Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their weekly sale of Prime Sheep on Thursday 1st April 2021. Forward were 435 Head.
Prime Sheep – Numbers were low as we head in to Easter however a wonderful trade was again witnessed, a mixed offering saw an extra couple of buyers at ringside and a superb trade for all weights shapes and grades. A single new season lamb on offer today from K Wilson of Blue Gables, Slaley got the sale away in good form as the 38kg Texel sold for £142 and 373ppk. Primary mention in the hogg report this week goes to Alan and Betsy Kirk of W Kirk & Son, Bullmire Farm, Barton as they swept up their 2020 born crop with a super Beltex hogg and topped the sale at 340ppk. A nice run from T N Callender of Ox Eye Farm, Whinney Hill impressed with an average of 298ppk and the whole sale levelled at 277ppk with an SQQ of 289ppk. The gross value’s again this week belonged to the phenomenal feeding and breeding capabilities of A C Simpson & Son, McNeil Farm, Witton-le-Wear; a top price today of £167 as the 62 heavy hoggs from this exceptional home averaged an impressive £157.
Spring Lambs – Top prices ppk 373 K Wilson.
Lead Grossing Spring Lambs £142 K Wilson.
Hoggs – Top prices ppk 340 288 280 W Kirk & Sons. 323 300 297 288 TN Callender. 304 C Waters. 303 294 285 W Wearmouth & Son. 302 294 289 288 282 279 274 C Dawson. 296 274 JM Rowlandson. 295 NA Miller. 295 283×2 277 276 CS Robinson. 293 292×2 GP&A Carter. 288 283×2 280 278×2 275 266 265 258×2 AC Simpson. 287 I Peadon. 286 285C Whitwell. 282 279 277 263R Nattrass & Sons. 280 279 HS Petch & Sons. 277 276 JR Knox & Son. 263 I Spedding.
Lead Grossing Hoggs £167 £165 £164 £163 £160 £159.50 £159 £157 £156 £155×2 £150 AC Simpson & Son. £158 I Spedding. 152 £125 TN Callender. £150 £144 £131 £123 R Nattrass & Sons. £140.50 £132 HS Petch & Sons. £140 £127 JR Knox & Son. £140 £139 £138 £136×2 £132 CS Robinson. £139.50 £139 £137 £130 £129.50 C Dawson. £137 JM Rowlandson. £136 £132 W Kirk & Sons. £136 JR Knox & Son. £133 NA Miller. £131 C Waters. £126 £120 C Whitwell. £118.50 £117 W Wearmouth & Son.
Cast Sheep – All ewes a good trade and the plainer leaner meat absolutely off the clock, the pick of the better ewes was the mother of our solitary spring lamb a heavy Texel from K Wilson, Blue Gables at £138 as plenty sold from £120-£130. Mules peaked at £119 from T Lawson & Son, Sedgefield and the Swaledale trade most certainly belonged to a fine run of fed ewes from T Patchet of Holtby Grange, Leeming Bar as their 40 former moor residents averaged a whopping £82 apiece.
Lead Grossing Cast Sheep £139 K Wilson. £135 £117 £113 £110 I Spedding. £132 £122 I Peadon. £130×2 £108 £91 £86 £82×2 T Patchett. £129 £81 C Longstaff. £119 £118 T Lawson & Son. £118 JR Mann. £114 HS Petch & Sons. £108 RD&D Elders & Son. £108 W Kirk & Sons. £107 £103 J Wigham. £101 J&HM Jenkins. £100 S Dodsworth. £99 CS Robinson. £97 GP&A Carter. £95 JR Mann. £94 NA Miller. £93 C Dawson.
