Manawatu¯ stock sales
Feilding Prime Stock Sale Monday December 11
Those breeding blocks that always wean their lambs at this time and cull their ewes, are flat out doing so, in spite of the market and the meat plants having quite enough ewes around at this time. So, instead of shifting some ewes only three weeks ago when there was still good demand, the ewes are coming forward in large numbers now. As a consequence, the ewe market suffered another sizeable fall in sale prices with just under 5500 ewes dropping by up to $15/head in some cases and at least $10/head in most cases. Traders that took ewes home today should make a good margin because this market will improve again.
The lamb yarding was reflective of the wider situation with many lambs showing the signs of the dry conditions with yields and weights obviously reduced. Prime schedules are not being lowered at the rates often seen at this time of year, which is helping, but sale prices still eased a little. The top price this week was $143 for 9 lambs from R Voss and the Hare property at Arapata sold 80 lambs for $141.
One medium angus steer was sold to no great enthusiasm and most of the heifers were dairies. The hereford/friesian heifers sold were medium local trade types and eased in line with the downwards pressure on the local trade schedules.
Cow numbers nearly halved on last week’s but this did not help prices and they also reduced. Apart from a couple of better yielding beef cows, the cow entry was also almost entirely dairies.
As can be expected at this time, bull entries increased with many more jersey bulls in the yarding.
Sheep (7,838): lambs (2,246); prime (1,622), 35-50kg, $110-$143, $2.80-$3.20, ease; store (624), 18-33kg, $39-$108, $2.20-$3.30, ease; ewes (5,495); good, heavy (792), 26-30kg, $101-$125, $3.80-$4.30, ease; medium (2,318), 21-25kg, $76-$106.50, $3.60-$4.30, ease; lighter (2,269), 16-20kg, $41-$77, $2.60-$3.85, ease; 2ths (116), $50-$110; male sheep (30), $20-$142.
Cattle (128): steer (1), 490kg, $1249, $2.55; heifers (48); 420-512kg, $1045-$1262, $2.13-$2.55, ease; lesser types, 410-465kg, $643-$813, $1.57-$1.75; cows (45); good, heavy, 550-623kg, $1070-$1121, $1.76-$1.97, ease; boners, 343-515kg, $494-$880, $1.44
Feilding Store Stock Sale Friday December 8
If this sale is a sign of what is to come, we are in for a very difficult period if no rain is forthcoming. Last week’s lamb market did seem unrealistically strong and made this week’s fall even more noticeable. Over 18,000 lambs were consigned, many from regions that have not had rain for some weeks, but the problem is that potential buyers are also now facing the prospect of dry conditions and crops have not germinated, let alone grown. A couple of pens sold well at the start of the sale Rorokoko, Masterton, sold 284 mixed-sex, blackface lambs for $115 after some fierce bidding, with Roger Woodruffe, Sanson, selling 131 for $101 and Brent Williamson, Waituna West, selling 157 cryptorchids for $100.50 being the only other lambs over $100/head.
The heavier lambs dropped by around 10 cents/kg but the medium and lighter lambs, which made up the bulk of the yarding were down by up to $20/head in many cases. Lots of pens were passed in at auction and many pens did not receive a single bid which will make it hard to find them a home.
The sale began with 420 ewes with lambs at foot and almost all of them were ewes that had lambed as hoggets and consequently were very small and sold accordingly.
The dry conditions also impacted on the cattle market although, to be fair, there was not the quality offered in the two year old steer section. Tony Brown, Kimbolton, has been offering good quality traditional steers over recent weeks and sold his top 26 angus and angus/hereford cross steers this week for $1775 ($3.03) which is 10 cents/kg below last week’s entry. This could be regarded as a typical fall for steers with the yearling steers dropping a similar amount. 11 forward angus yearling steers from JJ Farms, Cheltenham, sold for $1420 ($2.93) and most of the heavier yearling steers could not broach $3/kg on today’s market., The dairy crosses were more affected reflecting their less hardy nature, as well, on a yearling steer yarding of very nearly 1200 head.
The bull yarding did offer many good, well-marked friesian bulls but was similarly afflicted in this market. J & K Love Partnership, Palmerston North, sold 13 two year friesian bulls for $1690 ($3.02) as a highlight. In the yearling bulls, the Olsen Family Trust, Palmerston North, sold 20 friesians for $1140 ($2.65) and Pennar, Hunterville, sold 23 friesians also for $1140 ($2.61) but these, too, were highlights on a tough day.
