Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their weekly sale of Cast Cattle, Store and Breeding Stock. Forward were 279 Cattle and 1905 Sheep.
59 Cast Cows sold to 216ppk or £1600
4 Stock Bulls sold to 164ppk or £1420
11 Cows & Calves sold to £1980
86 Store Steers sold to £1375
98 Store Heifers sold to £1340
8 Young Bulls sold to £1195
1882 Store Lambs sold to £115
23 Feeding Ewes sold to £78
Cast Cattle – Yet again the cow trade proved exceptional, the average on paper was slightly reduced to 138ppk but in reality trade was every bit as strong. Leading the way was a superstar from Rochester and Murray, Glebe Farm, West Butsfield as their 5 year old British Blue cow sold for 216 pence per kilo and £1600. A host of native breeds were presented and very keenly bid for, the indigenous hall of fame included;
Hereford’s to 180ppk or £930
Shorthorn’s to 176ppk or £1066
Aberdeen Angus to 164ppk or £1333
Sussex to 134ppk or £1006
Dexter to 142ppk or £920
Dairy cows again sold well with Friesian’s peaking at 158ppk from Cowclose Farm, Stapleton and £1110 from A & J E Smith, Healy; stock bulls peaked at 164ppk (Limousin) from J & O Harrison & Son, Oakley Walls and £1420 (Aberdeen Angus) from R E Dickson, Loftus.
Cast Cows – Top prices ppk 216 178 Rochester & Murray. 214 186 Anderson. 180 B Storey. 176 RN Foord & Son. 176 PD&JA Adamski. 174 M Barker Farms. 170 IM Maughan. 168 166 160 RA Patterson & Son. 166 164 160 JP&R Ward. 164 RE Dickson. 160 146 J&O Harrison & Sons. 158 Cow Close Farm. 158 S&RT Lowson. 154 WSI Anderson. 148 JJ Dowson. 148 M Barker Farms. 144×2 W&OM Jackson & Son. 142 J&MJ Walton.
Lead Grossing Cast Cows £1600 £1372 Rochester & Murray. £1532 PD&JA Adamski. £1391 £1199 Anderson. £1357 £1040 £1017 RA Patterson. £1339 £948 M Barker Farms. £1332 £1006 RE Dickson. £1286 £1179 £1051 JP&R Ward. £1251 S&RT Lowson. £1157 JJ Dowson & Son. £1153 WSI Anderson. £1110 A&JE Smith. £1103 IM Maughan. £1066 RN Foord & Son. £991 T&DI Allen & Son. £974 W&OM Jackson & Son. £945 WE&CA Anderson.
Cast Bulls – Top prices ppk 164 J&O Harrison & Sons. 122 RE Dickson. 116 E Taylor & Son. 116 C Leighton.
Lead Grossing Cast Bulls £1420RE Dickson. £1361 C Leighton. £1348 J&O Harrison & Sons. £968 E Taylor & Son.
Store & Breeding Cattle – Another impressive run of heifers and calves across from Stockport and the good home of W J Massey, Waterside Farm certainly caught the attention of the buyers and this week peaked at £1980 and the splendid 10 outfits averaged £1763. Store cattle remain in remarkable demand, it could be suggested that the plainer end were marginally easier however these are small margins on what has been an unbelievable purple patch; the biggest and the best remain in exceptional form. Top of the steers were S & R T Lowson of Lower Westgarth Farm, Butterknowle with an exceptional 17 month old Limousin which sold for £1375, plenty of others were knocking on the door at £1200 plus. The consistent strong stores from J H Johnson of White Lea Farm, Roddymoor are always hard to beat, despite 5 of the top 6 heifers hailing from White Lea this week it was a 26 month old Aberdeen Angus from B Storey, Byers Green which took the honours when she sold for £1340. Only a handful of young bulls were on offer, the trade proved superb and peaked at £1195 for a shapely British Blue shown by P Sumpton, Bishop Auckland.
Cows & Calves £1980 £1900×2 £1820 £1800×2 £1680 £1650 £1620 £1480 WJ Massey.
Store Bulls £1195 £1155 P Sumpton. £1075 £985 £955 WM Bainbridge. £900 £860 TT Hall & Son. £860 RA Patterson & Son.
Store Steers £1375 £1250 £1025 S&RT Lowson. £1355 £1270 £1260 £1160 GS Bainbridge. £1340 £1195 £1050 £1045×2 B Storey. £1325×3 £1255×3 B&L Robson. £1235 £1090 D&HM Hodgson. £1105×3 £1050×2 RN Foord & Son. £1095×5 J Karen. £1080 £1050 K Sayer. £1075 WO Grix & Partners. £1065×2 R Valks. £1060 DR Smith.
Store Heifers £1330×2 £1320 £1280×2 £1215×2 £1170×2 £1150×2 £1120 £1065×2 JH Johnson. £1250 £1095 £1080 DW Dresser. £1245 £1240 £1125×2 GS Bainbridge. £1195×3 B Storey. £1185 WO Grix. £1130 £1090 £1070 DR Smith. £1100 D&HM Hodgson. £1100 £1070 GP&E Lillie. £1095×3 R Errington & Son.
Store Lambs – Trade easier, the sale averaged £75 which is certainly healthy for mid-September and still remains ahead of the levels witnessed this week last year. Top price today went to R & F Longstaff, Mickleton when they produced a huge quartet of Texel crossed Blue Faced Leicester lambs which sold for £115 each. Close behind and in the £100 plus club were a brilliant consignment of Beltex lambs from R E Coatsworth, Wearview Farm, Hamsterley. The £90 lambs now need to be of exceptional quality or size, the stronger end of the genuine farming stores this week typically sold £80-£90 with the longer keep types £70-£80. The 185 mule lambs today average £64 whilst long keep Swaledale’s levelled up at £37.
Store Lambs – Texel £115 R&F Longstaff. £97 £86 T Walton. £91×2 R Peart. £89 K Buckle. £89 £86 J Davis. £87 £84 WB Rutter & Sons. £86.50 A Newton. £86 JR&J Crowe. £85 G Bolton. £85 AF Smith. £85 D Johnson.
Beltex £112 £109 £104 £99 £92 £89×3 £87 £84 RE Coatsworth. £88 Charlotte Newton. £84 GN&V Bayles.
Mule £100 S Beeforth.
Suffolk £93 A&B Herworth. £83.50 JH Johnson.
Charollais £89 C Morris.
Cheviot £85 Ormerley Livestock. £85 S Beeforth.
Feeding Ewes £78 IW Cairns. £78 C&I Watson & Sons. £75 GS Kidd. £40 £34 Ormerley Livestock. £39 T&A Walton.
