Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their weekly sale of Prime Stock on Thursday 3rd March 2022. Forward were 231 Cattle, 1635 Sheep and 8 Pigs.
71 Prime Bulls sold to 289ppk or £2542
35 Prime Steers sold to 288ppk or £2047
122 Prime Heifers sold to 315ppk or £2063
3 Cast Cows sold to 252ppk or £1876
1353 Prime Hoggs sold to 309ppk or £140
282 Cast Ewes & Rams sold to £220
8 Prime Pigs sold to 90ppk or £77
Prime Bulls (71) – Goodness gracious, the 2022 bull trade knows no limits as another absolute barnstorming trade occurred today, a bewildering 27 bulls sold for at least £2000 as some expert feeders and breeders basked in a miraculous sale average of 244 pence per kilo. Nine bulls sold over 280ppk with fourteen others selling in the 270’s. Pick of the packet this week travelled a miraculous 274 miles all the way down from Fort William and first-time vendor R Wright, Clovullin with a superb 759kg British Blue which sold for 289 pence; a host of vendors were involved in the photo finish as the top 10 bulls per kilo astonishingly each hailed from a different home, a trio of Scot’s found themselves surrounded and under siege by seven of County Durham’s finest.
Attention! The auctioneers here at DFAM absolutely assure you that despite the incredible levels listed here the gross value list below is true and correct and has been duly checked by an independent adjudicator.
Unbelievable returns, the top five all sold over £2300 and once again this exclusive list included bulls from consistent feeders based on either side of the border, fighting all the regular sellers off this week however at £2542 was a stunning 886kg Limousin from the top of Bowes Moor and R Hutchinson & Sons, Valley Farm. No need for the natives to be restless either as they too enjoyed a fine trade, the best of the indigenous breeds today came from R Hall & Son, Brotton with a Beef Shorthorn at 228ppk whilst J R Knox & Son, Heighington also enjoyed Shorthorn success reaching £1652. The relentless and reliable R Hall & Son were also in business with their Friesian bulls selling to 210ppk and £1455. Below are just some of the astonishing averages.
L S Staley, Marwood sold 2 Bulls to average 280ppk and £2100
John Burnett & Sons, Stirling sold 2 Bulls to average 279ppk and £2236
A C Simpson & Son, Witton-le-Wear sold 2 Bulls to average 277ppk and £2278
W M Knaggs & Son, Sadberge sold 3 Bulls to average 276ppk and £2039
W M Dick & Sons, Thorsk sold 5 Bulls to average 275ppk and £2218
F & J S Gargett, Barnard Castle sold 3 Bulls to average 272ppk and £2149
A G Watson & Sons, Rushyford sold 8 Bulls to average 272ppk and £1992
C Harle & Sons, Brandon sold 3 Bulls to average 267ppk and £2076
Continental Bulls – Top prices ppk 289 R Wright. 287 R Hutchinson & Sons. 285 269 AC Simpson & Sons. 283 277×3 273 269 267 253 AG Watson & Sons. 282 280 LS Staley. 281 276 274×3 WM Dick & Sons. 280 277261 F&JS Gargett. 280 276 275 W&M Knaggs & Son. 279×2 J Burnett & Sons. 277 JK&CE Farming. 269 268 266 C Harle & Sons. 261 253 C Binks & Son. 259 258 250 GH Farms.
Lead Grossing Continental Bulls £2542 R Hutchinson & Sons. £2471 £2255 £2227 £2090 £2046 WM Dick & Sons. £2388 £2168 AC Simpson & Son. £2315 J Burnett & Sons. £2312 £2080 £2055 F&JS Gargett. £2224 £2111 W&M Knaggs & Son. £2217 £1982 LS Staley. £2193 R Wright. £2122 £2053 £2052 C Harle & Sons. £2119 £2116 £2052 £2022 £2019 £1954 £1912 AG Watson & Sons. £2092 R&P McAlister. £2008 R McNee Ltd.
Friesian Bulls – Top prices ppk 210 R Hall & Son. 204 198 JR Knox & Son. 194 JE&B Morgan & sons. 190 186 D Walker. 188 178 WE&CA Anderson. 178 JA&A Herbert. 174 J Peacock. 155 HM&JS Hutchinson.
Lead Grossing Friesian Bulls £1455 R Hall & Son. £1368 £1215 JR Knox & Son. £1237 JE&B Morgan & Sons. £1162 £1071 D Walker. £1116 JA&A Herbert. £950 J Peacock. £923 £908 WE&CA Anderson. £812 HM&JS Hutchinson.
