Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their weekly sale of prime stock on Thursday 16th January 2025. Forward were 221 cattle and 1919 sheep.
78 Prime Bulls sold to 396PPK or £3354
34 Prime Steers sold to 400ppk or £2778
105 Prime Heifers sold to 436ppk or £2647
4 OTM Cattle sold to 360ppk or £2852
1583 Prime Hoggs sold to 415ppk or £210
336 Cast Ewes/Rams sold to £261
Prime Bulls (78) – On bulldozes the bull trade, arguably a shorter supply of the best sorts mattered not in the slightest as an even sharper trade followed last week’s flyer to return stunning sale averages of 333ppk and £2313 per head. The top six bulls per kilo sold in the 390’s, half a dozen more sold in the 380’s and eight followed in the 370’s; two vendors shared the top spot at 396ppk as Limousin’s from J A & M Boyes Ltd, Strathmore House and A C Simpson & Son, McNeil Farm led the way. Over thirty bulls sold over £2500, of these the top six reaching over £3000 included a fine pair from W A Richardson Ltd, Hutton Fields and four fantastic pure Limousin’s from the ultra-consistent A C Simpson & Son, McNeil Farm. The Simpson superstars led the way with the pick of them weighing 869kg adding up to a marvellous £3354. The native breeds were well represented and also enjoying the sharp trade, Hereford’s sold to 341ppk and £2632 from J A & M Boyes Ltd whilst Beef Shorthorn’s sold to 342ppk and £2192 from J & K Woodward; Aberdeen Angus and Lincoln Red’s both sold to tops of 340ppk whilst of the pure dairy breeds the Holstein twice reached 293ppk from R B Farming Ltd, North Cote and a best gross of £1959 from C H & S E Armstrong, Middle Moor Farm. A few of today’s excellent leading averages are listed below.
Bulls
AC Simpson & Son, McNeil Farm sold 4 (824kg) to average 385ppk & £3179.81
WA Richardson & Co Ltd, Hutton Fields sold 3 (817kg) to average 360ppk & £2947.12
JH&M&NW Brown, Jolby Farm sold 2 (746kg) to average 369ppk & £2754.63
JB Luck & Son, Milestone House sold 3 (704kg) to average 390ppk & £2749.01
D Richardson & Co Ltd, Bracken House sold 5 (763kg) to average 358ppk & £2739.34
Continental Bulls – Top prices ppk 396 395 387 JA&M Boyes Ltd. 396 391 386 372 AC Simpson & Son. 394 389 388 JB Luck & Son. 390 A&D Proctor. 384 370x2AS&SM Kemp & Son Ltd. 380 357 LS Staley. 379 JR Knox & Son. 378 360 JH&M&NW Brown. 377 367 338 WA Richardson Ltd. 375 373 359 344×2 D Richardson & Co Ltd. 363 338 P Langstaff. 360 356 338 LR Welsh & Co. 348 CH&SE Armstrong. 340 339 322 Williamson. 338 R Hall & Son. 330 GW Dobson & Son. 324 323 JK&CE Farming.
Lead Grossing Continental Bulls £3354 £3266 £3069 £3029 AC Simpson & Son. £3038 £3027 £2774 WA Richardson Ltd. £2890 GW Dobson & Son. £2868 £2760 £2734 £2715 £2617 D Richardson & Co Ltd. £2823 £2685 JH&M&NW Brown. £2813 £2734 £2699 JB Luck & Son. £2791 £2604 £2572 P Langstaff. £2776 £2433 LR Welsh & Co. £2697 £2615 £2572 AS&SM Kemp & Son. £2693 £2421 £2407 JA&M Boyes Ltd. £2603 £2566 LS Staley. £2577 JR Knox & Son. £2436 JK&CE Farming.
Friesian Bulls – Top prices ppk 293×2 RB Farming Ltd. 284 260 CH&SE Armstrong. 270 264 JM&S Walton. 258 GW Dobson & Son.
