £2475 £2012 £1989 EA Martin & Son. £2386 GC&KJ White & Son. £2277 JN Swinbank. £2184 AP Taylor. £2160 R&W Todd. £2152 NG Beveridge. £2148 £2113 £1817TE Dobson. £2140 £2043 TH Mace & Sons. £2130 £1946 D Robson. £2053 A Walton. £1881 £1751 ER&GI Younger. £1869 £1863 PM Beveridge. £1805 AR&C Booth & Sons.
Cast Bulls – Top prices ppk 320 L Ridley. 296 KR&AJ Worley. 292 RI Jones. 280 IR Appleton. 250 J Elliott. 200 Pear Tree Projects.
Lead Grossing Cast Bulls £3042 RI Jones. £2844 KR&AJ Worley. £2557 J Elliott. £1942 L Ridley. £1588 Pear Tree Projects. £1402 IR Appleton.
Store Cattle – The Autumn store cattle trade continues in top gear as the national beef shortage coupled with low grain prices all adds to the perfect storm for the vendors. Bidding twice topped at £2500, a strong Aberdeen Angus steer from F Crawford, Park Farm joined a lovely Limousin steer from D Robson & Sons, Merryshields Farm. The merriment from Merryshields continued thrice on the day selling over £2400 and were duly accompanied by our top heifer which was a smart 20-month-old Aberdeen Angus from S Richardson, High Park Wall at £2420. A scattering of younger cattle was in attendance ahead of next week’s second suckled calf sale, pick of them all at £2220 was a tidy 11-month-old Limousin steer from JN Swinbank, Cold Comfort. Earlier an eclectic mix of young bulls also sold well, the top five all sold in the £200’s and all hailed from the regular selling E Parsons, Newstead Farm; pick of the Parsons pack was a 13-month-old Limousin at £2280.
Breeding Cattle:
Cows & Calves – £2080 T James
Breeding Bull – £1950 M Lebreton.
Store Bulls £2280 £2200 £2100 £2000×2 E Parsons. £1780 £1700 £1400 G Calvert & Sons. £1510 £1040 RA&SL Wearmouth. £1490 £1400 RG Richardson. £1460 £1420 A Gregg. £1300×3 JK Gregory. £1180 £920 GH Lister.
Store Steers £2500 £2160×2 F Crawford. £2500 £2460 £2440 £2430 £2320 £2310 £2280×2 £2240 D Robson & Sons. £2360 RG Richardson. £2360 £2220×2 CH&MC Phalp. £2220×3 £2190 £2060 P&E Ellis. £2200 JN Swinbank. £2200×4 D Walker. £2100 IW Cairns. £2080×2 £2070 £1960 K Buckle. £2040 W Wearmouth & Son. £2030 R Hall. £2000×4 D Walker. £2000 £1900 W&J Herbert. £1990 P Leese. £1940 C&M Burnett.
Store Heifers £2420 £2380×2 S Richardson. £2320 R Hutchinson. £2280 £2200 £2060 IW Cairns. £2240 £1840 WT Hall. £2140 £2100×2 CH&MC Phalp. £2140 C&JC Stephenson. £2140 £1900 A Gregg. £2100 MJ Dent. £2080×3 £1880 W Wearmouth & Son. £1940 £1880 GL&M Steel. £1940×2 J Dent. £1940 HM Dent. £1920 £1860 £1800 J Norman. £1920 F Crawford. £1900 W&J Herbert.
Breeding Sheep – The tups on offer kicked the door to the last chance saloon off its hinges as the number of last-minute shoppers noticeably outnumbered the number of tups available. Topping twice at £900 were a smart pair of Texel shearlings from TJ Carr, Ridge House Farm. Two sheep followed at £700 as a muscley Beltex shearling from T & J Hunter, Newtown Farm matched the price earlier set by a flashy Texel lamb from P & K Brannen, Scartop. A pen of tremendous pure Charollais gimmer lambs from CW Marwood & Son, Foulrice stole the show in the females as twice pairs sold at £320 and twice again at £300. Shearlings were few and far between, top call went to six Texel’s from J Featherstone, Earnwell which sold at £230.
Breeding Rams:
Texel – £900×2 TJ Carr. £700 £600 P&K Brannen. £650 J Ashbridge. £600 Appleby Farming. £480 £300 B&A Myers. £420 £400 £180 G&L Wood.
Continental – £450 JR&L Harding. £420 J Ashbridge.
Charollais – £550 £300 T&J Hunter.
Suffolk – £520 £350 JT&E Midgley. £400 P&K Brannen.
Beltex – £700 £450 £420 T&J Hunter. £200×2 Ainsty Farms Direct.
Blue Texel – £450 £260 Tudor.
Blue Faced Leicester – £260 G&L Wood.
Shearling Ewes:
Texel – £230 £220 JD Featherstone.
Gimmer Lambs;
Charollais – £320×2 £300×2 £280 £240 CW Marwood & Son.
Continental – £240 CW Marwood & Son. £176 £168 £102 JL&M Wilkinson & Son. £145 J Musgrave. £130 £112 D Wearmouth. £130 A Donkin.
Mule – £140 £120 GM&V Bayles. £126 £86 W Gibson & Son.
Blue Texel – £140 A Donkin.
Swaledale – £78 £74 £72 JL&M Wilkinson & Son.
