Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their weekly sale of prime stock on Thursday 13th February 2025. Forward were 173 cattle and 2275 sheep.
62 Prime Bulls sold to 438ppk or £3762
5 Prime Steers sold to 404ppk or £3001
106 Prime Heifers sold to 448ppk or £2832
1954 Prime Hoggs sold to 427ppk or £205
321 Cast Ewes/Rams sold to £281
Prime Bulls (62) – On bulldozes the bull trade as a plainer show on the whole still returned all in averages of 365 pence per kilo and £2583 per head. The top end looks even dearer than last week’s flyer with a super seventeen over 400ppk and no less than nineteen over £3000. Top per kilo at 438 pence was a marvellous 710kg British Blonde from J A & M Boyes Ltd, Strathmore House, he nudged out a cracking 762kg Limousin from R Hall & Son, Kilton Hall Farm which sold at 437ppk. Arguably the bull of the day was a wonderful British Blue from P & K Brannen, Scartop which sold at 434ppk, tipping the weigh bridge to 867kg achieving the top gross value of £3762; a terrific trio from J A Matten & Sons, Avenue Grange proved to be the best of the rest. The native bulls were led not for the first time by the excellent Hereford’s of J A & M Boyes Ltd and duly topped at 397ppk and £2977 whilst some fleshy Friesian’s were led by R Hall & Son, Kilton Hall at £2126 and J M & S Walton, Brettanby Farm at 317ppk however the top pure dairy bull proved to be a Montbeliarde from C H & S E Armstrong, Middle Moor Farm at 342ppk and £2274. See below some superb weekly winners.
J A Matten & Sons, Thirsk sold 3 to average 425ppk and £3582
W A Richardson Ltd, Hutton Magna sold 3 to average 410ppk and £3230
D Richardson & Co, Melsonby sold 5 to average 409ppk and £3216
T W Clark & Son, Durham sold 2 to average 406ppk and £3164
Bulls- Top Prices PPK 438 397 391 380 366 JA&M Boyes LTD. 437 326 R Hall & Son. 434 P&K Brannen. 430 427 420 JA Matten & Sons. 425 P Langstaff. 421 420 391 WA Richardson LTD. 419 416 414 410 390 D Richardson & Co LTD. 417 397 TW Clark & Son. 414 P Weightman & Sons. 401 400 JR Knox & Son. 396 378 368 366 CH&SE Armstrong. 395 364 GT&E Atkinson. 392 JE&B Morgan & Sons. 365 356 332 TF Bothroyd & Son. 354 349 x2 FS Sturrock & Sons. 350 WE&CA Anderson. 344 JM&S Walton. 337 JA&A Herbert.
Dairy Bulls- Top Prices PPK 342 CH&SE Armstrong. 329 Williamson. 317 315 294 278 JM&S Walton. 310 R Hall & Son. 250 D Walker.
Lead Grossing Bulls- £3762 P&K Brannen. £3731 £3534 £3481 JA Matten & Sons. £3481 P Weightman & Sons. £3439 £3139 £3112 WA Richardson LTD. £3378 £3297 £3178 £3116 £3113 D Richardson & Co LTD. £3329 £2207 R Hall & Son. £3173 £3156 TW Clark & Son. £3109 £2977 £2888 £2846 £2734 JA&M Boyes LTD. £3089 P Langstaff. £3076 £2802 £2224 JR Knox & Son. £2997 £2885 £2585 CH&SE Armstrong. £2736 £2233 JE&B Morgan & Sons. £2628 £2277 £2217 TF Bothroyd & Son. £2603 £2358 GT&E Atkinson. £2600 £2397 WE&CA Anderson. £2579 £2521 £2188 FS Sturrock & Sons. £2239 JM&S Walton.
Lead Grossing Dairy Bulls- £2274 CH&SE Armstrong. £2126 R Hall & Son. £2122 Williamson. £2060 £2016 £1987 £1912 JM&S Walton. £1502 D Walker.