Life wasn’t any better for the heifers. Most of the two year old heifers were traditionally bred with cents/kg down across the board. The range was greater in the yearling heifer section but some of them would have been footsore by the time they reached their new (or returned to their old) home as they were late in the day again. Heifers presented reasonably well in comparison with other sections and the yearlings had a good proportion of Hereford/friesians again. This section eased in line with the others. 20 useful angus yearling heifers from Trotter Farms, Waikanae, sold for $1100 ($2.71) but only one pen of yearling heifers sold for more than $3/kg.
We are one day closer to rain! Sheep (19,424): ewes (427) with LAF (435), $41-$56; ewes (577), $66-$120; lambs (17,985); 31-38kg, $55-$115, $1.78-$3.24, ease; 26-30kg, $47.50-$88.50, $1.82-$2.98, ease; 18-25kg, $36.50-$60, $1.93-$2.55, ease.
Cattle (2,182): steers; 2yr (180), 320-585kg, $800-$1775, $2.50-$3.04, ease; 1yr (1179), 287-484kg, $700-$1420, $2.40-$3.37, ease; bulls; 2yr (66), 466-559kg, $1070-$1690, $2.30-$3.02, ease; 1yr (377), 283-437kg, $730-$1140, $2.39-$3.04, ease; heifers; 2yr (103), 381-473kg, $1040-$1240, $2.57-$2.74, ease; 1yr (269), 256-415kg, $630-$1110, $2.46-$3.06, ease.
Rongotea Sale Report December 6 2017
The continuing dry conditions brought more good cattle onto the market looking for greener pastures, with many heading over the hill to the other side of the island.
3 year jersey bulls 592 kg made $1740 ($2.94).
2 year white face steers 640 kg made $1740 ($2.70) and cross breed steers 475 kg – 640 kg made up to $1690 ($2.26 - $2.64).
2 year hereford bulls 477 kg made $1760 ($3.69) and jersey bulls 402 kg - 430 kg made up to $1100 ($2.47 $2.73).
2 year white face heifers 385 kg 522 kg made up to $1415 ($2.38 $2.71) and cross breed heifers 355 kg made $790 ($2.22).
18 month friesian bulls 460 kg made $1360 ($2.96), cross breed bulls 375 kg made $940 ($3.69) and jersey bulls 320 kg made $710 ($2.22).
Yearling white face steers 227 kg – 395 kg made up to $1050 ($2.48$3.17) and murray grey steers 277 kg made $730 ($2.63). Cross breed steers 270 kg – 319 kg made up to $675 ($2.10 - $2.50) and galloway steers 260 kg made $540 ($2.08).
Yearling hereford bulls 355 kg made $1100 ($3.10) and friesian bulls 272 kg – 480 kg made up to $1170 ($2.44 - $2.46).
Yearling hereford heifers 387 kg made $1000 ($2.58), white face heifers 235 kg – 285 kg made up to $610 ($2.11 - $2.41), angus cross heifers 206 kg made $430 ($2.08) and murray grey cross heifers 350 kg made $770 ($2.20).
Autumn born, white face bulls 180 kg - 210 kg made up to $590 ($2.81 $2.94), friesian bulls 172 kg made $600 ($3.48) and cross breed bulls 212 kg made $450 ($2.12).
Autumn born, white face heifers 180 kg made $520 ($2.89).
Weaner white face steers 87 kg – 100 kg made up to $420 ($2.97 $4.20).
Weaner friesian bulls 93 kg – 150kg made up to $520 ($3.23 $4.73), white face bulls 75 kg – 125 kg made up to $500 ($3.64 - $4.35) and cross breed bulls 95 kg – 117 kg made up to $320 ($1.68 - $3.02).
Weaner white face heifers 88 kg – 195 kg made up to $510 ($2.36 $4.65), murray grey cross heifers 106 kg made $420 ($3.96) and angus cross heifers 80 kg – 130 kg made up to $470 ($3.12 - $3.76).
In calf hereford cows 552 kg made $1050.
Friesian boner cows 405 kg – 732 kg made up to $1420 ($1.56 - $1.95), cross breed boners 465 kg - 490 kg made up to $1000 ($1.43- $2.15) and jersey boners 360 kg - 440 kg made up to $830 ($1.62 - $1.89). Weaner pigs made $35 - $100. MA ewes made $51 - $101, hoggets made $73 and mixed sex lambs made $45 - $101.