Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their weekly sale of prime stock on Thursday 20th November 2025. Forward were 192 cattle and 1537 sheep.
74 Prime Bulls sold to 450ppk or £3720
26 Prime Steers sold to 455ppk or £3145
92 Prime Heifers sold to 504ppk or £3238
1326 Prime Lambs sold to 430ppk or £204
211 Cast Ewes/Rams sold to £220
Prime Bulls (74) – The bull trade bundles along nicely, the first crossed dairy bulls in particular look sharper, this week’s sale averaged 358ppk and £2532. It certainly shows how far the beef has travelled as this average places us 56ppk and £375 ahead on the same week last year. The best bulls were in short supply, those forward continue to sell well with the top four selling between 440ppk and 450ppk, pick of the pack was a cracking 734kg Limousin from CH & SE Armstrong, Middle Moor Farm. Twenty travelled over £3000, the top two excelled themselves as a wonderful 814kg Limousin from LS Staley, Bluestone House reached £3646 and a terrific 921kg Limousin from RW & R Henry, Holme Farm bettered them all when he sold for a whopping £3720. A much larger proportion of Friesian bulls this week were also keenly sought after, the pick of them at 337ppk and £2319 was from MA & PD Foster, Smithy House Farm whilst the Hereford bagged the native breed bragging rights topping at 386ppk and £2511 from CH & SE Armstrong.
Bulls- Lead Grossing Top Averages
LS Staley sold 2 (837kg) Average £3500
RW&R Henry sold 4 (810kg) Average £3262
D Richardson & Co Ltd sold 6 (780kg) Average £3186
SH Watson & Son sold 2 (719kg) Average £3102
Bulls- PPK Top Averages
SH Watson & Son sold 2 (719kg) Average 431ppk
JJ Kemp & Son sold 2 (660kg) Average 429ppk
LS Staley sold 2 (837kg) Average 418ppk
D Richardson & Co Ltd sold 6 (780kg) Average 408ppk
Continental Bulls – Top prices ppk 450 447 418 402 399 390 385 369×2 CH&SE Armstrong. 448 390 LS Staley. 440 420 JJ Kemp & Son. 434 429 SH Watson & Son. 423 421 BJ Haigh. 418 416 415 412 406 385 D Richardson & Co Ltd. 405 404 401 400 RW&R Henry. 400 JK&CE Farming. 380 378 371 JM&S Walton. 373 372 369 JA&A Herbert. 366 K&TK Atkinson.
Lead Grossing Continental Bulls £3720 £3142 £3127 £3060 RW&R Henry. £3646 £3354 LS Staley. £3345 £3260 £3172 £3170 £3126 £3040 D Richardson & Co Ltd. £3303 £3263 £3083 £3072 £2871 £2858 £2818 £2669 £2656 CH&SE Armstrong. £3163 £3041 SH Watson & Son. £3072 JK&CE Farming. £2882 £2797 JJ Kemp & Son. £2851 £2845 BJ Haigh. £2797 JJ Kemp & Son.
Native Bulls – Top prices ppk 386 384 336 320 CH&SE Armstrong. 370 368 366 R Hall & Son. 356 JM&S Walton. 340 JA&A Herbert. 294 C&M Atkinson & Sons.
Lead Grossing Native Bulls £2511 £2486 £2308 £2153 CH&SE Armstrong. £2467 £2455 £2439 R Hall & Son. £2370 JM&S Walton. £1948 JA&A Herbert. £1822 C&M Atkinson.
Friesian Bulls – Top prices ppk 337 324 303 MA&PD Foster. 316 JM&S Walton. 314 292 GW Dobson. 308 256 220×2 JM Stuart & Son. 292 289 C&M Atkinson & Sons.
Lead Grossing Friesian Bulls £2319 £2200 £2145 MA&PD Foster. £2285 £2072 £1601 £1408 JM Stuart & Son. £2232 £2219 GW Dobson & Son. £1873 JM&S Walton. £1632 £1620 C&M Atkinson & Sons.
