Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their weekly sale of Prime Stock on Thursday 25th February 2021. Forward were 285 Cattle, 1600 Sheep and 10 Pigs.
103 Prime Bulls sold to 257ppk or £2185
57 Prime Steers sold to 244ppk or £1582
106 Prime Heifers sold to 277ppk or £1698
19 Cast Cattle & OTM sold to 210ppk or £1533
1146 Prime Hoggs sold to 325ppk or £163
370 Cast Sheep sold to £165
10 Prime Pigs sold to 110ppk or £85.32
Prime Bulls (103) – A very sharp sale for all classes, a real mixture of quality today averaged a brilliant 211ppk with the trade for the best bulls in wonderful form. Five bulls sold the top side of 250 pence per kilo, a pair from A G Watson & Sons, Nunstainton joined a terrific trio from A S & S M Kemp, Whitwell Farm, Sherburn; the top slot at 257ppk went to the Sherburn based feeders who turned out an impressive run of 24 bulls on the day. On a day which saw 8 bulls sell beyond £1800 it was very much over to the pedigree breeders for the top gross values, a cracking Charolais all the way from Malton and the good home of M & J Hayhurst impressed at £1975 however it was the 1031kg British Blonde of P Weightman & Sons, Hallfield Farm which set the place alight when he reached a whopping £2185. Pick of the native breeds today came from the Kemp’s of Whitwell with an Aberdeen Angus grossing £1444 whilst a fine example of the Hereford breed from Starfitt’s Farm, Kirkbymoorside climbed his way to 216ppk. A change to the top dairy bull vendor today as G W Dobson & Son of Wingate had a cracker reach £1231 and D Walker of Crook produced a Fleckveih at 188ppk. A selection of the above average averages are listed below.
J B Luck, Bowes sold 2 Bulls to average 243ppk and £1797
A G Watson & Sons, Rushyford sold 8 Bulls to average 242ppk and £1747
R A Busby & Son, Marrick sold 3 Bulls to average 241ppk and £1742
F & J S Gargett, Barnard Castle sold 3 Bulls to average 239ppk and £1811
D Richardson & Co, Melsonby sold 4 Bulls to average 239ppk and £1732
Continental Bulls – Top prices ppk 257 250×2 246 245 244241×2 239 229 227 219 217 AS&SM Kemp. 256 255 244×3 243 240 AG Watson & Sons. 249 238 JB Luck. 249 246 238 226 D Richardson & Co Ltd. 248 241 235 M Eagle. 247 241 230 F&JS Gargett. 243 241 239 RA Busby & Son. 238 236 234 JA&M Boyes Ltd. 235 227 222 JM Greensit & Son Ltd. 220 215 JK&CE Farming. 214 JC&P Tallentire. 212 P Weightman & Sons. 212 M&J Hayhurst.
Lead Grossing Continental Bulls £2185 P Weightman & Sons. £1975 M&J Hayhurst. £1926 £1773 £1734 F&JS Gargett. £1904 £1820 £1805 £1762 £1720 £1658 £1654 AG Watson & Sons. £1899 £1695 JB Luck. £1844 £1711 £1672 RA Busby & Son. £1796 £1692 £1691 £1595 JA&M Boyes Ltd. £1791 £1760 £1741 £1722 £1704 £1676 £1621×2 £1617 £1605 £1559 £1554 AS&SM Kemp. £1781 £1744 £1715 £1690 D Richardson & Co Ltd. £1636 £1529 JM Greensit & Son Ltd. £1590 £1569 JK&CE Farming.
Native Breeds – Top prices ppk 216 213 208 Starfitts Farm. 214 AS&SM Kemp. 203 M Eagle. 194 SN Bird & Sons. 187 183 182 176 175×2 174 S&T Pilch.
Lead Grossing Native Breed Bulls £1444 £1332 AS&SM Kemp. £1406 M Eagle. £1346 SN Bird & Sons. £1323 £1286 £1188 £1187 £1160 £1129 £1117 £1099 £934 S&T Pilch. £1289 £1281 £1256 Starfitts Farm.
Friesian Bulls – Top prices ppk 185 184 R Hall & Son. 184×2 172 167 J&JH Musgrave. 180 164 GW Dobson & Son. 169 D Walker. 150 140 R Carter & Son.
Lead Grossing Friesian Bulls £1231 £1120 GW Dobson & Son. £1171 £1087 £1002 £983 J&JH Musgrave. £1169 £1118 R Hall & Son. £1022 D Walker. £996 £975 R Carter & Son.
