Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their weekly sale of Cast Cattle, Store and Breeding Stock on Bank Holiday 31st May 2021. Forward were 227 Cattle and 127 Sheep.
49 Cast Cows & OTM sold to 210ppk or £1806
2 Stock Bulls sold to 194ppk or £1649
24 Young Bulls sold to £875
77 Store Steers sold to £1465
75 Store Heifers sold to £1275
11 Hoggs & Lambs sold to £202
37 Ewes & Lambs sold to £280
1 Feeding Ewes sold for £90
Cast Cattle – High were the rewards for the vendors who chose the mart over the seaside on the Bank Holiday. A blistering sale average of 155 pence per kilo and over £1000 per head was achieved; few turn beast out better than the Scott family of Low Leam Farm, West Woodburn and they today led the way with a beautiful 4 year old British Blue cow when she sold for 200ppk and a massive £1806, a marvellous quartet from Team Low Leam averaged 185ppk and £1489. Top price per kilo today went to a smart Limousin OTM from M & S M Nelson, Cornsay Colliery which sold for 210 pence, no less than 11 of the 51 over the scale today sold beyond 180ppk. The native breeds today made up 33% of those offered and the best of them came when a Beef Shorthorn OTM from F J Hugill, Sproxton sold for 186ppk and a hefty Hereford from F J Forrest, Winston reached £1376. Just a brace of bulls forward this week as an OTM from D E Stones, Scargill sold for 194ppk and a smart Charollais from R E Shield, Willington impressed when he sold for 186ppk and £1649.
Cast Cows & OTM Leading PPK – 210 160 M & S N Nelson. 200 186 184 166 W J Scott Ltd. 188 D E Stones. 186 182 144 F J Hugill. 184 E A & N Thompson & Son. 182 174 170 G K, K N & G J Hird. 178 176(x2) 172 164 D & M Lowes. 164 158 152 148 146 High Harbour Farms. 160 146 J R P Vickers & Sons. 160 F J Forrest. 154 D H Lawson. 150 Robinsons. 144 T T Hall & Son. 142 W S I Anderson.
Cast Bulls Leading PPK – 194 D E Stones. 186 R E Shield.Cast Cows & OTM Leading Gross – £1806 £1588 £1398 £1165 W J Scott Ltd. £1609 £1036 J R P Vickers & Sons. £1502 £1090 £1008 £1004 £936 £903 High Harbour Farms. £1376 F J Forrest. £1261 £1162 £977 G K, K N & G J Hird. £1240 £1175 £1149 £1146 £1116 D & M Lowes. £1230 E A & N Thompson. £1131 £1062 M & S M Nelson. £1127 D H Lawson. £1110 £1047 £1046 F J Hugill. £1088 D E Stones. £1015 T H Mace & Sons. £981 G & L Wood.
Cast Bulls Leading Gross – £1649 R E Shield. £1146 D E Stones.
Store Cattle – Reduced numbers naturally due to the public holiday, the buyers were certainly keen to bid freely as the store and feeding cattle trade continues at a fast pace. A mixed offering of young bulls sold well with shape and youth demanding the biggest premiums, a smart 6 month old Limousin from A J Marr & Son, Old Ravensworth impressed reaching £875. An absolutely magical 26 month old Limousin steer from D W Dresser, Hall Farm, Greatham set the ring alight when he sold for £1465, a trio from the exceptional Hartlepool based feeders averaged a whopping £1331. A peach from Wolsingham was the sale leading heifer this week as a beautiful 2 year old Limousin from G H & R G Stobbs, High Wiserley Farm sold for a tremendous £1275. The suckled calf trade stays good, a lovely run of 21 from R & W Todd, Toft Hill proved one of the highlights as they left their mothers this morning and averaged a pleasing £973 with a top price of £1080.
Young Bulls – £875 A J Marr & Son. £800 £795(x4) £765(x2) £745(x2) £700 £665 £630 J R Allan. £800 £670 N & A Hunter. £775 £725 B J S Farms. £745(x2) O & L Welford. £670 B Watson.Store Steers £1465 £1285 £1245 DW Dresser. £1175 £1125×2 GW&M singleton & Sons. £1120 GH&RG Stobbs. £1115 £1060 £995 £925 £910 D&M Lowes. £1060 AJ Marr. £1040×2 £1035×3 £995 £985×2 £975×3 £950 £915 R&W Todd. £980 F Watson. £965 £920 RP Ward. £945 PT Stephenson & Son. £925×2 £900×4 W Denham.
Store Heifers £1275 £1095×2 £1090 £1080 £1040 GH&RG Stobbs. £1155×6 £1090×6 L Goldthorpe. £1140 £1125 £970 I Oliver. £1130 £1080 £1075 £1000 £985 £965×2 D&M Lowes. £1080 £1045 £955×2 £905 R&W Todd. £995 AJ Marr & Son. £955×2 £920×4 £890 £875 SA Winspear. £895 PT Stephenson.
Breeding Sheep – The breeding sheep begin to tail off now, trade remains good with the grass growing fast and mouths needed. Top of the sale at £280 was a lovely pure Zwartbles with twin lambs at foot from Christine Slee, Coverham. A pen of 14 Mule ewes and strong Texel twins from D Robson & Sons, Merryshields, Capheaton sold well at £222. Top priced hoggs came from W A Armstrong, Coxhoe as sharp Mules suckling singles peaked at £202.
Hoggs & Lambs – £202 £190 £175 W A Armstrong. £160 E W Grieves.
Ewes & Lambs – £280 £190 £185 £172 £125 C Slee. £222 £190 D Robson & Sons. £195 £155 O J Kendall. £158 £150 £125 N & M J Parkin.
