Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their weekly sale of prime stock on Thursday 6th March 2025. Forward were 179 cattle and 1437 sheep.
79 Prime Bulls sold to 454ppk or £3877
20 Prime Steers sold to 431ppk or £2856
80 Prime Heifers sold to 458ppk or £2891
1355 Prime Hoggs sold to 446ppk or £201
82 Cast Ewes/Rams sold to £246
Prime Bulls (79) – Bravo again from the bull ring as the temperature warms both inside and out to see a good quality show average an outstanding 404ppk and £2838 per head, every bull sold over 300 pence. Four brilliant Limousin bulls between 630kg and 683kg from three vendors tied at the top per kilo when W & M Knaggs & Son, East Newbiggin and Renton Highlaws, Morpeth matched a cracking pair from J E Jordon & Son, The Brocks at 454 pence. A super sort from Foxton Livestock, Abbey Farm followed at 450ppk ahead of ten in the 440’s and ten more in the 430’s. Top of the gross values was a thumping 921kg Limousin from J A Matten & Sons, Avenue Grange which sold for £3877, up next were a fine duo from A C Simpson & Son, McNeil Farm both beyond £3500 with no less than twenty-eight others between £3000 and £3500. The handy Hereford’s from J A & M Boyes Ltd, Strathmore House once again led the native charge with tops this week of 398ppk and £3072 whilst the day’s most successful Friesian feeders were R Hall & Son, Kilton Hall at £2293 and 348ppk. Our terrific top ten vendors are listed below.
J E Jordon & Son, Morpeth sold 2 average 454ppk and £2980
Foxton Livestock, Egglestone sold 2 average 444ppk and £3413
Renton Highlaws, Morpeth sold 7 average 442ppk and £3168
J R Knox & Son, Heighington sold 2 average 440ppk and £3199
W I Suddes & Son, Cornsay sold 4 average 440ppk and £2940
A C Simpson & Son, Witton-le-Wear sold 4 average 437ppk and £3520
W & M Knaggs & Son, Sadberge sold 3 average 430ppk and £2904
A G Watson & Sons, Rushyford sold 3 average 423ppk and £3308
D Richardson & Co, Melsonby sold 8 average 412ppk and £2990
J A Matten & Sons, Thirsk sold 3 average 407ppk and £3568
Continental Bulls Leading PPK – 454(x2) J E Jordon & Son. 454 429 W & M Knaggs & Son. 454 449 448(x2) 442 432 420 Renton Highlaws Ltd. 450 439 Foxton Livestock. 446 434 J R Knox & Son. 445 442 440 434 W I Suddes & Son. 444 441 434 430 A C Simpson & Son. 438 421 J A Matten & Sons. 436 426 A G Watson & Sons. 434 J Murray. 433 J C Johnson. 430 420 D Richardson & Co. 425 422 J R Tiplady.
Continental Bulls Leading Gross – £3877 £3499 £3328 J A Matten & Sons. £3589 £3573 £3492 £3427 A C Simpson & Son. £3487 £3484 £3377 £3373 £3213 Renton Highlaws Ltd. £3428 £3397 Foxton Livestock. £3357 £3186 £3154 £3074 D Richardson & Co. £3335 £3305 £3284 A G Watson & Sons. £3309 £3090 J R Knox & Son. £3273 J C Johnson. £3245 £3194 J R Tiplady. £3100 J E Jordon & Son. £3098 W I Suddes & Son.
Friesian Bulls – Top prices ppk 348 331 R Hall & Son. 342 337 326 321 318 JM&S Walton. 338 D Walker. 327 JK&CE Farming.
Lead Grossing Friesian Bulls £2293 £2250 Hall & Son. £2114 £1990 £1978 £1972 £1904 JM&S Walton. £2044 D Walker. £1997 JK&CE Farming.
Native Bulls – Top prices ppk 386 381 R Hall & Son. 366 JK&CE Farming. 398 397 396 395 394 JA&M Boyes Ltd. 370 JM&S Walton.
Lead Grossing Native Bulls £3072 £3029 £2828 £2821 £2709 JA&M Boyes Ltd. £2783 £2514 R Hall & Son. £2693 JK&CE Farming. £2183JM&S Walton.
