Weekly sales reports from Hexham and Northern Marts

As the auctioneers are set to welcome vendors back into the market from the April 12, when the current policy of ‘drop & go’ is relaxed under the direction of The Livestock Auctioneers Association, trade for store cattle at Hexham gets dearer and dearer week after week.

A smaller catalogue of 265 head were presented due to the onset of lambing in the low lying areas of the catchment for this centre and despite fewer numbers, a keen crowd of over 30 buyers were assembled at ringside at start time.

The older, forward entry set off at a pace and were sharply dearer on the week for a largely mixed show peaking at £1,550 for a tremendous Limousin cross steer and part of two offerings from Ian Thornton, Knaresborough, on the day. This one at 22 months was from The Gibbet Farm holding with another scaling to £1,510; a Charolais cross at the same age. Mr Thornton presented a super run of five from The Gibbet to average £1,466 and another ten from Hay-a-Park which peaked at £1,460 for a Limmy and £1,440 for an Angus cross bullock to return £1,370 from this holding.

Messrs Herdman, Lunns House, topped at £1,500 for their best red Limmy cross steer at a similar age and saw four all very level sorts average £1,436 from the Consett-based weekly consignors to this centre.

Heifers continue in great demand at Hexham and it was a super hefty Blue cross lady at 26 months from the Allendale-based Hollin Close of Adrian Hutchinson that topped the female rankings on this day at £1,515 for the delighted salesman.

Although not a special sale for native breed cattle, these too saw a lift and peaked at £1,440 for an Angus from the aforementioned Hay-a-Park with others selling to £1,420 and £1,400 twice. Mark Featherstone, Allendale Farm, sold black steers to £1,380 and heifers to £1,350 and averaged £1,275 for three of each sold at 20 months. Ian Thornton capped his days trading with two square Hereford cross steers and the weighty types changed hands at £1,390 and £1,380 to further cement Hexham as the leading centre for the sale of native breed store cattle in the region.

The middle aged bracket of cattle from 11 to 17 months held many highlights on the day and local breeders father and son Hector and Roger Rutherford, Low Eshells, took home their fair share of the bankroll back onto Hexhamshire topping both the steer and heifer lines in this class.

Their best steer changed hands at £1,305 but is was a heifer sister that rang the bell at £1,330 selling to a Stokesley-based regular purchaser of high-end heifers from the Hexham ring.

Messrs Tait, Bulls Hill, Allendale, also hit the heights on the day with their best heifer travelling to £1,325 and Andrew Reay, West Moorhouses, also enjoyed a bullock at £1,300 as did the Gilhespy family,Tedcastle.

The Walton’s of Greyside, Newbrough, are renowned for the quality of cattle they regularly consign for sale at Hexham and this day was no exception. A shame that the drop & go policy combined with a hectic lambing schedule prevented their witnessing a blistering trade for their run of 18 outstanding Limousin crosses at 11-15 months. The Greyside run peaked at £1,230 for a super pair of steers with their best pair of heifers ascending to £1,200 contributing to well-deserved averages of £1,195 and £1,123 for ten and eight sold on the day.

Once again, the youngest class of calves were sharper on the week and Messrs Gillespie’s calves which straddled the age classes were highly sought after. The Bardon Mill-based producers brought forward perhaps one of their best offerings to date and as well as the bullock at £1,300, they had another at £1,290 and their lead heifer at £1,200 to average £1,185 for four and two sold respectively.

A great many of these calves exceeded four figures and the entire entry at ten months and younger averaged £921 per head with calves at just eight months selling to £1,060 for steers from Messrs Reed, Dyke Nook, and to £1,050 for heifers from Messrs Bell, Woodhall.

As March turns to April, the auctioneers and potential vendors are faced with the juxtaposition of a phenomenal cattle trade on the one hand and the demands of the lambing season on the other, putting pressure on farming businesses that inevitably means one, but not both, can be satisfied to advantage. Producers that are contemplating releasing cattle onto the market, should contact our auctioneers safe in the knowledge that cattle consigned for sale at Hexham will be handled with great care and the sale of such animals in the owners’ absence for whatever reason will be executed in the professional and courteous manner for which the company is renowned.

With Good Friday falling on April 2, the auctioneers are actively working to secure entries for the sale in two weeks on April 9. To enter cattle for this next sale and to take advantage of the great rates available at Hexham, please contact any of our team of auctioneers on their personal mobile numbers or call the mart office on 01434 605444.

Leading prices;

Cattle 23 – 30 Months

Limousin x steers – £1460 Hay – a – Park, £1390 & £1375 Lunns House, £1200 Hay – a - Park.

