Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their weekly sale of cast cattle, store and breeding stock on Monday 3rd August 2026. Forward were 282 cattle and 919 sheep.
57 Cast Cattle/OTM sold to 390ppk or £2845
2 In Calf Cows sold to £1900
19 Young Bulls sold to £2040
87 Store Steers sold to £2350
117 Store Heifers sold to £2190
711 Store Lambs sold to £156
208 Feeding Ewes/Rams sold to £210
Cast Cattle – The cow trade rumbles along nicely at very similar levels to average 267ppk and £1871 per head; a complete mixture offered, fat, lean, milkers, natives and continentals were all well represented. Top per kilo at 390 pence was an excellent Limousin OTM from JE Grieves, Brackstone House. Other OTM’s followed with a Limousin from JR Addison & Son at 366ppk and a pair of tidy Beef Shorthorn’s from M Kennett, Little Chilton top at 342ppk and £2451. The grandest gross value by some margin at £2845 went to a thumping 988kg Limousin cow from JS Foster & Son, West End Farm; the tight knit chasing pack saw the next eight cattle sell between £2420 and £2633. Dairy cows this week topped at 252ppk for a Fleckvieh from AJ Marr & Son, Old Ravensworth and an impressive £2033 for a Friesian from WK Wilkinson & Sons, Mains House.
Cast Cows – Top prices ppk 390 JE Grieves. 366 JR Addison & Son. 342 320 M Kennett. 320 AP Taylor. 314 290 KO Stones. 312 G Aungier. 312 286 RW&NV Chamley. 310 GK KN & GJ Hird. 296W Lodge & Son. 296 AJ Marr & Son. 296 JV Hodgson & Son. 292 JN Swinbank. 290 282 JJ Horn. 289 274 273 Whitehead Farm Ltd. 288 JS Foster & Son. 284 278 W Ramsay & Sons.
Lead Grossing Cast Cows £2845 JS Foster & Son. £2510JR Addison & Son. £2499 £2398 KO Stones. £2473 £2201 GK KN GJ Hird. £2451 £2356 M Kennett. £2449 G Aungier. £2427 JV Hodgson & Son. £2420 JN Swinbank. £2356 Whitehead Farm Ltd. £2258 JE Grieves. £2187 £2048 AJ Marr & Son. £2137 W Ramsay & Sons. £2038 AP Taylor. £2033 WK Wilkinson. £1969 JJ Horn. £1965 JG&IW Sayer & Tallentire.
Cast Bulls – Top prices ppk 290 WO Grix & Partners. 266 RE Dickson.
Lead Grossing Cast Bulls £2633 WO Grix & Partners. £2268 RE Dickson.
Store Cattle – The store cattle trade was in scintillating form this week, incredible returns for all breeds, shapes, ages and sizes. Like much of the country Essex currently resembles the Sahara Desert but that didn’t stop JP Phelan of Mill Pond Farm arriving with some great cattle to top the market; the Mill Pond magic included British Blue steers to £2350, Aberdeen Angus steers to £2300, Aberdeen Angus heifers to £2190, Beef Shorthorn steers to £2180 and Galloway steers to £1600. Plenty of store cattle up and over £2000 also included good runs from JE Holliday & Son, Woodland House and WO Grix & Partners, Hillhead. The bounty on young bulls was also high, this week’s topper was a smart 10-month-old British Blue from RL Dent, Mount Pleasant when he sold for £2040, just behind at £2020 was a tidy Limousin from HE Jewitt, Lodge House.
Breeding Cattle:
In Calf Cows – £1900 £1880 Whitehead Farm Ltd.
Store Bulls £2040 £1990RL Dent. £2020 £1960 £1760 £1700 HE Jewitt. £1700 H Chamley. £1680×3 £1620 £1600 £1560 Wilkinson & Son. £1110×2 GS Hutchinson. £1100 £1000 TT Hall & Son. £1100 £1050 S Waggott.
Store Steers £2350 £2300 £2280 £2210 £2180 £2120 £2100 £2070 £2020 JP Phelan. £2270×2 £2120 JE Holliday. £2100 £1980 £1890 P Leese. £2080 £2000 WO Grix & Partners. £1990 I Newton & Son. £1980 N Wilson. £1980×2 £1800 W Faill. £1880×4 PD Shepherd. £1880×2 PD Shepherd. £1810×3 £1770×2 Messrs Ewebank. £1800 I Spedding.
Store Heifers £2190×2 £2090×5 JP Phelan. £1980 £1800 N Wilson. £1940 £1880×3 Wilkinson & Son. £1920×2 I Newton. £1820 W Wearmouth & Son. £1820 I Spedding. £1800×5 £1720×2 £1700×3 P Tindale. £1770 JE Holiday & Son. £1750×3 G Anderson. £1700×2 R Wood & Son. £1690×8 High Mains Partnership. £1690×4 WC Barker & Son.
Store Sheep – The store lambs are dearer, the rain forecast seems to have galvanised the buyers as all classes looked very well sold indeed; mostly small runners on offer averaged £112.83. Top at £156 was a super single Texel from JW & B Firby, Manor Farm. The stronger end traded £120 to £140 throughout, runners typically £100 to £120 and the hill bred sheep and very long-term projects are selling £90 to £100. Feeding ewes an absolute flyer, fit sheep easily over £200 and the leaner end in unbelievably high demand. Top from Jack Sewell at £210 with a bonnie Beltex.
Store Lambs:
Texel – £156 £129 £128 JW&B Firby. £139 £122 G Bolton. £136 £129 £128 £120 M&A Gaskin. £136 £125 G I’Anson. £129 £115 £112 M Fawcett. £125 £120 £119 GE Raw. £122 B&L Robson. £116 J Sewell. £115 J Wigham. £115 JP Murray. £110 £108 A Wilson.
Dutch Spotted – £138 PA Thompson. £124 £116 M Radford.
Suffolk – £136 £116 M Radford. £128 M Fawcett. £127 £116 £112 JW&B Firby. £117 RG McNeal.
Continental – £136 M Radford. £130 £111 J Sewell. £123 CA&J Kipling. £122 £115 G Bolton. £118 £111 CA&J Kipling.
Cheviot – £123 £118 JW&B Firby.
Beltex – £114 S Beeforth.
Feeding Sheep:
Beltex – £210 J Sewell. £174 S Beeforth.
Texel – £205 £152 PD Shepherd. £204 £202 £178 D&PH Brown. £155 £147.50 JR&M Richardson. £165 GH Lister.
Dutch Spotted – £182 PA Thompson.
Blue Texel – £182 H Shepherd.
Continental – £180 JR&M Richardson. £163 3141.50 JV Hodgson & Son. £158 £132M&E Burrell. £158 G Bolton. £152 £132 J Sewell. £144 C Taylor. £130 S Beeforth.
Charollais – £177 S Beeforth.
Suffolk – £170 M&E Burrell. £165 JR&M Richardson. £160 JV Hodgson & Son. £152 J Sewell.
Mule – £148 G Bolton. £124 C Taylor.
