Rongotea stock sale
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The saleyards in the centre of the Manawatu¯ town and each week attract thousands of stock and many farmers to sell or buy cattle or sheep.
Picken told the four people on the tour the saleyards covered 5 hectares and had hundreds of stock pens for sheep and cattle.
‘‘There are about 22,000 sheep in and 1500 cattle. It is a big sale. It is partly due to people off-loading stock before winter hits.’’
Picken, a retired farmer, showed the teeth of lambs to the tour group, saying while lambs born about September had just bottom baby teeth, they would grow big teeth at the top in the future. Sheep were named after the number of teeth they had – for example two-tooths or four-tooths.
He showed the visitors the earmark, which was about the ownership of sheep. A sad ‘‘Oh’’ came from Miyazaki, who said she was distressed at seeing the marks in the ears.
If a farmer found stock that had someone else’s earmark in their place – a neighbour’s for instance – they were returned, said Picken.
The first Feilding sale was 100 cattle in 1880. Up until the early 1970s stock were mustered and went from paddock to saleyards, being driven by a drover and their dogs.
Some drovers took several flocks of sheep at once, with dogs at the front and back of each.
Picken said, after that, modern transport by stock truck was more efficient and up to 100 trucks and trailers unload stock at Feilding each week.
He said the saleyards attracted stock from all around the North Island, and sometimes from the South Island in times of drought. Rongotea Sale Report March 28
2 year white face steers 387 kg 440 kg made up to $1210 ($2.72 $2.75).
2 year white face bulls 445 kg made $1140 ($2.56).
2 year white face heifers 232 kg – 417 kg made up to $1010 ($2.11 $2.59), friesian heifers 517 kg made $1320 ($2.55) and cross breed heifers 350 kg - 450 kg made up to $1030 ($2.03 - $2.29).
18 month jersey bulls 245 kg - 270 kg made up to $585 ($1.67 - $2.17).18 month angus cross heifers 307 kg made $750 ($2.44).
Yearling angus cross steers 260 kg made $645 ($2.48).
Weaner angus steers 232 kg made $880 ($3.79), white face steers 102 kg – 202 kg made up to $710 ($2.93 $4.12) and cross breed steers 187 kg made $440 ($2.35).
Weaner friesian bulls 151 kg - 245 kg made up to $790 ($2.88 - $4.12), white face bulls 207 kg made $610 ($2.95), angus cross bulls 200 kg – 275 kg made up to $650 ($2.36 $3.07) and beef cross bulls 167 kg – 260 kg made up to $570 ($2.19$2.78).
Weaner angus heifers 153 kg - 213 kg made $830 ($3.89 - $3.96), angus cross heifers 155 kg – 260 kg made up to $705 ($2.71 - $3.48) and white face heifers 115 kg – 203 kg made up to $675 ($2.77 - $4.20).
Friesian boners 407 kg – 650 kg made up to $1140 ($1.38 - $1.98), cross breed boners 380 kg – 490 kg made up to $790 ($1.45 - $1.70) and jersey boners 442 kg – 475 kg made up to $750 ($1.49 - $1.58).
Weaner pigs made $100. Ewes made $88 - $100 and mixed sex lambs made $60 - $95.
Big friesian bull calves made $280 - $330 and smaller calves made $180 - $200. Big white face bull calves made $290 - $315 and smaller calves made $200 - $250. Angus cross bull calves made $280 - $295. Big white face heifer calves made $175 - $210 and smaller calves made $130 - $150. Angus cross calves made $180.