Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their weekly sale of prime stock on Thursday 25th July 2024. Forward were 136 cattle and 928 sheep.
55 Prime Bulls sold to 328ppk or £2428
15 Prime Steers sold to 310ppk or £2328
69 Prime Heifers sold to 348ppk or £2164
12 Cast Cows sold to 206ppk or £1320
795 Prime Lambs sold to 383ppk or £190
133 Cast Sheep sold to £185
Prime Bulls (55) – Harvest restricted numbers across all sections this week as many of the farming fraternity are quite rightly busy gathering crops. For those in attendance the bull trade appeared strong again to see the average improve for the second week running to 274ppk and £1934 per head. The top three bulls sold over 320ppk with the pursuing dozen hot on their heels and beyond 300ppk; best of all at 328ppk was an excellent home bred British Blue from the Renton’s of High Highlaws, Morpeth, behind him at 326ppk was a smart homebred Limousin from W & M Knaggs & Son, East Newbiggin Farm, Sadberge with another cracker from High Highlaws next at 323ppk. The above-mentioned excellent sort from the Knaggs family claimed the top gross value when he tipped the scales to 745kg and sold for £2428, second spot went to the Renton team with their 734kg British Blue with Scorton based E Wilson, White Hills finishing in third place at £2306 with a 723kg Limousin. Top of the dairy breed bulls per kilo this week was the familiar Friesian feeding of R Hall & Son, Kilton Hall Farm at 249ppk, top gross value went to a thumping Fleckvieh from C H & S E Armstrong, Middle Moor Farm, North Charlton when he reached £1895.
Continental Bulls Leading PPK – 328 323 312 311 309 303 Renton Highlaws Ltd. 326 312 W & M Knaggs & Son. 319 313 E Wilson. 311 305 288 GK, KN & GJ Hird. 309 297 F W Hodgson & Son. 308 290 G H Farms. 306 J E Jordon & Son. 285 J K & C E Farming. 280 R Hall & Son. 278 274(x2) J R Tiplady. 278 277 273 J A & A Herbert. 274 C H & S E Armstrong.
W & M Knaggs & Son, Sadberge sold 2 to average 319ppk and £2332
E Wilson, Scorton sold 2 to average 316ppk and £2186
Renton Highlaws Ltd, Morpeth sold 6 to average 314ppok and £2238
F W Hodgson & Son, Staindrop sold 2 to average 302ppk and £2178
GK, KN & GJ Hird, Whashton sold 3 to average 300ppk and £2132
Dairy Bulls Leading PPK – 249 R Hall & Son. 239 C H & S E Armstrong. 236 218 J M & S Walton.
Continental Bulls Leading Gross – £2428 £2237 W & M Knaggs & Son. £2370 £2276 £2240 £2209 £2189 £2145 Renton Highlaws Ltd. £2306 £2065 E Wilson. £2217 £2096 £2083 311 305 288 GK, KN & GJ Hird. £2209 £2147 F W Hodgson & Son. £2188 £2117 £2063 £2009 C H & S E Armstrong. £2115 £2104 £2016 J R Tiplady. £2111 R Hall & Son. £2051 G H Farms. £2041 J E Jordon & Son.
Dairy Bulls Leading Gross – £1895 C H & S E Armstrong. £1434 R Hall & Son. £1410 £1113 J M & S Walton.
Cast Cows Leading PPK – 206 192 183 177 175 161 160(x2) 147 138 C H & S E Armstrong.
Cast Cows Leading Gross – £1320 £1225 £1186 £1126 £1036 £1013 C H & S E Armstrong.
Clean Cattle (84) – Trade brisk again to see heifers average 305ppk and the steers 280ppk, a fair proportion of native and dairy crosses left buyers short of butcher’s shop E and U grade beast, testament to this, the continental beef bred heifers averaged 316ppk. The top five heifers per kilo sold in the 340’s, within these we witnessed a remarkable achievement indeed as regular selling Robin and Imogen Hirst of Neasham Grange claimed gold, silver and bronze, their best of a fine bunch was a 545kg Limousin at 348 pence. Top of the steers per kilo at 310 pence was a fantastic 751kg British Blue from the Askwiths of Low Mown Meadows, Crook, the same superstar sold for todays top gross value of £2328. Top gross valued heifer of the day belonged to Ricky Alder of M F Hall, Ponteland who produced a stunning 696kg Limousin which sold for £2164; just a fiver adrift followed a brilliantly finished Simmental heifer from C H & S E Armstrong, Middle Moor Farm, North Charlton. See below some of the days top pen averages.
Heifers
Joshua Knaggs, Sadberge sold 2 to average 339ppk and £1853
R Hirst, Neasham sold 10 to average 325ppk and £1785
B Walker, Dalton-on-Tees sold 2 to average 324ppk and £1811
R O Gilson, Byers Green sold 5 to average 322ppk and £1850
M F Hall, Ponteland sold 4 to average 318ppk and £1901
J Layfield, Willington sold 6 to average 316ppk and £1873
Steers
Askwiths, Crook sold 2 to average 304ppk and £2131
Taylor Bros Ltd, Richmond sold 4 to average 303ppk and £1764
W J Scott Ltd, West Woodburn sold 2 to average 297ppk and £1939
Steers- Top Prices PPK 312 309 303 292 Taylor Bros LTD. 310 299 Askwiths. 301 295 WJ Scott LTD. 294 J&MJ Walton. 284 WA Wardman LTD. 282 x2 A Crowder.
