Manawatu stock sale reports

Feilding Prime Stock Sale May 29

This looked to be an overwhelmingly large yarding of prime lambs to sell at the commencement of play and at the start of the sale this prospect looked like it may have been so as the earlier pens of very good male lambs were $2-3/head back on last week’s sale prices. Lamb entries were virtually 7000 head and the occupied pens were many and it did seem as if there may have only been two major buyers operating. However, once some lighter lambs were offered, more buyers entered the market to the point that there was a general lift in prices from that stage and those sale prices ended up firm on last week especially for those prime lambs that would hang up at 21kg or less.

196 lambs sold for $150 or better with Peter Green finding two big male lambs in the back gully that sold for $160.50. The proportion of very heavy lambs was a little higher than last week but the buyers were getting enough lighter lambs.

Store lambs continued to sell to firm demand and still looked dearer than the last store sale for over 1100 lambs.

The ewe yarding was similar in size to last week and sold at prices right up to last week’s. There do seem to be more buyers operating in the ewe section than previously and another pen of run-with-ram ewes was sold.

There were many more beef cows in this week’s full cow sale and there was plenty of variety in the dairy cow section with incalf and in-milk cows to confuse the sale price range to the point where the prices were a little unpredictable, to say the least. The price ranges for both the good cows and the boner cows had a lower depth to their range and a higher peak. One main buyer did secure most of the beef cows which were generally medium in condition. Not all of the incalf cows were likely to have their calves with foetal blood an attraction and another buyer specialised in the in-milk cows. The cow sale was described as hard work, however.

A few hereford/friesian heifers that were good local trade cattle sold in a tight range but many of the heifers were less than medium in condition.

Two angus service bulls also traded in a tight range and the three steers were stores.

Sheep (8,105): lambs (6,953); heavy prime (2,302), 50-64kg, $132.50-$160.50, $2.50-$2.70, firm; medium-good prime (3,515), 40-50kg, $112.50-$135, $2.65-$2.85, firm; store (1,136), 23-42kg, $61-$122.50, $2.65-$3.06, firm; ewes (1,119); good heavy (347), 26-30kg, $118-$132, $4.40-$4.50, firm; medium (450), 21-25kg, $4.20-$4.60, firm; lighter (260), 16-20kg, $64-$88, $4.00-$4.40, firm; RWR (62), $130; male sheep (33), $20-$123.

Cattle (606): steers (3); 295-490kg, $681-$1244, $2.31-$2.54; heifers (111); 400-655kg, $828-$1755, $2.01-$2.68, firm; lesser sorts; 276-380kg, $527-$725, $1.53-$1.91; cows (490); good, heavy, incalf, in-milk; 465-640kg, $814-$1342, $1.68-$2.27, ease; boners; 368-578kg, $548-$1031, $1.49-$2.37, ease; lesser sorts; 318-392kg, $393-$471, $1.00-$1.43; bulls (2); 830-890kg, $1543-$1619, $1.82-$1.86.

Feilding Store Stock Sale Friday May 26

The much maligned beef cow, once abandoned by many farm advisors, had a wonderful day at the Thursday cow sale with terrific prices paid for around 620 VIC cows and 254 VIC heifers.

The top sale price was a record $2840 ($5.26) paid for 26 rising three year first calving hereford heifers in calf to an angus bull. These heifers were sold by the Hurley family’s Siberia Station, Hunterville, and headed to the South Island. The underbidder then cleaned up the rest of Siberia Station’s entry. Works buyers went home empty handed as the cows and heifers, deservedly for a high quality yarding, sold above works values this year.

Over 1000 scanned in lamb ewes were offered with the top price again $150 for Kuratahi’s romney ewes. Good scanned ewes are looking cheap buying at present compared with run with ram ewes and works ewes.

Over 20,000 store lambs were met with a mixed reception by the buyers. The early male lambs sold to strong demand considering some were not as heavy as they may have appeared. Locals were bidding again and prices lifted for these early males. The top price was $128 for 146 shorn cryptorchids from RK & SL Goldsworthy, Wanganui. Many male lambs sold between $112 and $118 and these were the lambs that increased in price with most over $3/kg liveweight.

As the market moved into the lighter male lambs and the ewe lamb section, the sheer weight of numbers dragged on the market and ended all price increases abruptly with sale prices quite noticeably steadying. At this stage of the season, most lambs offered are at least 30kg.

The better steers at the start of the cattle sale did sell up to or firmed on last week’s levels but overall the cattle market became a ‘‘little sticky’’. The wet conditions and current cow cull is making life difficult for cattle traders.

Of the earlier steer pens – G Florence, Tangimoana, sold 16 rising three year hereford/friesian cross steers for $2000 ($2.87) and ‘‘Waiwiri’’, Longburn, sold 23 rising two year angus steers for $1730 ($3.03) so some prices weren’t bad and the rising two year steer section, offering some good cattle, firmed.

