Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held a special sale of Breeding Cattle in conjunction with their weekly sale of Cast Cattle, Store and Breeding Stock. Forward were 385 Cattle and 128 Sheep.
77 Cast Cows & OTM sold to 220ppk or £1879
3 Stock Bulls sold to 192ppk or £1950
31 Cows & Calves sold to £1950
2 In Calf Cows sold to £780
8 Breeding Bulls sold to £2000
5 Bulling Heifers sold to £1215
100 Store Steers sold to £1335
83 Store Heifers sold to £1275
44 Young Bulls sold to £1285
31 Ewes & Lambs sold to £292
24 Feeding Ewes sold to £128
10 Store Hoggs sold to £142
Cast Cows – The temperature rose both inside and out of the auction as the cow trade continued in remarkable form, todays average wound up at a splendid 153 pence per kilo, vendors from as far away as Alnwick in the North and as far South as Great Yarmouth are all seemingly enjoying the current beef boom. Three clagging cows today sold beyond £1800 as a 9 year old Limousin from Nun Cote Nook Farm (£1817) was joined by a 6 year old British Blonde from Hallfield Farm (£1831) however neither could catch a wonderful 10 year old from the Suddes family of Cornsay Limousin’s when she sold for £1879. A good day indeed for the Cornsay herd as they also produced three 39-43 month olds between 210ppk and 220ppk, the only other over 200 pence was the aforementioned British Blonde from Messrs Weightman, Hallfield. A host of native breeds were again on display, the pick this week came from D & J Hunnam and Son, Rise Slowly Farm, Burnt Houses as they produced a tremendous Aberdeen Angus which reached 186ppk and £1372. Top of the dairy breeds this week was a smart young Fleckvieh from N & A D Brass & Son, Ox Close Farm, Shadforth when she sold for 194ppk and £1132. Three bulls offered today and all were Limousin’s, the remarkable trade saw them peak at 192ppk and £1950 with the three averaging £1622.
Cast Cows & OTM Leading PPK – 220 214 210 178 W I Suddes & Son. 206 P Weightman & Sons. 198 K O Stones. 196 J E Jordon & Son. 194 N & A D Brass & Son. 194 178 168 166 D A & M A M Brown. 192 I M Maughan. 192 174 158(x2) T W Clark & Son. 186 D & J Hunnam & Son. 186 Thirn Farms Ltd. 180 W & R Kemp & Son. 174 160 A C & K L Twell Ltd. 174 T T Hall & Son. 166 J M Greensit & Son Ltd. 162 G C & K J White & Son. 162 W R Thompson. 160 D J Mallon. 156 W & O M Jackson & Son. 156 Ian Potts & Sons Ltd. 154 I & A Davison.
Stock Bulls Leading PPK – 192 Thirn Farms Ltd. 158 I & A Davison. 156 J S Foster & Son.
Cast Cows & OTM Leading Gross – £1879 £1688 £1512 £1509 W I Suddes & Son. £1831 P Weightman & Sons. £1817 K O Stones. £1697 J E Jordon & Son. £1503 J M Greensit & Son Ltd. £1441 I M Maughan. £1437 £1140 £1106 T W Clark & Son. £1379 £1374 £1337 £1231 D A & M A M Brown. £1374 D J Mallon. £1372 D & J Hunnam & Son£1305 Thirn Farms Ltd. £1220 W & R Kemp & Son. £1201 Ian Potts & Sons. £1195 T T Hall & Son. £1140 G C & K J White & Son. £1132 £1117 N & A D Brass & Son. £1103 £1056 A C & K L Twell Ltd. £1064 W R Thompson. £1057 M Barker Farms.
Stock Bulls Leading Gross – £1950 Thirn Farms Ltd. £1556 I & A Davison. £1360 J S Foster & Son.
Breeding Cattle – The special breeding sale it seemed had just about attracted every breed under the sun, a very varied mix were presented. Top price cow and calf went to a hefty Charolais with a 4 week old bull calf at foot from Dromonby Bridge Farm when she sold for £1950, Aberdeen Angus cows with calves peaked at £1500 from both R P Ward of Eryholme and T A Hall, West Kyo; Longhorn cows and calves sold to a top of £1300 with Shorthorn’s to £1280, Herefords to £1250 and a most unusual consignment of Gloucester’s sold as high as £860. Pick of the stock bulls was a bomb proof 6 year old Limousin from L Booton, Thornton Steward at £2000 closely followed by a 19 month old Charolais from W M Strickland & Son, Appleton Wiske at £1950, a nice run of Friesian crossed Limousin bulling heifers from D Walker, High Woodifield peaked at £1215.
