Thursday 21st March -Darlington Auction Mart had forward:
79 Bulls sold to 358ppk & £2528
16 Steers sold to 340ppk & £2409
126 Heifers sold to 420ppk & £2654
1 OTM sold to 148ppk & £1614
1718 Hoggs sold to 472ppk & £232
26 Spring Lambs sold to 568ppk & £256
273 Cast Sheep sold to £260
Darlington Auction Mart held its Easter Prime Stock show & Sale.
Show Cattle – Our sincere thanks go to our cattle judge Mr Andrew Hobson, representing Hartshead Meats, Ashton under Lyme and to all the vendors who made the show such a tough challenge for him. A wonderful show of 26 cattle were offered in the 2 classes. with both the Champion and Reserve being Limousin bred. An expert eye drew from a truly outstanding entry that would be the envy of any Easter Fatstock Show. The Champion’s sash was awarded to what can only be described as the Supermodel of the bovine world, a truly wonderful Limousin heifer she was incredibly stylish, while absolutely full of meat. She had made the long journey of 334 miles from the very North of Scotland from Messrs Fettes Ltd, Braes of Enzie, Banfshire a hugely rewarding on with the hammer eventually being put down on the 632 kilo Heifer at 420p to the judge, realising a remarkable £2654 Reserve Champion went to Richmond based GK KN & GJ Hird, Meadow View who scored the double, also winning the Bull class, his 603 kilo Heifer sold to Worsley Wholesale Meats for 356ppk & £2146 and his 1st prize Limousin bull selling for the top price on the day 358ppk & £2330, he was also purchased by the judge.
Show results as follows:
Class 1 – Steer:
1st Askwiths, Low Mown Meadows – Limousin 599 kg sold to 340ppk & £2036 purchased by Worsley Wholesale Meats.
2nd Askwiths, Low Mown Meadows – British Blue 717 kg sold to 336ppk & £2409 purchased by Worsley Wholesale Meats.
3rd Barker Farming Partnership, Tancred Grange – Limousin 587 kg sold to 325ppk & £1907 purchased by Piper’s Butchers, Houghton le Spring.
Class 2 – Heifer:
1st Messrs Fettes Ltd, Braes of Enzie – Limousin 632 kg sold to 420ppk & £2654 purchased by Hartshead Meats.
2nd GK KN & GJ Hird, Meadow View – Limousin 603 kg sold to 356ppk & £2146 purchased by Worsley Wholesale Meats.
3rd A Barnett, Brinns Farm – British Blue 577 kg sold to 358ppk & £2065 purchased by Worsley Wholesale Meats.
Class 3 – Bulls:
1st GK KN & GJ Hird, Meadow View – Limousin 651Kg sold to 358ppk & £2330 purchased by Hartshead Meats.
2nd JK&CE Farming, Blue House Farm – Limousin 645kg sold to 336ppk & £2167 purchased by JA Jewitt Ltd.
3rd TW Clark & Son, Frankland Park Farm – Limousin 752 Kg sold to 328ppk & £2466 purchased by Bowland Foods.
DFAM Easter Champion Beast 2024 – Limousin Heifer sold by Messrs Fettes Ltd, Braes of Enzie – pictured with the judge Andrew Hobson who went on to purchase her on behalf of Hartshead Meats, Ashton under Lyne.
Bulls – A few more forward this week, although a significant number of these were either native or dairy bred, taking this into consideration trade would be sharper on the week, returning an overall average of 274ppk. The top price bull ppk was the Mr Hirds show bull as seen above, however the lead grossing bull was a Limousin sold by J&K Woodward, Rosewood Cottage selling for £2528 to Worsley Wholesale Butchers.
Continental Bulls – Top prices ppk 358 GK KN & GJ Hird. 336 289 JK&CE Farming. 328 316 313 310 300 295 286 TW Clark & Son. 320 312 JC Johnson. 320 278 J&K Woodward. 305 304 300×2 LR Welsh & Co. 299 288 284×2 283 281 P&E Rogerson. 297 286 282×2 281 E Scott. 287 275 TF Bothroyd. 279 276 275 HM & JS Hutchinson. 276 R Hall & Son. 275 JM Greensit & Son Ltd. 275 JC&P Tallentire.
Lead Grossing Continental Bulls £2528 J&K Woodward. £2466 £2332 £2199 £2181 £2119 £2082 £1903 TW Clark & Son. £2424 £2242 £2180 £2016 £1965 P&E Rogerson. £2367 £2316 £2204 LR Welsh & Co. £2330 GK KN & GJ Hird. £2265 £2140 JC Johnson. £2167 £1910 JK&CE Farming. £2154 £2142 K Mackenzie. £2127 R Hall & Son. £2126 £2096 £2044 £2040 E Scott. £1982 JM Greensit & Son Ltd. £1922 TF Bothrord & Son.
Friesian Bulls – Top prices ppk 252 R Hall & Son. 242 237 232 230 JM&S Walton. 228 JK Gregory. 210 HM&JS Hutchinson.