Clean Cattle (163) – The trade remains red hot, the butchers spec cattle are in great demand with heaps selling at 260ppk and above, the commercial R grade cattle find homes with ease and even the O and P grades are kicking on for the end of February. Top slot today a beautiful thick little red Limousin heifer from the Askwiths of Crook at 277 pence per kilo, this 511kg gem was pleasingly a product of our store ring last May hailing from the Coulthard’s from Stockton-on-Tees. The run of the day for many today came from the super consistent J V & J A Hodgson of The Grange, Summerhouse, the four highest grossing beast in the mart which all totted up over £1600 with the pick of them a fabulous 641kg Limousin heifer at a sensational 265ppk and £1698. Top of the steers today an impressive 264ppk from M F Hall, Ponteland with a lovely handy weighted Limousin whilst a fine run of 8 steers shown by W A Armstrong, Coxhoe averaged a pleasing 240ppk and peaked at £1433. Beast today in Darlington from as far away as Norfolk, Northamptonshire and Northumberland however three local vendors deserve special mention for averaging beyond 260ppk, as listed below the Helslop’s of Fishburn, Harker’s of Worsall and Davison’s of Morley were right up there with pacesetters.
K & J Heslop, Fishburn sold 4 Heifers to average 265ppk and £1486
K & A Harker, Worsall sold 3 Heifers to average 263ppk and £1499
P & J H Davison, Morley sold 4 Heifers to average 262ppk and £1502
J V & J A Hodgson, Summerhouse sold 12 Heifers to average 259ppk and £1549
Askwiths, Crook sold 4 (2xHeifer, 2xSteer) to average 257ppk and £1481
B Walker, Dalton-on-Tees sold 3 Heifers to average 255ppk and £1529
Continental Steers – Top prices ppk 264 228 MF Hall. 256 253 244×2 241 239 228 220 WA Armstrong. 250 238 Askwiths. 242 228 T Greetham. 238 236 216 JH Johnson. 237 220 A Crowder. 229 LW Martin. 228 G Beadle. 223 JE&AJ Mitchell. 222 G Beadle. 218 208 GW&L Marsay. 218 LW Martin. 216 204 D Robson & Sons. 213 206 B Nichols. 204 Starfitts Farm.
Lead Grossing Continental Steers £1582 £1496 £1491 £1473 £1464 £1354 WA Armstrong. £1556 JE&AJ Mitchell. £1539 £1502 MF Hall. £1537 £1470 Askwiths. £1522 £1507 A Crowder. £1506 £1470 £1332 JH Johnson. £1441 £1397 GW&L Marsay. £1425 £1415 T Greetham. £1423 £1405 £1350 D Robson & Sons. £1371 £1358 LW Martin. £1356 G Beadle. £1330 B Nichols.
Friesian Steers – Top prices ppk 185 182 180×2 179 177 175 174 172 171 170×3 Berryfield Farms. 175 B Nichols. 154 152 M Gathercote.
Lead Grossing Friesian Steers £1232 B Nichols. £1078 £1016 £1013 £1006 £1003 £997 £982 £977 £963 Berryfield Farms. £852 £769 M Gathercote.
Heifers – Top prices ppk 277 268 Askwiths. 275 270 265 264 263×2 262 261 257 247 244 JV&JA Hodgson. 273 266 265 246 P&JH Davison. 272 270 265 257 K&J Heslop. 272 268 B Walker. 270 267 254 K&A Harker. 267 262 MF Hall. 265 248 246JR&M Richardson. 264 R Hirst. 264 S Luck & Son. 264 TW Clark & Son. 263 251 245 LR Welsh & Co. 262 J&A Moralee. 257 A Crowder. 257 JC Johnson. 256 250 244×2 WF Hustwit. 254 250 T Greetham. 248 D Robson & Sons. 247 G Beadle.
Lead Grossing Heifers £1698 £1647 £1611 £1606 £1540 £1529 £1521 £1511 £1510 £1504 £1501 JV&JA Hodgson. £1599 MF Hall. £1594 TW Clark & Son. £1586 £1523 £1463 P&JH Davison. £1584 £1507 £1458 R Hirst. £1577 A Crowder. £1557 JR Tiplady. £1555 £1487 £1460 £1441 K&J Heslop. £1550 £1538 £1500 B Walker. £1544 £1539 JR&M Richardson. £1544 £1543 K&A Harker. £1503 Askwiths. £1494 B Nichols. £1478 £1448 WF Hustwit. £1444 JC Johnson. £1441 LR Welsh & Co. £1440 T Greetham.
