Rural & Farming

Glebe Farm, £1730 Newton High House, £1660 (x2) & £1650 Springwell Cottage, £1630 West Nubbock, £1600 Dukesfield Hall, £1590 Glebe Farm & Springwell Cottage, £1580 Springwell Cottage & West Nubbock (x2), £1570 Glebe Farm & West Foreshield, £1540 Quarry House, £1500 Springwell Cottage

Charolais x steers –£1620 West Nubbock, £1240 Blakelaw

Blonde x steers-£1325 Houselope Grange British Blue steers –£1570 & £1510 Glebe Farm, £1500 West End Town

Angus x steers –£1210 & £1140 Lowfield Simmental steers –£1340 Chirdon

Luing steers-£1220, £1165 & £1160 Chesterhope Limousin x heifers –£1610 Elrington Hall, £1535 & £1530 Quarry House, £1520 High Lovelady Shield, £1490 Chirdon, £1480 Glebe Farm, £1460 Glebe Farm & West Nubbock, £1450 West Nubbock, £1410 Midgeholme (x2), Glebe Farm & West Nubbock

Charolais x heifers –£1580 West Foreshield, £1320 & £1200 Raggetsyke

Blonde x heifers-£1385 & £1240 Houselope Grange

British Blue heifers-£1220 Glebe Farm Angus x heifers-£1090 Hackford, £1040 (x2) Elilaw Cattle 10 months and under

Limousin x steers –£1560 Newton High House, £1530 Quarry House, £1390 The Laws, £1320 Glebe Farm, £1260 Wallend, £1250 Dukesfield Hall, £1230 Wallend, £1220 The Laws, £1210 Wallend & West Foreshield

Charolais x steers-£1390 Raggetsyke, £1265 Blakelaw

British Blue x steers-£1060 Woodhall Limousin x heifers –£1650 Newton High House, £1380 Wallend, £1270 Newton High House & Wallend

Cast Ewes

Hexham and Northern Marts sold 429 Cast Ewes & Rams to a slightly stronger trade on the week as numbers decrease nationwide. Topping the sale was a Texel Ewe at £218 from J R & A Mews, Chapel House.

Suffolk cross Ewes sold to £166 on two occasions for a trio from Messrs J F Johnson, Tuthill and a pair from Mr D A Harrison, Woodlands. Mules topped at £138 from Thomas Telford, Pasture Hill, Seahouses.

Swaledale Ewes topped at £118 for a trio from Messrs W Tait & Sons, Bulls Hill.

Texel-£218 Chapel House, £195 Tuthill, £192 Cornhills

Texel x-£190 Chapel House, £180 (x3) Low West House, £168 Pasture Hill, £160 Rusheylaw

Suffolk x-£166 Tuthill & Woodlands Place, £165 Tuthill, £162 Low West House

Beltex x-£166, £164 & £156 Low West House Cheviot –£118 High Thorneyburn & Ewesley Farm Cheviot Mule –£144 Temon Farm

Mule –£138 Pasture Hill, £134 Carry House, £130 Tuthill, £129 Prior Hall & Low West House, £128 Pasture Hill, £125 Broomhope, £124 Parkside & Whitchester

Zwartbles-£168 Yew Tree Aberfield-£140 Whitchester, £132 Walltown Farm Dorest-£125 Yew Tree

Blackface –£120 Yew Tree, £118 & £113 Carry House, £110 High Thorneyburn, Blakehope & Broomhope

Swaledale –£118 Bulls Hill

Cast Tups

Cast Tups topped at £188 for a duo of Texels from Mr T M Reed, Renny’s Barn.