Lead Grossing Friesian Bulls £1481 £1380 £1310 £1304 JM&S Walton. £1474 R Hall & son. £1290 JK Gregory.
Native Bulls – Top prices ppk 268 249 TJ Neil. 261 R Hall & Son. 243 234 229 FS Sturrock & Sons. 242 E Scott. 232 FJ Fraser & Son.
Lead Grossing Native Bulls £2141 £1884 TJ Neil. £2101 FJ Fraser & Son. £1884 TJ Neil. £1665 R Hall & Son. £1572 £1543 £1394 FS Sturrock & Sons.
OTM Cattle – Top price ppk 148 J Elliott.
Lead Grossing OTM – £1614 J Elliott.
Clean Cattle – A really good show of cattle on display today, with an extraordinary trade to match. Heifers sold to an average of 324ppk with steers not too far behind at 317 ppk. Messes Fettes Ltd was not only the winner in the show ring but his run of 10 commercial cattle, averaged an impressive 316ppk & £2293, The Scott’s of Low Leam, West Woodburn kept up their tradition of breeding & finishing some terrific cattle averaging 334ppk & £2119, while local vendors The Askwiths, Low Mown Meadows sold 4 superb cattle to an average of 337ppk & £2155. Other local producers JV&JA Hodgson, The Grange, Summerhouse & Robin & Imi Hirst were also winners on the day, Nick & John Hodgson with their 20 heifers averaging 323ppk & £1967 and husband and wife team – The Hirst’s 15 Heifers selling to an average of 340ppk & £1996. Last but by no means least Brian Walker, Birch Spring’s trio of Limousin Heifers – all bought out of DFAM’S Monday store sales from regular vendors RA&S Wearmouth, GC&KJ White & RJ&R Greenbank sold to an average of 350ppk & £1976.
Steers – Top prices ppk 340 336 Askwiths. 337 334 329 308 WJ Scott Ltd. 330 325 Barker Farming Partnership. 329 319 TN Callender. 328 AJ Marr & Son. 315 Messrs Fettes Ltd. 308 294 292 P&JH Davison.
Lead Grossing Steers £2409 £2036 Askwiths. £2394 Messrs Fettes Ltd. £2187 £2171 £2094 £2086 WJ Scott Ltd. £2115 £1845 £1725 P&JH Davison. £2089 AJ Marr & Son. £1931 £1910 TN Callender. £1907 £1887 P&JH Davison.
Heifers – Top prices ppk 420 Messrs Fettes Ltd. 360 348 344 B Walker. 360 357 353 348 346 345 339 338JV&JA Hodgson. 358 A Barnett. 356 350 349 x2 347 345 344×2 341 340 339 R Hirst. 356 Askwiths. 356 GK KN & GJ Hird. 351 349 343 340×2 WA Armstrong. 349 348 346 345 MF Hall. 348 344 339 336 WJ Scott Ltd. 348 347 346 341 336 Barker Farming Partnership. 345 JJ Kemp & Son. 344 JE Suddes & Son. 344 JM Ramsay & Son. 337 AJ Marr. 335 WJ&AS Bowes & Sons.
Lead Grossing Heifers £2654 £2445 £2326 £2294 £2227 £2201 £2194 £21116 £2083 Messrs Fettes Ltd. £2237 £2105 £2054 WJ Scott Ltd. £2185 Askwiths. £2169 £2139 £2098 £2067 £2059 £2032 £2024 JV&JA Hodgson. £2153 £2148 £2121 £2070 £2061 £2026 £2008 R Hirst. £2146 GK KN & GJ Hird. £2102 £2050 £2032 £1999 Barker Farming Partnership. £2067 £2060 £2031 WA Armstrong. £2065 A Barnett. £2053 JE Suddes & Son. £2008 JM Ramsay & Son. £1996 WF Hustwit. £1991 AJ Marr & Son.
New Season Lamb – Back with a bang and in with some spring come the first of the springers for the new season. Easter show and sale week, left in the hands of weekly supporter, Keith Tallentire to place the lambs with some handy weighted lambs on offer, these levelled the day at 505p/kg and SQQ at 538.98p/kg, with buyers looking to secure some early spring lambs for the easter trade. 1st prize went to Deborah Whitcher with a trio of Charollais sired lambs weighing 45kg and selling for £256 or 568p/kg, with others from the same good home to follow at £249 and 565p/kg. Charles Marwood making the journey north with pure Charollais taking second place and topping at £254 or 564p/kg with others to £238 and £235. Locals Peter Tindale took 3rd and saw 43kg lambs to £200 while Anna Herbert topped at £230 and £227.
Show Results
1st Deborah Whitcher 45kg – £256 – 568.9p/kg
2nd C W Marwood & Son 45kg – £254 – 564.4p/kg
3rd P Tindale 43kg – £200 – 465.1p/kg
Spring Lambs – Top prices ppk 568 565 479 430 D Whitcher. 564 532 527 500 476 CW Marwood & Son. 480 469 Anna Herbert. 465 PJ Tindale. 338 Ivanhoe Livestock.