Clean Cattle (100) – Just wait a moment whilst we hit copy and paste… Yes, you’ve guessed it, the clean are dearer again! A lighter show in both weight and numbers found another ferocious frenzy of bidding as the unbelievable heifers averaged 418 pence per kilo with the steers a very credible 398ppk. Topping the sale per kilo twice at 458 pence were excellent Limousin heifers from the regular selling J V & J A Hodgson, The Grange; the red-hot Hodgson’s produced another at 450ppk with the Hirst’s of Neasham in the mix at 451ppk and ten further heifers in the 440’s on the day. A shapely Limousin from M Robinson & Sons, East Alwent led the steer prices per kilo when he sold at 431 pence, the consistent Askwiths of Low Mown Meadows followed just a penny behind. Top of the gross values today was a tremendous 707kg Limousin heifer from T W Clark & Son, Frankland Farm when she reached £2891 whereas the top gross valued steer hailed from J B & N Harrison, Colepike Home Farm with a 716kg Limousin at £2856. A super seven further cattle sold over £2700 with eighteen between £2600 and £2700 as the clean dream continued. To give some context on just how good the beef trade is looking… this week last year the sale topped at 354 pence per kilo, today only four of the one hundred failed to beat that figure. See below some remarkable pen averages.
Steers
M Robinson & Sons, Staindrop sold 2 average 424ppk and £2447
Askwiths, Crook sold 4 average 420ppk and £2666
J R & B Anderson, Manfield sold 2 average 414ppk and £2694
T N Callender, Whinney Hill sold 2 average 409ppk and £2537
J B & N Harrison, Lanchester sold 2 average 393ppk and £2817
Heifers
W & M Knaggs & Son, Sadberge sold 2 average 443ppk and £2583
Taylor Bros, Richmond sold 4 average 436ppk and £2438
F & J S Gargett, Barnard Castle sold 4 average 433ppk and £2385
R Hirst, Neasham sold 11 average 432ppk and £2571
T W Clark & Son, Durham sold 4 average 425ppk and £2770
J V & J A Hodgson, Summerhouse sold 12 average 425ppk and £2459
Steers – Top prices ppk 431 416 M Robinson & Sons. 430 423 415×2 Askwiths. 423 407 JR&B Anderson. 419 JV&JA Hodgson. 418 401 TN Callender. 399 388 JB&N Harrison & Sons. 396 JE Suddes & Sons. 385×2 A Swinbank & Son. 383 345 333 314 JB Bell & Son.
Lead Grossing Steers £2856 £2778 JB&N Harrison & Sons. £2741 £2660 £2644 £2618 Askwiths. £2702 £2686 JR&B Anderson & Son. £2693 £2200 M Robinson & Sons. £2629 £2446 TN Callender. £2576 JV&JA Hodgson. £2562 JE Suddes & Son. £2275 £2132 A Swinbank & Son. £2054 £2010 JB Bell & Son.
Heifers – Top prices ppk 458×2 450 429×2 425 421 419 410 409 407 JV&JA Hodgson. 451 448 442 440 435 432 428 426 423 419 R Hirst. 449 426 420 409 TW Clark. 447 440 W&M Knaggs & Son. 445 443 437 420 Taylor Bros. 440×2 438 F&JS Gargett. 438 426 425 JH&M&NW Brown. 438 TN Callender. 437 JR&B Anderson & Son. 436 417 JE Suddes & Son. 430 EW Grieves. 429 J Richmond. 428 420 WF Hustwit. 426 M Robinson & Sons.
Lead Grossing Heifers £2891 £2793 £2743 £2653 TW Clark & Son. £2821 £2664 £2632 £2628 £2604 £2524 £2479 £2446 JV&JA Hodgson. £2732 £2719 £2670 £2660 £2576 £2560 £2556 £2525 £2492 R Hirst. £2681 £2628 JB&N Harrison & Sons. £2670 WF Hustwit. £2670 £2577 £2554 JR Tiplady. £2664 £2503 W&M Knaggs & Son. £2631 £2439 F&JS Gargett. £2595 J Richmond. £2585 A Swinbank & Son. £2567 JM Greensit & Son Ltd. £2504 JR&B Anderson & Son. £2487 £2480 £2447 Taylor Bros.