Lead Grossing Steers- £2328 £1934 Askwiths. £2027 £2019 A Crowder. £1994 £1884 WJ Scott LTD. £1912 A&CA Stanwix. £1822 £1779 £1736 Taylor Bros.
Heifers Leading PPK – 348 347 343 333 331 329 320 R Hirst. 341 338 Joshua Knaggs. 340 335 325(x2) R O Gilson. 339 336 324 W A Armstrong. 330 325 J Layfield. 333 332 M F Hall. 333 B Walker. 330 Askwiths. 330 W J Scott Ltd. 329 W A Wardman Ltd. 327 A Crowder.
Lead Grossing Heifers- £2164 £1909 £1798 £1734 MF Hall. £2159 £2021 £1968 £1944 £1922 £1867 £1802 CH&SE Armstrong. £2017 £1734 A Crowder. £2011 £1940 £1888 £1846 £1829 £1723 J Layfield. £1968 £1929 £1912 £1905 £1772 WA Armstrong. £1964 £1896 £1859 £1803 £1801 £1786 £1784 £1776 R Hirst. £1936 £1864 £1846 £1842 £1761 RO Gilson. £1922 EA Martin & Son. £1917 Askwiths. £1913 £1794 Joshua Knaggs. £1904 B Walker. £1877 £1805 £1765 WJ Scott LTD. £1771 JR Tiplady. £1766 WA Wardman LTD. £1719 JB Bell & Son.
Prime Lambs (795) – As with the cattle the numbers somewhat tighten due to the ongoing harvest, trade very similar to last week, perhaps a shade firmer to leave a weighed straight average of 310ppk and £135.64 per head with an SQQ average of 311ppk. The following top prices make good reading for Paul Slater of the Whiteley Hey Flock as many of the vendors about to receive a name check are known to be using Whiteley Hey stock tups. West was best per kilo as the top spot went across to Cumbria and S Bell, Lough Head Farm, Carlisle with a super pair of 43kg Beltex lambs at 383 pence (£165). Following closely behind were two very regular sellers, J C Simpson, Caldwell (44kg 377ppk) and W & M Knaggs & Son, Sadberge (45kg 373ppk). Top of the gross values was another Cumbrian crusader as Segbushwell Farm, Blackford produced a stunning 52kg Beltex which sold for £190; heavy weight Charollais followed closest produced by both Bridge House Farm, Eastoft £182 and A & E J Dobinson, Winston £171 with Barnard Castle based Anna Herbert next in line at £170 with Texels ahead of a host in the £160’s.
Prime Lambs Leading PPK – 383 370 346 S Bell. 377 363 342 338 J C Simpson. 373 348 W & M Knaggs & Son. 365 350 Segbushwell Farm. 359 334 P & C M Graham. 358 355 W Hanson. 357 353 340 J R Knox & Son. 356 K & P M Lough. 355 338 334 333(x2) F & J S Gargett. 354 343 333 M & A Gaskin. 346 336 Anna Herbert. 343(x2) 334 Bridge House Farm. 342 340 J G Hall. 338 S Coote. 336 W Simpson. 335 G Thompson & Sons. 332 J A & A Herbert.
Prime Lambs Leading Gross – £190 Segbushwell Farm. £182 £165 £159 £158 Bridge House Farm. £171 A & E J Dobinson. £170 £158 Anna Herbert. £168 W & M Knaggs & Son. £168 £162.50 £160 J R Knox & Son. £167 £166 J C Simpson. £166 R Lawson & Son. £166 £165 £160 W Hanson. £165 M & A Gaskin. £165 S Bell. £164 £158 P & C M Graham. £162.50 £157(x2) D & P H Brown. £162 H G Thompson. £160 F & J S Gargett. £159(x2) J J Horn. £159 W Simpson. £157 K & P M Lough.
Cast Ewes & Rams (133) – A plainer show sold to average £88.14, down on paper but in reality, very similar to last weeks offering. A tremendous pure Charollais ewe from Bridge House Farm, Eastoft led the way when she sold for £185, the same good home followed with Beltex and further Charollais at £160. Tups topped at £155 from S Coote, Spennymoor whilst Mule ewes sold £85 to £100 if fleshy enough and the leaner end £70-£85.
Leading Cast Sheep – £185 £160(x2) £125 £116 Bridge House Farm. £155 £112 S Coote. £135 S Bell. £132 Elliot Grieves. £132 £125 G F Whitfield. £130 A & E J Dobinson. £122 £100(x2) R A Patterson & Son. £117 J J Horn. £114 £102 R E Dickson. £111 T P & R L Swinbank. £105 Robert Raw. £104 J A & A Herbert. £103 R Stapleton.
