Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their weekly sale of prime stock on Thursday 27th February 2025. Forward were 213 cattle and 2333 sheep.
72 Prime Bulls sold to 450ppk or £3766
22 Prime Steers sold to 437ppk or £3160
116 Prime Heifers sold to 458ppk or £3175
3 OTM’s sold to 404ppk or £2555
2202 Prime Hoggs sold to 425ppk or £220
131 Cast Ewes/Rams sold to £220
Prime Bulls (72) – The blistering bull trade continues in astonishing fashion, more dairy breeds and crosses included this week and still a stunning sale average of 393ppk and £2706 was achieved. Some magic from Marrick led the way by a whisker as a superb home-bred 14-month-old from N White, Barf House topped the prices at 450 pence. Four further vendors following between 445ppk and 449ppk were TN & J Hall, A G Watson & Sons, JA & M Boyes Ltd and JE Jordon & Son. The top nine bulls sold over £3300, pick of them all at an impressive £3766 was a brilliant British Blue from TN & J Hall, Ainstable Hall; pushing our leader all the way were great runs from AC Simpson & Son, McNeil Farm and also GR Hindmarsh & Sons of Linden Hill Head. Away from the cruising continentals the natives were creative with Hereford’s leading the way when selling to tops of 398ppk from JA & M Boyes Ltd, Strathmore House and £3045 from IE & AC Teasdale, High Farm. As mentioned, more dairy breeds in the offering, trade was duly led by JM & S Walton, Brettanby Farm at 338ppk and GW Dobson & Son, Wood Close at £2271. Below are ten of the best pen averages.
N White, Marrick sold 2 average 441ppk and £2871
JE Jordon & Son, Morpeth sold 2 average 439ppk and £3216
AG Watson & Sons, Rushyford sold 3 average 435ppk and £2972
WI Suddes & Son, Cornsay sold 4 average 431ppk and £2974
AC Simpson & Son, Witton-le-Wear sold 4 average 429ppk and £3410
TN & J Hall, Ainstable sold 3 average 425ppk and £3066
LS Staley, Marwood sold 2 average 424ppk and £3064
GR Hindmarsh & Sons, Morpeth sold 5 average 417ppk and £3145
JA & M Boyes Ltd, Cleatlam sold 5 average 414ppk and £2852
D Richardson & Co, Melsonby sold 5 average 405ppk and £3154
Continental Bulls – Top prices ppk 450 433 N White. 449 430 395 TN&J Hall. 447 430×2 AG Watson & Sons. 445 434 JE Jordon & Son. 445 418 417 JA&M Boyes Ltd. 438 436 434 419 WI Suddes & Son. 430 429 AC Simpson & Son. 426 409 400 397 D Richardson & Co Ltd. 425 420 417 416 410 GR Hindmarsh & Sons. 425 424 LS Staley. 425 ER&GI Younger. 413 T&DI Allen & Son. 412 LR Welsh & Co. 410 399 JR Knox & Son. 409 GG Stevenson & Son. 408 C Binks & Son.
Lead Grossing Continental Bulls £3766 £2976 TN&J Hall. £3504 £3417 £3362 £3359 AC Simpson & Son. £3415 £3357 £3203 £3013 GR Hindmarsh & Sons. £3324 £3149 £2790 WI Suddes & Son. £3318 £3235 £3152 £3104 £2960 D Richardson & Co Ltd. £3289 £2928 AG Watson & Sons. £3283 LR Welsh & Co. £3224 £3208 JE Jordon & Son. £3141 £2987 LS Staley. £3109 £2879 JA&M Boyes Ltd. £3005 £2779 T&DI Allen & Son. £2997 N White. £2980 JR Knox & Son.
Friesian Bulls – Top prices ppk 338 336 332 330 318 302 JM&S Walton. 324 323 GW Dobson & Son. 304 D Walker.
Lead Grossing Friesian Bulls £2271 £2125 GW Dobson & Son. £2184 £2101 £2049 £2012 £1967 £1751 JM&S Walton. £1763 D Walker.
Native Bulls – Top prices ppk 398 397 JA&M Boyes Ltd. 386 384 342 R Hall & Son. 372 334 JM&S Walton. 330 IE&AC Teasdale.
Lead Grossing Native Bulls £3045 IE&AC Teasdale. £2921 £2644 JA&M Boyes Ltd. £2672 £2570 £2267 R Hall & Son. £2351 £2254 JM&S Walton.
