Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their weekly sale of Prime Stock on Thursday 17TH March 2022. Forward were 216 Cattle, 1452 Sheep and 14 Pigs.
68 Prime Bulls sold to 317ppk or £2336
32 Prime Steers sold to 290ppk or £1974
117 Prime Heifers sold to 327ppk or £2027
978 Prime Hoggs sold to 321ppk or £153
474 Cast Ewes & Rams sold to £300
14 Prime Pigs sold to 92ppk or £81
Prime Bulls (68) – The insatiable demand for bull beef continues, the parliament of ringside buyers blew the roof off with undoubtedly one of the trades of the century. The whole sale contained a larger proportion of dairy bulls yet averaged a marvellous 241 pence per kilo, the continental bulls within amazingly averaged well beyond 270 pence. Four sold over 300ppk and a further nine sold in the 290’s; no less than fourteen joined the £2000 plus club on this incredible day at the bull ring. Top of the class was a superb 737kg home bred Limousin from C Harle & Sons, Brandon Hall when he sold for a mesmerising 317 pence per kilo and £2336; the belting bulls from Brandon shared the top 6 spots with the consistently high flying A G Watson & Sons, Nunstainton Grange, Rushyford. Heading the native breeds this week was a well-fed Hereford from M Hutchinson, Evenwood Gate selling for 222ppk and £1798 whilst the Friesian fanatics also enjoyed a flyer topping at 220ppk from J M & S Walton, Barton and a massive £1499 from G W Dobson & Son, South Wingate. Some of the leading averages are listed below.
C Harle & Sons, Brandon sold 4 Bulls to average 303ppk and £2228
A G Watson & Sons sold 7 Bulls to average 295ppk and £2132
S Luck & Son, Bowes sold 2 Bulls to average 285ppk and £1820
W I Suddes & Son sold 4 Bulls to average 284ppk and £1735
Continental Bulls – Top prices ppk 317 308 299 290 C Harle & Sons. 316 314 299 298 287 283 270 AG Watson & Sons. 296 276 S Luck. 294 289 285 270 WI Suddes & Son. 293 259 C Binks & Son. 290 258 LS Staley. 287 262 JR Tiplady. 287 JK&CE Farming. 276 275 264 S Luck & Son. 260 254 248 244 JH&M&NW Brown. 249 246 241 GH farms.
Lead Grossing Continental Bulls £2336 £2279 £2209 £2088 C Harle & Sons. £2289 £2243 £2211×2 £2103 £2101 AG Watson & Sons. £2180 £2025 LS Staley. £2121 £1831 C Binks & Sons. £2049 J&F Hartley & Sons. £1991 £1914 JR Tiplady. £1942 JK&CE Farming. £1846 £1700 JH&M&NW Brown. £1842 £1727 £1673 RC Raper & Daughters. £1832 £1808 S Luck & Son. £1828 £1721 WI Suddes & Son.
Friesian Bulls – Top prices ppk 220 217 211 210 208 207 200 JM&S Walton. 204 198 JK&CE Farming. 199 184 GW Dobson & Son. 190 180 170 R Hall & Son. 179 175 166 161 C&M Atkinson & Sons. 172 156 154 D Walker. 170 159 JA&A Herbert.
Lead Grossing Friesian Bulls £1499 £1424 GW Dobson & Son. £1350 £1310 £1304 £1287 £1215 £1188 £1108 JM&S Walton. £1328 £1218 £1120 R Hall & Son. £1258 £1207 JK&CE Farming. £1011 £885 JA&A Herbert. £1001 £995 £959 £826 C&M Atkinson & Sons.
Native Breed Bulls – Top prices ppk 222 M Hutchinson. 217 JM&S Walton.
Lead Grossing Native Breed Bulls £1798 M Hutchinson. £1302 JM&S Walton.
