Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their weekly sale of Prime Stock on Thursday 11th November 2021. Forward were 196 Cattle, 3288 Sheep and 8 Pigs.
66 Prime Bulls sold to 270ppk or £2195
27 Prime Steers sold to 307ppk or £1817
103 Prime Heifers sold to 328ppk or £1998
8 Cast Bulls & Cows sold to 194ppk or £1958
2828 Prime Lambs sold to 323ppk or £165
460 Cast Ewes & Rams sold to £192
8 Prime Pigs & Sows sold to 110ppk or £82
Prime Bulls (66) – Less bulls forward and a much faster trade as a result, over a quarter of the bulls this week sold beyond 250 pence per kilo as the sale averaged a tremendous 227 pence per kilo. A sublime run of cattle made the pilgrimage across from Carlisle today and the wonderful yard of T N & J Hall, Ainstable Hall and deservedly topped the bull prices per kilo. The brilliant run of bulls from the ‘Great Border City’ claimed 4 of the top 5 prices per kilo with only the consistent feeders A G Watson & Sons, Rushyford spoiling the Hall’s podium domination. Four members this week joined the £2000 plus club, a Limousin from the aforementioned Ainstable pen was joined by a brilliant British Blue from D Richardson & Co, Melmerby, a colossal Charolais from Malton based M & J Hayhurst however this week it seemed that Blonde’s do have more fun, a superstar from P Weightman & Sons, Hallfield Farm over £100 in front of the field selling for a wonderful £2195. The Hereford bulls from J A & M Boyes of Cleatlam again featured in our leading native breed bulls as they topped at £1796, it was however the Aberdeen Angus which led the pence per kilo as Messrs Cheesbrough & Son of Ryton sold a well finished bull for 239 pence per kilo. Good reasons to feed Friesians again this week, the Cheesbrough’s of Ryton again in business with a heavyweight selling for £1427 whilst the remarkable ability to finish the black and whites to perfection once again saw R Hall & Son, Kilton Hall at the top end of the leader board. Below are listed some of those who can feel bullish today.
T N & J Hall, Carlisle sold 5 Bulls to average 262ppk and £1822
L S Staley, Marwood sold 2 Bulls to average 248ppk and £1942
W & M Knaggs, Sadberge sold 2 Bulls to average 247ppk and £1527
A G Watson & Sons, Rushyford sold 8 Bulls to average 244ppk and £1850
T W Clark & Son, Durham sold 8 Bulls to average 238ppk and £1833
J H & M & N W Brown, Darlington sold 3 Bulls to average 238ppk and £1783
D Richardson & Co, Melmerby sold 5 Bulls to average 237ppk and £1870
Continental Bulls – Top prices ppk 270 264 263×2 253 TN&J Hall. 269 258 252 250 239 238 AG Watson & Sons. 259 254 Cheesbrough & Son Ltd. 255 243 LS Staley. 254 245 234 D Richardson & Co Ltd. 252 242 W&M Knaggs & Son. 251 248 246 238 TW Clark & Son. 250 Oakwood Farms. 250 P Weightman & Sons. 248×2 M&J Cheesbrough & Sons. 246 234 JA&M Boyes Ltd. 241 240 JH&M&NW Brown. 232×2 JR Knox & Son.
Lead Grossing Continental Bulls £2195 P Weightman & Sons. £2087 M&J Hayhurst. £2006 £1949 £1824 £1820 £1751 D Richardson & Co Ltd. £2001 £1874 £1782 £1730 TN&J Hall. £1953 £1931 LS Staley. £1944 £1932 £1877 £1857 £1855 £1830 £1815 AG Watson & Sons. £1900 £1867 £1844 £1832£1817 £1811 £1807 £1787 TW Clark & Son. £1872 £1754 JH&M&NW Brown. £1751 W&M Knaggs & Son. £1735 Cheesbrough & Son. £1683 £1634 M&J Cheesbrough & Sons.
Friesian Bulls – Top prices ppk 194 188 R Hall & Son. 187 175 165 160 J&JH Musgrave. 185 M&J Cheesbrough & Sons. 180 Cheesbrough & Son Ltd. 159 JM&S Walton. 147 R Carter & Son.
Lead Grossing Friesian Bulls £1427 Cheesbrough & Son Ltd. £1356 M&J Cheesbrough & Sons. £1195 £1173 R Hall & Son. £1142 £1022 £993 £832 J&JH Musgrave. £1001 J&JH Musgrave. £977 R Carter & Son.
Native Breed Bulls – Top prices ppk 239 Cheesbrough & Son Ltd. 228 218 JA&M Boyes Ltd. 218 GS Dowson. 197 193 N Howard. 189 R Hall & Son.
