Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their weekly sale of Prime Stock on Thursday 2nd December 2021. Forward were 219 Cattle and 1794 Sheep.
81 Prime Bulls sold to 280ppk or £2286
22 Prime Steers sold to 299ppk or £2019
115 Prime Heifers sold to 329ppk or £1987
1 Cast Cow sold for 160ppk and £1452
1454 Prime Lambs sold to
340 Cast Ewes & Rams sold to £172
Prime Bulls (81) – Not even the effects of storm Arwen it seems can dampen the hysteria surrounding the DFAM bull trade at the moment, another excellent day with a scrumptious sale average of 244 pence per kilo, the best bulls again much sought after and the plainer types remarkably dearer once again. After the Limousin’s led the troops over the top at last week’s festive offering it was again the popular breed which dominated proceedings today, top of all sections as a remarkable 19 of the top 20 bulls today were sired by the Limousin. Seven bulls sold over 270 pence per kilo however just the one reached 280ppk which was a showstopper from J C Johnson, Beanley Carr Farm, Trimdon; just a penny behind him came two of our regular pace setters T W Clark & Son, Durham and A G Watson & Sons, Rushyford. A magnificent 16 bulls today joined the ever growing £2000 plus club, of these 5 were in the £2100’s and our top 3 sold over £2200; the aforementioned Beanly Carr bull sat in the bronze medal position behind two sensational heavyweights from A C Simpson & Son, McNeil Farm, Witton-le-Wear, the pick of these pure Limousin’s at 900kg returned a gross value of a whopping £2286. J A & M Boyes Ltd of Cleatlam made a return to the top of the native breeds this week as they sold impressive Hereford’s to 238ppk and £1862 whilst the ever-dependable R Hall & Son, Brotton again led the black and white trade topping at 220ppk and £1399.
J C Johnson, Trimdon sold 2 Bulls to average 272ppk and £2109
A C Simpson & Son, Witton-le-Wear sold 3 Bulls to average 260ppk and £2169
A G Watson & Sons, Rushyford sold 9 Bulls to average 259ppk and £1977
D Richardson & Co, Melsonby sold 5 Bulls to average 257ppk and £2015
J H & M & N W Brown, Darlington sold 5 Bulls to average 257ppk and £1940
T W Clark & Son, Durham sold 10 Bulls to average 257ppk and £1878
Continental Bulls – Top prices ppk 280 264 JC Johnson. 279 273 271 270 266 250×2 AG Watson & Sons. 279 268 263 258 254 253 TW Clark & Son. 270 258 254 AC Simpson & Son. 268 255 JA&M Boyes Ltd. 266 264 255 PJ&ES Rogerson. 265×2 250 LR Welsh & Co. 264 261 251 D Richardson & Co Ltd. 263 260×2 258 JH&M&NW Brown. 260 LS Staley. 258 J&K Woodward. 257 249×2 Cheesbrough & Son. 252 250 JR Knox & Son. 249 JE&B Morgan & Sons.
Lead Grossing Continental Bulls £2286 £2218 £2003 AC Simpson & Son. £2206 £2011 JC Johnson. £2161 £2090 £2047 £1891 £1887 D Richardson & Co Ltd. £2151 £2143 £2139 £2077 £1930 £1886 £1880 £1847 AG Watson & Sons. £2122 £2009 £1978 £1839 JH&M&NW Brown. £2087 £2039 £1991 £1922 £1919 £1869 TW Clark & Son. £1913 JA&M Boyes Ltd. £1877 LR Welsh & Co. £1818 J&K Woodward. £1812 JE&B Morgan & Sons. £1807 TN Hodgson & Sons.
Friesian Bulls – Top prices ppk 220 215 210 R Hall & Son. 192×2 N Howard. 190 JA&A Herbert. 180 176 157 144 D Walker.
Lead Grossing Friesian Bulls £1399 £1376 £1249 R Hall & Son. £1090 £952 N Howard. £1073 £937 £931 £856 D Walker.
Native Breed Bulls – Top prices ppk 238 236 234 JA&M Boyes Ltd. 219 TN Hodgson & Sons. 219 JA&A Herbert. 230 N&A Hunter.
