Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their weekly sale of prime stock on Thursday 17th April 2025. Forward were 78 cattle and 1200 sheep.
23 Prime Bulls sold to 467ppk or £3398
2 Prime Steers sold to 425ppk or £2851
43 Prime Heifers sold to 494ppk or £2995
987 Prime Hoggs sold to 431ppk or £200
213 Cast Ewes/Rams sold to £400
Prime Bulls (23) – As is always the case on Maundy Thursday the numbers across all sections are very much depleted. The bull trade rolled along nicely to see them average this week 405ppk and £2760, very little price change on the week. Top per kilo at 467 pence was a smart handy weight Limousin bull from W I Suddes & Son, South Farm, he was followed at 450ppk by a fleshy 708kg Limousin from T W Clark & Son, Frankland Park Farm ahead of three more smart sorts from the Suddes pen between 440ppk and 449ppk. A similar tale unfolded in the gross value standings as the South Farm firm topped at £3398 ahead of Frankland Farm at £3323 with a good Simmental from T J Neill, Howtell Farm not far adrift at £3227. The Howtell Farm heroics continued to see them top the native breeds per kilo with an Aberdeen Angus at 404 pence whilst a Beef Shorthorn from W Denham, Dent Gate led the natives in the lump at £3171. Only one pure dairy bull, a tidy Holstein Friesian from J M & S Walton, Brettanby Farm sold for 340ppk and £2046.
W I Suddes & Son, Cornsay sold 4 average 449ppk and £3012
T W Clark & Son, Durham sold 3 average 435ppk and £3217
R Hall & Son, Brotton sold 3 average 404ppk and £2753
T J Neill, Coldstream sold 2 average 400ppk and £2888
Continental Bulls – Top prices ppk 467 449 443 440 WI Suddes & Son. 450 433 425 TW Clark & Son. 419 410 386 R Hall & Son. 401 392 382 JC&P Tallentire. 398 TJ Neill. 398 380 Williamson. 380 JM&S Walton. 360 GS Dowson.
Lead Grossing Continental Bulls £3398 £3216 £2787 £2648 WI Suddes & Son. £3323 £3186 £3143 TW Clark & Son. £3227 TJ Neill. £3041 £2713 £2505 R Hall & Son. £2465 £2356 JC&P Tallentire. £2443 £2196 Williamson. £2415 GS Dowson.
Friesian Bulls – Top prices ppk 340 JM&S Walton.
Lead Grossing Friesian Bulls £2046 JM&S Walton.
Native Bulls – Top prices ppk 404 TJ Neill. 398 384 W Denham. 360 GS Dowson.
Lead Grossing Native Bulls £3171 £2750 W Denham. £2549 TJ Neill. £1994 GS Dowson.
Clean Cattle (45) – Numbers down but trade still sharp as the Easter beef was in demand to see the light show average 441.47ppk and £2600 per head. Three heifers sold over 490ppk which included two from Cumbrian raider W Miller, High Aketon Farm and one from Northumberland’s J E Jordon & Son, The Brocks; pick of the pack at 494ppk was a lovely 553kg Limousin from High Aketon. Only two steers in attendance, both from the Askwith’s of Crook which topped at 425ppk and £2851 for an impressive 671kg Limousin. The top four gross valued heifers all sold over £2900 and were made up of two apiece from P J & M P Gilhespy, Low House and W J & A S Bowes & Sons, Stainton Hill House. The Gilhespy consignment led the way with a best of £2995 for an expertly finished 640kg Limousin. See below some of the days top performing pens.
W Miller, Wigton sold 8 average 477ppk and £2680
J E Jordon & Son, Morpeth sold 3 average 476ppk and £2560
R Hirst, Neasham sold 9 average 451ppk and £2698
P J & M P Gilhespy, Ponteland sold 6 average 450ppk and £2799
F & J S Gargett, Barnard Castle sold 2 average 450ppk and £2689
W J & A S Bowes & Sons, Stainton sold 3 average 447ppk and £2842
Askwiths, Crook sold 2 (steers) average 419ppk and £2769
Steers – Top prices ppk 425 414 Askwiths.
Lead Grossing Steers £2851 £2686 Askwiths.
Heifers – Top prices ppk 494 492 488×2 480 470 458 448 W Miller. 492 470 466 JE Jordon & Son. 472 466 458 454×2 450×2 438 426 R Hirst. 468×2 462 454 426 PJ&MP Gilhespy. 468 434 F&JS Gargett. 453 446 445 WJ&AS Bowes & Sons. 432 396 RW Barker & Sons. 418 403 398×2 JB Bell & Son. 408 RG Richardson. 408 406 WE&CA Anderson.