Lead Grossing Native Breed Bulls £1796 £1652 JA&M Boyes Ltd. £1522 Cheesbrough & Son Ltd. £1357 R Hall & Son. £1277 GS Dowson. £1034 £1012 N Howard.
Cast Cattle – Top prices ppk 194 Renton Highlaws Ltd. 170 159 154 151 150 140 130 M&G Chantrell Ltd.
Lead Grossing Cast Cattle £1958 £1356 £1272 £1140 £1116 £1045 £835 M&G Chantrell Ltd. £1815 Renton Highlaws Ltd.
Prime Clean Cattle (130) – A wonderful trade this week, credit to the vendors who produced a great show of quality, the steers this week averaged 253ppk with the heifers levelling at a magical 282ppk. Some 34 cattle sold for 300 pence or more with 19 of those beyond 310ppk and 7 of those sold in the 320’s. Jim and Heather Marks of Gilly Flatts, Bishopton should certainly remember, remember the 11th of November as they topped both the steers and heifers per kilo with their home bred superstars; topping the heifers at 328 pence was a sweet 500kg Limousin whilst her male counterpart of similar breeding weighed in at 592kg and sold for 307ppk. The Gilly Flatts steer proved to be the top gross valued bullock at £1817 despite strong competition from P R & V Barlow of Nottinghamshire and the ‘in form’ Leicestershire consignors M & G Chantrell Ltd. T N & J Hall of Carlisle joined the Marks and continued their successful day as the Carlisle firm turned out 3 of the 7 heifers in the 320 club, the remaining 3 were one apiece for B Walker of Dalton-on-Tees, J Layfield, Willington and Alan Barnett, Shap. In what was fast turning in to a top class day for our Cumbrian raiders it was another absolutely sensational beast from the Shap man which turned heads and topped the gross value’s, a picture perfect 666kg Limousin heifer adding up to a superb £1998. In all the kafuffle somehow the outstanding runs from the ultra-consistent J V & J A Hodgson and the high quality from High Highlaws have thus far escaped mention, needless to say they both snapped at the heels of the leaders and feature below on the weekly wall of fame.
T N & J Hall, Carlisle sold 8 Heifers to average 309ppk and £1740
A Barnett, Shap sold 3 Heifers to average 307ppk and £1741
J V & J A Hodgson sold 12 Heifers to average 304ppk and £1733
J L Marks, Bishopton sold 2 Steers & 1 Heifer to average 298ppk and £1729
B Walker, Dalton-on-Tees sold 2 Heifers to average 298ppk and £1703
J Layfield, Willington sold 7 Heifers to average 291ppk and £1597
J R & B Anderson & Son, Manfield sold 3 Heifers to average 290ppk and £1721
R Hirst, Neasham sold 15 Heifers to average 289ppk and £1657
P J & E S Rogerson, Appleby sold 4 Heifers to average 289ppk and £1630
Renton Highlaws, Morpeth sold 8 Heifers to average 287ppk and £1731
Steers – Top prices ppk 307 269 JL Marks. 283 278 277 274 272 270×2 265×2 263260 M&G Chantrell Ltd. 277 JR&B Anderson. 277 269 264 257 253 PR&V Barlow & Son. 229 200 GS Dowson. 220 219 210 G Bird & Sons. 219 M Ord & Sons. 213 190 G Rogerson & Son.
Lead Grossing Steers £1817 £1729 JL Marks. £1750 £1646 £1614 £1575 £1505 PR&V Barlow & Son. £1684 £1656 £1649 £1611 £1600 £1592 £1574 £1557 £1533 M&G Chantrell Ltd. £1609 JR&B Anderson & Son. £1559 £1509 G Bird & Sons. £1309 GS Dowson.
Heifers – Top prices ppk 328 JL Marks. 324 322×2 317 316 306 TN&J Hall. 324 B Walker. 322 303 300 A Barnett. 320 315 J Layfield. 318×2 316 315 312 306×2 305 303 JV&JA Hodgson. 316 307 300 Renton Highlaws Ltd. 315 298×2 J Layfield. 310 TW Clark & Son. 310 306 305 303 302 298×2 296 R Hirst. 302 JR&B Anderson & Son. 299×2 M&G Chantrell Ltd. 298 294 PJ&ES Rogerson. 292 EW Grieves.
Lead Grossing Heifers £1998 £1696 A Barnett. £1946 £1875 £1851 £1812 £1783 £1744 JV&JA Hodgson. £1892 £1832 £1802 £1746 £1740 £1703 TN&J Hall. £1859 £1846 £1800 £1738 £1734 £1725 Renton Highlaws Ltd. £1856 B Walker. £1805 £1749 JR&B Anderson. £1788 PJ&ES Rogerson. £1758 £1757 £1719 £1704 R Hirst. £1751 WF Hustwit. £1725 £1721 J Layfield. £1715 K&J Heslop.
