Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their weekly sale of Prime Stock on Thursday 18th March 2021. Forward were 243 Cattle, 787 Sheep and 9 Pigs.
122 Prime Bulls sold to 259ppk or £2156
23 Prime Steers sold to 246ppk or £1572
92 Prime Heifers sold to 281ppk or £1670
6 Cast Cows sold to 218ppk or £2012
462 Prime Hoggs sold to 327ppk and £200
325 Cast Sheep sold to £148
9 Prime Pigs sold to 114ppk or £89.60
Prime Bulls (122) – Very much a two tier show, undoubtably some exceptional bulls at the top end however an increased percentage of dairy breeds and crosses were also forward, another impressive sale average of 212ppk once more places Darlington with the nations elite this week. As we are becoming accustomed to we witnessed the pick of our heavy bulls break the £2000 barrier, this week two vendors were in the club as A C Simpson & Son of McNeil Farm, Witton-le-Wear produced a magical homebred pure Limousin at 891kg 242ppk and £2156, the Simpson’s bull was followed in to the winners enclosure by L S Staley of Marwood who also produced a terrific Limousin at 820kg 246ppk and £2017. The top price per kilo this week went to another regular and familiar face as A G Watson & Sons of Rushyford held off the chasing pack with a sublime 702kg Limousin selling for 259ppk, amongst the others a further 5 bulls topped 250ppk with 4 of those coming from the exceptional pen of first time vendors T N & J Hall of Ainstable Hall, Carlisle; the remaining subscriber to the 250 plus club was Newark’s R P & D L Hutchinson whilst 18 other bulls surpassed 240ppk on the day. The Watson’s of Rushyford also took todays accolade of top priced Native as their 735kg Aberdeen Angus sold for 230ppk and £1690 whilst a well-deserved return to the top of the black and white podium was earned this week by the well fed Holstein’s of R Hall & Son, Brotton at 204ppk and £1282; the dairy bulls with the most loin and tops to them were in terrifically high demand today.
TN & J Hall, Carlisle sold 12 Bulls to average 248ppk and £1695
A C Simpson & Son, Witton-le-Wear sold 3 Bulls to average 244ppk and £1939
R P & D L Hutchinson, Newark sold 5 Bulls to average 242ppk and £1624
L S Staley, Marwood sold 2 Bulls to average 233ppk and £1851
Lead Grossing Continental Bulls £2156 £1862 £1800 AC Simpson & Son. £2017 £1685 LS Staley. £1954 J&K Woodward. £1930 £1845 £1803 £1797 £1765 £1727 £1668 TN&J Hall. £1885 £1667 £1631 RP&DL Hutchinson. £1818 £1765 £1690 £1647 AG Watson & Sons. £1767 JA&M Boyes Ltd. £1759 £1757 £1692 JJ Kemp & Son. £1749 £1709 £1681 LR Welsh & Co. £1648 SH Watson & Son. £1582 R Hall & Son.
Continental Bulls – Top prices ppk 259 243 229 AG Watson & Sons. 257 254 251 250 249×2 248×2 247 243 242 239 TN&J Hall. 253 247 240 239 234 RP&DL Hutchinson. 249 JA&M Boyes Ltd. 248 J&K Woodward. 246 245 242 AC Simpson & Son. 246 LS Staley. 244 239 225 JJ Kemp & Son. 240 233 232×4 230 229 JB Dodds. 236 AS&SM Kemp. 227 FS Sturrock & Sons. 227 SH Watson & Son. 224 LR Welsh & Co.
Friesian Bulls – Top prices ppk 204 202 R Hall & Son. 200 196 180 163 J&JH Musgrave. 199 196 186 185 184 179 177 170 167 FS Sturrock & Sons. 193 N Howard. 185 168 JA&A Herbert. 184 178×2 172 JE&B Morgan & Sons. 179 178 GW Dobson & Son. 170 169 156 154 D Walker. 164 162 R Carter & Son.
Lead Grossing Friesian Bulls £1282 £1262 R Hall & Son. £1237 £1162 £1091 £1088 £1084 £1034 £1031 £982 £908 FS Sturrock & Sons. £1220 £1054 R Carter & Son. £1210 £1122 GW Dobson & Son. £1109 £1084 £1009 £894 J&JH Musgrave. £1095 £967 JA&A Herbert. £966 £894 £888 £870 JE&B Morgan.