Clean Cattle (149) – Dearer! On this evidence it seems that very few people have given up beef for lent, the absolutely remarkable clean beef juggernaut keeps its wheels turning at full speed, a hot trade throughout with excellent averages of heifers at 270ppk and steers 237ppk. A stunning 26 heifers sold at 300 pence or more today as the quality butchers’ choice were in huge demand, very strong challenges came from far and wide. Representing Northumberland, the good yard of W J Scott Ltd impressed as usual whilst top of our Cumbrian charges came P J & E S Rogerson, the top trio however came from home soil as twice the bridesmaids this week with a pair over 320ppk were the consistent Hirst’s of Neasham, king of the ring today however was Wayne Armstrong of Coxhoe when his fabulous 534kg Limousin heifer climbed to 327 pence per kilo. Not mentioned yet today however never far from the top are the hefty Limousin’s of Mark Simpson, McNeil Farm and it was he who led the gross values with a sublime 724kg Limousin heifer which sold for £2027, a further five heifers sold in the £1900’s with fourteen others in the £1800’s. It was the top team from Low Leam Farm of Messrs W J Scott Ltd who dominated a super-fast steer trade, with the four top gross values and four of the top five prices per kilo their super run peaked at 290ppk and £1947. The whole show this week averaged a very healthy £1561. Some impressive reading below as we list just a few of those winning and surely grinning this week.
W J Scott Ltd, West Woodburn sold 6 Heifers to average 307ppk and £1832
R Hirst, Neasham sold 9 Heifers to average 306ppk and £1765
A C Simpson & Son, Witton-le-Wear sold 3 Heifers to average 303ppk and £1930
W A Armstrong, Coxhoe sold 12 Heifers to average 300ppk and £1749
P J & E S Rogerson, Kirkby Stephen sold 5 Heifers to average 299ppk and £1582
W J Scott Ltd, West Woodburn sold 4 Steers to average 283ppk and £1903
Steers – Top prices ppk 290 282×2 279 WJ Scott Ltd. 285 W Ramsay & Sons. 278 236 A Crowder. 258 248 P&JH Davison. 248 J Henderson. 240 235 231 230 228 A&MJ Henshaw. 240 234 GW&L Marsay. 238 JJ Kemp & Son. 230 JR Addison & Son. 226 M Ord & Sons. 226 TF Bothroyd & Son.
Lead Grossing Steers £1974 £1928 £1888 £1821 WJ Scott Ltd. £1781 W Ramsay & Sons. £1779 £1545 A Crowder. £1735 JJ Kemp & Son. £1591 £1529 £1391 A&MJ Henshaw. £1584 £1408 P&JH Davison. £1556 £1423 £1386 £1364 JR Raine & Sons. £1457 TF Bothroyd. £1437 JR Addison & Son. £1404 GW&L Marsay.
Heifers – Top prices ppk 327 317×2 314 306 305 301 299 292 WA Armstrong. 326 321 315 309 305 303 299×2 R Hirst. 319 314 300 294 PJ&ES Rogerson. 319 315×2 309 295 291 WJ Scott Ltd. 318 317 AC Simpson & Son. 306 296 286 JJ Kemp & Son. 304 285 280 P&JH Davison. 302 RA&BA Ridley & Son Ltd. 300 W Ramsay & Sons. 297 295 294 JV&JA Hodgson. 295 291 B Walker. 290 WF Hustwit. 285 WJ&AS Bowes & Sons.
Lead Grossing Heifers £2027 £1949 £1815 AC Simpson & Son. £1956 £1823 £1817 £1784 £1781 R Hirst. £1924 £1905 £1872 £1820 £1811 WJ Scott Ltd. £1915 £1857 £1851 £1845 £1772 £1770 £1746 WA Armstrong. £1865 £1809 £1805 £1800 £1796 £1795 £1740 JV&JA Hodgson. £1851 B Walker. £1781 £1744 JJ Kemp & Son. £1778 £1766 RA&BA Ridley & Son Ltd. £1757 PJ&ES Rogerson. £1749 W Ramsay & Sons.
Cast Bull – Top prices ppk 134 WH&SM Terry.
Lead Grossing Cast Bull – £1303 WH&SM Terry.