Lead Grossing Friesian Bulls £1959 £1692 CH&SE Armstrong. £1890 £1848 JM&S Walton. £1867 GW Dobson & Son. £1804 £1470 RB Farming Ltd.
Native Bulls – Top prices ppk 342 J&K Woodward. 341 337 JA&M Boyes Ltd. 340 Williamson. 340 316 R Hall & Son. 328 CH&SE Armstrong. 303 JR Knox & Son. 270 FS Sturrock.
Lead Grossing Native Bulls £2632 £2510 JA&M Boyes Ltd. £2192 J&K Woodward. £2189 £2094 R Hall & Son. £2092 CH&SE Armstrong. £2084 JR Knox & Son. £1992 Williamson. £1738 FS Sturrock.
Clean Cattle (139) – The clean beef continues to visit places we didn’t know existed, absolutely remarkable scenes as just one single clean beast on the day failed to reach 300 pence per kilo; this week the stunning steers averaged 353ppk and the hallucinogenic heifers levelled at a sensational 370ppk. The January blues are not in the news as a delightful two dozen cattle sold in the 400’s per kilo, Messrs Hodgson, Gilhespy, Scott and Platts all achieved prices in the 420’s however today’s wonderful sale topper proved to be a brilliant 540kg Limousin from longstanding DfAM supporter Brian Walker, Birch Springs when she sold to Tayor’s butchers for 436ppk. Hats off to the Platts of Marwood Farm, Middleham as they topped the steers per kilo at 400 pence with a tremendous 604kg British Blue; behind the Middleham machine plenty sold over 380ppk including a super homebred run from W J Scott Ltd, Low Leam which peaked at 395ppk. Gross values now, it’s easy to see why the deadweight highwaymen are having to sharpen their pencils daily, newsflash, they still can’t keep up with the live ring. Top of the day at £2778 was one of the stunning steers from the team at Low Leam, the brilliant bullock in question tipped the scales to 716kg; the same good home followed with a 709kg steer at £2708 just ahead of a 712kg Limousin from last week’s sale leaders T N Callender, Ox Eye Farm at £2705. The top four gross valued heifer places were divided two apiece for J Platts, Marwood Farm and J V & J A Hodgson, The Grange; a 623kg British Blue from Messrs Platts led the trade at £2647 with their other just £40 adrift but dissected by two crackers from the Hodgson’s at £2635 and £2633. A magnificent 815kg British Blue 47-month-old heifer from Parkin Butchers, Crowle Road had earlier sold for an amazing 350ppk amounting to a huge £2852 whilst the Askwith’s of Crook topped the over agers per kilo when they reached 360ppk with a lightweight Limousin heifer. Some absolutely incredible averages are set out below.
Heifers
B Walker, Dalton-on-Tees sold 3 to average 417ppk and £2384
J Platts, Middleham sold 9 to average 411ppk and £2376
W J Scott Ltd, West Woodburn sold 4 to average 401ppk and £2202
J B Luck & Son, Bowes sold 4 to average 401ppk and £2177
J V & J A Hodgson, Summerhouse sold 10 to average 394ppk and £2432
P J & M P Gilhespy, Ponteland sold 6 to average 393ppk and £2401
R Hirst, Neasham sold 8 to average 388ppk and £2047
J E Suddes & Son, Cornsay Colliery sold 4 to average 382ppk and £2144
W Swinbank & Sons, Caldwell sold 5 to average 381ppk and £2451
Steers
W J Scott Ltd, West Woodburn sold 6 to average 386ppk and £2551
Askwiths, Crook sold 2 to average 379ppk and £2357
S H Watson & Son, Caldwell sold 3 to average 373ppk and £2406
AS & SM Kemp, Bowburn sold 3 to average 344ppk and £2524
Steers – Top prices ppk 400 J Platts. 395 388 386×2 385 382 WJ Scott Ltd. 387 386 349 SH Watson & Son. 380 378 Askwiths. 380 TN Callender. 374 JV&JA Hodgson. 370 PJ&MP Gilhespy. 365 355 316 AS&SM Kemp & Son Ltd. 350 J&EM Lawson. 348 320 A Layfield Farms Ltd. 346 341 335 333 331 330 328 TW&PT Moss Ltd. 336 G&JY Marshall. 322 310 JH&M&NW Brown.