Texel-£188 Renny’s Barns, £175 Piatroon Leicester-£150 Bulls Hill Cheviot-£106 Parkside Blackface-£117 Hole Farm Swaledale-£94 White Hill

Store Hoggs

A small entry of Store Hoggs sold to a strong trade. 3 Dutch Texel Tup Hoggs topped the trade at £150 from Mr J W Smith-Jackson, High Town Farm. Texel-£129 Woodcroft

Texel x-£128 Rusheylaw, £124 Satley Farm, £123 Linacres, £119 Broomfield Farm, £118 Broomfield Farm & Woodlands Place, £117 East Flass, £116 Cornhills

Dutch Texel-£150 High Town Farm

Suffolk x –£122 Woodlands Place, £116 Prior Hall Mule –£126 Rusheylaw Abberfield-£116 Walltown

Swaledale –£118 Woodcroft

Cattle

Prime Cattle

Prime Cattles lightly sharper on the week with Limousin cross heifers from Messrs Graham & Son, Miller Hill selling to 278.5ppk. Top grossing beast came from Mr R M Johnston, High Fotherley with a heavy Angus cross heifer selling to £1665.54. Limousin Heifers –£1629.23 Miller Hill 278.5p Miller Hill

Charolais Heifers –£1596.38 & £1571.85

Flotterton

249.5p (x2) Flotterton

British Blue Heifers-£1385.65 Miller Hill 267.5p Miller Hill

Angus Heifers –£1665.54 High Fotherley 245.5p High Fotherley

Ayshire Heifers-£819.77 Marley Cote Walls 171.5p Marley Cote Walls

Cast Cows & OTM

A fantastic entry of 77 cows this week with met a tremendous trade, dearer on the week. New purchasers to Hexham ensured a flying trade for those better continental types.

Pure Limousin cows from Messrs J Lee & Son, Morley Hill sold to 248.5ppk. British Blue cross cows from the same home realised 237.5ppk.

The man, the myth, the legend, John Moralee, Hard Riding sold the highest grossing cow, with an 8-year-old British Blue cross cow selling to £1978.20.

Well fleshed Angus cows from Messrs J E Batey & Son, North Acomb cashed at £1740.84.

Hill bred cows were on an absolute flyer today with Galloway cows from Mr J Ions & Son, High Thorneyburn selling to 205.5ppk. With increasing fire power around Hexham Cast Cow ring more entries are needed to fulfil demand.

British Blue –£1978.20 Hard Riding, £1766.70 & £1698.70 Morley Hill, £1668.75 Grange House, £1644.75 Barker House, £1608.86 Tedcastle

237.5p Morley Hill, 235.5p Hard Riding, 226.5p Morley Hill, 207.5p Barker House

Limousin –£1865.84 & £1861.27 Morley Hill, £1695.38 Rusheylaw, £1670.13 Springwell Cottage, £1634.38 Burnbank

248.5p & 229.5p Morley Hill, 226.5p Kellah Farm, 223.5p Stone Stile, 218.5p Settlingstones, 215.5p Springwell Cottage, 205.5p Rusheylaw & Linshiels

Charolais-£1870.50, £1771.41, £1692.60 & £1660.02 Loadman

217.5p, 205.5p & 201.5p Loadman Angus –£1740.84 & £1606.45 North Acomb 210.5p North Acomb

Angus x-£1680.87 Low Horton, £1511.25 Settlingstones, £1457.11 Flotterton, £1421.63 Lynnshield

212.5p Lynnshield, 189.5p Low Horton, 188.5p (x2) Flotterton

Blonde x-£1332.45 Houselope Grange 211.5p Houselope Grange Galloway-£1428.23 High Thorneyburn 205.5p High Thorneyburn Hereford-£916.64 North Churchlands 168.5p North Churchlands

Hereford x-£1242.50 New Rift

177.5p New Rift Luing-£1393.47 Low Chesterhope 175.5p Low Chesterhope Simmental x-£1284.81 Morley Hill 189.5p Morley Hill Highland-£754.81 High Thorneyburn 143.5p High Thorneyburn

Stock Bulls

Stock Bulls sold to a high of 169.5ppk for a Limousin from Mr B A Swallow, Dukesfield Hall. Limousin-£1710.26 Dukesfield Hall 169.5p Dukesfield Hall

Prime Sheep

Prime Hoggs

A small entry of Hoggs including 60 from Messrs Heatherington, Old Hall that topped at £155 and 291.7ppk for Texel crosses and averaged 264.8ppk.

