Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their weekly sale of prime stock on Thursday 23rd February 2023. Forward were 219 Cattle and 2338 Sheep.
72 Prime Bulls sold to 335ppk or £2633
38 Prime Steers sold to 328ppk or £2331
108 Prime Heifers sold to 338ppk or £2376
1 Cast Cow sold for 170ppk and £1285
2031 Prime Hoggs sold to 280ppk or £146
307 Cast Ewes & Rams sold to £195
Prime Bulls (72) – The brilliant bull trade bounces frantically through February, some stunning returns helped this week’s show average an outstanding 270 pence per kilo and £1864 per head. An excellent 18 bulls sold in the 300’s today, sharing the bronze medal were Cumbrian crusaders The Rogerson’s and local producers D Richardson & Co who both reached 320ppk; a superb bull from A G Watson & Sons, Rushyford scooped silver when selling for 327ppk however it was a phenomenal Limousin from the consistent A C Simpson & Son, McNeil Farm which stole the show when he sold for 335ppk. The top third all sold over £2000, at the summit was more success for Simmo’s Limmo’s as two superstars sold over £2600; great British Blondes from both J J Horn and F & J S Gargett impressed as did a hefty 984kg Aberdeen Angus from H W Sclater, Turriff when he totalled £2351. Friesian trade is ferocious at the moment as the breed averaged over 229ppk, right at the top were J K & C E Farming, Piercebridge at 263ppk and also the excellent feeding of R Hall and Son, Brotton at £1619. Below are listed some of the day’s top performers.
A C Simpson & Son, Witton-le-Wear sold 3 to average 311ppk and £2509
J E Jordon & Son, Morpeth sold 3 to average 310ppk and £1955
A G Watson & Sons, Rushyford sold 4 to average 309ppk and £2119
P J & E S Rogerson, Appleby sold 5 to average 309ppk and £1987
J J Horn, Richmond sold 2 to average 307ppk and £2359
Continental Bulls – Top prices ppk 335 300×2 AC Simpson & Son. 327 313 298 296 AG Watson. 320 295 293 289×2 D Richardson & Co Ltd. 320 316 314 309 288 PJ&ES Rogerson. 316 299 JJ Horn. 216 279×2 F&JS Gargett. 315 310 307 JE Jordon & Son. 308 293 C Binks & Son. 305 W&M Knaggs & Son. 303 T&DI Allen & Son. 295 S Luck & Son. 295 287 275 GK KN & GJ Hird. 277 LR Welsh & Co. 270 R Hall & Son.
Lead Grossing Continental Bulls £2633 £2622 £2274 AC Simpson & Son. £2471 £2248 JJ Horn. £2382 £2340 £2301 F&JS Gargett. £2328 £2272 £2145AG Watson & Son. £2303 £2215 £2183 £2098 £1996 D Richardson & Co. £2271 £1898 S Luck & Son. £2241 W&M Knaggs & Son. £2139 T&DI Allen & Son. £2073 £2044 £1965 £1949 PJ&ES Rogerson. £2037 £1911 LR Welsh & Co. £2029 £1961 £1936 GK KN & GJ Hird. £2009 £1999 £1857 JE Jordon & Son.
Friesian Bulls – Top prices ppk 263 JK&CE Farming. 253 245 R Hall & Son. 228 226 224 220 JM&S Walton. 225 W&M Knaggs & Son. 223 202 JR Knox & Son. 215 JC&P Tallentire.
Lead Grossing Friesian Bulls £1619 £1479 R Hall & Son. £1606 JK&CE Farming. £1497 £1487 £1469 £1372 JM&S Walton. £1378 £1242 JR Knox & Son. £1367 JC&P Tallentire. £1325 W&M Knaggs & Son.
Native Breed Bulls – Top prices ppk 267 LR Welsh & Co. 249 245 A Layfield. 239 HW Sclater. 228 TN Hodgson & Sons. 228 M Hutchinson.
