Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their weekly sale of Prime Stock on Thursday 4th November 2021. Forward were 328 Cattle and 2705 Sheep.
131 Prime Bulls sold to 267ppk or £2004
64 Prime Steers sold to 270ppk or £1854
130 Prime Heifers sold to 321ppk or £1924
3 Cast Cows sold to 131ppk or £932
2280 Prime Lambs sold to 333ppk or £166.50
425 Cast Ewes & Rams sold to £144
Prime Bulls (131) – Even with the do-gooders, tree huggers and disillusioned vegans assembling themselves to dismantle beef farming at COP26 this week both the supply and the demand in the live ring remains high. Increased numbers with a very nice show in attendance, a similar trade in real terms but with the better depth and quality the sale average climbed sixpence to 228 pence per kilo. Bulls vendors today from all corners, a whistle stop tour of them could begin in Aberdeenshire calling at Stirling and St Boswells before heading down through Northumberland, Durham and Yorkshire; a quick step East to the Whitby coastline then heading West to both Cumbria and Lancashire; from the Red Rose County head South to Leicestershire before ending this remarkable trip in Kings Lynn, Norfolk. M & G Chantrell Ltd of Flash Farm, Leicestershire are on top form lately and continued their success this week with a handy weight Limousin bull selling for 267 pence per kilo, behind him came a brilliant British Blonde from regular Cumbrian chargers P J & E S Rogerson followed by a perfectly fed Limousin from the ultra-consistent A G Watson & Sons, Rushyford. Last time I visited Blair Drummond in Stirlingshire some 35 years ago it was Lion’s and Monkey’s catching my attention, I totally missed the good cattle yard of John Burnett & Sons, Upper Spittalton; the Burnett’s today on their maiden visit to DFAM scooped them the top gross value with a brilliant Limousin bull selling for £2004. Nothing is more consistent than the Hall’s of Kilton Hall and their Friesian feeding, they again led the way this week whilst more Hereford heroics from J A & M Boyes, Cleatlam placed them on top of the native breed podium. As is customary below we list some of the leading players in the bull ring below.
Renton Highlaws, Morpeth sold 4 Bulls to average 249ppk and £1772
P J & E S Rogerson, Cumbria sold 4 Bulls to average 249ppk and £1626
L S Staley, Marwood sold 2 Bulls to average 248ppk and £1768
M & G Chantrell Ltd, Leicestershire sold 8 Bulls to average 247ppk and £1365
J Burnett & Sons, Stirlingshire sold 4 Bulls to average 245ppk and £1901
Oakwood Farms, Norfolk sold 8 Bulls to average 244ppk and £1643
Continental Bulls – Top prices ppk 267 258 247 246 245 241 240 237 M&G Chantrell Ltd. 261 251 246 PJ&ES Rogerson. 260 255 AG Watson & Sons. 256 251 250 246 Renton Highlaws Ltd. 255 252 249 John Burnett & Sons. 253 J&A Moralee. 251 A&D Proctor. 250 WJ&AS Bowes & Sons. 249 247 TW Clark & Son. 249 248 LS Staley. 248 247 246 245 244 Oakwood Farms. 246 W&M Knaggs & Son. 245 D Richardson & Co Ltd. 245 PM Bradley & Bros. 245 JJ Kemp & Son.
Lead Grossing Continental Bulls 2004 £1967 £1824 £1810 John Burnett & Sons. £1960 £1872 Renton Highlaws Ltd. £1917 £1882 £1815 AG Watson & Sons. £1915 £1906 £1810×2 Oakwood Farms. £1904 £1849 TW Clark & Son. £1897 £1786 £1780 D Richardson & Co Ltd. £1875 K&A Harker. £1868 £1849 £1832 £1819 JJ Kemp & Son. £1857 WJ&AS Bowes & Sons. £1849 W&M Knaggs & Son. £1839 £1798 TD Wight & Sons. £1825 J&A Moralee. £1785 LS Staley.
Friesian Bulls – Top prices ppk 205 191 R Hall & Son. 174 171 168 158×2 157 144 JM Stuart & Son. 171 165 GW Dobson & Son.
