Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their weekly sale of Cast Cattle, Store and Breeding Stock on Monday 20th December 2021. Forward were 114 Cattle and 850 Sheep.
36 Cast Cattle & OTM sold to 186ppk or £1634
3 Stirks sold to £545
46 Store Steers sold to £1270
29 Store Heifers sold to £1170
755 Store Lambs sold to £132
95 Feeding Ewes sold to £95
Cast Cattle – A light show as the numbers dwindle naturally for Christmas week, those forward enjoyed a fine trade with the regular parliament of buyers left to scrap over the reduced festive offering, a moderate show of quality in general averaged a pleasing 128ppk. No stocking was filled fuller today than that of Forster Hall & Sons, Ashview, East Butsfield when their 33 month old Aberdeen Angus led the trade at a splendid 186 pence per kilo and £1634. Best of the senior citizen’s this week were impressive Limousin cow’s from B Watson, Baal Hill Farm and A & A G Moralee, Lowfield Farm which sold for 174 pence per kilo and £1330 respectively.
Cast Cows – Top prices ppk 186 156 Forster Hall & Sons. 174 B Watson. 164 156 148 146 A&AG Moralee. 152 146 JW&B Firby. 148 R&RE Everitt. 144 FE Pinkney. 140 132 TT Hall & Son. 136 134 JT&M Atkinson. 130 E Scott & Sons. 128 HW&M Alderson & Son. 126 G Thompson & Sons.
Lead Grossing Cast Cows £1634 £1084 Forster Hall & Sons. £1330 £1028 £943 £934 A&AG Moralee. £1195 B Watson. £1065 R&RE Everitt. £1012 FE Pinkney. £993 £854 TT Hall & Sons. £930 P&PJ Sayer. £927 £864 JT&M Atkinson. £839 HW&M Alderson & Son. £839 G Thompson & Sons.
Cast Bulls – Top prices ppk 128 114 John Archer.
Lead Grossing Cast Bulls £898 £662 John Archer.
Store Cattle – As with the cows the store cattle were in short supply, those in attendance received a nice Christmas bonus as the feeding cattle were another terrific trade. Our 2021 christmas number one slot was taken by a tremendous 16 month old Charolais steer from F E Pinkney, The Holt, Richmond which sold for £1270, close behind came a trio of superb 22 month old British Blue steers at £1230; bred from Friesian cows at High Toft Hill Farm and the good home of R & W Todd. A good day for the Charolais breed was completed when G Scott of Low Houses sold the top heifer at £1170 whilst the pick of the yearling cattle were an exceptional run of Limousin crosses from F Ward, Rogerley Hall, Frosterley which saw steers peak at £1160 and heifers £1100; the delightful dozen from Rogerley Hall averaged a healthy £1073.
Stirks £545 £530 £250 JT Layfield & Sons.
Store Steers £1270 £1010×2 FE Pinkney. £1230×3 £1055×2 £1010×2 £1000×3 R&W Todd. £1160 £1155 £1110 £1000 F Ward. £1130 JS Foster & Son. £1130 G Scott. £1030 £1010 £950×5 £945 G Bolton. £960 E Peacock. £960 W Love Ltd. £930 £860 £850 I Newton & Son.
Store Heifers £1170 G Scott. £1100 £1090 £1080 £1060×2 £1040×2 £990 F Ward. £1080 M Hutchinson. £1010 JS Foster & Son. £975×3 £965×2 £945×3 W Love Ltd. £890 £885 £850 £830 JS Wiper.
Store Sheep – The shepherds have good reason to watch their flocks by night this Christmas, they are currently very valuable assets, another exemplary store trade to end the year on a high. Top of our Christmas tree were a trio of superb Beltex lambs from Fletcher & Coates, Short Thorns Farms, Weardale which sold for £132 per head. Many more than 3 wise men chose the DFAM store ring to part company with their lambs, the live ring was certainly in inspired form with 84 lambs selling above £120 and a further 160 at £100 or more. The sheep have been consistently in high demand this year, good luck now goes to the finishing firms as we head in to the new year, long may the sheep boom continue.
Store Lambs – Beltex £132 £125 £120 £109 Fletcher & Coates.
Texel £126 £122.50 £122 SJ Love. £125 £119 Fletcher & Coates. £123 £101 DE Stones. £122 £118 JR&J Crowe. £118 £115 £109 £96 J Davies. £117 £101 WF Hunter. £106 J Walshaw & Son. £103 GE Raw. £96.50 JH Johnson.
Suffolk £125 JR&J Crowe. £120 WF Hunter. £119 Fletcher & Coates. £115 £103 A Swinbank & Son. £111 £105 J Walshaw & Son. £106 DE Stones. £94 A Cator.
Continental £125 £100 J Davies. £122 A Cator. £95.50 JH Johnson.
Cheviot £110 S Dodsworth.
Mule £106 J Walshaw & Son.
Feeding Ewes £99 BG Dale. £99 £50 Wolsingham Park Farms. £82 £77 JH Johnson. £80 £52 £40 E Anderson. £79 £56 W Marley. £70 K&RE Robson.
