Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their weekly sale of prime stock on Thursday 12th January 2023. Forward were 198 cattle and 1729 sheep.
64 Prime Bulls sold to 301ppk or £2508
15 Prime Steers sold to 308ppk or £2023
118 Prime Heifers sold to 327ppk or £1992
1 Cast Cow sold for 161ppk or £1155
1450 Prime Hoggs sold to 343ppk or
279 Cast Ewes & Rams sold to £150
Prime Bulls (64) – Trade exceptional, the bull beef bounds along relentlessly, a much higher proportion of dairy bred bulls than last week still left a sale average of 245ppk and over £1700. The top sixteen all sold over 280 pence per kilo, two of which made it to the elusive three pound; a magnificent British Blonde from F & J S Gargett, Westwick Farm, Barnard Castle at exactly 300ppk was beaten by a single penny, no surprises his conqueror came from McNeil Farm, Witton-le-Wear and the brilliantly fed Limousin’s of A C Simpson & Son. The same two bulls battled to top the gross values and despite a value of £2408 from the Limousin it was our brilliant Blonde who took the honours when selling for £2508, no less than eighteen other bulls sold over £2000, eleven of which sold over £2200. Three vendors sold our top priced Friesian bull this week as 217ppk proved popular, needless to say our regular leaders R Hall & Son, Brotton were included, they were deservedly joined by J K & C E Farming, Piercebridge and also J M & S Walton, Barton; the Barton based feeders also scooped the top gross value when another from their pen sold for £1428. Below are some successful sellers of the week.
A C Simpson & Son, Witton-le-Wear sold 4 to average 289ppk and £2268
F & J S Gargett, Barnard Castle sold 3 to average 288ppk and £2374
A G Watson & Sons, Rushyford sold 5 to average 285ppk and £2011
Foxton Livestock, Egglestone Abbey sold 2 to average 280ppk and £2221
D Richardson & Co, Melsonby sold 10 to average 275ppk and £2147
Continental Bulls – Top prices ppk 301 290 289 279 AC Simpson & Son. 300 283 281 F&JS Gargett. 295 288 287 279 277 AG Watson & Sons. 289×2 286 283 275 273 271 270×2 248 D Richardson & Co Ltd. 281 C&JC Stephenson. 280×2 Foxton Livestock. 274 271 J Allison & Sons. 256 J&K Woodward. 247 245 JE&B Morgan & Sons. 246 TF Bothroyd. 245 240 JK&CE Farming.
Lead Grossing Continental Bulls £2508 £2340 £2275 F&JS Gargett. £2408 £2361 £2329 £1974 AC Simpson & Son. £2343 £2100 Foxton Livestock. £2317 £2248 £2230 £2113 £2210 £2162 £2119 £2011 £1992 £1966 D Richardson & Co Ltd. £2238 £1726 J Allison & Sons. £2161 £2093 £2005 £1905 £1893 AG Watson & Sons. £1840 JK&CE Farming. £1806 C&JC Stephenson. £1790 TF Bothroyd & Son.
Friesian Bulls – Top prices ppk 217 214 213 206 204×2 198 185 JM&S Walton. 217 JK&CE Farming. 217 198 187 R Hall & Son. 185 180 GW Dobson & Son. 176 168 D Walker.
Lead Grossing Friesian Bulls £1428 £1358 £1352 £1328 £1294 £1283 £1282 £1233 JM&S Walton. £1388 JK&CE Farming. £1288 £1260 £1110 R Hall & Son. £1248 £1107 GW Dobson & Son. £1014 £997 D Walker.
Native Breed Bulls – Top prices ppk 219 JA&A Herbert. 200 181 179 J Richmond.
Lead Grossing Native Breed Bulls £1489 £1473 £1454 J Richmond. £1272 JA&A Herbert.
OTM – Top prices ppk 161 JF Gibson & Son.
Lead Grossing OTM £1155 JF Gibson & Son.
Clean Cattle (133) – Hotter than Prince Harry’s book sales this week as the clean cattle jumped up a gear or two, a two tier show of quality saw quite a proportion of R and O grades mixed with by a brilliant best end resulting in well over half the cattle selling beyond 300 pence; the steers levelled up at 274ppk and a smoking hot heifer trade saw them average 287ppk and the whole show averaged £1695. A sweet sixteen heifers sold in the 320’s, four vendors missed the podium at 324ppk, just ahead of these at 326ppk came Marrick’s Neil White however the plaudits today go home to Neasham Grange with Robin and Imogen Hirst who twice sold to H Taylor & Sons, Butchers for 327 pence per kilo. The phenomenal breeding and feeding of W J Scott, Low Leam Farm, West Woodburn topped our steers this week as they led the prices per kilo at 308 pence with a shapely Limousin, the same super run also claimed top gross value at £2023, this one a British Blue. Amidst a marvellous run from team Low Leam some fine steers from both J E Suddes & Son, Cornsay Colliery and also L D Laws, Leyburn were also well worthy of mention on the day. Eleven brilliant heifers sold over £1900, twice Limousin’s from J E Jordon & Son, Longhirst reached over £1970 however it was more wizardry from West Woodburn and another British Blue from W J Scott which led the way when she sold for £1992. Some blistering returns are on the leader board below.