Texel x –£155, £154, £150, £149 (x2), £18.50, £148, £147 (x2) & £145 Old Hall

291.7p, 288.2p (x2), 281.1p, 277.8p, 272.8p & 270.9p Old Hall

Suffolk x –£145 Old Hall

254.9p Old Hall

Charollais x –£147& £145 Old Hall

Beltex x –£138 Low West House

270.6p Low West House Jacob-£110 Low Barns

152.8p Low Barns

Blackface –£120 Sewingshields

193.0p Sewingshields

Prime Lambs

A small show of Lambs sold to £155 & £154 for Texel crosses from Grange House Farm with 2 Beltex crosses from Crescent Farm making 392.1ppk.

Texel x-£155, £154 & £150 Grange House 369.1p & 357.1p Grange House

Beltex x-£149 Crescent Farm

392.1p Crescent Farm

Cast Ewes

More Ewes this week, topping at £160 from Low West House, Tow Law.

Texel x –£160 Low West House, £150, £144 & £140 (x2) Aydon North Farm

Cheviot x –£97 Blindburn

Mule –£120 Tarset Hall

Jacob-£105 Low Barns

Prize Show & Sale of Ewes & Hoggs with Lambs at Foot

Included in this week’s sale of Ewes & Hoggs with Lambs at foot was the show of Pens of 10 which was kindly sponsored by Mole Valley Farmers and ably Judged by Mr Ian Curry, Fishburn.

Overall Champion Pen came from the Texel class from M W & C M Ridley, Shitlington Hall which realised £132/life. Reserve Champion were the winners of the Mule class from Messrs Rochester & Murray, Glebe Farm which went on to sell for £126/life.

Overall the best end of the hoggs and lambs met an absolute flyer with a pen of 12 ¾ bred Texel Hoggs with Beltex x lambs at foot selling to £168/life from Messrs T W Oliver, Cawfields.

Suffolk cross Hoggs with Texel or Beltex x Lambs at foot in real demand with Messrs G Carins & Partners, Broomhall Farm selling the 1st Prize winners for £160/life. Gimmers and Lambs sold fairly well with a high of £156/life for a Dutch Spotted Ewe and Blue Texel x lamb from Mr H Murray, Moss Side.

Ms C A & J G Skidmore, Needless Hall sold Mule Gimmers with Twins to £110/life.

Older Ewes and Lambs a dream to sell and in high demand. Broken mouthed Suffolk x ewes with Beltex lambs at foot from Messrs JJ Spours & Son, Yetlington Lane sold to £117 per life. Prize List

Class 1- 10 Texel x Hoggs with Lambs at Foot: 1st—Ridley, Shitlington Hall; 2nd -Carr, Highwood; 3rd –Carr, Highwood

Class 2- 10 Mule Hoggs with Lambs at Foot: 1st—Rochester & Murray, Glebe Farm; 2nd -Ridley, Shitlington Hall; 3rd –Ridley, Shitlington Hall

Class 3- 10 Suffolk x Hoggs with Lambs at Foot: 1st—Carins, Broomhall; 2nd -Harrison, Woodlands; 3rd –Williamson, Littleburn Overall Champion-Ridley Shitlington Reserve Champion-Rochester & Murray, Glebe Farm

Leading Prices (per life)

Hoggs & Lambs

Texel x: £168, Cawfields, £156, £146 Highwood Suffolk x: £160 Broomhall, £155 Woodlands Mule: £132 Shitlington

Dutch Spotted: £132 Moss Side Gimmers & Lambs

Dutch Spotted: £156 Moss Side

Mule: £110 x 2 Needless Hall, £101 East White Hill

Ewes & Lambs

Beltex x: £120 Newbiggin Hill

Suffolk x: £117 Yetlington Lane

Texel x: £106 Hownsgill, £102 Chesterwood, Hownsgill

DARLINGTON May 9 and 12

Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held its weekly sale of Cast Cattle, Store and Breeding Stock. Forward were 512 Cattle and 579 Sheep. 107 Cast Cows & OTM sold to 228ppk or £1721 2 Stock Bulls sold to 174ppk or £1849 15 Breeding Cattle sold to £1800

48 Young bulls sold to £1450

125 Store Steers sold to £1305

215 Store Heifers sold to £1530

135 Ewes & Lambs sold to £365

79 Hoggs & Lambs sold to £280

29 Store Hoggs sold to £110

23 Feeding Ewes sold to £188

Cast Cattle – It seems surreal to report that the cows were no dearer this week given that the sale averages just a few months ago would have looked spellbinding at 170ppk and £1096, the recent high levels were however certainly maintained. No less than 26 cattle sold above 190ppk with the leading dozen all at 200ppk or more. Best of the bunch was a wonderful 42-month-old Limousin from J C Johnson, Trimdon Village when she sold for 228ppk and £1721, pick of the older continental cows came from W I Suddes & Son, Cornsay with an excellent Limousin selling for 216ppk and £1641.