Clean Cattle (111) – Good news for those who thought they were hallucinating last week when reading the report, you do not need to change your medication, you weren’t. The clean dream continues as arguably a plainer bottom end in the show beggared belief to see the heifers average 399ppk and the steers 380ppk all equating to £2380 per head. Not so many moons ago 400 pence per kilo was an exclusive club and only really seen at Christmas shows, unbelievable then that this milestone was reached today on an astounding sixty-five occasions, well over half of those forward. Top of them all at 448 pence was a beautiful 596kg Limousin heifer from A Layfield Farms Ltd, Milkup Bank; the same good home followed at 443ppk and 441ppk and were followed by the pick of a good run from A C Simpson & Son, McNeil Farm at 440ppk. Not many steers this week were led by a cracker from N E Dyson, Gebdykes Farm at 404ppk and £3001, behind him a couple from the Callender family of Ox Eye Farm, Whinney Hill followed with a best of 392ppk and £2602. The top priced heifer in the lump this week was a superb 665kg Limousin from D P Wood, Bridge End Farm when she added up nicely to £2832, stacks of the 6-700kg heifers are now comfortably selling over £2600. See below some of the days stand out pen averages.
Heifers
A Layfield Farms, Crook sold 5 to average 440ppk and £2459
Taylor Bros, Richmond sold 4 to average 422ppk and £2362
GK, KN & GJ Hird, Whashton sold 4 to average 422ppk and £2261
Foxton Livestock, Egglestone Abbey sold 2 to average 418ppk and £2178
F & J S Gargett, Barnard Castle sold 4 to average 416ppk and £2502
P I Harker, Worsall sold 2 to average 413ppk and £2574
N E Dyson, Masham sold 2 to average 411ppk and £2747
Steers- Top Prices PPK 404 NE Dyson. 392 386 TN Callender. 370 A Layfield Farms LTD. 347 JM&S Walton.
Lead Grossing Steers- £3001 NE Dyson. £2602 £2316 TN Callender. £2490 A Layfield Farms LTD. £2085 JM&S Walton.
Heifers- Top Prices PPK 448 443 441 439 429 A Layfield Farms LTD. 440 AC Simpson & Son. 439 427 421 418 WA Armstrong. 439 429 414 410 Taylor Bros LTD. 437 419 416 414 413 412 409 408 402 JV&JA Hodgson. 434 415 410 408 F&JS Gargett. 428 421 416 GK KN & GJ Hird. 426 422 416 415 404 401 DP Wood. 424 Foxton Livestock. 423 409 407 403 WF Hustwit. 419 415 406 405 403 402 R Hirst. 418 405 NE Dyson. 415 412 PI Harker. 415 DW Humphrey. 414 407 PJ&ES Rogerson. 413 TN Callender. 413 409 407 405 JE Suddes & Son.
Lead Grossing Heifers- £2832 £2694 £2683 £2654 £2635 DP Wood. £2817 £2695 WA Armstrong. £2762 £2733 NE Dyson. £2694 £2670 £2658 £2427 £2410 A Layfield Farms LTD. £2692 Foxton Livestock. £2690 £2593 £2455 AC Simpson & Son. £2652 £2646 £2548 £2537 £2502 £2483 £2482 JV&JA Hodgson. £2626 £2525 £2501 £2356 F&JS Gargett. £2618 £2438 R Hirst. £2605 £2589 £2538 £2533 £2517 £2485 £2454 £2433 £2383 CH&SE Armstrong. £2593 £2554 PI Harker. £2587 £2395 JF Gibson & Son. £2554 £2425 £2396 £2382 WF Hustwit. £2465 £2442 DW Humphrey. £2454 £2417 JE Suddes & Son. £2432 Taylor Bros LTD. £2405 £2387 GK KN & GJ Hird. £2387 DP Wood. £2361 JM&S Walton.
Prime Hoggs (1954) – The hogg trade churns along without yet meeting the high expectations some have following the record breaking 2024; no doubting that there is some resistance from the buyers of late but the news isn’t all bad as todays weighed straight averages are in fact slightly ahead on the year at 331ppk with an SQQ of 335ppk which equated to £155.35 per head. Top per kilo were five excellent 37kg Beltex hoggs from regular sellers K & P M Lough, Redgate House Farm when they reached 427 pence; a pen of eighteen 46kg clipped hoggs from R Atkinson, High Greenbury Farm followed at 410ppk with a credible third place at 405ppk going to Whitby based J A & B Nappey. Topping the pounds per head twice at £205 was B Storey, Byers Green with 53kg and 58kg continental hoggs on a day which saw the biggest and best sheep trading over and above £180. An increased number of Mule and hill bred lambs this week topped with Cheviot’s at £160 and Mules at £152 whilst grass fed horned hoggs sold typically £120-£130. Below are a handful of the day’s top pen averages.
