Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held a special herd reduction sale of beef breeding cattle in conjunction with their weekly sale of cast cattle, store and breeding stock on Monday 27th June 2022. Forward were 347 Cattle.
122 Breeding Cattle sold to £4600
75 Cast Cows & OTM sold to 250ppk or £2030
8 Stock Bulls sold to 190ppk or £2585
33 Young Bulls sold to £1470
27 Store Steers sold to £1295
82 Store Heifers sold to £1325
Gilly Flatts Herd Reduction
An emotional day for Jim and Heather Marks of Gilly Flatts Farm, Bishopton as DFAM were privileged with the instruction to reduce this truly exceptional herd of beef bred suckler cows, a great crowd attended which ensured that these excellent Limousin and British Blue crossed cattle achieved the fast trade they undoubtedly deserved. With a sublime sale average of £2467 the top price of the day ultimately went to one of the prolific Gilly Flatts former show beast as a tremendous 2018 born Limousin heifer with her December born Limousin calf at foot sold for £4600 to J C Walker, Clitheroe; she had run back with the herds exceptional Limousin stock bull Bassingbourn Malcolm. Close behind at £3900 came a brilliant 2017 born British Blue cow with a superb March born Limousin crossed heifer calf at foot, she heads away with A & J Harrison, Ettersgill. Next in line selling for £3850 was another British Blue crossed heifer, this one with a Limousin heifer calf at foot had also run back with Malcolm and was snapped up by T N Callender, Whinney Hill. In calf cows and heifers enjoyed a roaring trade, the top price of £3300 went to a fantastic British Blue crossed heifer scanned in calf to the highly regarded Lodge Hamlet, the potential for a cracking show calf from this superstar in the Autumn now resides with P Brannen, Temple Sowerby. Final mention goes to the four bulls offered within this reduction sale, the pick of them was indeed the aforementioned Bassingbourn Malcolm when the six-year-old sold for £3500 to B A & S Mills, Sheffield. All connections here at DFAM would like to wish Jim and Heather the very best of luck for their future; great cattle from great people which were genuinely an absolute pleasure to be involved with.
J L Marks, Gilly Flatts Leading Prices
Cows/Heifers & Calves – £4600 (Lot 28) – £3900 (Lot 20) – £3850 (Lot 29) – £3300 (Lot 25) – £3150 (Lot 7) – £3150 (Lot 27) – £3000 (Lot 19) – £3000 (Lot 32) – £2900 (Lot 22) – £2850 Lot 15) – £2800 (Lot 30)
In Calf Cows/Heifers – £3300 (Lot 47) – £2800 (Lot 48) – £2700 (Lot 39) – £2300 (Lot 38) – £2300 (Lot 40) – £2250 (Lot 42) – £2050 (Lot 43)
Stock Bulls – £3500 (Lot 49) – £3200 (Lot 51) – £2500 (Lot 50) – £2300 (Lot 52)
Cast Cattle – Absolutely no sign of the free-wheeling cow train slowing down anytime soon, a fine show this week saw the cows average a stunning 188 pence per kilo, bulls levelled up at 172 pence as the whole show basked in a terrific DFAM record sale average of £1282.91. Top of the pops was a perfect Limousin OTM from A C Simpson & Son, Witton-le-Wear which sold for an amazing 250ppk and £2030, hanging on to her coat tails came a host of cattle as a 4-year-old Parthenais from M Barker Farms, Ellerton Abbey reached 242ppk and £1718 whilst a hefty 11-year-old Limousin from G & J H Tomlinson & Son, Knitsley reached £1837 and an excellent 9-year-old British Blue from K O Stones, Marrick sold for 238ppk. Beef Shorthorns led the charge of the Natives as D & M Lowes, Barningham reached £1564 and an excellent OTM heifer from F Hare & Sons, Brignall which sold for 216ppk, also at 216ppk today was a Longhorn OTM steer from J V Hodgson & Son, Piercebridge. Friesians proved to be few and far between today, of those in attendance by far the most fruitful were a pair of excellent eight-year-olds from Sedgefield based R G Swinbank which both sold for 180ppk beyond £1400. Final mention goes to the bulls, big was beautiful as a modern-day Brachiosaurus of a Luing Bull from Todholes Partnership, Elsdon pushed the dial around to a massive 1596kg which helped him to reach a wonderful £2585.