Cast Cattle & OTM (19) – A real bag of dolly mixtures when it came to the older cattle today, from delicate Dexters to lovely Limousin’s and everything in-between; a good trade was seen for all classes. The bidders pick today proved to be an absolute tank of a 38 month old Limousin heifer from T W Clark & Son, Frankland Park, the buyers certainly took a shine to her although perhaps her attendance suggests that the bull did not? She sold for a whopping £1533 whilst a shapely 30 month old British Blue from M Gathercote, Norfolk reached a pleasing 210ppk. The pick of the older cows today came from M F Hall, Woodhill Farm, Ponteland with a smart 7 year old Limousin reaching 179ppk and £1414.
Cast Cows & OTM – Top prices ppk 210 197 160 150 120 90 M Gathercote. 194 J&A Moralee. 188 B Nichols. 187 JR Spink. 185 173 JR Tiplady. 183 TW Clark & Son. 179 MF Hall. 155×2 151 150 RW Sowerby & Sons. 150 J Elliott.
Lead Grossing Cast Cows & OTM £1533 TW Clark & Son. £1414 MF Hall. £1356 J&A Moralee. £1271 £1222 JR Tiplady. £1225 J Elliott. £1216 £1139 £1018 £992 RW Sowerby & Sons. £1128 £970 £852 £829 £603 M Gathercote. £1030 B Nichols. £1024 JR Spink.
Prime Hoggs (1146) – On rolls the sheep juggernaut through February, the hoggs traditionally get dearer in March and April however I’m sure the wholesalers trying to sell the lamb would suggest that any lift in the current trade would be the cherry on the cake, they truly are a terrific trade, todays sale averaged 270ppk with an SQQ of 279ppk. Top price per kilo went for the umpteenth time this season to C S & V Whitfield of High Castledene at 325ppk whilst some extreme gross values all round were headed by A C Simpson & Son, McNeil Farm, Witton-le-Wear at £163, the staggering average from the Simpson’s at McNeil today for 44 hoggs was £144.62.
Hoggs – Top prices ppk 325×2 315 301 CS&V Whitfield. 325 296 S Thompson & Son. 315 292 291 G Thompson & Sons. 310 282 JD Brannen. 306 301 283 R Errington & Son. 306 298 284 W Robson. 304 303×3 298×3 293 291×2 290 Bures Farm Partnership. 300 O&L Welford. 300 CJM Hedley. 295 282 JK&CE Farming. 293 284 282 C Dawson. 287 KA&V Armstrong. 282 M Navazi. 281 Wytherstone Farms.
Lead Grossing Hoggs £163 £150×6 £145.50 £145 £144×3 £139×2 £137 £134 AC Simpson & Son. £150 £142 £141.50 £141 £135 £132 RH Thompson & Son. £148.50 £129.50 G Thompson & Sons. £144 £139.50 £129.50 JD Brannen. £141 £135.50 £132.50 CS&V Whitfield. £137 £135 CJM Hedley. £135.50 £133.50 £132.50 Wytherstone Farms. £132.50 M Navazi. £129.50 £128.50 C Dawson. £129.50 S Thompson & Son. £127 O&L Welford. £126.50 W Robson.
Cast Sheep (370) – The ewe trade remains strong, dragged along mercilessly by the terrific demand for heavy hoggs the ewes are adding up rather nicely, todays sale peaked at £165 for a Beltex ewe shown by W & M Knaggs & Son, East Newbiggin. Mule ewes again over £100 if they carried flesh whilst tups hit a high of £127 and a sizeable nanny goat reached £90.
Lead Grossing Cast Sheep £165 £139 £138 £130 £123 £119 £90 W&M Knaggs & Son. £160 £150 P Dawson. £139 £126 £111 R Richardson. £127 JH Johnson. £120 £103 £102 £96 £90×2 K Buckle. £106 G Thompson. £104 TA&J Swinbank. £103 HS Petch & Sons. £101 £91 IW Adamson. £100 JR Mann. £98 JA&B Nappey. £95 RH Wilson & Son. £92 KA&V Armstrong. £91 C Dawson. £90 B&L Robson.