Lead Grossing Native Breed Bulls £1862 £1737 £1663 JA&M Boyes Ltd. £1573 N&A Hunter. £1397 TN Hodgson & Sons. £1261 JA&A Herbert.
Prime Clean Cattle (137) – Once again the insatiable appetite for clean beef was clear for all to see, all classes this week were an absolute pleasure to sell from start to finish; a show containing a few ugly sisters as well as the Cinderella’s saw the heifers today average a superb 278ppk with their male counterparts a very healthy 261ppk. Strong competition from all corners, back came the Border Reivers this week, perhaps with their strongest army we have seen gathered to date, fierce resistance was also down from the south side of the Anglo-Scottish Border and a solid defence was naturally assembled by the Darlington natives, a breath-taking battle ensued to gain the top spot. Dozens sold beyond 300 pence, credit to all concerned however today’s exclusive club must focus on our six successful vendors who sold (between them) eight heifers in the 320’s. Exceptional local producers J V & J A Hodgson, B Walker, K & J Heslop and Joshua Knaggs were joined by super heifers as always from the Morpeth based Renton family, the top slot however headed back North to Roxburghshire with W M Fleming of Moss Tower representing Proud Edwards Army with a beautiful 554kg Limousin heifer which sold for 329 pence per kilo. After last week’s successful Christmas show it was another good result today for Jim and Heather Marks of Bishopton as they secured the top priced steer per kilo at 299 pence per kilo.
Moving on to the gross values and some astonishing returns were plain to see, top priced steer at £2019 came from regular seller W Swinbank & Sons, Caldwell who was chased hard by B Walker, Dalton-on-Tees and a superbly finished run from Jedburgh’s Robert Neill & Partners who brilliantly claimed 4 of the top 6 steer prices. A staggering 24 heifers sold over £1800 this week, three specials amongst these sold over £1900; again, the Jedburgh based feeders featured in a medal position however it was two top firms from Morpeth who were ultimately left contesting the highest spot on our podium. A classy 723kg Limousin from the reliable Renton’s of High Highlaws sold for £1966 however an absolute superstar from J E Jordon & Son, The Brocks led the day’s trade when the lovely 676kg Limousin sold for £1987. Below as is customary are some of the top averages on the day.
J, W & M Knaggs, Sadberge sold 3 Heifers to average 312ppk and £1816
J L Marks, Bishopton sold 1 Steer & 3 Heifers to average 304ppk and £1675
J Layfield, Willington sold 8 Heifers to average 303ppk and £1627
Renton Highlaws, Morpeth sold 7 Heifers to average 298ppk and £1827
W M Fleming, Kelso sold 8 Heifers to average 298ppk and £1785
J V & J A Hodgson, Summerhouse sold 10 Heifers to average 298ppk and £1742
J E Suddes & Son, Cornsay sold 5 Heifers to average 298ppk and £1662
R Hirst, Neasham sold 9 Heifers to average 296ppk and £1740
Steers – Top prices ppk 299 JL Marks. 282 250×2 WR Thompson. 279 277 260 258 230 MI Wainwright. 277 251 244 W swinbank & Sons. 274 272 268 265 262 259 250 Robert Neill & Partners. 260 Askwiths. 260 B Walker.
Lead Grossing Steers £2019 £1759 £1734 W Swinbank & Sons. £1854 £1841 £1779 £1778 ££1747 £1733 £1732 £1660 Robert Neill & Partners. £1853 B Walker. £1754 £1725 £1692 £1669 £1667 MI Wainwright. £1695 £1692 £1660 WR Thompson. £1651 Askwiths. £1665 JL Marks.
Heifers – Top prices ppk 329 316 312 302 WM Fleming. 328 320 315 302 298 Renton Highlaws Ltd. 326 324 311 308 306 301 JV&JA Hodgson. 326 Joshua Knaggs. 321 B Walker. 320 302 K&J Heslop. 317 309 306 303×2 300 J Layfield. 314 Askwiths. 313 308 JL Marks. 312 310 301 300 298 R Hirst. 311 303 W&M Knaggs & Son. 311 310 307 JE Suddes & Son. 300 MI Wainwright. 299 Askwiths. 298 JL Marks.