Cast Cows & OTM Leading PPK – 250 216 A C Simpson & Son. 242 M Barker Farms. 238 K O Stones. 228(x2) 204(x2) D & M Lowes. 226 J R & G Walton & Sons. 226 M W Reed. 222 L Booton. 220 G & J H Tomlinson & Son. 216 F Hare. 216 J V Hodgson & Son. 216 J W Richardson. 216 T Ducker. 214 W M Reed & Sons. 214 A Crowder. 212 M W Reed. 210 A & M J Henshaw.
Stock Bulls Leading PPK – 190 178 T J Allcock. 182 Broom Mill Farms. 182 W M Reed & Sons. 180 Stewart of Kininmonth. 162 Todholes Partnership. 158 J W Richardson. 138 J Pearson.
Cast Cows & OTM Leading Gross – £2030 £1529 A C Simpson & Son. £1837 G & J H Tomlinson & Son. £1718 £1520 M Barker Farms. £1708 J W Richardson. £1682 K O Stones. £1622 J R & G Walton & Sons. £1606 A & M J Henshaw. £1564 £1495 £1488 £1481 £1456 £1441 £1425 D & M Lowes. £1531 F Hare & Sons. £1515 A Crowder. £1450 M W Reed. £1425 £1404 R G Swinbank. £1423 T Ducker.
Stock Bulls Leading Gross – £2585 Todholes Partnership. £2304 Stewart of Kininmonth. £1765 Broom Mill Farms. £1510 £1361 T J Allcock. £1461 W M Reed & Sons.
Breeding Cattle – Following the immaculate Marks dispersal a tidy show of other breeding beast collected, the pick of the bunch proved to be a shapely 4-year-old Limousin cow with a heifer calf at foot from P Donnelly, Bank Flow, Great Ayton when she sold for £2400.
Bulling Heifers – £1150(x2) £1095 £935 J & F Hartley & Sons.
In Calf Cows – £1100 £950 A Spence.
Cows & Calves – £2400 £2200 P Donnelly. £1900 £1400 £1280 G Newburn. £1500 W M & D H Bussey. £1250 A Spence. £1150 T & C Smith.
Store Cattle – An excellent show of young bulls preceded a typical June mixed bag of store cattle, trade remaining firm for all classes. Best of the bulls then came from J R Fell of North Oxen Le Fields whose sensational run of 14-month-old Limousin’s peaked at a breath-taking £1470; the super run from this good home were challenged closest by D W Humphrey, Upleatham and Messrs Stewart of Kininmonth, Cupar. Limousin’s ruled the roost today in the store section as strength from M H Hodgson, Gainford led the steer trade at £1325 whilst J S Foster & Son, Bowes sold our top heifer at £1325.
Young Bulls – £1470 £1455(x2) £1410 £1320 £1170(x2) £1020(x2) £1005 J R Fell. £1410 £1380 £1335 D W Humphrey. £1365 £1270(x2) £1060 £1050(x2) Stewart of Kininmonth. £940 J C Close.
Store Steers – £1295 £1250 £1135 M H Hodgson. £1245 £1130 E A & N Thomson & Son. £1215 £1155 J S Foster & Son. £1005 £985 £980 £950 I Newton & Son. £1000 G H Lister. £980 G P Addison. £930 T W & G Corner.
Store Heifers – £1325 £1200 J S Foster & Son. £1225 £1085 P D & J A Adamski. £1070 A & J Harrison. £1050(x3) A Davison. £1045(x4) High Mains Partnership. £995 J G Wall & Sons. £995(x2) T T Hall & Son. £980(x4) N B & R Hird. £975(x2) M J Hutchinson.
