Manawatu Stock sales

Feilding Prime Stock Sale Monday March 6

Normal transmission was resumed with a large yarding this week following what was a relatively small yarding last week. This increased yarding allowed the two largest buyers to get their numbers without beating each other up and the sale prices eased ever so slightly. Where it was mostly felt was in the sale prices for the heaviest lambs as there was quite a number of those with some large lines of well over 200 lambs put up. The top price was $125 for 16 heavy lambs from A M Richardson which, in itself, was a little below last week’s top but plenty of lambs today clocked in just below $120 whereas last week they would have cleared $120. Lambs around the18/19 kg carcase weight range continued to be the most strongly sought. Many more store lambs were offered this week although most were forward store and they lifted to match recent store lamb sale price improvements.

A thousand more ewes this week had no impact on ewe sale prices which continued to improve. The heaviest ewes and the medium ewes were at least firm and the grazing ewes lifted again. The mutton ewe section is clearly the highlight of the sheep industry in the sale yards at present.

Some good beef cows were offered in the cattle sale and prices for these lifted as well. The dairy cow boner market was equally as firm at this sale. A couple of good angus heifers sold to lifting demand as well and the beef steers offered were more store-like in condition.

Bull numbers lifted again this week. Although the jersey bulls dragged the cents/kg levels back overall, mostly the bulls were steady. Some of the beef service bulls were very heavy and naturally marked back.

Sheep (6,778): lambs (3,898); prime (3,280), 40-56 kg, $96-$125, $2.20-$2.45, slight ease; store (618), 27-36 kg, $75-$97.50, $2.42-$3.12, lift; ewes (2,662); good, heavy, 26-30 kg, $92-$110, $3.30-$3.70, firm; medium, 21-25 kg, $74-$91, $3.20-$3.60, firm; lighter, 16-20 kg, $42-$72.50, $3.10-$3.60, lift; 2ths (145), $51-$97; male sheep (73), $40-$78.

Cattle (105): steers (3), 250-710 kg, $565-$1931, $2.26-$2.72; heifers (21), 355-580 kg, $930-$1577, $2.60-$2.73, lift; cows (51); good, heavy, 522-683 kg, $989-$1438, $1.88-$2.18, lift; boners, 447-577 kg, $804-$1090, $1.77-$1.89, lift; bulls (30), 330-1010 kg, $831-$2021, $1.61-$2.75, steady.

Feilding Calf Sale Monday March 6

Round 60 calves were offered at another early season calf sale and buyer demand was still strong. As the season progresses, larger numbers should pose no problems.

Bulls: Friesian; good, $280-$325; medium, $225-$275; W/F; good, $360-$380. Heifers: W/F; good, 280-$340. Feilding Store Stock Sale Friday March 3

A larger lamb yarding than last week at over 14,200 head greeted the buyers and just tested their resolve a little. Firstly, though, ewes met the usual ready demand from those looking to top up their lambing flocks and from those looking for grazing ewes and a yarding of mostly medium ewes sold well.

Lamb buyers came from most of the local regions plus the eastern North Island areas that have had rain and no buyers dominated the sale quite like last week. The better end of the male lambs generally were in reasonable order with none really weighing like lead but offering good scope nonetheless. The top price was $101 for 246 shorn ram lambs from Murumuru Farm, Raetihi. This was fully $10/head less than last week’s top price but was in no way indicative of the sale overall as last week’s tops were prime and next up was $98.50 for 265 ram lambs from R & H Pastoral, Wanstead. The top ewe lambs was a pen of 97 entered by D Crocker, Moonshine, at $90 but the ewe lamb section, overall, did not offer the weight or quality of the males.

In summary, it could be said that the better male lambs were roughly steady but the medium lambs eased back a couple of dollars with some of the lesser types back a little and others steady. It was interesting to note the cents/kg range in selling prices was quite tight which indicates the buyers have their eye in.

The cattle sale, by contrast, was reduced in numbers again and very much resembled a dairy cross sale. The market for the better beef steers and heifers was strong and lifted for that class of beast. No older steers were offered but some useful lines of eighteen month steers were put up. JJ Farms, Bell Road, sold 22 forward angus and angus/hereford cross eighteen month steers for $1525 ($3.03). A couple of pens of dairy cross weaner steers beat the weaner fairs.