Lead Grossing Steers £2778 £2708 £2512 £2479 £2454 £2377 WJ Scott Ltd. £2705 TN Callender. £2690 £2452 £2430 AS&SM Kemp & Son Ltd. £2558 £2352 £2308 SH Watson & Son. £2456 £2307 A Layfield Farms Ltd. £2416 J Platts. £2405 PJ&MP Gilhespy. £2368 £2237 JH&M&NW Brown. £2363 £2351 Askwiths. £2333 JV&JA Hodgson. £2026 G&JY Marshall. £2005 J&EM Lawson. £1882 £1861 £1837 TW&PT Moss Ltd.
Heifers – Top prices ppk 436 411 408 B Walker. 429 408 388 385 WJ Scott Ltd. 425 400 393 389 380 PJ&MP Gilhespy. 425 419 418 413 409 406 405×2 400 J Platts. 420 419 414 407 388 386 382 381 JV&JA Hodgson. 418 399 396 395 JB Luck & Son. 416 399 398 396 395 R Hirst. 408 JR&B Anderson. 397 390 386 W Swinbank & Sons. 394 389 381 A Layfield Farms Ltd. 394 WF Hustwit. 389 GK KN & GJ Hird. 388×2 JE Suddes & Son. 378 375 JC&P Tallentire.
Lead Grossing Heifers £2647 £2617 £2427 £2400 £2373 £2349 £2282 J Platts. £2635 £2633 £2595 £2497 £2474 £2452 JV&JA Hodgson. £2593 £2549 £2509 £2374 W Swinbank & Sons. £2532 £2480 £2297 A Layfield Farms Ltd. £2522 JE Suddes & Son. £2511 £2444 £2424 £2388 £2333 £2308 PJ&MP Gilhespy. £2509 £2354 £2289 B Walker. £2378 WJ Scott Ltd. £2349 GK KN & GJ Hird. £2347 £2306 JC&P Tallentire. £2333 CH&SE Armstrong. £2295 TN Callender. £2277 WF Hustwit.
OTM – Top prices ppk 360 Askwiths. 357 J V & J A Hodgson. 350 270 Parkin Butchers.
Lead Grossing OTM £2852 £2592 Parkin Butchers. £2131 J V & J A Hodgson. £1836 Askwiths.
Prime Hoggs (1583) – Hoggs dearer as a very two-tier show with a higher proportion of lean sheep galvanised themselves an all in weighed straight sale average of 347.86ppk with an SQQ average of 353.49ppk which equated to £158.69 per head. Twice in a row excellent quintet’s of 46kg Beltex from W Ramsay & Sons, Blakeley Hill topped the prices per kilo when selling for 415 pence (£191); behind these a tidy pen of eighteen 44kg Texels from R Atkinson, High Greenbury sold for 413ppk as the remainder of the top twenty pens (195 hoggs) sold between 388ppk and 410ppk. After a short hiatus the wonderfully fed powerhouses from A C Simpson & Son, McNeil Farm returned to the top of our gross value leader board with a bang; the Simpson superstars sold nine times over £200 including our sale toppers, a great pair of 59kg Texel’s which reached £210. In summary, the heavy hoggs would return very similar levels to those seen last week however the best shaped export weights enjoyed a noticeable lift; amongst the other breeds we saw Zwartbles impress at £172 and horned hoggs frequently £130 to £140 but the king of the hill sheep this week were thumping North Country Cheviot’s from W A Wardman Ltd, Thrushwood which peaked at £197. A few of the leading lines are below.
