ADDINGTON MARKET

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22004, 30 January 1937, Page 17

ADDINGTON MARKET

THE STORE LAMB EASING

TOO MANY FAT CATTLE

There was quite a pronounced drop in the store lamb values on Wednesday, which was not unexpected. Prices for wether lambs have been advancing • out of all proportion to the price of fat lambs, high and all as the export figure is at the moment. The easing of Is 6d to 2s a head might be taken as indicating an expectation that export prices may ease, but so far there is no sign of this happening, although, of course, changes occur on very short notice. The small price margin between stores and fats has not been considered much this last few weeks, due to the fact that buyers have had plenty of feed and lambs have been about the only stock that can be bought to graze it. A num-. ber of owners of pastoral properties on which some fattening is done as a rule have had their forward lambs sent to the yards as stores, this year, on the principle that it is not worth the risk waiting for the extra few shillings that they may make as fats later on. The following table shows a comparison of the prices on Wednesday and at the corresponding sale last year:—

Jan. 29, Jan. 27, 1936. 1937.

Fat Lambs The fat lamb sale was better toned than that of the preceding week. Exporters’ limits were slightly more elastic for prime lambs, even if the advance was no more than fractional. There was a bigger proportion of these forward. At this time last year the export schedule was steadily creeping up, to 36’5,. being quoted at 8d per lb, to 42's 74d, and seconds These figures are. a penny lower, for the first two grades and Lid for seconds than the rates of this week. In the middle of February last season the schedule temporarily improved a further farthing, and reached its peak price of the season at the beginning of March, when Sid ruled for up to 36’s and 8d for 42’s. Thereafter the export rate eased by a farthing to a halfpenny, the last six weeks of the season finishing up at Sd for up to 36’s.

Ex. prime heavy .. to 314 to 33 Prime heavy .. 244 to 264 284 to 31 Prime mediumweight 223 to 24 264 to 28 Ordinary .. 21 to 224 244 to 26 Light .. .. to 204 to 24

Fat Sheep

Considering the very heavy entry of fat sheep vendors had little to complain about the prices. Exporters were more prominently in the market, and ddiere-was-a-very free buying of ewes at from 18s to 20s 6d. The present is the best season for a long time for the lamb raiser to get rid of his old ewes, and perhaps it will be a means of preventing many of this class lagging superfluous on the farm.

Fat Cattle A succession of heavy yardings caused a slip in beef values. In the earlier stages the market was exceedingly dull, and heavy steers showed a drop of about 30s a head on the preceding week’s rates. For medium weights and the best of the comparatively few cows and heifers the decline was considerably less, but all round the decline was equal to 20s a head. A total of 1420 head has come forward in the three weeks, a number which, m recent years, would have flooded the market at this period of the summer. The keen demand in the store cattle pens was rather surprising after the dragging beef sale.

MILK PRODUCTION

ANALYSIS OF COST

The cost of milk production does not frequently form the subject of a detailed analysis, and the foltowing, prepared by an experienced dairyman, Mr H. Bliss, should therefore be of interest. The property concerned is in Heathcote, with a carrying capacity of 22 to 25 cows, a daily output of 36 gallons, and a rateable value of £ 1960. Annual Charges

Rent ' Rates .. • • “ n Electricity .. ... • • ? Outside labour for hay-making .. 20 Outside labour and manure for mangels - • • • 5 Stock—-22 head valued at £8 a head, depreciation 16 per cent, 26 Incidentals— Soap, soda, lime, scrubs, brooms (and ice for six months of the year, to assist in keeping night’s milk cool), £l2; milk purchased to keep up supply when cows have been dried off. £45; covers, repairs, and replacement, £7; implement repairs and depreciation, £4; draught horse, ton chaff annually. £4: horse deoreciation,. £2: dairy registration, 10s —£74 10s. Living expenses for wife, workman, and self, £l5O. Total—£3B9 10s.

Thiryt-six gallons daily, 13,140 gallons annually, bare cost of production 7.11 d; plus wages for workman, £2 2s 6d a week, £llO 10s; wife and self £4 a week. £208; total, £3lB 10s. Cost a gallon 5.81 d. Price required a gallon at farm, 12.92 d. Sale* of surplus cream caused by flush of milk in spring, amounted to approximately £ll.

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Lambs— Good rape 17 to 18,1 22J to 24 Medium rape 15 to 164 20 to 224 Backward — to 13 — to 19 Good 2-bd ewe .. — — — to 284 Ord. Jbd ewe — to Hi — to 25 Ewes— Good 4-year — — — to 30 Good Rom. 2-th .. 31 to 33i — — Ord. s.m. J-bd — to 194 — — S. and f.m. 14 to 1GJ — to 21

Wethers — to 27,1 to 34 Ex. crime heavy — — Prime heavy 234 to 25 28J to 31 Prime Medium23 26 1o 28 weight 214 to Ordinary 19i to 21 23 J to 234 to 231 Light — to 19i — Ewes— 22 to 271 Ex. prime heavy .. — to 231 Prime heavy 18 to 201 to 23 Prime medium21 weight 154 to 17 to 23A Ordinary 124 to 14 181 to 204 Light .. — to 12 16 to 18

Steers — Ex. prime heavy p -p — to 133 £ £ — to 151 Prime heavy 93 to 111 114 to 131 Prime medium- ... . ... weight 8 to 93 10a to II4 Ordinary 6\ to 74 91 to 101 Light’ — to 6 — to 9 Heifers— .... Ex. prime heavy .. — to 84 — to ill Prime 6i to 74 81 to 91 Medium 4i to 6 54 to 73 Light — to 41 — to 51 Cows— .... Ex. prime — to 84 — to 101 Prime .. . • 5h to 63 64 to 8 Medium 4 to 51 5 to 61 Light — to 3i» — to 43