Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their weekly sale of prime stock on Thursday 17th October 2024. Forward were 176 cattle and 1832 sheep.
84 Prime Bulls sold to 332ppk or £2637
1 Cast Cow sold for 180ppk and £1247
31 Prime Steers sold to 347ppk or £2494
60 Prime Heifers sold to 380ppk or £2480
1590 Prime Lambs sold to 454ppk or £218
242 Cast Ewes/Rams sold to £222
Prime Bulls (84) – The bull trade bulldozes its way forward as demand remains high to leave this week’s sale averaging 287ppk and £1975 per head. Less weight offered than in recent weeks mattered little as the buyers bid freely for all shapes and sizes. Top of the pile per kilo were a pair of stunning British Blonde bulls from P Weightman & Sons, Hallfield Farm when the 18-month-olds weighing 749kg and 762kg sold for 330ppk and 332ppk respectively. Ten other bulls (all Limousin) from six different vendors followed closely between 320ppk and 325ppk just in front of our top native breed, a brilliant Aberdeen Angus from D A & M A M Brown, Agglethorpe at 319ppk. Top gross value went to a thumping 879kg Limousin from L S Staley, Bluestone House when he reached £2637; three vendors following over £2500 were the aforementioned Weightman’s along with C H & S E Armstrong, Middle Moor Farm and J Layfield, Nackshivan Farm whilst a baker’s dozen followed between £2300 and £2500. Friesian bulls this week again sold well to see them average 234ppk and £1413 with tops of £1809 from M A & P D Foster, Smithy House Farm and £255ppk from C H & S E Armstrong, Middle Moor. See below some of the stand out pen averages.
P Weightman & Sons, Easington sold 2 to average 331ppk and £2500
T W Clark & Son, Durham sold 3 to average 323ppk and £2274
JH & M & NW Brown, Darlington sold 2 to average 317ppk and £2136
D Richardson & Co, Melsonby sold 3 to average 315ppk and £2329
L S Staley, Marwood sold 2 to average 298ppk and £2424
Continental Bulls PPK- 332 330 P Weightman & Sons. 325 309 290 N White. 324 323 322 TW Clark & Son. 323 319 318 289 287 CH&SE Armstrong. 323 322 308 288 J Layfield. 321 320 306 D Richardson & Co LTD. 320 314 JH&M&N Brown. 315 299 298 289 x2 288 P&E Roger. 310 294 292 GKKN&GJ Hird. 305 299 K&A Harker. 302 290 LW Martin. 300 296 LS Staley. 295 JA&A Herbert. 294 291 K&TK Atkinson. 291 E Scott. 290 S Luck & Son. 288 EA Martin & Son.
Leading Gross Continental Bulls- £2637 £2211 LS Staley. £2529 £2471 P Weightman & Sons. £2518 £2373 £2309 £2086 £1988 £1977 CH&SE Armstrong. £2510 £2460 £2438 £2385 J Layfield. £2469 £2356 £2109 £2097 P&E Roger. £2406 £2394 £2187 D Richardson & Co LTD. £2351 £2113 K&A Harker. £2345 £2332 £2144 TW Clark & Son. £2172 £2100 JH&M&N Brown. £2131 £2055 £1940 GKKN&GJ Hird. £2085 £2064 £2057 N White. £2080 LW Martin. £2063 £1962 JE&B Morgan & Sons. £2038 £1972 S Luck & Son.
Friesian Bulls PPK-255 238 CH&SE Armstrong. 245 228 222 MA&PD Foster. 228 225 GW Dobson & Son.
Leading Gross Friesian Bulls- £1809 £1732 £1586 MA&PD Foster. £1667 £1527 CH&SE Armstrong. £1577 £1413 GW Dobson & Son.
Native Bulls PPK- 319 DA&MAM Brown. 279 E Scott. 275 270 CH&SE Armstrong.
Leading Gross Native Bulls- £2048 £1952 CH&SE Armstrong. £1933 E Scott. £1878 DA&MAM Brown.
