Manawatu stock sales
There is no prime sale report from Feilding Monday March 20.
Feilding Store Stock Sale Friday March 17
The sheep yarding was the largest for quite some time and the day was fine, warm and clear which would have pleased those at the field days. Demand for sheep and most particularly lambs is growing and buyers are chasing the lambs that are coming forward for sale like no more will be made.
The ewes that started the sale were essentially only medium ewes with some run-with-ram ewes offered as well. Medium 2 & 4th ewes sold up to $134 and, at last, breeding ewes are making more than cull works ewes again.
The lamb entry crept up to be just over 17,000 and most were in reasonable order although plenty were a little plain, showing the result of what has not been an easy season for them, and weights may not be as high as hoped.
Hawke’s Bay buyers were to the fore again and left slim pickings for the locals. Don Mclachlan, Pahiatua, had a good day selling 102 blackface cryptorchids for $115.50 and 101 blackface ewe lambs for $104.50 to top both sections.
J & R Batley, Taihape, sold 91 blackface cryptorchids for $114 to run second. The better lambs lifted above last week by around 20 cents/kg on a liveweight basis and the medium and lighter lambs approached those increases although few lambs were in the light weight range this week.
The cattle sale was dominated by eighteen month steers and plenty of bulls. Good beef cattle once again sold to lifting demand.
Better angus steers topped the steer sections with 4 rising three years from JJ Farms, Cheltenham, selling for $1830 ($2.92) and 6 rising two years from SG Schrider, Wanganui, selling for $1610 ($3.12).
Even though there were lots of bulls to choose from the older bulls lifted. Two pens of very heavy older angus bulls from Ruaiti Valley Farm, Apiti, sold up to $1950 ($2.97) and 13 eighteen month friesian bulls from the Glengyle Partnership, Hunterville, sold for $1440 ($2.91).
The sheer number of weaner bulls, at 338 head, kept a cap on that section and sale prices were steady. Ruaiti Valley Farm, Apiti, again had a good result and sold a pen of 37 weaner friesian bulls for $838 ($4.32), a price which would be acceptable when compared with feeder calf prices but some calf/weaner margins will be slim.
The heifer sections are in the background at present with reduced numbers and no really outstanding cattle being offered. The heaviest heifers offered were a mixed pen of four from PG & LG Robertson, Halcombe, which sold for $1200 ($2.89).
But most of the heifers were dairy cross and generally lighter as were the few weaner heifers offered. 7 runwith-bull rising three year hereford heifers from R Morgan, Wanganui, started the sale and sold for $1490 ($2.88).
Sheep (18,651): ewes (1,571); 2th & 4th, $101-$134; MA, $70-$115; lambs (17,044); 36-45 kg, $95-$115.50, $2.54-$2.86, lift; 31-35 kg, $90.50-$101.50, $2.66-$3.13, lift; 2-30 kg, $88.50-$95.50, $3.17-$3.37, lift.
Cattle (1,239): steers; R3 (44), 529-627 kg, $1550-$1830, $2.92-$3.04, firm; R2 (389), 272-515 kg, $1090-$1610, $2.86-$4.05, lift; R1 (17), 90-211 kg, $450-$571, $2.70-$5.00; bulls; R3 (10), 622-656 kg, $1860-$1950, $2.97-$2.99; R2 (254), 375-495 kg, $1120-$1440, $2.89-$3.14, lift; R1 (338), 97-194 kg, $460-$838, $3.33-$4.74, steady; heifers; R2 (129), 290-415 kg, $850-$1200, $2.78-$3.38, lift; R1 (34), 118-170 kg, $500-$670, $3.52-$4.23; RWB (7), 517 kg, $1490, $2.88; cows (17), 495-558 kg, $1060-$1150, $1.89-$2.32. Rongotea Sale March 15 A big number of heavier cattle returned to Rongotea ensuring a good selection for all buyers, with no sign of any weakening in prices.
2 year angus steers 601 kg made $1690 ($2.81) and angus cross steers 467 kg made $1270 ($2.72). Murray grey steers 485 kg made $1280 ($2.64) and belted galloway steers 435 kg – 465 kg made up to $1280 ($2.54 - $2.80). Friesian steers 475 kg made $1315 ($2.77) and white face steers 360 kg – 570 kg made up to $1620 ($2.84 - $3.01).
2 year friesian bulls 412 kg made $1115 ($2.70) and Jersey bulls 420 kg made $1060 ($2.70). White face bulls 337 kg – 595 kg made up to $1600 ($2.68 - $2.70).
2 year white face heifers 342 kg – 398 kg made up to $1115 ($2.80 $2.95)and friesian heifers 392 kg made $1022 ($2.61). Cross breed heifers 355 kg - 392 kg made up to $975 ($2.49 - $2.70) and jersey cross heifers 335 kg made $700 ($1.97).
18 month white face bulls 290 kg – 320 kg made up to $915 ($2.86).
18 month white face heifers 278 kg - 333 kg made up to $875 ($2.62 $2.97), angus cross steers 300 kg 347 kg made up to $920 ($2.65 $2.80).
South devon heifers 272 kg made $730 ($2.68). Friesian heifers 293 kg made $710 ($2.42).
15 month angus cross bulls 345 kg made $960 ($2.78), friesian bulls 344 kg made $990 ($2.88) and jersey bulls 242 kg made $620 ($2.56).
Lighter 15 month angus cross heifers 249 kg made $700 ($2.81) and cross breed heifers 195 kg – 267 kg made up to $505 ($1.89 - $2.56).
Weaner angus steers 242 kg made $1010 ($4.16) and white face steers 105 kg made $470 ($4.47). Weaner friesian bulls 127 kg - 215 kg made up to $710 ($3.16 - $4.00) and cross breed bulls 130 kg – 265 kg made up to $680 ($3.60 - $4.20).
Hereford bulls 230 kg made $1010 $4.39), hereford cross bulls 273 kg made $765 ($2.80)
White face bulls 137 kg made $580 ($4.22). Jersey bulls 180 kg made $480 ($2.67).
Weaner angus heifers 165 kg – 280 kg made up to $870 ($2.55 $3.70) and angus cross heifers 97 kg – 172 kg made up to $585 ($3.39 $4.86).White face heifers 195 kg – 320 kg made up to $875 ($2.73 - $3.13) and 101 kg – 142 kg made up to $545 ($3.13 - $4.92).
Hereford cross weaners 173 kg made $545 ($3.14) and friesian heifers 145 kg – 290 kg made up to $650 ($2.24 - $2.59).
In calf friesian cows made $880 $950 and in calf friesian heifers made $1000.
Friesian boner cows 350 kg - 590 kg made up to $1050 ($1.74 - $1.79) and white face boners 415 kg made $770 ($1.86). Jersey boners 467 kg made $820 ($1.75).
Porkers made $115 - $140 and weaner pigs made $50 - $120.
Mixed age ewes made $78 - $84, well grown mixed sex lambs made $74 - $106 and smaller lambs made $42 - $66.