Bulling Heifers £1215×2 £1200 £1100 D Walker. £915 JD Bousfield.
Cows & Calves £1950 £1820 Dromonby Bridge Farm. £1500 RP Ward. £1450 £1380 £1150 JD&MS Mortimer. £1400 S&RE Williamson. £1300 £1280 £1250 RW&NV Chamley. £1280 W Denham. £1250 £1120 W&JM Clifford. £920×2 T Ripley & T Ramesar. £860×2 £840 Lake View Farm.
Heifers & Calves £1500 £1300 TA Hall. £1080 F Forrest. £980 BA&C Pearson Ltd. £980 T Ripley & T Ramesar.
In Calf Cows £780 £740 Lake View Farm.
Breeding Bulls £2000 L Booton. £1950 WM Strickland. £1610 £1570 Dromonby Bridge Farm.
Store Cattle – Now that May is out it seems that the buyers have not only cast a clout but the gloves are off also, a sensational trade today with the younger grass cattle in particular very easily sold. The young bull buyers were in good form with the leaders a nice trio of 11-13 month old Simmental’s from Fristling Hall Farm, Essex selling for £1285, pushing the travelled bulls all the way were some great 12-14 month old Limousin’s from D & P H Brown of Aldbrough St John. The top three priced store cattle today belonged to the consistent D W Dresser of Hall Farm, Greatham as their 15 month old well fed Limousin steers sold for £1280 twice with a stand out single reaching £1335. A quartet of two year old Stabilisers led the heifer trade today as the awesome foursome from J P & R Ward, Langleydale sold for £1275. Of the long keep cattle on offer the highlight of the day undoubtedly belonged to Robert Arthur of Hudspeth Farm, Elsdon with an incredibly hardy run of 80 outwintered yearling Limousin’s; the journey down the A68 from Northumberland certainly paid dividends as the 41 Hudspeth steers averaged a wonderful £877.80 with the 39 heifers levelling at a very pleasing £791.79.
Store Bulls £1285×3 £1185 £1165×3 £1095 £1060×2 £980×2 £940 £855 £800 Fristling Hall Farm Ltd. £1280 £1275 £1260 £1235 £1125 D&PH Brown. £1045 £915 £865 £845 £785×2 J Corner. £1005 £935 £915 OJ Kendall. £920 £915 £895 £875 £845 £760 DW Humphrey. £785 £630 J Peacock. £780×2 BA&C Pearson Ltd.
Store Steers £1335 £1280×2 DW Dresser. £1210 £1140 £1110 £1015 GW&M Singleton & Sons. £1190 £1075 F Ward. £1155 £1060 WB Rutter & Sons. £1100 P Glass. £1100 £1010 W&C Iceton. £1060×2 £950 R Errington & Son. £1040 £1000 AE Newton. £1005 £970×2 JC Thwaite & Son. £980 P Cockburn. £966×2 £955×2 TW&G Corner. £960×2 JH Johnson. £955 £930 £925 BJS Farms. £945×2 £940×5 £920 R Arthur.
Store Heifers £1275×4 JP&R Ward. £1250 P Dent. £1145×2 JD&MS Mortimer. £1135 £1080 WB Rutter & Sons. £1115 CA&JG Skidmore. £1065 £940 I Kendle. £985×2 £975×2 SJ Love. £950 D&HM Hodgson. £950 £865 JA Bainbridge. £940 W&C Iceton. £910×3 £880×4 R Arthur. £880 BA&C Pearson. £865 £845×2 DL Brown.
Store Sheep – More affectionately known in these parts for their terrific travelling cattle it was Fristling Hall Farm of Essex who changed species to become purveyors of ewes and lambs today. Top price of a wonderful £292 was paid for a heavyweight Suffolk ewe with Charollais crossed triplets, all doing well, at her side. The stronger lambs can demand a real premium with £100 per life reached several times, made up of half broken mouthed Mules and the rest 3 to 5 crop Suffolks the Essex ewes and lambs returned a £74.74 per life average. Earlier on a scattering of store sheep remain in demand, hoggs to £142 from G H Lister, Wolsingham and feeding ewes to £128 from Fristling Hall Farm, Essex.
Ewes & Lambs £292 £265 £258 £255 £235 £205 £200 £195×2 £180×2 £165 Fristling Hall Farm Ltd.
Store Hoggs £142 £117 £89 £66 GH Lister.
Feeding Ewes £128 Fristling Hall Farm Ltd. £110 £72 GH Lister. £90 £71 RG McNeal.