Some exceptional native breed cows were on display this week; Aberdeen Angus were setting the pace as a fleshy 902kg from R E Dickson, Loftus sold at a whopping £1713 whilst a smart sort from G & J H Tomlinson & Son, Knitsley reached 198ppk, both were 5-year-olds. Thirty-three dairy cows were included this week, a hefty sort from S H Watson & Son, Winston topped at £1525 whilst fleshy OTM’s from F S Sturrock & Sons, Elwick twice sold in the 200’s with the pick of them a superb 210 pence per kilo. Just two stock bulls joined us this week with the best of them at 12 years young a remarkable British Blonde from Messrs Sanderson and Bell, Forest-in-Teesdale selling for 174ppk and £1849.

Cast Cows & OTM Leading PPK – 228 J C Johnson. 216 192 W I Suddes & Son. 210 H S Hutchinson. 210 200 F S Sturrock & Sons. 210 I & R A Watson. 208(x2) 196 S & R E Williamson. 206 K Mitchelson. 204 196 F Ward. 202 196 D Barron. 200 M Barker Farms. 198 192 G & J H Tomlinson & Son. 196 C & J C Stephenson. 196 J M & M & C Wise. 196 W M Bainbridge. 194 A J Gibson. 192 T L Holmes & Son. 192 D Robson & Sons. 190 L Brown. 190 R E Dickson.

Stock Bulls Leading PPK – 174 Sanderson & Bell. 140 S J Saville & Sons.

Cast Cows & OTM Leading Gross – £1721 J C Johnson. £1713 R E Dickson. £1641 £1509 £1338 W I Suddes & Son. £1590 M Barker Farms. £1565 A P Greenshields. £1525 S H Watson & Son. £1508 £1415 G & J H Tomlinson & Son. £1505 S & R E Williamson. £1495 K Mitchelson. £1480 £1419 F S Sturrock & Sons. £1460 £1303 D Barron. £1453 L Brown. £1452 F Ward. £1449 T L Holmes & Son. £1447 J J Kemp & Son. £1440 J M & M & C Wise. £1404 £1363 D Robson & Sons. £1398 H S Hutchinson. £1384 Little Newsham Farms. £1365 I & R A Watson. £1357 T L Holmes & Son. £1352 G E Raw. £1338 J J Kemp & Son. £1302 S J Love.

Stock Bulls Leading Gross – £1849 Sanderson & Bell. £1478 S J Saville & Sons.

Store & Breeding Cattle – Proceedings began with a varied mix of cows and calves, something for all tastes, topping the sale was a smart four-year-old Limousin cow with 2-month-old bull calf at foot from R C Raper & Daughters, Doncaster when she sold for £1800. The young bull trade remains strong, particularly for the forward sorts, in the unlikely circumstances that any value for money can be found it perhaps lies in the smaller, younger bulls.

Top of the section was a well grown 12-month-old Limousin from Messrs Wilkinson & Son, Rushyford when he sold for £1450. Very healthy numbers of store cattle were forward this week, a pleasing showing from both new and existing vendors saw all types sell well as the buoyant buyer’s immune systems remain absolutely helpless at fighting Spring grass fever. Some superb cattle from Rise Slowly Farm, Burnt Houses certainly saw bidding rise quickly as an excellent forward Limousin heifer sold for £1530 and a 17-month-old Aberdeen Angus steer from the same home sold for £1305.

No doubting the day’s top yearlings as some great goods from Grinton set pulses racing, excellent Limousin’s from W A Dinsdale & Son, Harkerside Place Farm sold heifers to £1295 and steers to £1200. What proved to be a busy day for just an orthodox Monday in May saw some 68 vendors hailing from County Durham, North Yorkshire, Cumbria, Northumberland and Tyne & Wear all enjoying a sharp trade regardless of the breed, size or shape of the wares they had to sell.