Store Lambs – The store lamb trade looks mind blowing as we head in to bonfire night, fireworks for all shapes and sizes to see the sale average a season’s best £119.05. Top of the day at £162 were a pair of thumping Wensleydale crosses from J Shadforth, Crook Foot Farm. Next in line at £159 were eight lovely little Beltex lambs from JE Holliday & Son, Woodland House; the Beltex breed averaged a wonderful £139.50. Oodles of the best bred and short keep lambs traded £135 to £155 throughout the sale as the super stores all put in a stand out performance. Mule lambs this week averaged a staggering £120, the top pen of fifteen came from C Bell, The Pry at £123. Suffolk lambs sold to £145 from DR Smith, East Roughlea with a strong pair, the same feeding followed with thirty-one at £140. Cheviots sold to £118 from WH Brown, Swale Hall and we even saw Greyfaced Dartmoor’s impress to top at £95.
Store Lambs:
Continental – £162 £140 £136 £129 J Shadforth. £137 £127 £126 JG&EM Welford. £130×2 H&P Hutchinson. £129 K&J Stables. £126 MW Cook & Son.
Beltex – £159 £157 £142 JE Holliday & Son. £153 B Cowton. £149 GM&V Bayles. £137 B Lowson. £130 £125 HE Jewitt.
Texel – £152 £132 £126 J&RA Speed. £140 £135 DR Smith. £139 B Cowton. £135 £126 JR&J Crowe. £133 £132 £128 H&P Hutchinson. £132 P Armstrong. £131 W&C Iceton. £130 £126 P&S Wood. £129 CA&J Kipling. £129 £126 WB Rutter & Sons. £129 S Coote. £127 GM&V Bayles. £127 C Longstaff. £127 WH Brown. £127 J&F Hartley & Son. £126×2 E Cox. £126 B Lowson.
Suffolk – £145 £140 DR Smith. £135 L Daley. £131 P Armstrong.
Bleu Du Maine – £133 K&J Stables.
Feeding Ewes – Feeding ewes were forward in droves again and a terrific trade greeted them once more. Top of the day at £235 were a hefty pair of Texel’s from JD Featherstone, Earnwell, plenty of the other lowland ewes sold £140 to £180 just dependant on flesh cover. Cheviot ewes topped at £164 for a smart pen of seven from KO Stones, Nun Cote Nook whilst a fabulous Mule trade saw them top at £176 for two from Messrs McClurg, Blakeley Hill and the breed average an excellent £104. Swaledale ewes also enjoyed proceedings this week to see the breed average £74, top call of £104 went to T Bean & Sons, Shield Farm with a fleshy half dozen.
Feeding Ewes/Tups:
Texel – £235 JD Featherstone. £178 £152 CA&J Kipling. £176 £160 £118 JV&JA Hodgson. £172 J McLaughlin & E Colling. £120 WH Brown.
Continental – £182 £132 £126 G Bolton. £182 £160 £130 J Shadforth. £158 £142 £134 £132 B Lowson. £146 GP Addison. £146 P&S Wood. £140 £134 L Daley. £136 B&J Bainbridge. £129 RI Jones. £124 JD Teasdale.
Beltex – £180 B Lowson. £160 JV&JA Hodgson.
Mule – £176 £140 McClurg. £150 Petch Farms. £146 L&BM Kidd & Son. £138 CH&MC Phalp. £134 £114 T Bean & Sons. £134 CA&J Kipling. £120 JG&EM Welford. £120 WH Brown. £118 SJ Love.
Blue Face Leicester – £170 J Shadforth.
Cheviot – £164 KO Stones. £135 CH&MC Phalp. £120 G Bolton.
Suffolk – £148 J Shadforth. £120 RI Jones.
Blue Faced Leicester – £140 J Shadforth.
Rearing Calves/Stirks – A good show of calves and stirks would be without doubt the dearest we have witnessed for sometime to average a terrific £558. Little doubting the top spots as a run of 4-month-old Aberdeen Angus stirks from GT & M Tweddle, Springwell impressed to see a best of £895. The on-milk calves that followed enjoyed a very good day, Baysleap Dairy Farm sold Inra 95 bulls to £740 on four occasions, the Thompson family of Softley Farm sold Aberdeen Angus bulls to £710 and British Blues to £730. Top call in the baby heifers went to H Gibb & Son, Eachwick Red House with a British Blue at £670. However, even with all this said and done arguably the trade of the day was reserved for the black and white bulls, topping at £410 from the on-song Softley Farm and the twenty-four forward averaged a stunning £352 apiece.
Bull Calves:
Angus – £895 £870×2 £855 £720 GT&M Tweddle. £710 G Thompson & Sons. £650 £560 H Gibb & Son. £640 £620 £600×2 £590 JL Miles & Sons.
Inra 95 – £740×4 £730×2 £710×2 £700 £690 £680 Baysleap Dairy Farm Ltd. £660 £650 Kitchings of Summerfield.
British Blue – £730 £680 £675 £660 G Thompson & Sons. £730 £700 £680×2 £500 CN Bentley. £690×3 £670×2 £620 £600 H Gibb & Son. £500×2 JR&JA Wharton.
Limousin – £640 JR&JA Wharton.
Friesian – £410 £355 G Thompson & Sons. £400 £390×4 £385×2 £355×3 £320×2 £310×2 WD Richardson. £370×4 £360 R Wall. £290×2 Kitchings of Summerfield.
Heifer Calves:
Saler – £760 £700 GT&M Tweddle.
Angus – £750 GT&M Tweddle. £620 £540 £500 £495 G Thompson & Sons. £580 £400 H Gibb & Son. £500 £480 £450 £390 £380 JL Miles & Sons.
British Blue – £670 £620 £600 H Gibb & Son. £660 G Thompson & Sons. £560 £500 £335 £310 CN Bentley.
Inra 95 – £650 Baysleap Dairy Farm Ltd. £570 Kitchings of Summerfield.
Limousin – £610 JR&JA Wharton. £590 £560 CN Bentley.