A C Simpson & Son, Witton-le-Wear sold 40 to average 331ppk and £203.58
W & M Knaggs & Son, Sadberge sold 10 to average 373ppk and £196.00
R Atkinson, Scorton sold 129 to average 399ppk and £185.66
M & A Gaskin, Barnard Castle sold 19 to average 337ppk and £183.16
W Ramsay & Sons, Station Town sold 22 to average 396ppk and £182.00
Hoggs – Top prices ppk 415×2 409 400 W Ramsay & Sons. 413 409 400 390 389 384 R Atkinson. 410 R Wood & Son. 400 392 365 K&PM Lough. 400 395 390 366 W Tindale. 397 367 364 A&D Proctor. 397 395 388 386 385 367 WA Wardman Ltd. 389 382 365 W Kirk & Sons. 384 363 W&M Knaggs & Son. 382 JK&CE Farming. 376 N&MJ Parkin. 376 RA&BA Ridley & Son Ltd. 375 K&MM Henderson. 374 W Swinbank. 373 G Thompson & Sons. 372 369 WR Thompson. 371 D&G Spry. 370 367 GC&JC Pullan. 368 LK Hewitt. 366 DL&D Lovegreen.
Lead Grossing Hoggs £210 £209 £206×4 £205 £203 £202 £198 £195 £185 AC Simpson & Son. £200 P Johnson. £197 £195 £182 K&MM Henderson. £197 £191 £180×2 £179 WA Wardman Ltd. £196×2 W&M Knaggs & Son. £196 £182 £180 M&A Gaskin. £195 £192 £191 £184 £182 £180 R Atkinson. £192 £189 £179 A&D Proctor. £191×2 £178 W Ramsay & Sons. £191 R Lawson & Son. £191 D Chapman. £187 D&PH Brown. £182 CH&MC Phalp. £182 D&G Spry. £181 PJ Tindale. £180 A&PA Jopling. £179 WA Stephenson.
Cast Ewes/Rams (336) – The handbrake on the ewe trade is nowhere to be seen as another superb trade saw them all in average £153.25. Top of the day at £261 was a shapely Texel ewe from W R Thompson, Sloshes Farm; behind her were a couple of heavyweights as a Blue Faced Leicester from J & M J Walton, West Shotton sold for £221 and a super Suffolk from I E & A C Teasdale, High Farm sold for £220. The Teasdale run enjoyed a good day (average £204) as they also included our top tups with a pair of British Rouge at £221 and produced Rouge ewes to £210 and Blue Texel ewes at £200. Mules were a magnificent trade and all in averaged over £148; top of them all at £178 were nine hefty girls from another Teasdale off the North York Moors as G C Teasdale & Son, Wethercote Farm edged out fifteen thumpers from W A Wardman Ltd at £175. Hill ewes were also highly sought after with Herdwicks to £101 and Swaledale’s to £80; final mention must go to a super run of ninety-six Texel and Cheviot Mule ewes from P R & V Barlow & Son, Sycamore Farm, Shelford which despite coming from a Blue Tongue zone enjoyed a tremendous trade to average £172.15.
Lead Grossing Cast Sheep £261 £181 £177 £166 WR Thompson. £221 £220 £210 £200 £195 £171 IE&AC Teasdale. £221 J&MJ Walton. £220 J Milbank & Sons. £211 £175 WA Wardman Ltd. £199×2 £165×2 W Tindale. £196 £190 £170 K&MM Henderson. £195 £169 TW Clark & Son. £194 £177 £169 F Shield. £191 W&M Knaggs & Son. £191 £190 £179 PJ Tindale. £191 R Thompson. £190×2 T Grix. £190 K Raine. £182 RD&D Elders. £181 £174 £169 £168 £167 PR&V Barlow & Son. £179 G Thompson & Son. £178 CG Teasdale & Son.