British Blue x heifers - £1515 Hollin Close.

Angus x steers - £1380 & £1230 Allendale.

Angus x heifers – £1350 Allendale, £1310 East Uppertown.

Hereford steers - £1390 Gibbet Farm, £1380 Hay – a – Park.

Cattle 17 – 22 Months

Limousin x steers – £1550 Gibbet Farm, £1500 & £1480 Lunns House, £1400 Hay – a – Park, £1395, £1315 & £1280 Fallowfield, £1240 Camphill, £1220 Fallowfield.

Limousin x heifers – £1320 Hollin Close, £1290 Camphill, £1105 & £1100 Hollin Close.

British Blue x steers - £1280 Camphill, £1235 Low Eshells, and £1220 Camphill.

British Blue x heifers - £1135 Camphill.

Charolais x steers – £1510 & £1440 Gibbet Farm, £1250 & £1230 Fallowfield, £1230 Hay – a – Park.

Piedmontese x steers - £1410 Hay – a – Park.

Stabilizer steers - £1345 & £1230 Fallowfield.

Angus x steers – £1440 Gibbet Farm, £1420 & £1400 (x2) Hay – a - Park.

Angus x heifers – £1350 Allendale Farm, £1280 Heatheridge, £1160 Allendale farm.

Hereford x steers - £1120 Wagtail.

Cattle 11 – 16 Months

Limousin x steers – £1305 Low Eshells, £1300 West Moorhouses & Tedcastle, £1290 Tedcastle, £1250 Low Eshells, £1230, £1215 & £1205 Greyside, £1190 West Moorhouses & Greyside, £1180 & £1170 Greyside, £1150 Lowfield, £1130 East Flass, £1115 Shillafield, £1110 West Moorhouses, £1100 East Flass & North Cocklake, £1085 & £1075 (x2) Lowfield, £1070 Longshaws & Woodhall, £1055 Lowfield, £1050 Shillafield, The Fawns & Woodhall.

Limousin x heifers – £1330 Low Eshells, £1325 & £1250 Bulls Hill, £1200 Greyside & Tedcastle, £1160 The Fawns, £1150 Greyside, £1140 Shillafield, £1135 West Moorhouses, £1125 The Fawns, £1120, £1100 & £1095 Greyside, £1040 The Fawns, £1035 North Cocklake, £1030 Greyside, £1010 Woodhall.

British Blue x steers - £1115 West Moorhouses.

British Blue x heifers - £1030 & £1010 Woodhall.

Charolais x steers - £1190, £1110, £1100, £1090 & £1070 Wheat Hall, £1060 Dyke Nook.

Charolais x heifers - £1055 & £1010 Wheat Hall, £1000 Harnham Hall, £970 Wheat Hall.

Simmental x steers - £1170 Wheat Hall, £1080 Hedley West.

Angus x steers - £1270, £1240, £1180, £1170 & £1140 East Butsfield, £1130 & £1100 Lowfield, £1090 West Butsfield, £1085, £1070 (x3) & £1060 Lowfield.

Angus x heifers - £1025 & £1000 (x2) West Butsfield.

Hereford x steers - £1145 Wagtail.

Cattle 10 months and under

Limousin x steers – £1160 West Moorhouses, £1150 Greyside, £1060 Beukley, £1040 East Flass, £1020 Tedcastle, £100 Dyke Nook, £985 Beukley, £980 Dyke Nook & Woodhall.

Limousin x heifers - £1200 Tedcastle, £1170 Bulls Hill, £1050 Woodhall, £1005 Dyke Nook, £960 West Moorhouses, £940 & £910 Dyke Nook.

British Blue x steers - £1090 West Moorhouses.

Charolais x steers - £1100 Tedcastle, £1020 Harnham Hall.

Another extreme trade was seen in Hexham cast ewe trade with all classes similar on the week.

Topping the sale at £206 was a Texel Ewe from DE Wilkinson Partners, Ridley Stokoe. Closely behind at £204 was another Texel ewe from Messrs RR Reay, West Moorhouses.

A tremendous pen of Suffolk ewes sold to £146 twice from Mr JS Davison, Town Farm and North Trewick Farms, with the Suffolk section averaging at £128.44.

Mule Ewes topped at £122 for a pair from West Moorhouses with his consignment of 19 averaging £148.

No sale will be held next week due to Good Friday so the next Cast Ewe sale will be on Friday, April 9.

Contact Jack on 07739 440457.