Clean Cattle (138) – Another unforgettable episode of the magical clean dream this week as over three quarters offered sold beyond 400 pence per kilo; the brilliant beef trade knows no bounds as our amazing sale averages saw the heifers all in at 414ppk and the steers a brilliant 410ppk with the whole show levelling at £2447 per head. Top price per kilo at 458 pence was a humdinger from the Hirst’s of Neasham Grange, a 620kg Limousin from the valued weekly supporters. Second spot went to a handy weight heifer from TN & J Hall, Ainstable Hall at 450ppk with the two vendors following at 449ppk being W F Hustwit, Morden Southside and the far travelled MI Wainwright, Todhall Farm, Cupar. Over 300 miles separated our farthest vendors this week, the already mentioned Todhall Farm to the north and our top steer per kilo went to the most southerly as Nottingham based PR & V Barlow & Son, Sycamore Farm turned out a wonderful 624kg Limousin at 437 pence; good runs from GG Stevenson & Son, Trout Hall and the Askwiths of Crook followed closely in the 430’s. Grand old gross values are a given with the extreme rates on offer; the crusading Crook based Askwith’s led the steers with a superb 735kg British Blue at £3160, three other vendors followed with steers in the £2900’s. The top three gross valued heifers all came from the Wainwright’s of Cupar, Fife; pick of the very good pack was a 742kg Charolais at £3175, another Charolais followed at £3167 with the same good home selling a Limousin at £3046 to complete the hat-trick over £3000. In summary, the best heifers remain brilliant and the R grade commercial types would be noticeably dearer on the week. See below some super pen averages.
Heifers
B Walker, Dalton-on-Tees sold 2 average 439ppk and £2421
TN & J Hall, Ainstable sold 6 average 437ppk and £2524
GK, KN & GJ Hird, Whashton sold 4 average 434ppk and £2369
MI Wainwright, Cupar sold 12 average 429ppk and £2703
R Hirst, Neasham sold 11 average 428ppk and £2559
NE Dyson, Masham sold 2 average 426ppk and £2663
A & MJ Henshaw, Layton sold 5 average 422ppk and £2615
TN Callender, Whinney Hill sold 3 average 422ppk and £2338
JV & JA Hodgson, Summerhouse sold 12 average 418ppk and £2444
Steers
GG Stevenson & Son, Saltburn sold 4 average 423ppk and £2766
PR & V Barlow, Nottingham sold 3 average 423ppk and £2670
Askwiths, Crook sold 3 average 423ppk and £2745
Taylor Bros, Richmond sold 3 average 418ppk and £2320
NE Dyson, Masham sold 2 average 412ppk and £2882
Steers – Top prices ppk 437 428 405 PR&V Barlow & Son. 434 430 426 404 GG Stevenson & Son. 430 421 418 Askwiths. 429 MI Wainwright. 424 389 WL Robinson & Partners. 420 418×2 Taylor Bros. 418 408 NE Dyson. 409 SH Watson & Son. 394 JH Brown. 328 JB Bell & Son. 328 D Walker.
Lead Grossing Steers £3160 £2652 £2424 Askwiths. £2989 £2785 WL Robinson & Partners. £2923 £2726 £2361 PR&V Barlow & Son. £2900 £2864 NE Dyson. £2868 £2833 £2743 £2621 GG Stevenson & Son. £2668 MI Wainwright. £2539 SH Watson & Son. £2505 JH Brown. £2336 £2318 £2307 Taylor Bros. £2072 D Walker. £1964 JB Bell & Son.
Heifers – Top prices ppk 458 444 440436 430 428 424 420 R Hirst. 450 448 438 435 434 TN&J Hall. 449 433 424 WF Hustwit. 449 448 446 439 436 434 431 428×2 419 MI Wainwright. 446 438 426 N White. 446 439 437 GK KN & GJ Hird. 445 NE Dyson. 443 437 B Walker. 437 424 420 A&MJ Henshaw. 437 434 430 426 424 422 JV&JA Hodgson. 434 420 TN Callender. 430 JH Brown. 427 418 RA&BA Ridley & Son Ltd. 426 Askwiths. 426 Taylor Bros. 419 P&JH Davison. 417 416 JH Brown.