Cows & Calves – £1800 £1700 R C Raper & Daughters. £1550 £1480 £1050 B J Magraw. £1320 £920 G D Davies.

In Calf Heifer – £1250 B J Magraw.

Young Bulls – £1450 £1440 £1370 £1165 £1145 Wilkinson & Son. £1340(x2) J C Thwaite & Son. £1305 £1210 £1165 £1120 W B Rutter & Sons. £1290 W L Robinson & Partners. £1285 £1240 £1235 T & D I Allen & Son. £1210(x2) £1175 F Bainbridge. £1210 J C Thwaite & Son. £1200(x2) £1185 £1170 W S I Anderson. £1145 £1125 £1075(x3) J Dixon.

Store Steers – £1305 £1295 D & J Hunnam & Son. £1275 £1210 J S Foster & Son. £1270 W C Barker & Son. £1250 J H Johnson. £1225 S & R T Lowson. £1210(x2) £1200 £1180 £1100(x3) G T & M A Wearmouth. £1200 £1140 W A Dinsdale. £1190 L Kidd. £1170 J Robson. £1170 G & E Nixon. £1160(x2) £1140 O & L W Welford. £1130 £1125 £1105(x5) S R Garnett. £1120 D G & P D Ayre. £1100(x3) W H Smith & Sons. £1100 M V, N & D Cutler.

Store Heifers – £1530 D & J Hunnam & Son. £1375 £1225 £1110 J Robson. £1330 G T & M A Wearmouth. £1295 £1200 £1140 W A Dinsdale & Son. £1290 D Robson & Sons. £1200 M W Cook & Son. £1200 £1165 J S Foster & Son. £1195 J Dent. £1195 £1125(x3) S R Garnett. £1190 A & A G Moralee. £1190 £1115 W B Rutter & Sons. £1190 R Errington & Son. £1180 R White. £1180(x2) B Williamson. £1175 L Kidd. £1135 D R Smith. £1130 C & M Burnett. £1130 J R & L Harding. £1110(x3) £1100 A R Marshall. £1110 A Walton. £1100 Forster Hall & Sons. £1100 A P & E Procter.

Store & Breeding Sheep – Not enough hoggs and feeding ewes at this late stage to make the auctioneer perspire, those stragglers appearing however maintained excellent prices, the feeding ewe trade in particular is red hot at the moment. Ewes with lambs at foot sold to the highest rates we have witnessed thus far in 2022 whilst the hogg and lamb trade, although strong, did not quite match last week’s absolute scorcher.

Topping the sale this week were a perfect pen of 10 Aberdale crossed 2-3 crop ewes with twin Beltex lambs as foot which came from the ongoing dispersal of Colin and Liz Gaskin, Marwood; the delightful pen sold for a terrific £365 per family with others from the same home selling away nicely between £280 and £295. The top hoggs of the day also hailed from the Marwood based couple as the same good breeding all suckling single lambs sold smart pens twice to £280.

Ewes & Lambs – £365 £295 £290 £280 C & E Gaskin. £238 £198 £190 Fletcher & Coates. £220 £198 £168 I Spedding. £210 £165 H S Hutchinson. £210 H Foster. £190 £182 £175 £170 £165 K R Gibson. £180 £175 B R & S Fell. £175 W & V Burton.

Hoggs & Lambs – £280(x2) £250(x2) C & E Gaskin. £238 £232 £215(x2) M W Reed. £225 £222 £215 £205 H S Hutchinson.

Store Hoggs – £110(x3) P A Thompson. £87 £70 H Frater & Son.

Feeding Ewes – £188 £162 £152 £97 M R Cass. £107 P A Thompson. £95 £90 £67 H Frater & Son.

Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held its weekly sale. Forward were 199 Cattle, 1161 Sheep and 20 Pigs.