Lead Grossing Native Breed Bulls £2351 HW Sclater. £1947 M Hutchinson. £1911 LR Welsh & Co. £1832 31607 A Layfield. £1630 TN Hodgson & Sons.
Clean Cattle (146) – Absolutely fabulous, bullocks brilliant and heifers hot as by no means a fancy show of quality forward saw them average 286ppk and 297ppk respectively with the whole lot levelling out over £1800. A stunning 570kg homebred Limousin heifer from J L Marks, Bishopton led the way at 338ppk, other vendors in the 330 club were B Walker, Dalton-on-Tees; W Ramsay & Sons, Station Town and just one from undoubtedly our top performers of the day Barker Farming Partnership, Scorton. The Barker brilliance produced our top steer per kilo at 328ppk with Ponteland’s P J & M P Gilhespy and also Scottish raiders S & J E Andrew both in hot pursuit. On to the gross values and more barnstormers from Barker Farming as they sold steers to £2331 and heifers to £2376; keeping the pressure on the Scorton firm were again our visitors from the North Messrs Andrew as they sold heifers to £2160 and a superb Aberdeen Angus steer at £2295. An all-round excellent trade with half the cattle reaching 300ppk and twenty one over £2000 as we once again see the live ring bragging and the deadweight lagging. Look below at some of this week’s rather tasty tickets.
Steers
Barker Farming Partnership, Scorton sold 6 to average 318ppk and £2121
S & J E Andrew, Loch of Lowes sold 3 to average 317ppk and £2273
P J & M P Gilhespy, Ponteland sold 3 to average 310ppk and £1889
J E Suddes & Son, Cornsay Colliery sold 2 to average 307ppk and £1949
Heifers
J L Marks, Bishopton sold 3 to average 328ppk and £1798
W M Ramsay & Sons, Station Town sold 5 to average 323ppk and £1944
Barker Farming Partnership, Scorton sold 4 to average 322ppk and £2271
B Walker, Dalton-on-Tees sold 3 to average 321ppk and £1722
Askwiths, Crook sold 2 to average 318ppk and £1691
P J & M P Gilhespy, Ponteland sold 3 to average 317ppk and £1835
W & M Knaggs & Son, Sadberge sold 2 to average 317ppk and £1806
S & J E Andrew, Loch of Lowes sold 2 to average 316ppk and £2081
Steers – Top prices ppk 328 324 319 315 312×2 Barker Farming Farming. 326 317 289 PJ&MP Gilhespy. 326 317 309 S&JE Andrew. 323 JL Marks. 319 274 Askwiths. 318 298 JE Suddes & Son. 314 MF Hall. 295 284 272 P&JH Davison. 280 269 JM Smith. 278 277 273 255 RO Gilson. 275 264 259×2 AL&JA Kirkland. 272 260 LW Martin.
Lead Grossing Steers £2331 £2245 £2237 £2046 £1960 £1906 Barker Farming Partnership. £2295 £2288 £2237 S&JE Andrew. £2073 £2046 £2033 £2016 £1991 £1981 £1944 £1932 AL&JA Kirkland. £2024 £1873 PJ&MP Gilhespy. £1985 £1966 JM Smith. £1974 £1925 JE Suddes & Son. £1920 £1805 Askwiths. £1916 RO Gilson. £1888 £1830 £1802 P&JH Davison.
Heifers – Top prices ppk 338 330 316 JL Marks. 335 320 319×2 Barker Farming Partnership. 333 318 312 B Walker. 331 327 326 322 312 W Ramsay & Sons. 325 323 305 PJ&MP Gilhespy. 325 320×2 318 313×2 311 308 307 306 305 R Hirst. 323 311 308×2 MF Hall. 320 S&JE Andrew. 319 317 Askwiths. 318×2 315×2 310 309 JV&JA Hodgson. 318 317 W&M Knaggs & Son. 317 314 JE Suddes & Son. 316 307 MI Wainwright. 314 W Henderson & Son. 313 S&JE Andrew. 312 S&J Dent & Son. 307 CW Gray.