Texel – £206 Ridley Stokoe, £184 Middle Dukesfield, £180 Butsfield Burn, £172 Paxton Dene.

Texel x – £204 & £182 West Moorhouses, £165 Halfway House, £158 & £154 West Moorhouses, £152 Ridley Stokoe, £146 South Farm, £145 Woodlands Place, £144 Paxton Dene £139 (x2) Town Farm, £138 Paxton Dene & Slaterfield, £136 China Hall & Dilston Farm, £134 Cooper House, Thornbrough Farm, Whins Farm & Paxton Dene, £132 Low Houselop & Butsfield Burn, £130 Paxton Dene, £128 Camphill & Dilston Farm, £126 Thornbrough Farm & Paxton Dene, £125 Ridley Stokoe, £124 Broomfield & China Hall.

Suffolk x - £146 Town Farm & North Trewick, £144 South Farm, £140 Northend Farm, £139 Whins Farm, £135 Whins Farm, £134 Northend Farm, South Farm & Whins Farm, £132 Lunns House, £128 Nilston Rigg & Whins Farm, £125 Woodlands Place, £124 (x2) Colepike, £122 South Farm.

Beltex x - £138 & £130 West Moorhouses.

Charollais x- £141 & £136 Whins Farm.

Mule – £122 West Moorhouses, £120 Cooper House & Butsfield Burn, £118 The Chesters, £117 Town Farm & North Trewick, £116 Low House Farm, £113 Slaterfield Fell, £111 Hudspeth, £110 Low Brooms & East Barnley, £106 Low Mill Farm.

Leicester - £144 Whiteside.

Cheviot x - £122 Northend Farm, £98 & £92 Mount Pleasant.

Blackface - £100 Redesmouth, £89 Ridley Stokoe.

Swaledale – £94 Gleedlee, £76 Hawksteel, £70 Ouston Farm.

Herdwick-£82 East Barnley.

Cast tups sold to another strong trade topping at £160 from DNO Scott, The Chesters.

Texel - £160 The Chesters, £158 High Fotherley, £136 Houselope Grange, £134 The Chesters.

Suffolk - £128 The Chesters.

Cheviot - £135 & £118 Bellshiel.

Cheviot x - £116 Bellshiel.

Blackface – £96 Bellshiel, £91 (x2) Camphill.

Herdwick-£88 Middle Dukesfield.

Store Hoggs sold to a two tier trade with the biggest end easy to sell compared to the smaller end of season types which were hard to place.

Topping the trade at £170 were a pair of Texels from Messrs AG & D Bisset, Middle Dukesfield, who’s run of 11 averaged at £136.73

Messrs M & N Gray, Low Espley, sold five Leicester tup Hoggs to £152.

With the season reaching an end, vendors are politely reminded to only bring stock which are sound and healthy.

There will be no sale next Friday.

Texel - £152 Middle Dukesfield, £138 Low Espley, £130 Nilston Rigg.

Texel x – £170 & £160 Middle Dukesfield, £140 Nilston Rigg & Slealands, £138 Halfway House Farm, £134 Ridley Stokoe, £131 Paxton Dene,£128 Middle Dukesfield, £127 Paxton Dene, £126 Cheviot, £124 & £123 & £121 Paxton Dene, £119 Tenter House.

Suffolk x - £125 High Keenley Fell.

Beltex x – £126 Middle Dukesfield, £126 & £116 Low Espley.

Mule – £114 Barrasford, £106 Farneyshield, £104 Redesmouth.

Leicester – £152 Low Espley, £114 Middle Dukesfield.

Cheviot Mule – £90 Bavington Hill.

Herdwick - £75 Heatheridge Farm.

Cheviot - £129 & £106 & £104 Bellshiel.

Blackface – £97 Ridley Stokoe, £90 Westhouses Farm.

Swaledale- £110 Espershields.

Jacob-£98 Nettle Hall.

A very mixed bag of clean cattle this week with some leaner plainer sorts forward. This didn’t hamper the trade though, with trade dearer on the week. Limousin x heifers from father & son team Chris and Andrew Johnson, of Messrs H Clark & Sons, Paxton Dene, selling to 255.5ppkg.

Angus heifers were extremely easy to sell with a well fleshed sort from MJ Dixon, The Stobbs, selling to 230.5ppkg

Limousin x Heifers – £1494.68 & £1445.85 Paxton Dene

255.5p & 249.5p Paxton Dene.

British Blue x Heifers - £1288.92 & 233.5p Paxton Dene.

Charolais x Heifers - £1460.10 & £1323.69 Flotterton

235.5p & 225.5p Flotterton.