Lambs – Top prices ppk 323 314 304 294 Askwiths. 313 311 297 294 M&A Gaskin. 310×2 302 288 AS&G Donaldson. 304 299 296 293 LD Laws. 301 293 288 PJ&MP Gilhespy. 301 288 JV&JA Hodgson. 300 297 293 292 CS&V Whitfield. 300 291 W&C Iceton. 300×3 294 288 Northfield Farms. 294 287 Anthony Tindale. 293 W.K M.M Lamb. 292 AWSM Farms. 290 Cole Hill Farm Ltd. 289 A&EJ Dobinson. 287 MF Hall. 287 S Fawell. 287 W Denham. 286 JC Thwaite & Son.
Prime Lambs (2828) – Aptly, during the week which we mark the passing of the last honest man to set foot in Parliament the sheep trade has more than obliged with a wonderful firework display of it’s own. A rocket behind the averages took them to a marvellous 266 pence per kilo. An impressive average made all the more so by the knowledge that we always treat our weighbridge like our fireworks, we never play with either. A close battle for top price per kilo this week between three vendors as the Gaskin’s of Eggleston and Donaldson’s of Little Langton were just beaten to the gold medal in the end by a quartet of superb Beltex lambs from the Askwith’s of Crook. Top price per head this week was a machine of a Beltex lamb from the Dent Family of Northfield Farms weighing 56kg and selling for £165, close behind came four heavyweight Charollais from J M & S Walton at £161 and a brilliant pair of Texel’s from L D Laws selling for £160. By no means this week was the show of lambs our best with plenty of hill bred lambs included not to mention pet lambs, which are of course parasites and not a farmer in the land has ever thought otherwise, A C Simpson & Son, McNeil Farm however might forgive them somewhat today as they peaked at a remarkable £150.
Lambs – Top prices ppk 323 314 304 294 Askwiths. 313 311 297 294 M&A Gaskin. 310×2 302 288 AS&G Donaldson. 304 299 296 293 LD Laws. 301 293 288 PJ&MP Gilhespy. 301 288 JV&JA Hodgson. 300 297 293 292 CS&V Whitfield. 300 291 W&C Iceton. 300×3 294 288 Northfield Farms. 294 287 Anthony Tindale. 293 W.K M.M Lamb. 292 AWSM Farms. 290 Cole Hill Farm Ltd. 289 A&EJ Dobinson. 287 MF Hall. 287 S Fawell. 287 W Denham. 286 JC Thwaite & Son.
Lead Grossing Lambs £165 £144 Northfield Farms. £161 JM&S Walton. £160 £149.50 £146 LD Laws. £157.50 £155 £150 £146.50 M&A Gaskin. £155 G Hodgson. £154 £145.50 Askwiths. £154 £140.50 Cole Hill Farm Ltd. £154 M Hutchinson. £152 MJ Blacklidge. £150 £142 J Gilson Agriculture. £150 £141.50 AC Simpson & Son. £148.50 £143.50 DK Barker. £147 R Wood & Son. £147 WE Frank. £146 S Fawell. £145 AC Simpson & Son. £143.50 W Denham. £143 JC Thwaite. £141.50 R Lawson & Son.
Cast Sheep (460) – The ewe pot is simmering nicely as we head towards Christmas and trade is now rising rapidly, with a typical Darlington show made up of all classes the sale today averaged a brilliant £94. Top of the tree a gigantic Texel from W R Thompson, Etherley sold at a wholesome £192, Mule trade topped at £125 with Blackies selling to £95 and Swaledale’s to £78.
Lead Grossing Cast Sheep £192 £127 WR Thompson. £150 W&C Iceton. £144 DK Barker. £144 D Horner. £140 £133 £125 AC Simpson. £137 D&PH Brown. £137 PRE Marwood. £135 J&A Stevenson & Sons. £134 £128 AG Laws. £133 F Johnson. £132 £124 WL Robinson & Partners. £131 FW Hodgson. £131 RG&G Rutter. £129 I Marshall & Sons. £128 JJ Horn. £125 D&PH Brown. £125 P Cockburn. £123 F Hare & Sons.
Prime Pigs (8) – After a noticeable absence last week back came the swine, we suspect that the pigs were actually demonstrating in Glasgow at COP26 to help the push towards a vegan world; the news that they are less damaging to Earth than a croissant has forced them back to market and their inevitable fate.
Pigs – Top prices ppk 110 100 J Mitchell & Son.
Lead Grossing Pigs £82 £79 £59 J Mitchell & Son