Lead Grossing Heifers £2376 £2316 £2213 £2177 Barker Farming Partnership. £2160 £2003 S&JE Andrew. £2047 £2010 £1965 £1922 £1880 £1867 £1840 MI Wainwright. £2045 £1986 £1910 £1906 W Ramsay & Sons. £2025 £1936 £1908 £1884 £1876 £1845 £1841 £1835 JV&JA Hodgson. £1997 JE Suddes & Son. £1979 £1899 £1865 £1822 R Hirst. £1975 W Henderson. £1926 JL Marks. £1882 P&JH Davison. £1879 PJ&MP Gilhespy. £1871 B Walker. £1870 S Luck. £1865 PJ&MP Gilhespy. £1816 WM Knaggs & Son. £1815 MF Hall.
Prime Hoggs (2031) – Hoggs aren’t exactly hot but another pleasing turnout sold to a similar trade on the week, as always, we just weigh it and say it, no malfunctions or misunderstandings occur on our bridge. This week’s sale with some 150 horned hoggs included averaged 224ppk with an SQQ of 228ppk. A wonder hogg from Nottinghamshire’s P R Weaver led the trade when the 52kg superstar sold for £146 (280ppk). Multiple pens of heavyweights from last week’s leader A C Simpson & Son, Witton-le-Wear closely chased the marauding Midlander past the chequered flag as the seventy Simpson superstars averaged just the same as last week (£132).
Hoggs – Top prices ppk 280 259 244 242 241 236 PR Weaver. 266 250 W&J Herbert. 263 243 235 A&PA Jopling. 262 259 251×2 IM Maughan. 258 243 237 236 G Thompson & Sons. JL Gill & Son. 258 240 C Dawson. 257 240 235×2 JH&D Wise. 256 239 J&A Layfield. 252 AC Simpson & Son. 252 Tallentire. 251 M&A Gaskin. 250 TW Clark & Son. 250 W Denham. 246 238×2 CS Robinson. 244 J Carrick. 244 D Dawson. 243 238 G Sedgewick. 243 J Mitchell & Son.
Lead Grossing Hoggs £146 £125.50 £124.50 £119 £117.50 PR Weaver. £140 x2 £139 £137 £136×2 £135 £132.50 £131.50 £131 £130×2 £128 £127 AC Simpson & Son. £130 £125 CS Robinson. £129 £123 £122 £118 £116×2 £115×3 J&A Layfield. £125×2 £122 RH Thompson & Son. £125 £124×2 TK Smith & Sons. £121 £118 JH&D Wise. £120 JR Knox & Son. £120 TA&J Swinbank. £117 £115 A Crowder. £116 M&A Gaskin. £115×2 T Common.
Cast Ewes & Rams (307) – Signs that the ewe trade is lifting, particularly the continental and Suffolk’s had buyers keener. The sale averaged £95 this week, top of them all a superb Texel from David Dawson of Tow Law when she sold for £195. Big Mule’s again top side of £100 as were the best of our Cheviot Mule’s and fit Swaledale’s often beyond £50.
Lead Grossing Cast Sheep- £195 David Dawson. £180 £160 £150 £140 £134 £130 £130 £120 WA Wardman LTD. £170 £158 £148 £140 W&M Knaggs & Son. £158 £125 J Dawson. £150 £140 £128 £120 £100 C Dawson. £150 x2 £100 £99 W Denham. £142 £134 R Lawson & Son. £140 £120 I Hedley. £140 £110 £60 WA Dinsdale & Son. £135 £100 IM Maughan. £135 £130 M&A Gaskin. £134 GM Simpson. £128 JG Atkinson. £128 £120 £112 x2 £102 £100 JA&B Nappey. £122 £100 W Allison & Sons. £122 £120 £108 F Johnson. £120 £60 £42 GA&J Allison. £120 £110 J&A Layfield. £120 £108 JL Gill & Son. £120 Anthony Swinbank. £120 G Thompson & Sons. £116 £100 DW&A Appleton. £110 £100 A&PA Jopling. £100 S&D Ferrie.