58 Prime Bulls sold to 280ppk or £2354 33 Prime Steers sold to 301ppk or £2085 106 Prime Heifers sold to 316ppk or £1928 2 Cast Cows sold to 170ppk or £1130

186 New Season Lambs sold to 395ppk or £166

623 Prime Hoggs sold to 333ppk or £174 352 Cast Ewes & Rams sold to £212

20 Prime Pigs sold to 135ppk or £112 Prime Bulls (58) – Bull trade just a little easier this week, particularly the top end, dairy bred bulls remain a good trade leaving those with the E and U grade’s feeling the hardest done by off the back of some mesmerising months in recent times. Still half a dozen bulls sold beyond £2000 and ten reached at least 260ppk as the sale averaged 234ppk.

Not for the first time recently the buyers were most fond of a Blonde as a super 837kg bull from P Weightman & Sons, Easington sold for an impressive 280ppk and £2343, only once was this gross value bettered as an enormous Charolais all the way from C & E McCombie, Aberdeenshire sold for £2354. Another raider from the North produced our top native breed as F J Fraser & Son, Forfar sold Aberdeen Angus to 220ppk and £1432 whilst Friesians topped at 210ppk from J & A Herbert, Barnard Castle and £1414 from J K & C E Farming, Piercebridge. Below are listed some of the leading averages.

P Weightman & Sons, Easington sold 2 Bulls to average 273ppk and £2023

J B Luck, Bowes sold 3 Bulls to average 264ppk and £1967

S & J Dent & Son, Great Burdon sold 3 Bulls to average 264ppk and £1805

J C Johnson, Trimdon sold 2 Bulls to average 259ppk and £1791

J & A Moralee, Bardon Mill sold 5 Bulls to average 255ppk and £1715

Continental Bulls – Top prices ppk 280 266 P Weightman & Sons. 277 263 255 JB Luck. 270 268 256 S&J Dent & Son. 269 257 255 249 248 J&A Moralee. 265 255 248 247 LR Welsh & Co. 264 255 JC Johnson. 260 R&M Paterson. 256 RC Raper & Daughters. 250 243 GH Farms Ltd. 250 228 K&A Harker. 248 240 JF Gibson & Son. 232 Rigel Pedigree. 232 WI Suddes & Son.

Lead Grossing Continental Bulls £2354 C&E McCombie. £2343 £1702 P Weightman & Sons. £2260 RC Raper & Daughters. £2259 WI Suddes & Son. £2137 £1922 K&A Harker. £2041 £1968 £1890 JB Luck. £1967 Rigel Pedigree. £1851 £1731 JC Johnson. £1850 £1749 £1739 J&A Moralee. £1850 £1825 £1780 £1746 LR Welsh & Co. £1819×2 £1776 S&J Dent & Son. £1799 R&M Paterson. £1690 £1676 GH Farms Ltd.

Friesian Bulls – Top prices ppk 210 187 JA&A Herbert. 209 JK&CE Farming. 208 206 HM&JS Hutchinson. 206 185 JR Knox & Son.

Lead Grossing Friesian Bulls £1414 JK&CE Farming. £1378 £1326 JR Knox & Son. £1374 £1175 HM&JS Hutchinson. £1219 £1180 JA&A Herbert.

Native Breed Bulls – Top prices ppk 220 FJ Fraser & Son. 214 JC&P Tallentire. 212 209 GS Dowson.

Lead Grossing Native Breed Bulls £1432 FJ Fraser & Son. £1377 £1132 GS Dowson. £1322 JC&P Tallentire.

Cast Cows – Top prices ppk 170 148 FJ Fraser & Son.

Lead Grossing Cast Cows £1130 £1013 FJ Fraser & Son.

Prime Clean Cattle (139) – Unlike the bulls the clean beef was definitely dearer on the week, less weight than last week saw the steers level at 247ppk whilst the heifers averaged a tasty 275ppk. King of the ring this week was Coxhoe’s W A Armstrong when his flashy 505kg British Blue heifer sold for 316 pence per kilo, seventeen other beast followed her in to the 300 pence plus club with stacks of heifers reaching 280-299ppk as the butchers shop fancies were in high demand throughout.

Top steer per kilo at 301 pence was also a British Blue as a perfectly formed lightweight young lad from J L Marks, Bishopton led the charge, one in three steers today sold at 270ppk and above. The top gross valued heifer came from I Marshall & Son, Bishop Middleham as a thick fleshed 665kg Limousin sold for £1928, a dozen other hot heifers this week sold over £1800.

