Limousins attracted the top awards and prices at Darlington Farmers Auction Mart Anniversary show and sale of prime stock, where the supreme, a 587kg red heifer from Heather Marks of Gilly Flatts Farm, Bishopton, sold for the top price of 385p per kg or £2259, to David and Joanne Gawthorpe butchers, Denby Dale, Huddersfield.
Reserve was the winning steer from York-based Neil Tattersall, Town Farm. It scaled 570kg and sold for 320p or £1824 to Worsley Wholesale Butchers.
Leading the bulls, was a 637kg entry from GK, KN, and GJ Hird, Meadow View, which scaled 637kg and sold for 314p or £2000. The top price per head amongst the bulls was £2400 paid for a 795kg Limousin from AG Watson and Sons, Nunstainton Grange, which sold for 302p per kg.
The lead price per kg amongst the bulls was 320p paid for 712kg Limousin from S and J Dent and Son, Great Burdon, which made £2278.
By the end of the day, 94 prime bulls averaged 265ppk or £1871, with the 86 clean cattle seeing heifers cash in at 298p.
Beltex from W Ramsay and Sons, Blakeley Hill, won the champion pen of five amongst the lambs, with their 52kg entries making 390p per kg or £203 apiece.
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The same breed secured the second and third-prize awards. Lambs from JV and JA Hodgson, The Grange, stood second and sold for 307p or £132, with the third prize winners from J Irvine, Mill Farm making 314p or £132. The top three pens sold to Bowland Foods, Preston.
Cast sheep sold for £250.
Cast Ewes & Rams (577) – A better show of ewes this week met with a similar trade although the average climbed due to the better quality. A couple of extreme cases grabbed the headlines as a stupendous Texel ewe from J C Thwaite & Son at £250 and a blindingly good Beltex from Ivan Walker at £222 led the way. Behind these superstars the heavy Suffolk and continental ewes sold largely between £120 and £160, best Mule ewes £80 to £90 as a rule with fit Swaledale’s £45 to £55. Blackface tups sold to £90 from P Turnbull with Cheviots to £135 and British Rouge to £134 and £128.
Lead Grossing Cast Sheep - £250 £115 JC Thwaite & Son. £222 Ivan Walker. £180 £152 £146 £142 £130 x2 JV&JA Hodgson. £162 £125 x2 £112 TN Callender. £160 A&R Breeze. £150 £130 JP Floyd. £150 £132 AS&G Donaldson. £142 £118 x2 RG Richardson. £140 x2 JC Simpson. £140 £126 £110 M Smith. £140 £130 £115 JJ Horn. £138 £134 £128 £126 £120 £84 IE&CA Teasdale. £136 £124 £122 T Duckitt. £134 £132 £115 £111 AC Simpson & Son. £134 £130 P Cockburn. £128 x2 £120 Wytherstone Farm. £124 £114 GP Addison. £120 AJ&KM Foster & Son. £120 W Lewis & Sons. £111 W Denham. £111 £110 GP&A Carter. £120 BR&RI Routledge. £100 K Tallentire. £90 CK&D Muir LTD. £90 P Turnball. £90 PR&V Barlow & Son.
Prime Pigs (23) – Plenteous piggies performed perfectly, with three sales, 468 cattle and 7220 sheep sold this week I truly admire the dedication of those of you still reading at this late stage. Thank you and goodnight, back Monday.
Pigs – Top prices ppk 205 200 180 J Mitchell & Son. 200 175 155 C Weightman.
Lead Grossing Pigs £192 £185 £176 £167 C Weightman. £159 £154 £138 J Mitchell & Son.
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