Lead Grossing spring Lambs £256 £249 £235 £228 D Whitcher. £254 £238 £229 £227 CW Marwood & Son. £230 £226 Anna Herbert. £200 PJ Tindale. £176 Ivanhoe Livestock.
Champion Spring Lambs – Deborah Whitcher
Prime Hoggs – Plenty of trade still around in the hoggs today, on paper they would look slightly less in trade however a two tier trade with plenty of demand for the best fed and bred hoggs with the leaner end coming up against some resistance, still plenty to shout about when looking at the comparative averages for the same week in 2023. An all included weighed straight sale saw hoggs all in average 384p/kg and SQQ 379p/kg. The all in average being 135p/kg then last year. Pick of the day price wise still going to those big weighted meated hoggs with R E & L Frank, Crab Tree Farm away with a trio at £232 some £100 a head dearer then last years top, while hard on his tail A C Simpson & Son topping at £230 with the travelled hoggs from E J Boby seeing highs of £230, and Ian Kirk, Newark off the same wagon to £224. An expertly turned out run of sheep by Steve Hugill at Wytherstone Farms saw a top of £224, and K & MM Henderson to highs of £216.
Pence per kilo topped by last weeks vendors again travelling from Kirby Fleetham T A Greensit & Son who seeing handy weights away to 472.2p/kg with others to 461p/kg. PJ & MP Gilhespy close behind at 465.1p/kg while a super run as ever from R Atkinson top at 452p/kg. With lambs down from as far as Scotland topping at 431.9p/kg. Sheep are required weekly for a ring side of buyers, with trade just as strong, do not hesitate to give one of the team a call.
Leading Averages
R Atkinson, Scorton sold 206 to average 417.61ppk
PJ & MP Gilhespy, Ponteland sold 36 to average 408.19ppk
T A Greensit & Son, Kirby Fleetham sold 85 to average 407.89ppk
J E Lockey & Son, Suffield sold 28 to average 407.53ppk
A C Simpson, Witton Le Wear sold 62 to average £215.32
RE & L Frank, Stokesley sold 22 to average £205.73
Wytherstone Farms, York sold 74 to average £210
J & A Layfield, Hamsterley sold 88 to average £196.18
A Crowder, Tow Law sold 46 to average £197.65
E J Boby, Newark sold 3 to average £230
Hoggs – top prices ppk 472 461 447 444 415 414 TA Greensit & Sons. 465 435 409 PJ&MP Gilhespy. 452 435 428 425 422 417×2 414 413 411×2 R Atkinson. 440 421 406 K&MM Henderson. 434 420 P Johnson. 431 417 G Gall. 426 419 409 AC Simpson & Son. 425 P Bisby. 425 415 I Kirk. 423 415 A&PA Jopling. 422×2 417 EA Hinton. 417 416×2 J&A Layfield. 414 Ainsty Farms Direct. 414 Whittington. 413 404 JE Lockey & Son. 408 D Dawson. 408×2 KO Stones.
Lead Grossing Hoggs £232 £206 £202 £200 RE&L Frank. £230 £226 £223 £222 £221 £220 £218 £216 £214×3 £212×2 £211 3210 AC Simpson & Son. £230 EJ Boby. £224 £217 £214 £211 £201 Wytherstone Farm. £220 £204 I Kirk. £216 £212 K&MM Henderson. £211 EA Hinton. £210 JA&B Nappey. £210 £209 £204 £200×2 J&A Layfield. £209 A Crowder. £209 £200 KO Stones. £208 £200 R Atkinson. £208 GP&A Carter. £204 P Bisby. £203 G Gall. £200 PJ&MP Gilhespy. £200 G&R Dawson.
Cast Sheep- As The Four Tops sang all them years ago its ‘the same old song’ but just a slightly higher average the best shine through with a show of everything from the very best continentals through the leaner end of the hill bred ewes. Top spot in both the rams and ewes today is claimed by W & M Knaggs & Son with a super single ewe at £260 and ram at £240. Redgate Grange saw highs of £242 while W L Robinson & Partners see highs of £218. JA & A Herbert top at £196 the best of the continentals remain £150 – £180 mules slightly dearer on the week with something for everyone on offer.
Lead Grossing Cast sheep £260 £240 £138 W&M Knaggs & Son. £242 Redgate Grange. £218 WL Robinson & Partners. £196 £176 JA&A Herbert. £193 £171 GM Blair & Partners. £190 JE Parlour. £186 PR Weaver. £182 £168 N&MJ Parkin. £178 £168 £140 C Wise. £178 JA&A Stevenson & Sons. £170 £150 P Johnson. £170×2 AC Simpson & Son. £170 3150 GP&A Carter. £168 £160 £150 £148 PJ&MP Gilhespy. £168 £146 S Fenwick. £166 Ainsty Farms Direct. £162 £144 TA Greensit & Sons.