All of the leading eight gross valued steers travelled down from Scotland this morning, regular seller Walter Dandie & Son, Broxburn produced five of these including one at £2019 however the sale leader proved to be Darlington debutant D Work & Son, Aberdeenshire with a sensational 764kg British Blue reaching £2085; further mention must go to Messrs Work with an awesome Aberdeenshire Angus which led the natives by a light year when he sold for £1998. As is customary some of the top averages are listed. Heifers

J B Luck, Bowes sold 2 to average 300ppk and £1684

J E Suddes & Son, Cornsay sold 4 to average 296ppk and £1740

W A Armstrong, Coxhoe sold 12 to average 294ppk and £1745

J E Jordon & Son, Longhirst sold 4 to average 294ppk and £1565

Askwiths, Crook sold 2 to average 292ppk and £1745

J V & J A Hodgson, Summerhouse sold 12 to average 291ppk and £1759

R W & R Henry, Worsall sold 3 to average 291ppk and £1659

Steers

J L Marks, Bishopton sold 3 to average 289ppk and £1621

Askwiths, Crook sold 3 to average 269ppk and £1743

D Work & Son, Aberdeenshire sold 4 to average 260ppk and £1986

Walter Dandie & Son, Broxburn sold 5 to average 260ppk and £1970

J E Suddes & Son, Cornsay sold 3 to average 257ppk and £1783

Steers – Top prices ppk 301 285×2 JL Marks. 277 275 255 Askwiths. 274 270 264 254 244 Walter Dandie & Son. 273 248 240 WL Robinson & Partners. 273 270 252 249 D Work & Son. 272 258 244 JE Suddes & Son. 270 JR&B Anderson & Son. 267 I Marshall & Sons. 225 215 T Watson. 222 TN

Hodgson & Sons.

Lead Grossing Steers £2085 £1998 £1978 £1884 D Work & Son. £2019 £1995 £1956 £1941 £1939 Walter Dandie & Son. £1919 £1875 £1701 WL Robinson & Partners. £1872 £1745 Askwiths. £1829 31776 £1746 JE Suddes & Son. £1807 I Marshall & Sons. £1732 £1633 JL Marks. £1598 JR&B Anderson & Son.

Heifers – Top prices ppk 316 308 301×2 300 298 296 292 WA Armstrong. £311 RW&R Henry. 310 308 307 305 290×3 JV&JA Hodgson. 305 296 JB Luck. 305 304 294 JE Suddes & Son. 305 293 291 290 JE Jordon & Son. 304 JL Marks. 304 300 299 292 W Swinbank & Sons. 298 MF Hall. 296 295 R Hirst. 295 290 Askwiths. 291 286 285 PJ&MP Gilhespy. 290 I Marshall & Sons. 288 TW Clark & Son. 288 B Walker. 286 P&JH Davison.

Lead Grossing Heifers £1928 £1802 £1787 £1771 £1760 £1723 I Marshall & Sons. £1851 £1832 £1815 £1799 £1794 £1754 £1741 £1727 JV&JA Hodgson. £1841 RW&R Henry. £1836 £1835 £1830 £1818 £1817 £1772 £1734 WA Armstrong. £1814 £1766 JE Suddes & Son. £1812 WF Hustwit. £1794 £1760 W Swinbank & Sons. £1789 Askwiths. £1747 JB Luck. £1725 JB Luck. £1716 R Hirst. £1656 JL Marks. £1649 £1622 JE Jordon & Son.

New Season Lambs (186) – One of those glorious occasions when the auctioneer loses no sweat whilst selling the lambs; a genuinely massive trade this week as the sale averaged a weighed 100% straight 350 pence per kilo and £147.21. Flying to the top of the class were five fantastic 42kg Texel lambs from W & M Knaggs, Sadberge when they were sold for £166 (395ppk) to regular quality seekers Roots Farm Shop, East Rounton. Over half the lambs offered sold for £150 as more buyers now start to switch and the springers naturally begin to push out the dwindling hogg supply.