Native Breed Bulls – Top prices ppk 230 AG Watson & Sons. 220 213×2 210 184 AS&SM Kemp. 211 192 M Hutchinson. 207 197 190 188 FS Sturrock & Sons. 195 193 JA&M Boyes Ltd.
Lead Grossing Native Bulls £1690 AG Watson & Sons. £1593 £1559 JA&M Boyes Ltd. £1582 £1436 M Hutchinson. £1518 £1499 £1346 £1320 £1306 AS&SM Kemp. £1323£1285 £1073 £1029 FS Sturrock & Sons.
Cast Cows – Top prices ppk 218×2 209 206 202 184 RP&DL Hutchinson.
Lead Grossing Cast Cows £2012 £1916 £1858 £1791 £1744 £1385 RP&DL Hutchinson.
Prime Clean (115) – A light show met an improved trade with the butchers heifers in particular much sought after, almost half of the cattle today sold beyond 240ppk, perhaps then looking at today’s buyer behaviour the pending easing of some lockdown restrictions may even see the high street butchers shop types rise again? The wonderful cattle the aforementioned Hall’s of Carlisle certainly made a lasting impression today as their heroics in the bull ring were then bettered by their terrific heifers. The top price per kilo today an impressive 281 pence from the Cumbrian raiders was a beautiful 549kg Limousin, see below the top slots today and another strong showing from the Ainstable Herd rounding off a more than satisfactory maiden visit. Top of the gross values today went to the prolific J V & J A Hodgson of Summerhouse with a wonderful 708kg Limousin heifer at £1670 as another smart pen from the Hodgson’s galvanised the buyers as usual. The pick of our steers today came from two of our regular Northern raiders as M F Hall, Ponteland reached 246ppk and D Robson & Sons, Capheaton £1572; this pair of vendors producing perhaps the most impressive of the bullocks on the day.
T N & J Hall, Carlisle sold 5 Heifers to average 264ppk and £1444
P & J H Davison, Morley sold 6 Heifers to average 256ppk and £1447
J V & J A Hodgson, Summerhouse sold 7 Heifers to average 253ppk and £1522
P J & M P Gilhespy, Ponteland sold 6 Heifers to average 252ppk and £1418
W A Armstrong, Coxhoe sold 8 Heifers to average 251ppk and £1285
W Swinbank & Sons, Caldwell sold 4 Heifers to average 249ppk and £1556
Steers – Top prices ppk 246 230 MF Hall. 241 239 220 LW Martin. 238 230×2 226 AW Hurton & Son. 235 218 D Robson & Sons. 225 198 192 B Nichols. 221 M Robinson & Sons. 192 T Watson.
Lead Grossing Steers £1572 £1506 D Robson & Sons. £1407 £1388 £1373 LW Martin. £1370 £1274 MF Hall. £1307 £1271 £1263 B Nichols. £1292 M Robinson & Sons.
Heifers – Top prices ppk 281 263 262 260 255 TN&J Hall. 277 261 258 250 249 P&JH Davison. 276 268 257 250 249 JV&JA Hodgson. 265 256 MF Hall. 262 256×2 254 252 PJ&MP Gilhespy. 262 255 D Robson & Sons. 259 JJ Kemp & Sons. 258 256 W Swinbank & Sons. 256×2 254251 250 248×2 WA Armstrong. 255 RG Richardson. 255 TW Clark & Son. 254 M Robinson & sons. 249 K&J Heslop.
Lead Grossing Heifers £1670 £1540 £1531 £1516 £1500 £1468 £1431 JV&JA Hodgson. £1606 £1542 £1435 £1428 TN&J Hall. £1601 £1517 £1453 £1428 P&JH Davison. £1584 £1576 £1560 £1505 W Swinbank & Sons. £1566 £1483 M Robinson & sons. £1560 T Watson. £1558 £1464 TW Clark & Son. £1551 £1422 JJ Kemp & Son. £1506 £1445 MF Hall. £1474 £1448 £1443 £1433 PJ&MP Gilhespy.