B Storey, Spennymoor sold 17 average £179.12 (50kg)
D & P H Brown, Aldbrough-St-John sold 18 average £172.89 (57kg)
P R Weaver, Nottingham sold 58 average £172.47 (48kg)
J & A Layfield, Hamsterley sold 50 average £171.24 (56kg)
R Atkinson, Scorton sold 402 average £170.60 (47kg)
K & M M Henderson, Witton-le-Wear sold 20 average £170.40 (48kg)
Hoggs- Top Prices PPK 427 K&PM Lough. 410 397 385 384 x2 366 359 357 R Atkinson. 405 355 350 JA&B Nappey. 393 376 346 CK&D Muir LTD. 392 356 352 345 x2 GW Whittington Livestock. 388 372 363 DG&PD Ayre. 388 G&S Frankland. 386 367 354 353 351 B Storey. 386 348 WL Robinson & Partners. 378 JJ Horn. 377 365 364 x2 K&MM Henderson. 376 360 356 354 PR Weaver. 374 345 CJM Hedley. 372 JM&S Walton. 371 346 343 RO Gilson. 369 368 360 355 Robert Arthur. 368 359 343 William Tindale. 365 345 CR&L Dawson. 364 360 JD Brannen. 362 358 Andrew Davenport. 360 343 GC&JC Pullan. 360 R Wood & Son. 359 346 WE Muir & Son. 358 CM Cameron. 353 J Pallister & Sons.
Lead Grossing Hoggs- £205 x2 £180 £170 B Storey. £194 G&S Frankland. £189 £183 £181 £180.50 x2 £172 £171.50 £169 £168 R Atkinson. £188 £177 £170 CK&D Muir LTD. £186 JD Brannen. £184 £182 £170 £168 K&MM Henderson. £183 £176 £174 £171 £169 £167 D&PH Brown. £183 £171 x2 £170 x2 £169 x2 £168 CA Mottram & Sons. £182 R Wood & Son. £182 RO Gilson. £182 Andrew Davenport. £181 £174 £173 £171 x2 £170 x3 J&A Layfield. £181 £174 £168 WL Robinson & Partners. £177 x2 £173 £171 PR Weaver. £177 £171 £169 P Langstaff. £176 x2 W Denham. £173 x2 K&PM Lough. £172 SW Bowe. £172 W Denham. £171 RE&L Frank. £170 JR Tiplady. £168 GW Whittington Livestock.
Cast Ewes & Rams (321) – Trade remains strong and very similar on the week, averages plummeted today as a very plain show assembled however those with flesh about them whatever the breed are in demand. Top of the day at £281 was an excellent Beltex ewe from J Pallister & Sons, Stobb House Farm; other heavy and shapely ewes sold beyond £200 on several occasions as a shortage of best ewes saw the Beltex breed average £212 and the Texel’s £150. Three vendors shared the top spot in the Mule’s as R D & D Elders & Son, D & P H Brown and J E Lockey & Son all sold at £165 whilst horned ewes made up over one third of the sale and topped at £119 for a pen of twenty-one from R Arthur, Hudspeth Farm.
Lead Grossing Ewes- £281 J Pallister & Sons. £241 £172 x2 £130 W Ramsay & Sons. £226 £188 £181 William Tindale. £220 £211 £165 D&PH Brown. £208 £152 B Storey. £196 £182 x2 £164 RO Gilson. £191 C Parker. £190 x2 £176 £150 x2 CR&L Dawson. £189 £142 MW Cook & Son. £171 £140 £130 JJ Horn. £168 JM&S Walton. £165 RD&D Elders & Son. £165 £150 £129 JE Lockey & Son. £156 CJM Hedley. £156 £144 JA&B Nappey. £130 W Denham. £128 £119 Robert Arthur. £119 CM Cameron.
