Manawatu¯ stock sales
Feilding Prime Stock Sale Monday November 27
Another Monday sale that was dominated by the sheep yarding, albeit a much reduced yarding on last week’s. Ewe numbers dropped by over 3000 head, even though many hill-country blocks are flat out weaning, and lamb numbers were around two-thirds of last week’s. The sheep sale took as long to complete because there were as many pens of ewes but just in smaller lines.
There was no great discernible movement in spring lamb sale prices. Struan Land Company took line honours with 25 lambs selling for $167 and 354 lambs in total sold for over $150. Again, the yarding was divided between the two main lamb market operators which is a potential weakness in this sale but has been working well so far. Store lambs trended down with some perhaps heading to the meat plants at lighter weights and some lambs were obviously over meat company schedule weight limits but sold in here for no discount. Go figure.
As mentioned, ewe entries dropped right away but still numbered well over 5000. The proportion of good and heavy ewes reduced significantly at this sale and average prices followed suit. Overall the market declined again but not to the extent of last week and sale prices eased by about $5/head in very round figures. Two very heavy blackface ewes, not in the summary below, sold for $200.50 after two bidders had a crack at each other.
Hoggets were scarce, with only a couple of bidders and there was little change in the two-tooth and adult male sheep market.
Once again, there is very little to say about the cattle sale. Of interest were three friesian bulls that could probably be farmed on and sold for expected store money at $1782 ($2.70).
One big charolais cow sold for $1668 ($2.35) as the cows firmed on what was not a large yarding. The beef cows found interest from buyers. Only two heifers came forward, both hereford/friesian and, with a little backlog in the local trade situation at present, these were no more than steady.
Sheep (7,165): lambs (1,562); prime (1,312), 35-52kg, $117-$167, $3.20-$3.50, steady; store (250), 18-33kg, $50-$102, $2.80-$3.30, slight ease; hoggets (117), $65-$121; ewes (5,352); good, heavy (1,426), 26-30kg, $120-$148, $4.40-$4.90, ease; medium (2,466), 21-25kg, $88-$123, $4.20-$4.90, ease; lighter (1,316), 16-20kg, $56-$86, $3.50-$4.50, ease; 2ths (144), $67-$115; male sheep (134), $42-$145.
Cattle (74): heifers (2), 530-590kg, $1452-$1628, $2.74-$2.76; cows (59); good, heavy, 510-710kg, $1254-$1668, $2.03-$2.50, firm; boners, 355-580kg, $582-$1206, $1.56-$2.36, firm; bulls (13), 243-660kg, $498-$1782, $2.05-$2
Feilding Store Stock Sale Friday November 24
Vendors really tested the strength of the market with a very large entry of yearling cattle especially. The socalled spring flush has dragged the chain a little and some vendors may have expensive weaners on their hands with this year’s crop of lambs and calves now on the ground.
After last week’s easing in the spring lamb market a prediction was made that entries may reduce and a few more buyers would attend this week having been attracted by the prices. That may well have occurred as lamb entries reduced by about 500 and there were more buyers. Sale prices lifted for the better lambs to the point where last week’s $10 was recovered and even the lightweight lambs firmed. ‘‘Rorokoko’’, Masterton, sold 251 undrafted mixedsex blackface lambs for $118 and the Roger Batley Family Trust, Taihape, sold 70 lambs for $113. Another interesting line of 141 mixed-sex lambs from Blackburn & Son, Te Horo, that were freshly shorn sold for $107 and all these prices were above what could have been expected last week. The very light lambs were well behind the tops on a cents/kg basis but firmed on last week’s levels.
Hoggets were virtually nonexistent and the ewes with lambs at foot were roughly steady with no real standout lines.
The cattle yards were bursting at the seams. Older steers eased slightly. Tony Brown, Kimbolton, had another of his regular weekly drafts and they have become somewhat of a benchmark. This week’s tops were back 10 cents/kg when 22 two year angus steers sold for $1860 ($3.15) but overall the older steers did not change greatly, excepting the offbreds as is usual. 13 top exotic cross yearling steers from Pilet Contracting sold for $1430 ($3.16) and 25 top angus yearlings from Trotter Farms, Waikanae, sold for $1440 ($3.18) but this section struggled to match last week. One particular vendor sold multiple lines of yearling angus steers for well over $4/kg but some vendors struggled in such a large section.
Big angus bulls from Fordell Dairies finished with the cows and came into the sale, selling for $1990 ($3.61) which was a good return. 28 top friesian yearling bulls from N & H Worboys, Sanson, sold for $1175 ($2.77) but some pens of yearling bulls struggled and there was the odd passing with the numbers impacting here too and only the older yearlings cleared $1000/head.