Clean Cattle (91) – Another stunning clean cattle trade, granted not the stratospheric efforts of seven days ago but still a very sharp shot across the board to leave the whole kit and caboodle averaging again beyond £2000 as the heifers levelled up at 330ppk and the steers 304ppk. The Hirst’s of Neasham Grange are hotter than anyone of late and they led the way per kilo again with a superb 599kg butchers heifer selling for 380 pence per kilo; two more stunners from Neasham followed in the 370’s on a day which also saw five heifers in the 360’s and ten more in the 350’s. A tidy show of steers this week were led by an absolute superstar from Scotland as Wilson A Peters of Monzie Farms, Crieff produced a phenomenal Limousin cross which sold for a staggering 347ppk and £2494. Few folk feed cattle like the Aberdeenshire based Messrs W A Fettes, Buckie and the not for the first time these renowned raiders from the North ran away with the top heifer gross value; a majestic 42-month-old 785kg Limousin reached an impressive £2480. Five other cattle sold over £2300 including two more from the fabulous Fettes pen, one from G Cameron, Acharacle, Argyll and two from JB & N Harrison & Sons, Colepike Home Farm, Lanchester whilst close behind representing Cumbria followed a brilliant 31-month-old British Blue heifer from Newbiggin Farms, Kirklinton at £2297 with the local Askwith Family next in line with a Limousin steer at £2289.
Steers
Taylor Bros, Richmond sold 2 to average 333ppk and £1887
JR & B Anderson, Manfield sold 2 to average 318ppk and £2048
D Richardson & Co, Melsonby sold 2 to average 317ppk and £2101
Askwiths, Crook sold 3 to average 315ppk and £2244
G Cameron, Argyll sold 5 to average 315ppk and £2125
Newbiggin Farms, Carlisle sold 3 to average 309ppk and £2080
J B & N Harrison & Sons, Lanchester sold 2 to average 293ppk and £2357
Heifers
R Hirst, Neasham sold 12 to average 361ppk and £2007
N E Dyson, Masham sold 3 to average 346ppk and £2124
F W Hodgson & Son, Staindrop sold 3 to average 344ppk and £1886
Taylor Bros, Richmond sold 2 to average 341ppk and £1901
JV & JA Hodgson, Summerhouse sold 10 to average 340ppk and £1943
Messrs W A Fettes, Buckie sold 8 to average 335ppk and £2280
Steers- Top Prices PPK 347 Wilson A Peters. 337 330 Taylor Bros LTD. 327 320 317 315 302 G Cameron. 325 319 303 270 GG Stevenson & Son. 323 NE Dyson. 322 315 JR&B Anderson & Son. 320 316 292 Newbiggin Farms. 319 316 D Richardson & Co LTD. 317 314 310 Askwiths. 296 290 JB&N Harrison & Sons. 293 274 A&MJ Henshaw.
Lead Grossing Steers £2494 Wilson A Peters. £2377 £2246 £2151 £2041 G Cameron. £2370 £2343 JB&N Harrison & Sons. £2289 £2199 £2018 Askwiths. £2230 £2041 £1971 Newbiggin Farms. £2191 £1876 £1835 £1711 A&MJ Henshaw. £2183 £2019 D Richardson & Co Ltd. £2124 £2002 £1996 GG Stevenson & Son. £2099 NE Dyson. £2093 £2003 JR&B Anderson & Son. £1890 £1884 Taylor Bros.
Heifers- Top Prices PPK 380 373 370 366 365 362 x2 359 x2 358 347 339 R Hirst. 368 358 357 349 344 343 342 341 323 JV&JA Hodgson. 359 341 335 FW Hodgson & Son. 358 326 Taylor Bros LTD. 358 356 328 NE Dyson. 356 333 310 G Cameron. 348 344 339 x2 338 334 333 316 Messrs W A Fettes. 346 313 308 Newbiggin Farms. 345 330 319 A&MJ Henshaw. 326 320 S Luck & Son. 318 306 JB Bell & Son. 312 JR&B Anderson & Son.
Lead Grossing Heifers £2480 £2307 £2303 £2278 £2254 £2234 £2193 £2191Messrs WA Fettes. £2297 £2096 £2082 Newbiggin Farms. £2276 £2068 £2049 £2040 £2016 £2003 £1996 £1990 R Hirst. £2274 £2197 £1943 G Cameron. £2201 £2168 £2092 A&MJ Henshaw. £2178 £2154 £2040 NE Dyson. £2038 £2018 £1992 £1990×2 £1936×2 JV&JA Hodgson. £1986 Taylor Bros. £1970 JB Bell & Son. £1967 £1909 FW Hodgson & Son.