Clean Cattle (118) – Clean beef less money in places this week? The DfAM ring had other ideas. No doubt these are the trade of the week with top prices and averages eclipsing all other outlets to see the supersonic steers average 408ppk and £2832 and the hot heifer’s level at 435ppk and £2647. Top per kilo was a lovely lightweight Limousin heifer from LD Laws, High Village Farm when she sold for 504 pence. Following were three absolute beauties from the classy Kelso based firm of WM Fleming, Moss Tower, the incredible trio of Limousin’s sold for 497, 498 and 499 pence per kilo. Topping the steers per kilo was a marvellous pen from Northumberland based WJ Scott Ltd, Low Leam; the Low Leam team claimed the top four spots selling between 440ppk and 455ppk. Eleven cattle joined the £3000 plus club this week; top of the heap at £3238 was a fleshy 771kg Limousin heifer from JE Suddes & Son, Rowley Farm. More Suddes success followed with heifers at £3160 and £3154 whilst the top two steers in the lump came from local producers TN Callender, Ox Eye Farm at £3145 and £3141. Some exceptional pen averages are listed below; can the Christmas show trade keep up with this pace next week?
Clean Cattle- Lead Grossing Top Averages
JE Suddes & Son sold 4 (680kg) Average £3021
JB&N Harrison & Sons sold 2 (702kg) Average £2986
TN Callender sold 3 (690kg) Average £2905
WM Fleming sold 8 (597kg) Average £2893
Clean Cattle- PPK Top Averages
WM Fleming sold 8 (597kg) Average 484ppk
AC Simpson & Son sold 4 (618kg) Average 463ppk
Renton Highlaws Ltd sold 8 (570kg) Average 457ppk
WJ Scott Ltd sold 10 (611kg) Average 456ppk
Steers – Top prices ppk 455 454 450 440 WJ Scott Ltd. 435 434 427 Taylor Bros. 428 408 TN Callender. 427 426 414 Lawson & Son. 422 408 402 400×2 399 387 381 377 Messrs R Miller. 409 373 NE Dyson. 348 JR Spink.
Lead Grossing Steers £3145 £3141 TN Callender. £3084 £2914 £2792 Lawson & Son. £3042 £2625 NE Dyson. £3026 £2992 £2979 £2972 £2891 £2853 £2840 £2808 £2745 £2693 Messrs R Miller. £2917 £2896 £2745 £2734 WJ Scott Ltd. £2763 P&N Tattersall. £2612 £2540 £2492 Taylor Bros. £2380 LR Spink.
Heifers – Top prices ppk 504 LD Laws. 499 498 497 481 477 476×2 472 WM Fleming. 480 Taylor Bros. 478 461 AC Simpson & Son. 478 476 460 452 444 Renton Highlaws Ltd. 478 IR Appleton. 478 448 446 W Swinbank & Sons. 474 470 468 466 450 WJ Scott Ltd. 469 444 Lawson & Son. 468 456 JE Suddes & Son. 458 452 449 448×2 R Hirst. 456 440 MF Hall. 455 TW Clark & Son. 440 A&MJ Henshaw. 435 JB&N Harrison. 438 K&A Harker
Lead Grossing Heifers £3238 £3160 £3154 JE Suddes & Son. £3126 £3095 £2966 £2965 £2959 £2860 £2743 £2730 A&MJ Henshaw. £3123 JB&N Harrison & Sons. £2998 £2992 £2991 £2962 £2940 £2919 WM Fleming. £2968 £2850 £2830 £2803 AC Simpson & Son. £2963 £2895 £2758 WJ Scott Ltd. £2902 TW Clark & Son. £2891 £2835 £2798 W Swinbank & Sons. £2887 Renton Highlaws Ltd. £2849 JB&N Harrison & Sons.