Nothing really stood out in the older heifers and this section was reasonably steady which was a bit of a win today. Yearling heifer buyers had to be patient. Traditional heifers did sell at a premium to the rest and a large portion of the entry were quite attractive hereford/friesian cross. Consol Farm, Marton, sold 16 straight herefords for $1110 ($2.97) to lead the way and these younger heifers held on to be only slightly easier with the traditional heifers helping, as stated.
The drying track is pushing cattle out so margins may be tightening for those who wintered expensive weaners.
Sheep (5,612): ewes (229) with LAF (316), $55.50-$94.50; lambs (5,024); 31-36kg, $90-$118, $2.91-$3.41, lift; 26-30kg, $70.50-$88.50, $2.67-$3.06, firm; 18-25kg, $47.50-$67, $2.35-$2.93, firm.
Cattle (1,978): steers; 2yr (334), 350-590kg, $940-$1860, $2.69-$3.24, slight ease; 1yr (700), 240-453kg, $700-$1440, $2.56-$4.22, ease; bulls; 2yr (72), 372-552kg, $960-$1990, $2.58-$3.61; 1yr (296), 159-423kg, $455-$1175, $2.63-$3.59, ease; heifers; 2yr (83), 376-458kg, $1100-$1285, $2.74-$2.94, steady; 1yr (476), 202-392kg, $735-$1110, $2.75-$3.64, slight ease.
Rongotea Sale Report 22nd November 2017
The cattle pens were full to capacity at Rongotea today as the fine weather continues and the grass growth comes to a grinding halt.
3 year hereford bulls 820 kg made $2500 ($3.05).
2 year white face steers 413kg425kg made up to $1200 ($2.71 $2.91), angus cross steers 410 kg made $1090 ($2.77) and galloway cross steers 487 kg made $1300 ($2.67). Cross breed steers 425 kg660 kg made up to $1830 ($2.53-$2.77).
2 year hereford bulls 520 kg made $1800 ($3.46), white face bulls 495 kg made $1370 ($2.77) and lowline bulls 495 kg made $1380 ($2.79). Friesian bulls 500 kg made $1410 ($2.82) and jersey bulls 397 kg made $960 ($2.42).
2 year white face heifers 259kg – 405kg made up to $1050 ($2.53-$2.66).
Yearling white face steers 236 kg365 kg made up to $970 ($2.39 $2.97) and murray grey cross steers 335 kg made $880 ($2.62). Friesian steers 343 kg-423 kg made up to $1075 ($2.19-$2.54) and cross breed steers 275 kg-315 kg made up to $705 ($2.05-$2.24).
Yearling white face bulls 265 kg – 427 kg made up to $1240 ($2.57-$2.90), friesian bulls 300 kg347 kg made up to $960 ($2.67-$2.80), cross breed bulls 247kg-277kg made up to $660 ($2.28-$2.67) and jersey bulls 250kg295kg made up to $510 ($1.66-$2.04).
Yearling white face heifers 235kg358kg made up to $1120 ($2.32-$2.92), red devon cross heifers 270kg made $660 ($2.57) and angus cross heifers 270 kg made $560 ($2.07). Friesian heifers 275kg-319kg made up to $670 ($1.97-$2.11).
Autumn born white face bulls 175kg-215kg made up to $590 ($2.57-$2.79) and friesian bulls 252kg made $660 ($2.61).
Weaner galloway cross steers 307 kg made $785 ($2.55) and angus cross steers 160 kg made $485 ($3.03).
Weaner friesian bulls 89kg-133kg made up to $525 ($3.36 - $4.70), white face bulls 105kg-120kg made up to $640 ($3.80-$5.30) and cross breed bulls 97kg-106kg made up to $365 ($3.45-$3.54).
Weaner white face heifers 95kg182kg made up to $605 ($3.32-$5.13) and angus cross heifers 99kg made $500 ($5.06).
Friesian boner cows 545 kg made up to $1080 ($1.98), crossbreed boner cows 475kg-506kg made up to $920 ($1.82-$1.85) and jersey boners 420 kg made $620 ($1.48).
Weaner pigs made $90-$170. MA ewes made $70-$117, ewes with lambs at foot made $64, hoggets made $91-$95 and mixedsex lambs made $43-$76.
Friesian bull calves made $185-$215, white face bull calves made $280-$375, angus cross bull calves made $245 and speckled park bull calves made $395. White face heifers calves made $250-$350, red polled heifer calves made $350, murray grey heifer calves made $275 and friesian heifer calves made $230.