Prime Lambs (1590) – The coin remains firmly in the loin as the buyers are all aware at this time of year that fleshy tops make better chops. Today’s weighed straight sale average of 282ppk equated to £128.40 per head as another two-tier show assembled. The best lambs and heavy weights continue to sell at excellent levels with two pens over £200 and a host more beyond £150. Two vendors with 48kg Beltex lambs led the way as a super single from I & A Holmes, Middle Stotfold Farm, Elwick joined a terrific trio from J Hird, Thorney Close Farm, Stockton-on-Tees at £218 per head and 454 pence per kilo. WKMM Lamb, Doe Park, Cotherstone followed closest with 46kg Charollais at £186 and 404ppk along with WR Thompson, Sloshes Farm, Etherley with a smart 44kg Beltex at £182 and 413ppk. Three vendors managed to average over £150 today and are detailed below, great runs from Mike Hird and Stephen Lamb were duly joined by a thumping run of heavyweight pet lambs from Mark Simpson.
J Hird, Stockton-on-Tees sold 22 averaging 49kg and £154.45
WKMM Lamb, Cotherstone sold 20 averaging 47kg and £150.60
A C Simpson & Son, Witton-le-Wear sold 35 averaging 53kg and £150.06
Leading Prices Per Kilo – 454 306 J Hird. 454 314 I & A Holmes. 413 WR Thompson. 404 352 322 WKMM Lamb. 354 318 309 J D Brannen. 341 338 R W & R Henry. 335 328 319 312 P J Tindale. 328 Georgia Willis. 327 Mark Robson. 326 307 305 C K & D Muir Ltd. 326 J C Thwaite & Son. 324 317 315 J J Horn. 324 315 313 311 310 309(x2) AWSM Farms. 320 M & A Gaskin. 320 M W Cook & Son. 313 R O Gilson. 312 James Burns. 310 B & J Bainbridge. 309 J A & A Herbert. 309 F Myers & Sons. 307 Bowes Bros. 307 A & R Breeze.
Leading Gross Values – £218 £150 £146 £144 J Hird. £218 £148 I & A Holmes. £186 £169 £148 £144 WKMM Lamb. £182 W R Thompson. £176 £150 M & A Gaskin. £174 £166 R W & R Henry. £163 J D Brannen. £160 £149 £144 Bowes Bros. £160 R O Gilson. £160 F Johnson. £156 £147(x2) P J Tindale. £155 (x2) £150(x3) £148 A C Simpson & Son. £155 £146 £145.50(x2) AWSM Farms. £154(x2) £147 Mark Robson. £150 £143 J C Thwaite & Son. £147(x2) James Burns. £145 Rose A Farms. £145 G P & A Carter. £145 James Gilson. £145 L D Laws. £144 J E Suddes & Son. £144(x2) T M Darling & Son. £144 CK & D Muir Ltd.
Cast Ewes & Rams (242) – The ewe trade looks sharper again, particularly the fit (not fat) continentals and Suffolk’s which sit high on all the buyers wish lists. The whole sale today returned a pleasing average of £104 per head. Top of the heap were a super pair of Texel ewes from regular supporter WKMM Lamb, Doe Park, Cotherstone when they sold for £222 apiece; continental ewes from Z Schiller, Swainby checked in next at £200 ahead of more from Doe Park at £175 and J Davis, Low Trough at £173. Suffolk’s sold to £172 from the on-song Lamb’s as their nineteen ewes today averaged a credible £160. Mule ewes averaged £87 and three times topped at £119 from J E Lockey & Son, Suffield Farm; J & M J Walton, West Shotton and T N Callender, Ox Eye Farm. Horned ewes saw Blackface reach a high of £65 from James Burns, Coquet Close whilst Swaledale’s topped at £55; final mention must go to a remarkable Easycare ewe, as wide as she was tall, from A W Sanderson, East Holling Carr selling for £136.
Leading Prices – £222 £175 £172 £161 £160(x2) £149 £134 WKMM Lamb. £200 Z Schiller. £173 £170 £143 J Davis. £170 L & S Barker. £168 R Lawson & Son. £165 R A Patterson & Son. £160 £144 J J Horn. £152 £135 F Watson. £151 £119 J E Lockey & Son. £149 J M & S Walton. £136 A W Sanderson. £134 M Smith. £130 Rose A Farms. £130 F Hare & Sons. £126 P Hutchinson. £122 I & A Holmes. £120 £119 T N Callender. £119 J & M J Walton. £118 J C W Taylor. £117 B & L Robson. £112 L D Laws. £111 R Wood & Son.