Heifers
W J Smith & Partners, Richmond sold 4 to average 310ppk and £1654
W A Armstrong, Coxhoe sold 8 to average 309ppk and £1785
R Hirst, Neasham sold 14 to average 309ppk and £1705
J E Suddes & Son, Cornsay Colliery sold 3 to average 308ppk and £1927
P J & M P Gilhespy, Ponteland sold 6 to average 307ppk and £1721
M F Hall, Ponteland sold 6 to average 304ppk and £1786
C W Gray, Amble sold 5 to average 304ppk and £1754
J E Jordon & Son, Longhirst sold 3 to average 302ppk and £1939
W J Scott Ltd, West Woodburn sold 4 to average 301ppk and £1911
Steers
J E Suddes & Son, Cornsay Colliery sold 2 to average 299ppk and £1876
W J Scott Ltd, West Woodburn sold 6 to average 295ppk and £1938
Steers – Top prices ppk 308 300 298 297 294 277 WJ Scott Ltd. 305 295 JE Suddes & Son. 303 232 LD Laws. 294 R Hirst. 289 TN Callender. 219 A Swinbank & Son. 210 M Ord & Sons.
Lead Grossing Steers £2023 £1986 £1931 £1905 £1897 £1888 WJ Scott Ltd. £2008 LD Laws. £1884 £1867 JWE Suddes & Son. £1797 TN Callender. £1602R Hirst. £1581 A Swinbank & Son. £1367 M Ord & Sons.
Heifers – Top prices ppk 327×2 322 317 315 313×2 311 310 305 R Hirst. 326 320 314 310 305 N White. 324 B Walkewr. 324 323 316 310 JV&JA Hodgson. 324 318 310 306 PJ&MP Gilhespy. 324 318 WJ Scott Ltd. 323 321 316 MF Hall. 322 312 306 CW Gray. 321 320 315×2 312 306 WA Armstrong. 320 LD Laws. 319 JE Jordon & Son. 317 314 JE Suddes & Son. 317 313 JF Gibson & Son. 317 306 WF Hustwit. 314 312 310 WJ Smith & Partners. 312 JH&M&NW Brown.
Lead Grossing Heifers £1992 £1956 £1860 £1838 WJ Scott Ltd. £1983 £1972 £1862 JE Jordon & Son. £1960 £1903 £1898 £1866 £1851 £1846 £1830 £1798 JV&JA Hodgson. £1935 £1927 £1917 JE Suddes & Son. £1913 £1850 £1801 WA Armstrong. £1905 £1844 B walker. £1886 WF Hustwit. £1877 £1866 £1864 MF Hall. £1860 £1810 £1801 R Hirst. £1843 PJ&MP Gilhespy. £1842 J Gilson. £1835 £1831 JF Gibson & Son. £1800 £1782 LR Welsh & Co. £1793 £1784 £1752 CW Gray. £1791 TN Callender.
Prime Hoggs (1450) – With the downturn in Hogg trade continuing nationwide all week, all classes were harder to sell – with heavier weights being the most sought after, so it was no surprise that a quality run of Beltex which averaged 276ppk & £148 from Harry Askwith, Low Mown Meadows took the top honours for gross values with a wonderful pen of 57kg Hoggs which sold for £170 to Roots Farm Shop, East Rounton Northallerton. JJ Horn Bushey Park managed to clinch top ppk with a pair of Texels that sold for 343ppk & £141 to Worsley Wholesale Meats.
Hoggs – Top prices ppk 343 JJ Horn. 335 300 285 283 255×2 TH Richardson & Son. 333 326 287 277 266 AS&G Donaldson. 323 317 298 263 Askwiths. 309 282 257 KA&V Armstrong. 297 295 276 267 C&N Waters. 293 D&PH Brown. 287 Tallentire. 287 268 PJ Tindale. 285 M Barley. 282 257 JL Gill & Son. 280 RE&L Frank. 270 MW Cook & Son. 269 248 SC Brown. 260 C Dresser. 257 C Pallister & Sons. 254 W Allison & Sons.
Lead Grossing Hoggs £170 £165 £149 £142 £140 £136 Askwiths. £151 £133×2 £129 £120 £119 TH Richardson & Son. £150×2 £119.50 AS&G Donaldson. £141 JJ Horn. £141 £140 £130 £123 C&N Waters. £138 £137 C Dresser. £135 £129 PJ Tindale. £134 J Pallister & Sons. £133.50 £132 RE Dickson. £132 RE&L Frank. £130 DK Barker. £130 TK Smith & Sons. £130 R Bane. £129 £127 R Lawson & Son. £128 C&E Gaskin. £127 KA&V Armstrong. £126 D&PH Brown.
Cast Ewes & Rams (279) – Although ewe trade was slightly less this week, the meatier ewes were still strong, leaving the leaner ewes’ harder work. Today’s top spot went to JR Todd of High Toft Hill, with a good Texel tup at £150, as well as three more Texel tups at £118, £110 and £107. Following we have W Kirk & Sons of Bullmire Farm whose Texel ewe made a respectable £140. A few more top prices today from the following; HT Davies and Partners with Texel ewes at £140 and £129. Another Texel at £130 from FW Hodgson & Son. M Barley with a Suffolk and Texel ewe, both making £130. DK Barker with a continental ewe at £128, and a new customer today, Rose A Farms LTD, with a good continental ewe at £124.
Lead Grossing Cast Sheep £150 £118 £110 £107 JR Todd. £140 W Kirk & Sons. £140 £129 £90 HT Davies & Partners. £130 £114 £112 FW Hodgson & Son. £130×2 £100 M Barley. £128 £109 £99 DK Barker. £124 £106 £94 Rose A Farms Ltd. £120 £116 £108 GF Whitfield. £120 WM Allison & Son Ltd. £119 F Shield. £118 £105 £98 GP&A Carter. £110 TA&J Swinbank. £110 R Valks. £106 W Wearmouth & Son. £98 A Hughes. £97 JC&A Hutchinson. £95 TK Smith & Sons.