Angus Heifers - £1133.61 & 199.5p Braidley.

Angus x Heifers - £1415.27 & £1185.77 The Stobbs

230.5p & 209.5p The Stobbs.

A small but fleshy entry of Young Angus Bulls from RJ& LA Acton, Braidley, that sold well to 216.5ppkg.

More bulls can be sold here at Hexham with new purchasers enquiring for young, well fed, bulls

Angus - £1320.65, £1319.85 & £1305.72 Braidley

216.5p, 209.5p & 201.5p Braidley.

Another fantastic entry for the time of year with Hexham increasingly being favoured by North-East producers.

Two fresh faces ringside made all classes of cattle eagerly bid for, especially bulls.

Messrs JB & N Harrison & Son, Colepike, selling cows to £1,592.78 and the same home sold a Blonde Stock Bull to £1,549.80.

Lean cows just keep getting dearer and dearer with some extremely lean, older ladies breaking the 140-145ppkg barrier.

A good entry of dairy cows this week with Montbeliarde x cows selling to 159.5ppkg from Messrs W Faill & Sons Ltd, Hedley, West Riding. Holstein Friesian x cows, from Peepy Farm Ltd, sold to a high of 157.5ppkg

Angus x –£1274.25 & £1244.65 The Stobbs

171.5p & 170.5p The Stobbs, 253.5p Hedley West Riding & The Stobbs.

Blonde d’Aquitaine Bull - £1549.80 & 143.5p Colepike.

British Blue x - £1224.75 & 177.5p Harwood Shield.

Beef Shorthorn - £1259, £1164.00, £1069.84 Crook Hall

155.5p (x2), 153.5p, 145.5p (x2) Crook Hall.

Limousin x - £1592.78 & £1509.30 Colepike, £1221.50 Ouston, £1203.45 Chesters, £1118.60 West Wharmley

183.5p & 175.5p Colepike, 174.5p Ouston, 169.5p Chesters, 164.5p West Wharmley.

Simmental x - £974.73 & 153.5p Wydon.

British Friesian - £1112.65 & 144.5p Hedley West Riding.

British Friesian x - £479.50 & 111.5p Drumlister.

Holstein Friesian - £896.40 & £746.13 Peepy Farm

124.5p & 117.5p Peepy Farm.

Holstein Friesian x - £850.50 & 157.5p Peepy Farm.

Montbeliarde x - £1036.75 & 159.5p Hedley West Riding.

Norwegian Red x -£709.50 & 107.5p Drumlister.

British Blue x OTM Heifers from Messrs RW Harding & Son, West End Town, sold to 199.5ppkg

Angus x heifers sold to 191.5ppkg from MJ Dixon, The Stobbs.

More cattle needed now week on week to fulfil buyer demand.

Contact Drew 07854 361967.

Angus x - £1332.84 & 191.5p The Stobbs.

British Blue x - £1556.10 & 199.5p West End Town.

More hoggs forward this week and a much improved show selling to a top of £158 from Geoff Ogle, Blackburn, who’s 107 averaged £140.86.

Best hoggs to 357.1p Hill Top (162 averaged £141.23) but the top average again was from Butsfield Burn (32 averaged £144.70)

Texel x – £158 Blackburn, £154.50 Butsfield Burn, £150 Butsfield Burn & Hill Top, £146.50 & £146 (x2) Blackburn, £146 Glendue, £145 Butsfield Burn, Blackburn & Hill Top, £144.50 Butsfield Burn (x2), £144 (x2) & £143.50 Hill Top, £141.50 Blackburn & Hill Top, £140.50 Blackburn, £140 Butsfield Burn, Delight Farm & Hill Top (x2)

357.1p, 342.9p, 338.8p & 333.3p Hill Top, 333.0p & 331.8p (x2) Blackburn, 329.6p Hill Top, 323.5p Lodge House, 321.4p Hill Top, 312.8p Middle Heads, 311.6p Hill Top, 298.1p Blackburn, 294.8p Hill Top.

Suffolk x – £146 Butsfield Burn, £139 Hill Top (x2)

290.9p Hill Top, 282.1p Delight Farm.

Charollais x - £130, £129 & £125 Lodge House

286.8p, 286.7p & 282.6p Lodge House.

Mule – £122 Blackburn.

Cheviot - £132 Hill Top, £120 Flotterton, £115 Westhouses

307.0p Hill Top, 272.7p Flotterton, 265.9p Westhouses.

Blackface - £115 Westhouses, £110 The Brigg

251.2p & 250.0p Westhouses.

Swaledale - £113 Allenshields.