Lead Grossing Heifers £3175 £3167 £3046 £2918 £2895 £2814 £2671 £2633 £2629 £2520 MI Wainwright. £2987 £2881 £2876 TN&J Hall. £2898 £2866 £2604 A&MJ Henshaw. £2850 JH Brown. £2839 £2766 £2613 £2569 £2566 £2556 R Hirst. £2754 £2572 NE Dyson. £2719 WE&CA Anderson. £2714 £2634 RA&BA Ridley & Son Ltd. £2599 £2516 WF Hustwit. £2595 £2583 £2573 £2520 JV&JA Hodgson. £2568 P&JH Davison. £2537 A Swinbank & Son. £2528 GK KN & GJ Hird. £2521 PR&V Barlow & Son.
OTM – Top prices ppk 404 JV&JA Hodgson. 392 PR&V Barlow & Son. 380 MF Hall.
Lead Grossing OTM – £2555 PR&V Barlow & Son. £2504 MF Hall. £2294 JV&JA Hodgson.
Prime Hoggs (2202) – Export weight hoggs were in high demand whilst the heavier types would be a touch less on the week; all in weighed straight the sale average returned at 338ppk with an SQQ of 358ppk which equated to £159.01 per head. The top twelve sells (157 hoggs) sold over 400 pence per kilo, sharing the lead were 40kg hoggs from W Swinbank & Sons, Greystones and also K O Stones, Nun Cote Nook both at 425ppk. Top of the gross values was an absolute wonder hogg, the pick of a large run from R Atkinson, High Greenbury Farm this stunning 64kg Beltex sold for £220 to Roots Farm Shop, East Rounton helping the 519 from High Greenbury along to an average of £174.62 (46kg). Following at £192 was a cracker from P R Weaver, Little Manor Farm as this run and those from High Greenbury shared the top ten spots between them with 97 from Little Manor averaging top on the day at £182.27. Mule hoggs topped at £155.50 from J C & A Hutchinson, Featherhill, Cheviots topped at £162 from W Denham, Dent Gate, Herdwick’s to £160 from K & MM Henderson, West Witton Row and horned hoggs peaked at £152 from P Turnbull, West House Farm, Kildale.
Hoggs – Top prices ppk 425 381 W Swinbank & Sons. 425 380 KO Stones. 416 414 411 408 407 404×3 397 389 387 385 383×2 376×2 372 370 R Atkinson. 409 402 388 377 PJ Tindale. 395 378 375 J Hird. 391×4378 370 PR Weaver. 390 380 TW&PT Moss Ltd. 384 K&MM Henderson. 384 WF Dove & Sons. 381 371 TA Greensit & Sons. 381 JC&A Hutchinson. 380 JR Knox & Son. 379×2 372 MW Barker & Son. 377 M Madrell. 376 D&PH Brown. 372 G&R Dawson. 370 TW Clark & Son.
Lead Grossing Hoggs £220 £187 £184×2 £182 £181 £180 £179 £178 £177×4 £175×3 £174×4 £171 R Atkinson. £192 £189 £184×4 £179 £178 £175 PR Weaver. £183 £174 £173 WF Dove & Sons. £180 £171×2 JR Knox & Son. £179 £178 KO Stones. £178 £174 J Hird. £177 £172×2 K&MM Henderson. £176 PJ Tindale. £175 R Hills. £174 J&A Layfield. £174 W Denham. £174 CS Robinson. £172 G&R Dawson. £172 D&PH Brown.
Cast Ewes/Rams (131) – Not so many about this week sold to a pleasing average of £116.57. Three Suffolk tups topped the day from J P Coatsworth & Son, West Rackwood Hill when they sold at £220 apiece. Top of the ewes at £215 was a cracking Texel from Reece Stevenson, Sleights as the stronger lowland ewes traded regularly £160 to £200. Mule ewes topped at £177 from J Mitchell & Son, Manor House Farm with others from R H Wilson & Son, Cowper House Farm at £176. Despite the increased average lighter plain ewes would be less money on the week.
Lead Grossing Cast Sheep £220 £154 £151 JP Coatsworth & Son. £215 R Stevenson. £192 £176 W Denham. £187 £170 £141 A&H Livestock. £186 GW&M Singleton & Sons. £185 £180 W&M Knaggs & Son. £180 £161 IE&AC Teasdale. £180 £159 £130 TW Clark & Son. £180 £164 A Davenport. £180 £169 GP&A Carter. £177 J Mitchell & Son. £176 RH Wilson & Son. £172 EA Martin & Son. £160 £141 PJ Tindale. £158 K&MM Henderson. £158 JR Knox & Son. £151 WR Wilson & Partners.