Native Breed Bulls – Top prices ppk 228 R Hall & Son. 224×2 220 218 Starfitts Farm. 205 JC&P Tallentire. 196 JR Knox & Son.
Lead Grossing Native Breed Bulls £1652 JR Knox & Son. £1539 R Hall & Son. £1436 £1411 £1410 £1408 Starfitts Farm. £1320 JC&P Tallentire.
Clean Cattle (157) – Another strong showing from the vendors met an eager ringside of buyers, a lot of heavy beasts forward with heifer trade very similar however the steers proving to be much dearer on the week, perhaps the blistering bull trade caused a knock-on effect; the end averages of heifers 255ppk and steers 242ppk were pleasing with a higher percentage of R and O grade heifers offered today. Some 56 cattle sold at 270ppk or more this week, the top spot at an impressive 315 pence went to the Coxhoe based W A Armstrong with a sweet 534kg Limousin which sold to H Taylor & Sons Butchers, Darlington. The consistent yard of R Hirst, Neasham were tugging on his coat tails in silver medal position with the Coxhoe cavalier also claiming bronze. The best gross valued heifer went by some margin up North to the Firth of Forth and new vendors W McClaren & Sons, Stacks Farm as they produced a delightful Limousin weighing 745kg and selling for £2063. Four further heifers sold beyond £1800 as two further marauding Scotsmen found themselves sandwiched between the familiar Darlington faces of J E Suddes & Son and A C Simpson & Son. Top steer this week was yet another first-time visitor from North of the border, a fast start to selling in Darlington for Perthshire’s Wilson A Peters with a truly fantastic 711kg British Blue which sold for a sublime 288 pence per kilo, the Scottish superstar was also our leading gross valued steer at a massive £2047. Other successors on this very fast steer week were numerous, the bragging rights were just about shared on this occasion with a superb battle between several sellers from the two represented nations resulting in seven steers selling over 270ppk and eight beyond £1800. Final mention this week must go the trio cows offered today, the three averaged a massive 243ppk and £1751; quite some score – traveling further for more! Well done to the reliable Renton Family, High Highlaws, Morpeth. As is customary some of the day’s top contenders are listed below.
W A Armstrong, Coxhoe sold 8 Heifers to average 288ppk and £1696
J E Suddes & Son, Cornsay Colliery sold 5 Heifers to average 280ppk and £1776
M F Hall, Ponteland sold 7 Heifers to average 279ppk and £1477
Askwiths, Crook sold 2 Steers & 3 Heifers to average 277ppk and £1780
M Robinson & Sons, Staindrop sold 1 Steer & 2 Heifers to average 277ppk and £1572
R Hirst, Neasham sold 10 Heifers to average 276ppk and £1629
Cast Cows – Top prices ppk 252 240×2 Renton Highlaws Ltd.
Lead Grossing Cast Cows £1876 £1690 £1687 Renton Highlaws Ltd.
Steers – Top prices ppk 288 Wilson A Peters. 278 257 249 227 225 218×2 A&MJ Henshaw. 275 M Robinson & Sons. 273 271 Askwiths. 272 270 264 Walter Dandie & Son. 266 244 243 227 225×2 224JA Brown. 263 248 225 RO Gilson. 252 K&J Heslop. 246 Jack Henshaw. 242 FJ Young & Partners. 239 238 JR&B Anderson & Son. 223 Starfitts Farm.
Lead Grossing Steers £2047 Wilson A Peters. £1928 £1790 £1786 £1710 £1685 £1668 £1603 JA Brown. £1892 £1836 £1811 Walter Dandie & Son. £1845 £1756 £1588 A&MJ Henshaw. £1842 £1831 Askwiths. £1776 M Robinson & Sons. £1646 RO Gilson. £1628 Jack Henshaw. £1595 K&J Heslop. £1594 £1560 JR&B Anderson & Son.
Heifers – Top prices ppk 315 302 296 288 287 WA Armstrong. 306 289×2 285 278×2 R Hirst. 301 295 294 290 279 MF Hall. 297 279 275 Walter Dandie & Son. 295 289×2 JJ Kemp & Son. 292 290 285 JE Suddes & Son. 290 289 283 282 280 275 JV&JA Hodgson. 289 285 K&J Heslop. 287 285 Askwiths. 286 AC Simpson & Son. 282 WF Hustwit. 281 276 M Robinson & Sons. 279 J Burnett & Sons. 277 W McLaren & Sons. 272 Renton Highlaws Ltd. 270 RO Gilson.
