Stock sales around the region

FEILDING STORE STOCK SALE FRIDAY OCTOBER 6

Today’s mediocre sheep sale finished at about the same time the cattle sale commenced which displeased nobody as it was raining and cold again. The ewes with lambs at foot section continues to be underpinned by the mutton market and, even without any standout lines, this section remained reasonably steady.

The top price was $91 paid for 42 mixed age ewes with 73 lambs at foot entered by KC & SA Norman, Pahiatua.

The mediocrity kicked in with the hogget section which was very much an offering of clean up lines. Only 1100 hoggets were consigned for sale, continuing the rapid decline in the numbers being offered.

This also indicates that without reasonable numbers of early spring lambs coming forward there may well be a shortage of product.

Top sale price was $138.50 for a pen of 145 woolly ewe hoggets from J& G Bolton, Woodville. These were not the heaviest hoggets offered but attracted some bidding. Prices dropped away to $70.50 for very small male hoggets (although not actually the lightest hoggets) sold to a buyer who must have a plan.

10 traditional 3 year old steers from the Kilmister Partnership, Hunterville, started the cattle sale on a good level selling for $1950 ($3.21) and then it was straight into the two year steer section with JJ Farms, Cheltenham, selling a dozen prime traditional steers also for $3.21/kg at $1755.

This section was essentially steady on reasonable numbers. Overall, the straight black cattle may have been a little back on recent highs although, with more weight, the prices were higher on average. B& C Mitchell, Levin, sold 15 Angus and Angus/Hereford cross yearling steers for $1350 ($3.51) so they were heavier cattle but sold onto a weakening market.

Mitchell Patching’s Berry Patch, Awahuri, sold 10 top Simmental cross bulls for $1875 ($3.17) but this was rather a highlight in a weakening section also with a greater number entered this week. Bulls eased by around 10 cents/kg overall.

The top yearling bulls was a pen of 6 Friesians from Anderson Farms, Opiki, and these sold for $1265 ($3.00). These highlighted prices perhaps do not show the 10 cents/kg ease in the market bearing in mind there were some useful young bulls with good frame offered for sale.

Heifers were on a hiding to nothing in this market and the 10 cent/kg drop was felt with them as well. D Moore, Otaki, sold 10 Charolais heifers for $1470 ($3.30) which was a good result.

In the yearling heifers, a pen of 15 purebred Hereford heifers from B Arnott, Palmerston North, caught the buyers’ attention and sold for $1100 ($3.67) but the rest of the section was flat as well.

This cattle market has been at good levels over recent weeks and this was no more than a correction at this stage.

Sheep (1,723): ewes (233) with LAF (379), $55.50-$91; hoggets (1,100); 41-43kg, $131-$138.50, $3.01-$3.37, steady; 36-40kg, $103-$136.50, $2.96-$3.54, ease; 25-35kg, $70.50-$118, $2.71-$3.62, ease.

Cattle (1,056): steers; 3yr (10), 606kg, $1950, $3.21; 2yr (291), 376-547kg, $1030-$1755, $2.74-$3.46, steady; 1yr (239), 200-385kg, $490-$1350, $2.27-$3.97, ease; bulls; 2yr (130), 358-591kg, $1020-$1875, $2.78-$3.14, ease; R1yr (206), 98-422kg, $510-$1265, $2.84-$5.20, ease; heifers; 2yr (62), 323-486kg, $940-$1470, $2.48-$3.30, ease; 1yr (118), 230-356kg, $710-$1100, $3.03-$3.67, ease.

FEILDING PRIME STOCK SALE MONDAY OCTOBER 9

The first of this season’s spring lambs was the main interest at this sale as Sandon Farm weaned 68 lambs straight off their mothers and into the sale.

In two lines, they sold for $167 and $149 which is good money for a quick sale and fair money for such good lambs but showed no early spring lamb premium above the old season’s hogget prices, which wasn’t expected anyway.

Hogget numbers were very similar to last week but sale prices lifted back to the levels of a fortnight ago which did surprise a little as works space is apparently tight for this week.

The top price was $190 for 31 very heavy shorn male hoggets from Kuku Farm.

This was well clear of Holly Farm at $180 and, as usual every week, the highest cents/kg was paid for the lighter weight hoggets. Fresh two-tooths are $40-$60 cheaper than the lamb’s teeth hoggets, depending on gender.

The availability of ewes is a problem at present. With school holidays on, it would normally be expected that all hands would be on deck and everybody would be docking.

The awful weather is making that difficult and ewes are not coming forward in numbers. Today’s yarding was small again and prices also firmed again.

Most of the ewes offered were heavier ewes so they are probably the easiest to draft off. Whether numbers will just continue to trickle out as now or come with a rush who would know.

Apart from a couple of little bulls, the cattle sale was all dairies and boners at that. Numbers were extremely low and there were no standout lines at all.

Sheep (4,188): lambs (68), 43-48kg, $149-$167, $3.45-$3.50; hoggets (3,612); heavy prime (2,516), 51-66kg, $156-$190, $2.90-$3.20, lift; medium prime (894), 41-50kg, $131-$159, $3.05-$3.30, lift; store (202), 32-42kg, $80-$138, $2.50-$3.35; ewes (470); good heavy (269), 26-30kg, $129-$151, $4.90-$5.00, firm; medium (160), 21-25kg, $92-$127, $4.50-$5.10, firm; lighter (20), 16-20kg, $60-$90, $4.00-$4.50, firm; 2ths (21), $101-$127; male sheep (38), $46-$110.

Cattle (38): heifers (3), 270-390kg, $615-$858, $2.20-$2.28; boner cows (13), 450-600kg, $832-$1158, $1.85-$1.93; bulls (2), 175kg, $353, $2.02.

MANFEILD PARK CALF SALE MONDAY OCTOBER 9

The weather impacted on this sale with entries down to around 280 calves and the buying interest reduced as well and prices eased slightly.

Bulls: Friesian, $100-$165; H/Fr x, $100-$130; Sim x, $100-$130; Ang x, $70-$100.

Heifers: H/Fr x, $50-$100; Ang x, $40-$60.