Lambs – Top prices ppk 395 390 389 388 382 373 369 361 348 W&M Knaggs & Son. 387 348 342 334 332 331 321 Wytherstone Farm. 375 317 W Kirk & Sons. 372 355 M&A Gaskin. 369 297 K&PM Lough. 365 323 A&EJ Dobinson. 361 353 342 338 I Burn & Sons. 361 B Fisk. 357 330 Anna Herbert. 351 334 BR&R Routledge. 326 322 JT Wilson. 276 265 F Shield.

Lead Grossing Lambs £166 £163.50 £163 £160 £157×2 £155 £152 £150 W&M Knaggs & Son. £160 £153 M&A Gaskin. £159 £148 £144 I Burn & Sons. £155 £150.50 £144 £143 £136 £135 £133 Wytherstone Farm £153 £146 £136 A&EJ Dobinson. £151.50 £125 K&PM Lough. £151 £144 BR&R Routledge. £150 £127 W Kirk & Sons. £150 £132 Anna Herbert. £148 B Fisk. £132 £124 JT Wilson. £127 £122 F Shield.

Prime Hoggs (623) – The worst show of quality for many moons as the good hoggs in this part of the world were certainly few and far between, the vendors who are still finding straight well finished sheep are still reasonably well off. For four weeks running now the beautiful Beltex from T N Callender, Whinney Hill have sold at our top price per kilo, this week they claimed the top five prices with a best of 333 pence. Some seriously big hoggs from B Layfield, Crook took this week’s top gross value column by the scruff of the neck, the biggest and best weighed a staggering 100kg and sold for £174.

Hoggs – Top prices ppk 333 321 317×2 314307 286 285 282 262 TN Callender. 311 RE&L Frank. 300 IE&A Teasdale. 293 280 276 269 256 254 AC Simpson & Son. 289 261 Fletcher & Coates. 281 279 Northfield Farms. 280 Elemore Hall. 277 W Suddes. 271 TB Hunter. 270 JP&R Ward. 269 RE&L Frank. 269 D&AM Bayles. 269 266 Tallentire. 263 M Proctor. 263 M&CLR Dale. 261 P Turnbull. 260 DR Smith.

Lead Grossing Hoggs £174 £170×3 £164 £160 £157 £144 £139 B Layfield. £154 £145×3 £144 £141 £140×4 £135.50 AC Simpson & Son. £150×2 £136 W Suddes. £150 DR Smith. £150 P Cockburn. £140 RE&L Frank. £140×4 M&CLR Dale. £135 £132 £130×3 TN Callender. £135 JP&R Ward. £135×2 £134 JW&B Firby. £134×2 R Nattrass & Sons. £130 C Harle & Sons.

Cast Ewes & Rams (352) – Another outstanding ewe average of £108 as the mutton market bounds along nicely. Top this week was a superb Texel ewe from Weardale based Fletcher and Coates when she sold for £212. Suffolk ewes pleasingly peaked when a brand-new voice made her debut in our rostrum at £170 for a heavyweight pen of fourteen from Wytherstone Farms, Skiplam whilst Mule tops on the day were £120; finally, the horned ewes, best meat selling typically £65 to £85.

Lead Grossing Cast Sheep £212 £160 Fletcher & Coates. £200 £180 £140 W Denham. £170 £140 £134 £130 JJ Horn. £170 £160 £154 £150 £140 W&M Knaggs & Son. £170 £164 £160 £142 Wytherstone Farms. £150 £140 £132 IM Maughan. £148 £140 £130 Northfield Farm. £140 T Denham. £140 TE Dobson. £138 JC&A Hutchinson. £130×2 P Cockburn. £130 C Harle & Sons.

Prime Pigs (20) – Profit in pigs possible? Patient purveyors of pork pleased after preposterously long pathetic paltry price period perhaps pauses, please lord permit the pig players to now prevail profitably. Prices progressing. The author would like to offer sincere apologies to anyone who reads with a stutter this week.

Pigs – Top prices ppk 135×2 125 115 J Mitchell & Son. 120 110 C Weightman.

Lead Grossing Pigs £112 £98 £95 £89 J Mitchell & Son. £108 £78 C Weightman.