Prime Lambs (1326) – Lambs dearer on average compared to last week by 14 pence per kilo and £9.05 per head, all classes sharper, in particular the heavy weights enjoyed a noticeable lift. Ten buyers ringside ensured a sharp trade to see a reduced number (weather affected) average 333ppk and £154.91 with an SQQ of 337ppk. Top per kilo at 430 pence were a smart pair of 43kg Beltex lambs from J & S Barnes, Skipbridge Inn Farm when they sold for 430 pence (£185). Top per head this week at £204 were a great pair of 62kg Texel lambs from TW Clark & Son, Frankland Farm, following close behind at £203 were a trio of 64kg Charollais lambs from TJ Herron, Hope House Farm. A sharp trade for anything full of flesh, no better example than the top pen of Mule lambs from Rebbecca Appleton, East Murton Farm weighing 49kg and selling for £159.
Lambs- Lead Grossing Top Averages
A Crowder sold 46 (51kg) Average £173
Cole Hill Farm Ltd sold 22 (52kg) Average £170.50
R Wood & Son sold 18 (51kg) Average £169.50
WR Thompson sold 35 (50kg) Average £169
D&PH Brown sold 22 (52kg) Average £167
Lead Grossing Lambs- £204 £192 £184 £170 £169 TW Clark & Son. £203 £196.50 £196 £190 x2 £187 £182 TJ Herron. £196 £170 Mark Robson. £194 N Medd & Son. £190 £179 £171 A&PA Jopling. £189 £177 £175 £170 x2 A Crowder. £188 £176 £169 JC Thwaite & Son. £185 C Dawson. £185 J&S Barnes. £184 £169 £168 Cole Hill Farm Ltd. £184 £180 D&PH Brown. £177 £170 £170 WR Thompson. £175.50 Bowes Bros. £175 £168 R Wood & Son. £174 £172 x2 £169.50 R Atkinson. £174 £168.50 J&A Layfield. £173 W Denham. £172 GP&A Carter. £171 IR Appleton. £171 R Errington & Son. £170 GW Whittington Livestock. £169 x2 M&A Gaskin. £168 Rebecca Appleton.
Lambs- Top Prices PPK 430 379 361 J&S Barnes. 413 406 345 A&PA Jopling. 395 348 GW Whittington Livestock. 391 390 375 372 367 362 355 R Atkinson. 388 347 R Errington & Son. 376 362 345 JC Thwaite & Son. 373 350 GP&A Carter. 373 Bowes Bros. 368 365 346 345 W Denham. 365 351 x2 WM Allison & Son. 365 363 Mark Robson. 363 C&V Harrison. 363 345 C Dawson. 362 354 P Hutchinson. 361 WR Thompson. 359 352 346 TW Clark & Son. 359 348 William Tindale. 357 R Wood & Son. 354 345 JD Brannen. 354 A Hall & Son. 354 350 DM Tiplady. 350 346 A Crowder. 348 TJ Herron. 348 WL Robinson & Partners.
Cast Ewes & Rams (220) – The ewe trade continued last week’s fine form, a plainer show in general sold well to average £119.37. A lovely Texel ewe from C & V Harrison, East Broomshiels led the way when she sold for £220, plenty of the stronger continentals traded £170 and beyond. Mule ewes sold to a top of £141 from JM & S Walton, Brettanby Farm, a price which was remarkably then to be matched later in the sale by our leading pen of horned ewes, half a dozen wonderful Northumberland Blackface from JH Johnson, White Lea Farm.
Lead Grossing Cast Sheep- £220 £119 £105 C&V Harrison. £179 £115 £90 IR Appleton. £173 £165 £160 £150 £138 £90 AWSM Farms. £160 £130 JC Thwaite & Son. £159 M Harris. £150 £148 £130 £128 x2 WR Thompson. £141 x3 £119 £117 JM&S Walton. £141 £138 £106 JH Johnson. £140 £120 P Dawson. £135 £105 N Medd & Son. £130 x2 £110 D&J Hunnam & Son. £130 £114 £90 JP Coatsworth & Son. £130 £120 £102 C Dawson. £120 x2 WM Allison & Son Ltd. £120 K&M Elders & Son. £102 William Tindale. £100 R Errington & Son. £90 J Milbank & Sons.