Bull numbers were way down on last week. The bulls traded in a narrow range but did ease overall. Weaner bull numbers were half of last week’s, fortunately, but that did not help prices and they eased further this week. Panic Station, Palmerston North, sold 6 hereford/ friesian weaner bulls for $850 ($2.81) which indicates the market.

Heifer numbers climbed again. Heifers have been hard going recently and this week was no better. The rising three year heifers were only medium cattle but there were some nice rising two year heifers offered, many from one vendor. Silverton Pastoral, Halcombe, sold 30 rising two year old angus heifers for $1400 ($3.14) which would suggest these cattle were bought for breeding. The same vendor offered useful beef cross heifers but could not get the same interest. There was also a lack of interest in weaner steers and heifers but this doesn’t surprise after the number of these cattle that have been sold in recent weeks.

Sheep (22,345): ewes (1,707); SIL (1,079), $100-$150; lambs (20,638); 40-45kg, $109-$128, $2.51-$3.09, lift; 36-40kg, $92.50-$117, $2.49-$3.20, firm; 31-35kg, $93.50-$112, $2.71-$3.20, steady.

Cattle (1,513): steers; R3 (83), 491-695kg, $1400-$2000, $2.65-$3.05, steady; R2 (481), 259-570kg, $620-$1730, $2.61-$3.44, firm; R1 (58), 112-254kg, $500-$890; bulls; R2 (70), 274-561kg, $610-$1540, $2.71-$2.80, ease; R1 (238), 118-302kg, $435-$850, $2.81-$4.11, ease; heifers; R3 (49), 357-471kg, $970-$1120, $2.29-$2.88; R2 (374), 294-478kg, $710-$1400, $2.35-$3.15, ease; R1 (155), 134-293kg, $400-$800. Rongotea Sale Report May 24 There was a good selection of all classes of cattle with strong interest in the weaner pens and a softening in the heavier cattle prices.

2 year white face steers 452 kg 510 kg made up to $1350 ($2.44 $2.69) and angus cross steers 470 kg made $1290 ($2.74). Friesian steers 380 kg – 570 kg made up to $1470 ($2.03 - $2.58), cross breed steers 335 kg – 365 kg made up to $805 ($2.20) and jersey steers 380 kg made $700 ($1.84).

2 year white face bulls 515 kg - 615 kg made up to $1700 ($2.53 - $2.76) and red devon bulls 515 kg made $1440 ($2.80). Friesian bulls 388 kg made $920 ($2.37) and cross breed bulls 385 kg made $950 ($2.47).

2 year white face heifers 437 kg – 468 kg made up to $1090 ($1.84 $2.50) and simmental cross heifers 382 kg made $1350 ($2.80). Friesian heifers 362 kg – 425 kg made up to $750 ($1.67 - $2.07) and cross breed heifers 336 kg – 452 kg made up to $990 ($1.39 - $2.19).

Yearling white face steers 135 kg 267 kg made up to $785 ($2.68 $4.44) and cross breed steers 207 kg – 220 kg made up to $515 ($1.59 $2.49).

Yearling friesian bulls 142 kg – 235 kg made up to $615 ($1.91 - $2.96) and angus bulls 257 kg made $690 ($2.68).

Yearling WF heifers 144 kg – 176 kg made up to $650 ($3.69 - $4.16), friesian heifers 146 kg made $375 ($2.57) and cross breed heifers 139 kg made $410 ($2.95).

Weaner WF face steers 135 kg – 255 kg made up to $630 ($2.47 $3.79), friesian steers 218 kg made $430 ($1.97) and cross breed steers 152 kg made $350 ($2.30).

Weaner friesian bulls 125 kg – 240 kg made up to $605 ($2.52 - $3.16) and cross breed bulls 127 kg – 220 kg made up to $470 ($2.08 - $2.81). White face bulls 122 kg – 180 kg made up to $560 ($2.84 - $4.15), angus bulls 290 kg made $740 ($2.52) and ayrshire bulls 187 kg made $485 ($2.59).

Weaner white face heifers 115 kg – 215 kg made up to $645 ($2.83 - $3.71) and friesian heifers 180 kg - 190 kg made up to $440 ($1.94 - $2.32). Angus cross heifers 155kg made $440 ($2.45).

In calf cross breed heifers made $1030 - $1060.

Friesian cows with white face calves at foot made $990 and white face cows with a calf at foot made $900.

Friesian boner cows 465 kg - 546 kg made up to $930 ($1.63 - $1.70) and cross breed boners 423 kg – 489 kg made up to $800 ($1.55- $1.65). Beef boners 612 kg made $1130 ($1.84).

RWR ewes made $61, ewe lambs made $86 and ram lambs made $79.

Friesian bull calves made $200 – $250 and white face bull calves made $180 - $355. White face heifer calves made $200 - $365, angus cross heifer calves made $350 and friesian heifer calves made $100.