Stock sales around the region

FEILDING STORE SALE FRIDAY MAY 19

Thursday saw another large yarding of around 2300 weaner calves offered to a reasonable bench of buyers. Virtually all of the weaners were later born calves from the hill country stations in the Taihape region. Sale prices did continue to soften a little from the very high levels achieved earlier in the weaner selling season but this was no surprise as most buyers have already secured their requirements and the continual rain is a reminder of the onset of winter.

South Island interests were very active in buying many of the larger lines of Angus weaner heifers – ‘‘Kowhainui Station’’, Taihape, sold a pen of 41 Angus for $1045 (3.70) to top this section. The day’s top price was $1270 ($4.08) for a pen of 9 Charolais cross weaner steers from the Carey Alabaster Trust, Taihape.

The first of the scanned ewes were offered and they were useful ewes with 212 woolly, Romney 5 year old ewes from ‘‘Kuratahi’’, Taihape, scanning 176% and selling for $151. The lamb numbers were much reduced on last week and a few more locals were operating. The day’s top price was $118 for 152 male lambs from Bushfurlong Partnership, Tapuae, with the nearest male lambs to them making $114 and 91 top woolly Romney ewe lambs from G Cleaver, Taihape, sold for $115.

One vendor, Rangitautau Trust, Kai Iwi, had all the older steers and they sold to firm demand at up to $3.09/kg for traditional steers. Over 300 rising two year steers were offered, after last week’s rain affected the yarding, with the traditional beef steers also remaining firm. M&J Windley, Kiwitea, sold 14 Angus and Angus/Hereford cross steers for $1660 ($3.10) to be the day’s top price and only the Friesian and Friesian cross steers were back.

Bull numbers stayed around just over 200 rising two year bulls, mostly being useful Friesians. Karaka Court, Cheltenham, sold 20 Friesians for $1470 ($2.80) to head the section with the beef bulls over $3/kg and the section steady overall. Weaner bulls were a struggle with large numbers offered (564 weaner bulls) and there were too many for the market. Hardly any pens sold for more than $4/kg, these being very light bulls, and there were passings.

The heifer section was quite large but, with the higher number of crossbred heifers offered, eased back a little. J England, Beaconsfield, sold 17 Angus and Angus/ Hereford cross heifers for $1255 ($2.83). Heifers have struggled to regain the levels they sold at earlier but do offer winter options at lighter weights.

Sheep (10,642): ewes (494); SIL (212), $151; RWR (193), $95-$120; lambs (10,148); 40-44kg, $105-$118, $2.60-$2.82, firm; 36-40kg, $103-$114, $2.60-$3.07, firm; 31-35kg, $93-$108.50, $2.57-$3.21, firm; 26-30kg, $78.50-$100, $2.98-$3.55, lift.

Cattle (1,583): steers; R3 (51), 482-520kg, $1490-$1575, $3.03-$3.09, firm; R2 (317), 313-583kg, $930-$1660, $2.71-$3.24, firm; R1 (42); 139-278kg, $550-$860; bulls; R2 (219), 337-525kg, $860-$1470, $2.55-$3.06, steady; R1 (564), 120-270kg, $470-$925, $2.47-$4.58, ease; heifers; R2 (335), 315-442kg, $830-$1255, $2.32-$3.06, ease; R1 (55), 150-262kg, $350-$690.

FEILDING PRIME STOCK SALE MONDAY MAY 22

The only notable change in the yarding numbers at this sale in comparison to last week was a reduction in the cull cow offering. Even with the first decent frost on top of wet paddocks, the cow entry dropped by over 120 head so this cow cull may be as shortlived as many have predicted.

Lamb entries were actually up on last week. It is noticeable that many prime lambs in those preferred weight ranges that would once have gone straight to the meat plants are being sold through this prime sale instead. These are the lambs that would kill in the 17-20 kg carcase weight range and are good grading lambs as well so this sale is no longer just the destination for over-prime or overweight lambs. The heaviest lambs are still the sale price headline act but the medium lambs sell at much higher cents/kg. Today, J Stephenson sold 10 lambs for $153.50 with A McAlley and N Kreegher beating or equalling $150/head but two thirds of the prime lamb yarding were medium carcase-weight lambs and sold to firm demand.

Store lambs, of which there were over 630, sold to firmer demand than the Friday store sale. Of interest in the bull section was an 880kg Charolais bull that sold for $1742 ($1.98) compared with the heavy bulls over a tonne last week that could only make $1.25/kg.

Sheep (6,837): lambs (5,538); heavy prime (1,639), 50-65kg, $136-$153.50, $2.20-$2.70, firm; medium prime (3,267), 40-50kg, $115-$135, $2.60-$2.80, lift; store (632), 24-42kg, $70-$125, $2.60-$2.80, firm; ewes (1,090); good, heavy, 26-30kg, $115-$136, $4.40-$4.50, lift; medium, 21-25kg, $89-$113, $4.20-$4.50, lift; lighter, 16-20kg, $63-$85.50, $4.00-$4.30, lift; poor, $33-$44; RWR (168), $82-$136; 2ths (8), $95-$111; male sheep (33), $37-$110.

Cattle (286): steers (8); 465-720kg, $1064-$2016, $2.38-$2.80, steady; heifers (23); 320-450kg, $675-$1084, $1.90-$2.41; lesser sorts, 142-400kg, $339-$864, $1.32-$2.39; cows (238); good, heavy, incalf; 414-673kg, $819-$1244, $1.79-$2.04, steady; boners; 352-595kg, $538-$1059, $1.53-$2.10, steady; lesser sorts; 390kg, $557, $1.43; bulls (16); 380-880kg, $760-$1909, $1.98-$2.81, firm.