Lead Grossing Heifers £2995 £2990 £2841 £2769 £2760 PJ&MP Gilhespy. £2921 £2910 £2695 WJ&AS Bowes & Sons. £2871 £2832 £2763 £2709 £2687 £2666 R Hirst. £2796 £2779 £2731 £2723 £2683 £2671 £2608 W Miller. £2723 £2656 F&JS Gargett. £2644 £2603 £2574 WE&CA Anderson. £2632 £2613 £2437 JE Jordon & Son. £2294 £2143 £2109 JB Bell & Son.
Prime Hoggs (987) – As with the cattle, numbers depleted due to the imminent Easter holidays, trade a touch firmer on the week and with less heavyweights on offer it would certainly be the strong hoggs that reaped the biggest price rise. All in this week’s sale averaged 313ppk with an SQQ of 347ppk which equated to £154.68 per head. The weekly run from R Atkinson, High Greenbury topped both lists as a dozen smart 44kg Beltex topped per kilo at 431 pence and fifteen thumping 67kg Suffolk’s topped the gross value list at £200. Mule and hill gotten hogg trade also looks a touch sharper as the Mules topped at £146 (average £140.27) whilst Blackface twice sold to £140 (av £136.20) and Cheviot’s topped at £160.50 (av £143.39).
A Few of today’s top averages:
R Atkinson, High Greenbury sold 147 (51.97kg) average 362.59ppk & £188.45
W Dent, Dent Gate sold 14 (62.43kg) average 283.75ppk & £177.14
GC&JC Pullan sold 52 (56.71kg) average 305.87ppk & £173.46
G Thornton, Low Grange Farm sold 37 (61.27kg) average 270.75ppk & £165.89
TA Greensit & Sons, Friars Garth sold 25 (47.68kg) average 340.44ppk & £162.32
Hoggs – Top prices ppk 431 427 417 397 380 R Atkinson. 404 388 360 356 336 N Gill. 404 344 CK&D Muir Ltd. 381 353 330 AW Dixon. 369 366 347 340 320 TA Greensit & Sons. 358 331 316×2 W Tindale. 355 346 TN Callender. 350 M Madrell. 340 329 JA&B Nappey. 340 Messrs Bell. 336×2 328 RI Jones. 334 327 323 322 317 N Barker. 325 321 JR Knox & Son. 324×2 319 317 J Atkinson. 322 KO Stones. 319×2 317 CS Robinson. 319 RE&L Frank.
Lead Grossing Hoggs £200 £195×2 £194 £190 £188×2 £179×2 R Atkinson. £199 £186 £182 £170 W Denham. £182 £180 £174 £172 £163×2 £162 G Thornton. £180 £170 £164 £158 N Gill. £180 TN Callender. £175 £173×3 GC&JC Pullan. £175 £164 £163 £160 £159 AW Dixon. £174 CK&D Muir Ltd. £174 £171 JR Knox & Son. £172 £170 £160×4 TA Greensit & Sons. £170 CS Robinson. £170 £165 £162 W Tindale. £160.50 £158.50 F&JS Gargett. £160 N Barker.
Charitable Donation – Thanks must be offered to our amazingly generous squad of customers in their support for Michael Hodgson of Gainford who was recently diagnosed with Parkinsons. Michael’s young grandson Olly is embarking on a 30-mile cycle ride to raise funds for Parkinsons UK and the proceeds from the sale of a Hampshire ewe today will significantly aid the determined 10-year-old’s quest. The ewe raised a wonderful £1900, thanks must go to the following: John Stevenson, J A Jewitt Ltd, Jenner Livestock, Shan’s Group, Pak Mecca Meats and DfAM who all bought and then re-donated whilst special mention is reserved for Lancashire Direct Halal Meat who made the final purchase for a terrific £400.
Cast Ewes/Rams (213) – The ewe trade continues at stunning levels, far from a fancy show averaged a very healthy £153.97. Top of the day at £272 were a thumping pair of Texel ewes from W Denham, Dent Gate. Texel’s ruled the roost as the same good home followed at £271 with P M Hill, Old Hall next at £262 and P Dawson, Park Head at £256 all aiding the breed to average £187.80. Tups topped at £254 from E Scott & Sons, Middridge Grange with a hefty Charollais with the same flock seeing Texel tups to £238. Ninety-six Mule ewes sold to a top of £184 from A & C A Stanwix, Gayles Hall and averaged £141.55 whilst Cheviot’s topped at £200 (av £176.22) and some tremendous Herdwick’s topped the lighter weight hill ewes at £125.
Lead Grossing Cast Sheep £400 MH Hodgson. £272 £271 £220 £192 W Denham. £262 £200 £140 PM Hill. £256 £230 £196 P Dawson. £254 £238 £232 £226 £177 E Scott & Sons. £248 £232 CK&D Muir Ltd. £235 £200 £170 £150 K&PM Lough. £202 £175 £166 RW Shann & Sons. £200 £160 F&JS Gargett. £195 Allison Devereux. £191 £188 £174 KO Stones. £188 £184 A&CA Stanwix. £182 JW&DW Laing. £180 JC&A Hutchinson. £180 3171 £168 C Dawson.