Lead Grossing Heifers £2063 W McLaren & Sons. £1850 £1786 £1780 £1749 £1714 JE Suddes & Son. £1844 J Burnett & Sons. £1821 £1760 £1707 £1675 Walter Dandie & Son. £1814 £1753 £1680 AC Simpson & Son. £1796 £1741 £1690 Askwiths. £1790 £1770 £1716 R Hirst. £1776 A&MJ Henshaw. £1771 £1738 JJ Kemp & Son. £1766 £1765 £1719×2 £1696 £1690 JV&JA Hodgson. £1749 £1685 JA Brown. £1739 £1725 £1716 £1706 WA Armstrong. £1679 K&J Heslop.
Prime Hoggs (1353) – Big isn’t always beautiful, after months of saying when you’ve stopped weighing you’ve stopped paying, we must now retract that statement as the heavy hoggs are unfortunately harder to move. Our weighed 100% straight average today was 241ppk with an SQQ of 253ppk for a show which certainly included a whole kaleidoscope of different breeds. Top price per kilo went to consistent sellers W A Wardman, Thrushwood Farm with a pair of beautiful Beltex reaching 309 pence with Selby’s Tim Duckitt and Knitsley’s Colin Whitfield in hot pursuit. Topping the gross values this week was a fabulous pen of 54kg Beltex hoggs from M & C L R Dale, Skirpenbeck which sold for £140 to Roots Farm Shop, East Rounton, the terrific pen of five from the Skirpenbeck sorcerer narrowly edged out a tremendous Texel from W B Mitchell & Sons, Morpeth at £139.50. Mule hoggs sold three times to £110 whilst Blackies reached £107 and Swaledale’s £92.
Hoggs – Top prices ppk 309 298 297 289 280 276 WA Wardman Ltd. 303 T Duckitt. 302 285 CS&V Whitfield. 298 287 279 MW Barker & Son. 297 289 269 SA Braithwaite. 296 294 279 272 270 WB Mitchell & Sons. 296 TW&PT Moss Ltd. 293 281 274 267 TH Richardson & Son. 290 282 268 CK&D Muir Ltd. 289 267 JD Brannen. 286 W Kirk & Sons. 275 271 WE Frank & Son. 273 267 PJ Tindale. 271 W Robson. 268 266 R Errington & Son. 267 JK&CE Farming. 265 M&CLR Dale.
Lead Grossing Hoggs £140 £136.50 £134 £131 £130 £127.501 £123 £120 M&CLR Dale. £139.50 £129.50 £125.50 £122 £120.50 £120×2 WB Mitchell & Sons. £137.50 £130 WA Wardman Ltd. £137.50 £133.50 £124.50 TW&PT Moss Ltd. £137.50 £134.50 £130 £127 £123.50 Wytherstone Farm. £135.50 £120 PR&V Barlow & Son. £135 £129 £124 £120 TH Richardson & Son. £134.50 JR Knox & Son. £133.50 £129 T Duckitt. £130 WL Robinson & Partners. £129 £128.50 S Bisby. £128.50×2 MW Barker & Son.
Cast Sheep (282) – Ewetopia, a massive sale average of £111 for the ewes and the tups average a staggering £129. A sensational Texel from Nottinghamshire’s P R & V Barlow & Son set the bar to its highest level so far in 2022 when she sold for £220, top tup checked in at £165 for a British Rouge shown by I E & A Teasdale, Pockley whilst Mules peaked at £127 and fleshy horned ewes sold time and again £70 to £80.
Lead Grossing Cast Sheep £220 £120×2 PR&V Barlow & Son. £200 £158 CS&V Whitfield. £165 £150 £140 £138 £126 IE&A Teasdale. £156 £120 Anna Herbert. £150 £144 R Lawson & Son. £144 L Brown & Partner. £143 £135 £121 £113 TW&PT Moss Ltd. £140 AS&G Donaldson. £140×2 £128 WB Mitchell & Sons. £140×3 £134 PR Weaver. £132 £125 BR&R Routledge. £130 J Woodward & Sons. £128 W Kirk & Sons. £128 £127 A Swinbank & Son.
Prime Pigs (8) – It is fair to assume that it is most unlikely to be a pig farmer who meets the £3 Billion asking price Mr Roman Abramovic has placed on his beloved Chelsea FC; on this week’s trade if Roman would consider a trade deal, he would need 3,986,181 pigs as a straight swap. Whilst this seems ridiculous his newly found pork herd would surely depreciate far slower than his Russian investments have done this week.
Pigs – Top prices ppk 90×3 J Mitchell & Son.
Lead Grossing Pigs £77 £75 £72 J Mitchell & Son.