Prime Hoggs (978) – A mix worthy of priority boarding on to Noah’s ark this week as every shape, size, creed and colour presented itself. The good sheep were certainly easier to sell, with a fair proportion of under finished hoggs the weighed straight averages look similar to last week at 245ppk (SQQ 258ppk) however the reality is that the trade was in fact much, much better. A good week in DFAM for the Dent Family of Northfield Farms was rounded off when they led our pence per kilo at 321 when a lovely pen of eleven 38kg Beltex hoggs sold for £122. Some superb feeding from W A Wardman Ltd, Yearby has been a feature of our hogg shows this season, the best this week from this good home led the gross values as six sensational 53kg Beltex hoggs sold to Roots Farm Shop, East Rounton for £153. Slightly more life in the heavyweight department sale today also as A C Simpson & Son, McNeil Farm and R H Thompson & Son, Whins Farm both pushed the scales at times well beyond 60kg with averages of £135 and £132 respectively. Hill breeds were again plentiful this week, the most eye catching was a great pen of Scotch Blackface from L W Martin, Commondale which sold for £110.
Hoggs – Top prices ppk 321 315 309 307 303 282 275 Northfield Farms. 319 317 Anthony Tindale. 302 295 290 272 271 TN Callender. 296 293 275 270 KA&V Armstrong. 290 272 K&MM Henderson. 290 Tallentire. 289 285 274 R Errington & Son. 288 284 272 WA Wardman Ltd. 280 275 L Fowler. 276 273 W Wearmouth & Son. 275 H Thompson. 273 270 JA&B Nappey. 272 JK&CE Farming. 270 TW Clark. 269 CJM Hedley. 269 TW Brown. 269 M Whorlton.
Lead Grossing Hoggs £153 £140 £135×2 £134 £125 WA Wardman Ltd. £150 £145 £142 £140×2 £135.50 £135×2 £134.50 £132 £130 £126 £125 AC Simpson & Son. £148 £145 £130 Northfield Farms. £145 £130 £125×2 RH Thompson. £140 £130×4 £125 TN Callender. £140 JR Knox & Son. £135×2 W Denham. £130 Anthony Tindale. £130×2 RH Wilson. £125 K&MM Henderson. £125 TW Clark & Son. £124.50 KA&V Armstrong. £124 RW&R Henry.
Cast Ewes & Rams (474) – Normally Cheltenham week is one which sees the ewe trade shine bright and 2022 is no exception as the old girls (and boys) enjoyed some absolutely remarkable returns. Last week’s season’s best was smashed out of the park today as for the first time ever (excluding charitable donations) we hit the dizzy heights of £300. The recipient who will surely now hold a long-time record was an outstanding Texel ewe from B Layfield, Nackshivan, Crook; other vendors in the £200 plus club were Nottinghamshire’s P R & V Barlow & Son and Thirsk based S Fenwick. Top pen of Mules this week came from L Dale & Sons, Skirpenbeck with twenty-seven selling at £124, lock stock and barrel, downright decrepit included the whole sale averaged a tremendous £109.
Lead Grossing Cast Sheep £300 £254 £200 B Layfield. £222 S Fenwick. £220 £210 £180 £160 £155 £140 £120 PR&V Barlow. £160 W&M Knaggs & Son. £160 £150 £146 £120 £112 M&CLR Dale. £150 3130 £120 £114 AC Simpson & Son. £150 M Jopling & Son. £140 KA&V Armstrong. £140 Tallentire. £128 T&G Dobson. £125 S Crossland. £125 £120×2 B&J Bainbridge. £124 L Dale & Sons. £122 3112 GC&JC Pullan. £120 W Denham. £120 JR Knox & Son. £120 JA&B Nappey. £118 C Beard.
Prime Pigs (12) – Our poor bacon flavoured buddies remain basically on a BOGOF offer. The pill gets harder to swallow when absolutely everything in the world’s price is rising yet the pork remains tragically cheap.
Pigs – Top prices ppk 92×2 85 J Michell & Son. 90×3 60 C Weightman.
Lead Grossing Pigs £81 £79 £75 C Weightman. £75 £74 £68 J Mitchell & Son.