Prime Hoggs (1355) – Numbers lower and with demand outstripping supply trade improved by some £10 to £12 on the week to see them weighed straight all in average 350ppk with an SQQ of 380ppk which equated to £167.30 per head. Once again, the export weights look the sharpest however the heavyweights were noticeably dearer as well. Frank Errington of Lily Hill finished his 2024 crop on a flyer when he led the sale with a superb 45kg Texel hogg which sold for £201 (446ppk). High on the pence per kilo list followed WKMM Lamb, Doe Park and T A Greensit & Sons, Friars Garth at 434 pence before another fine pair from Lily Hill at 431ppk and then the top forty-five from R Atkinson, High Greenbury Farm between 426ppk and 429ppk. On the gross value leader board behind the topper followed A W Dixon, West Heddon at £200 then JK & CE Farming, Blue House at £199 with the High Greenbury hoggs topping at £198. Away from the terminal breeds trade improved for all classes as we saw Hampshire Down’s to £177, Blackface to £161 and Mule’s to £151 on three occasions. A few of the top averages are listed below.
A C Simpson & Son, Witton-le-Wear sold 56 average £185.79 (60kg)
R Atkinson, Scorton sold 231 average £185.09 (47kg)
J Layfield, Willington sold 39 average £182.28 (44kg)
A W Dixon, Heddon-on-the-Wall sold 31 average £180.58 (51kg)
Hoggs – Top prices ppk 446 431 395 R Errington & Son. 434 425 W.K M.M Lamb. 434 421 414 402 TA Greensit & Sons. 428×2 426 415×2 404 383 R Atkinson. 421 419 411×2 400 J Layfield. 418 G&JA Sedgewick. 417 JD Brannen. 417 MK Verity. 411 CK&D Muir. 408 JD Brannen. 402 P Wilks. 402 384 383 381 JH&D Wise. 402 A Tindale. 402 W Kirk & Sons. 402 400 389 AW Dixon. 400×2 GF Whitfield. 395 377 Ainsty Farms Direct. 393 WE Frank & Son. 393 392×2 387 W Swinbank. 392 CS Robinson. 386 GP&A Carter.
Lead Grossing Hoggs £201 £182 £181 R Errington & Son. £200 £193×2 £192 £189 AW Dixon. £199 £190 JK&CE Farming. £198 £193×2 £192 £191×2 £190 £186 £182 £181 £180 R Atkinson. £197 £188 £186 J Layfield. £196 £194×2 £193 £190 £189 £184×2 £182×2 £180 AC Simpson & Son. £191 W.K M.M Lamb. £189 WE Frank & Son. £188 K Sayer. £187 £182 £180 JH&D Wise. £185 CK&D Muir Ltd. £185 W Kirk & Sons. £185 R Nattrass & Sons. £185 M Robson. £185 JC&A Hutchinson. £184 G&JA Sedgewick.
Cast Ewes/Rams (82) – Numbers very low as lambing time is all of a sudden upon us, trade absolutely excellent to average all in £139.26. Top of the day at £246 was a cracking Texel from Namens Leases Farm Ltd, Brick Kiln Lane; she was followed by a hefty Blue Faced Leicester ewe from J & M J Walton, West Shotton Farm at £220. Mule ewes averaged £118 and sold to a top of £180 from B & L Robson, Gawen House and Swaledale’s topped at £80 from F Ward, Rogerley Hall.
Lead Grossing Cast Sheep £246 £190 £189 Namens Leases Farm. £230 £205 £190 AC Simpson & Son. £220 J&MJ Walton. £200 JK&CE Farming. £199 M Dawson. £182 G Te- Lintelo. £181 £144 R Errington & Son. £180 B&L Robson. £178 £130 WE Frank & Son. £170 £151 £148 W.K M.M Lamb. £170 £120 P Tindale. £161 £145 £143 £91 HM&JS Hutchinson. £146 £141 £114 K Sayer. £146 CS Robinson. £140 G&JA Sedgewick. £139 £124 £100 Godschalk Partners. £130 £124 MK Verity. £120 CK&D Muir Ltd.