Only a handful of older bulls came forward and, once again, the cattle yards were full of dairy weaner bulls. These mostly eased back today with the friesians selling in the $3.50-$4/kg range and the heaviest weaner bulls, angus/hereford cross, sold for $865 ($2.88). The easing was probably just driven by numbers as these cattle still seem to be selling well to good demand.

16 older and prime angus heifers from Springdale Farm, Halcombe, opened the heifer section and sold for $1645 ($2.69). The rest of the heifers were not particularly heavy, in general, but these better beef cattle matched the strength of the beef steers and lifted. A reasonable number of weaner heifers, mostly dairy cross, sold to steady demand.

Sheep (16,061): ewes (1,824); 2th, $105-$112; MA, $86-$111; grazing, $63-$87; lambs (14,211); 36-41 kg, $86-$101, $2.34-$2.73, steady; 31-35 kg, $84-$91, 2.48-$2.82, slight ease; 24-30 kg, $74.50-$83, $2.66-$3.26, slight ease.

Cattle (949): steers; R2 (271),285-503 kg, $880-$1525, $2.63-$3.65, lift; R1 (10), 114-116 kg, $550-$570, $4.82-$4.91; bulls; R2 & 3 (16), 418-510 kg, $1255-$1310, $2.56-$3.00; R1 (233), 112-300 kg, $430-$865, $2.88-$4.27, ease; heifers; 3 yr (16), 611 kg, $1645, $2.69; R2 (232), 203-402 kg, $510-$1130, $2.08-$3.49, lift; R1 (171), 77-191 kg, $300-$670, $2.88-$4.94, steady. Rongotea Sale Report March 1 The demand for weaners was strong again today at Rongotea with prices in most categories firming on last week as the grass market continues in Manawatu.

3 year hereford bulls 845 kg made $2000 ($2.37).

2 year hereford bulls 585 kg - 610 kg made up to $1500 ($2.46 - $2.56) and jersey bulls 260 kg – 484 kg made up to $950 ($2.13 - $2.41). Beef bulls 645 kg made $1750 ($2.71).

2 year white face heifers 510 kg made $1410 ($2.76) and beef cross heifers 355 kg - 455 kg made up to $1220 ($2.52 - $2.68). Friesian heifers 431 kg made $1120 ($2.60).

18 month white face heifers 332 kg - 406 kg made up to $1095 ($2.51 $2.70).

Yearling cross breed steers 315 kg made $760 ($2.41).

Yearling white face heifers 352 kg made $890 ($2.52).

Weaner white face steers 113 kg – 140 kg made up to $645 ($4.00 $5.69) and cross breed steers 150 kg made $445 ($2.97).

Weaner friesian bulls 215 kg made $630 ($2.93) and 100 kg – 142 kg made up to $460 ($3.00 - $4.00). White face bulls 95 kg - 122 kg made up to $605 ($4.68 - $4.96) and charolais cross bulls 95 kg made $460 ($4.84). Cross breed bulls 165 kg – 215 kg made up to $550 ($2.49 $3.06) and ayrshire bulls 170 kg made $455 ($2.68).

Weaner white face heifers 140 kg – 165 kg made up to $610 ($3.03 $4.34) and 98 kg – 116 kg made up to $550 ($4.68 - $5.00). Angus cross heifers 123 kg - 158 kg made up to $640 ($4.02 - $4.27) and charolais cross heifers 110 kg made $575 ($5.23). Friesian heifers 148 kg – 222 kg made up to $580 ($2.39 - $2.60) and cross breed heifers 165 kg – 192 kg made up to $460 ($2.27 - $2.39).

In calf (autumn calving) cross breed cows made $1210 - $1450 and in calf jersey heifers made $740.

Friesian boner cows 515 kg - 540 kg made up to $930 ($1.66 - $1.72) and cross breed boners 485 kg made$840 ($1.73).

Store pigs made $75 - $90 and weaners made $70 - $72.

Mixed age ewes made $51 - $88, ram lambs made $115 - $121 and mixed sex lambs made