Lead Grossing Friesian Bulls £1271 £1182 R Hall & Son. £1230 £1068 GW Dobson & Son. £1020 £1017 £986 £945 £911 £898 £828 JM Stuart & Son.
Native Breed Bulls – Top prices ppk 229×2 JA&M Boyes Ltd. 209 194 193 187 JA&A Herbert. 185 JM Stuart & Son.
Lead Grossing Native Breed Bulls £1763 £1706 JA&M Boyes Ltd. £1317 JM Stuart & Son. £1258 £1059 £1024 £1011 JA&A Herbert.
Prime Clean Cattle (194) – A big show of numbers, trade marginally easier as has proved to be the case across the country this week however the patient finishers with thick meat proved again to be by far the most successful. As with the bulls the UK A to Z is needed to round up the vendors, Border Reivers again joined us along with quality cattle all the way from the reflection of Rescobie Loch, Angus, down through the Northern English counties as far South today as Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire. A dozen delightful heifers today sold at 300 pence or more; one apiece for Brian Walker of Dalton-on-Tees, W M Flemming, Kelso and Gordon A Mackie, Angus were joined by a quality quartet from Frank Page of Northamptonshire however nobody this week could catch a magical run from our doorstep and the exceptional feeding of J V & J A Hodgson, Summerhouse who showed 5 beyond 300 pence and the sale leader a fabulous 556kg Limousin which sold to H Taylor & Sons Butchers, Darlington for 321ppk. The top grossing heifer and also our leading steer today are another page out of the Frank Page book as the quality home bred Northants consignment led the heifers at £1924 and sold a superb British Blue crossed steer to 270 pence and £1854. Five heifers this week sold over £1800, three from Frank Page were joined by the another hottie from the Hodgson’s and a brutish British Blonde from J E Suddes & Son, Cornsay. Flying the local flag and keeping the travelling steers on their A game were the formidable Barker Farming Partnership along with J L Marks, Bishopton and the Morpeth based Renton family of High Highlaws. Below are some of the week’s high flyers.
B Walker, Dalton-on-Tees sold 3 Heifers to average 290ppk and £1707
W M Fleming, Kelso sold 5 Heifers to average 288ppk and £1679
J V & J A Hodgson, Summerhouse sold 10 Heifers to average 288ppk and £1590
P & J H Davison, Morley sold 5 Heifers to average 280ppk and £1508
A Geary, Milton Keynes sold 2 Heifers to average 278ppk and £1356
P J & M P Gilhespy, Ponteland sold 5 Heifers, 1 Steer to average 275ppk and £1516
Steers – Top prices ppk 270 268 259 257 254 251 250 249 247 245 239 Frank Page. 268 264 258 JL Marks. 264 PJ&MP Gilhespy. 258 247 Renton Highlaws Ltd. 258 232 M&G Chantrell Ltd. 254 250 242 WA Armstrong. 249 236 GW&L Marsay. 247 242 241 239 235 Robert Neil & Partners. 246 G Beadle. 244 Gordon A Mackie. 240 JR&B Anderson & Son. 235 231 A Crowder.
Lead Grossing Steers £1854 £1726 £1725 £1682 £1678 £1625 £1613 £1600 £1589 Frank Page. £1741 £1576 Renton Highlaws Ltd. £1739 Barker Farming Partnership. £1647 Gordon A Mackie. £1645 £1590 WA Armstrong. £1622 £1599 £1582 £1506 Robert Neil & Partners. £1584 JL Marks. £1566 WR Thompson. £1527 A Crowder. £1507 JR&B Anderson & Son. £1502 PJ&MP Gilhespy.
Heifers – Top prices ppk 321 315 310 309 307 290 281 JV&JA Hodgson. 317 314 311 304 295×2 Frank Page. 307 293 288 287 WM Fleming. 306 294 B Walker. 300 288 Gordon A Mackie. 297 283 P&JH Davison. 297 292 PJ&MP Gilhespy. 296 Robert Neil & Partners. 296 WF Hustwit. 292 291 282×2 M&G Chantrell Ltd. 289 A Geary. 289 287 281 J Layfield. 287 283 281 R Hirst. 285 Renton Highlaws Ltd. 283 JF Gibson & Son.