Cast Cows (6) – Half a dozen incredible Limousin cows from R P & D L Hutchinson Ltd, Greenhill Farm, Balderton, Nottinghamshire were an absolute joy to see present in the mart, some of the best bred and best fed cull cows you could ever wish to see. The amazing run aged between 5 and 11 years averaged an outstanding 863kg, over 206 pence per kilo and £1784. The top price per kilo was shared as twice they reached 218 pence with the heavier of them selling beyond £2000, truly amazing returns well deserved for some simply outstanding cows.
Prime Hoggs (462) – Less forward again as the numbers tighten, a mixed offering met another buoyant trade; happy were the horned hogg vendors with Swaledales to £111 and Blackface to £122.50, delighted were the purveyors of Cheviots and Mules who regularly reached £125-£130 but the story of the day was a remarkable Suffolk hogg which stood out from the pack. A C Simpson & Son of McNeil Farm, Witton-le-Wear have certainly led the way lately in our hogg ring and todays offering were once again right out of the top drawer, the pick of them the extraordinary 61kg Suffolk sold for £200 to J A Jewitt Ltd, Spennymoor. The McNeil offering this week once again set the bar high, great credit goes to the Simpson’s top class breeding and feeding with the added good fortune to have no greedy troll’s lying in wait as they trip trot over our weighbridge, today then the 57 hoggs from McNeil averaged a very healthy 57kg and £150. Close behind came a lovely packet from W Denham of Langleydale averaging £149 whilst nice runs from W Robson, Tow Law and a scattering of superstars from N Thompson, Hawsker also made their mark on the top price columns.
Hoggs – Top prices ppk 327 288 280 277 271 265 261 260 258 AC Simpson & son. 322 308 305 297 278 W Robson. 316 305 W Denham. 314 310 300 Ivanhoe Livestock. 309 297 W Kirk & Sons. 306 298 282 270 J Gilson Agriculture. 305 NA Thompson. 296 286 284 JR Tiplady. 293 286 285 R Errington & Son. 288 KA&V Armstrong. 287 GP&A Carter. 285 284 JK&CE Farming. 284 JR Knox& Son. 281 279 DA Gill. 280 J Bolton. 277 JM&S Walton.
Lead Grossing Hoggs £200 £160 £159 £157 £156×2 £150×4 £146 £144×2 AC Simpson & Son. £162 £152 £148 NA Thompson. £159 £158×2 £151 £150 W Denham. £159 J Bolton. £150 £146 £135 Ivanhoe Livestock. £149 £140 P Douglas. £143 £142 JR Knox & Son. £139 £133 £128 W Robson. £136 £135 £129 JM&S Walton. £131 JK&CE Farming. £131 DA Gill. £131 LW Martin. £129 JR Knox & Son. £129 FP&IM Jefferson. £128×2 JR Tiplady.
Cast Sheep (325) – The trade continues in big tune, a sale average today of £95 included a real Noah’s Ark on display. The top slot unusually went to a Teeswater tup which was consigned by D W & K Horner of Patrick Brompton he sold for £148, a pair of Charollais from F P & I M Jefferson, Whitby followed closely at £145 with continentals from C S & V Whitfield, Knitsley and P Tindale, Shadforth also reaching £140. Mule ewes on the day reached a high of £119, Cheviots to £99 with the pick of the horned breeds seeing Swaledale rams to £98 and ewes to £78.
Lead Grossing Cast Sheep £148 DW&K Horner. £145 FP&IM Jefferson. £140 £114 P Tindale. £140 £109 CS&V Whitfield. £136 KA&V Armstrong. £133 JV&JA Hodgson. £130 JM&S Walton. £122 W Kirk & Sons. £121 £115.50 Ivanhoe Livestock. £121 W&M Knaggs & Son. £120 I Spedding. £120 W Denham. £118 JM&S Walton. £118×2 JM&M&C Wise. £117 D Richardson & Co Ltd. £116 A Mosey. £115 £111 £109 GC&JC Pullen.
Pigs – Top prices ppk 114 112 102 J Mitchell & Son.
Lead Grossing Pigs £89 £87 £81 J Mitchell & Son.