Lead Grossing Heifers £1987 JE Jordon & Son. £1966 £1853 £1836 £1824 £1794 £1782 Renton Highlaws Ltd. £1938 £1865 Robert Neill & Partners. £1893 £1865 £1864 £1822 WM Fleming. £1893 J Layfield. £1887 Joshua Knaggs. £1869 £1801 £1784 K&J Heslop. £1863 £1818 £1814 R Hirst. £1848 £1812 £1793 AC Simpson & Son. £1845 £1814 £1779 JV&JA Hodgson. £1818 Askwiths. £1813 F&JS Gargett. £1799 J&JH Musgrave. £1761 W&M Knaggs & Son. £1787 B Walker.
Cast Cows – Top prices ppk 160 AC Simpson & Son.
Lead Grossing Cast Cows £1452 AC Simpson & Son.
Prime Lambs (1454) – The unprecedented prices continue, the lamb trade in normal terms could be described as electric, this however is perhaps not the right choice of words given the debacle surrounding the power supplies in the region this week. The snow showers this morning certainly kept a few away however those who braved the elements were very well rewarded as the weighed straight all in sale average returned at a massive 281 pence per kilo and more importantly £127.92 per head, roll on next week’s show lambs. Heaps of lambs are now selling above 300 pence per kilo, top slot today at 326 pence went to a perfect pair of 45kg Texel’s from T H Richardson & Son, Hamsterley. Leading gross value today was a two way share at an impressive £174; ‘first blood’ went to J C Simpson of Caldwell with half a dozen weighing 57kg, that price was matched by a pair of monsters from A Ross of Quarrinton Hill, just the 73kg apiece over the weigh.
Lambs – Top prices ppk 326 314 312 299 TH Riichardson & Son. 322 301 M&A Gaskin. 321 311 305 JC Simpson. 320 316 J&D Gibson. 319 302 A Ross. 317 JD Brannen. 314 309 303 302 CK&D Muir Ltd. 314 299 JK&CE Farming. 312 302×3 T Lawson & Son. 312 308 302 LD Laws. 311 308×2 307 304 298 G Thompson & Sons. 311 306 Richard Bailes. 308 AWSM Farms. 307 301 C Dawson. 306 D&PH Brown. 303 T Duckitt. 303 MJ Blacklidge. 302 R Wood & Son. 302 TH Dowson.
Lead Grossing Lambs £174 £167 £159 £156 JC Simpson. £174 £163.50 £156.50 £150 A Ross. £171 £167 £161 £156.50 £150 £147 £146.50 J&A Layfield. £170 3169 £153 D&PH Brown. £169 £155.50 £151 £147×2 TH Richardson & Son. £160 RO Gilson. £159 R Wood & Son. £155 M&A Gaskin. £153.50 £150.50 £147.50×3 £146.50 C Dawson. £151 £148.50 £146.50 JK&CE Farming. £148.50 T Duckitt. £148 £147.50 £146 G Thompson & Sons. £148 LD Laws. £147.50 J&D Gibson. £146.50 RO Gilson.
Cast Sheep (340) – The ewe vendors opened the advent calendar door today and were surely delighted with the prize they found. A better show of quality was presented and a gigantic sale average of £108 the pleasing result, all shapes and sizes seemingly now on the rise. Top of the sale were a pair of hefty Texel tup from W Robson, High West House, Tow Law at £172 whilst the leading ewes were superb Suffolk’s from Richard Bailes, Cole Hill Farm, Elwick at £162. Mule ewes this week peaked at £130 with horned ewes at best £82.
Lead Grossing Cast Sheep £172 £140 £132×2 £110 W Robson. £162 Richard Bailes. £152 £132 £130 JC Simpson. £150 A Graham. £148 £126 Allison Devereux. £148 W.K M.M Lamb. £146×2 £130 A Pennell. £140×5 £136 £134 £132 PJ&MP Gilhespy. £136 £128 WR Thompson. £134 £132 J&D Gibson. £130 £124 DM McClurg. £130 TH Dowson. £128 A&PA Jopling. £128 G Thompson & Sons. £128 SM Donaldson.