Lead Grossing Heifers £1924 £1844 £1817 £1787 £1702 Frank Page. £1851 £1784 £1682 £1674 £1671 JV&JA Hodgson. £1837 £1717 £1677 JE Suddes & Son. £1770 Robert Neil & Partners. £1755 £1728 B Walker. £1751 £1746 £1689 £1638 Gordon A Mackie. £1737 £1729 Barker Farming Partnership. £1714 £1700 £1699 £1687 WM Fleming. £1698 WA Armstrong. £1678 PJ&MP Gilhespy. £1669 £1657 WF Hustwit. £1661 £1659 Renton Highlaws Ltd. £1655 JH&M&NW Brown.
Prime Lambs (2280) – Up goes the sheep balloon once again, incredible to think that the 1st week in November we average a biblical £119.49, that equates back to a weighed straight 264 pence per kilo average, unreal. Pick of the lambs this week was an outstanding 53kg Beltex from Emma Moorcock of Ketton which sold for £166.50 and will be a delight to see hanging next week in the farm shop at Roots, East Rounton. Just ten bob behind the leader was another superb heavyweight Beltex, this one from Messrs Askwith of Crook managed to prevent a one, two, three for the majestic Moorcock run. Topping the pence per kilo this week were half a dozen crackers from W Ramsay & Sons, Blakely Hill weighing 40kg and selling for 333 pence £133.50. Whilst we appreciate feed is not cheap and the super-sized 62kg Suffolk pet lambs from K M Boanas, Mickleby have had more than their share they are certainly deserving of mention, it’s not every day we see pet lambs sell for £147.50.
Lambs – Top prices ppk 333 328 293 W Ramsay & Sons. 328 315 312 Askwiths. 327 M&A Gaskin. 325 Scarlett Davies. 325 295 JD Brannen. 319 305 W&M Knaggs & Son. 316×2 312 303 AS&G Donaldson. 314 Emma Moorcock. 305 298 D&M Lowes. 304 I Curry. 301 JA&A Herbert. 300 JM&M&C Wise. 300 RO Gilson. 296 R Valks. 295 MF Hall. 295 JJ Horn. 294 CK&D Muir Ltd. 293W Denham. 292 C Moralee & Sons. 292 HT Davies & Partners. 291 J&A Layfield.
Lead Grossing Lambs £166.50 £160 £157.50 £152 Emma Moorcock. £166 £153 £148 Askwiths. £154 M&A Gaskin. £152 £149×2 J&A Layfield. £150.50 JJ Horn. £150 W&M Knaggs & Son. £150 Emma Watson. £149.50 Scarlett Davies. £148.50 AS&G Donaldson. £148 £147 £141 RO Gilson. £147.50 £160 K Robson. £147.50 D&PH Brown. £147.50 KM Boanas. £145.50 J Pallister & Sons. £145 JD Brannen. £144.50W Ramsay & Sons. £144.50 JK&CE Farming. £144 JC&A Hutchinson.
Cast Ewes & Rams (425) – Following their junior’s the ewes also took a noticeable lift, scores of ewes in the £100 plus club this week including for the first time in a while several pens of Mule’s. Top of the sale was a cracking continental from W & M Knaggs, East Newbiggin which sold for £144.
Lead Grossing Cast Sheep £144 £130 W&M Knaggs & Son. £138 P Cockburn. £138 £135 £112 £111 J&D Gibson. £132 P Turnbull. £132 £123 G Williamson. £130 Scarlett Davies. £128 W.K M.M Lamb. £128 JA&A Herbert. £123 £112 CK&D Muir Ltd. £122 C&E Gaskin. £122 £120 PM Thompson. £120 G Thompson & Sons. £118 WR Wilson & Partners. £115 HT Davies & Partners. £114 IM Maughan. £114 MC&M Sparke. £112 K Robson. £111 M&A Gaskin.
Pigs (0) – Sorry pig fans, even knowing that a bacon sandwich has a lower carbon footprint than a croissant couldn’t produce any swine today.
