ADDINGTON MARKET

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22337, 26 February 1938, Page 9

ADDINGTON MARKET

BIG PENNING OF EWES

<;00!> SHEEP IN DEMAND

The !a."t sale immediately preceding the ewe fairs is generally responsible for a heavy entry of breeding sheep, and this was Ihe case on Wednesday. A reliable estimate of the total ewes penned was 14,000. The great bulk of these were represented by failingmouthed and more or less soundmcuthed .-lieep. Tvvu-tooths were forward in fairly good numbers, but the quality covered a wide range. As will be seen from the top-priced pens of two-tooths, one of which made 375, there is a sound demand for good young sheep, but there were a number of small pens which were taken along with some difficulty to 22s to 235. Four and five-year ewes from Canterbury stations and farms ranged from 17s 6d to 19s, and the better mouthed sorts met with a steady demand. The big proportion of poormouthed sheep was hard to sell, particularly those that had travelled long distances. The condition of these was not so bad, there being plenty of feed on the roadsides at present. The skyhigh prices at Feilding encouraged the hope that there would be a lift in the market here, but in the one case the pick of the North Island sheep were on offer, and in. the other a very ordinary collection. Some of the local halfbred lines of two-tooths ranged round about 31s a head, and the mixed age lines from the Chathams were also well competed for at up to 28s 6d. Though the sale was scarcely as good as that of the preceding week, 'the competition for good-conditioned sorts of all age's indicates that the fairs should record prices somewhat better than were expected a few weeks ago, even if Feilding prices are not approached.

The big penning of wether lambs showed only a minor easing for rape sorts, and with the increase in the schedule for first grade there is now a better margin for fattening. The larger part of the entry of ewe lambs comprised small and backward sorts for the most part, and the prices were moderate. One case of Romney cross two-tooths made 24s 3d, which shows that the competition is about when the right stuff is offered. Ewe lambs at up to this price do not appear dear in view of the amount of feed in the country. A rise in the price of wool would m'ake them an attractive proposition. Wethers continue to sell well, and seme big-framed sorts from the Chathams sold at 27s 6d. The following is a comparison of the prices ruling on Wednesday and at the corresponding sale last year;— Feb. 24, Feb. 23, 1937. 1938. Lambs-- s. s. s. s. Good rape .. to 234 18 to 20 Medium rape .. 18£ to 21 15J to 17i Backward .. 15 to 17£ 12 to 14 Cull .. to 12 to 10 , Ewe. halfbrcd .. to 254 ! Ewe, Romney .. to 244 EwesEx. good 2-tooth 44 to 48 35 to 37 Good 2-tooth .. 38 to 40 31 to 32i Med. ,2-tooth .. 32 to 37 25 to 29 Backward .. to 29 21 to 23 Ex. Rood a.m. .. to 324 to 25 Good s.m. .. 27 to 29 19 to 22 S. and f.m. .. 18 to 24 Hi to 17 Fat Lambs The increase in the lamb schedule for first grade from 73d to 8d was fully reflected in the sale. There was spirited competition for one of the largest pennings of the year, and there were numerous cases where the price ranged about B,Jd. Quality is commencing to show an improvement, there being more lambs of average weight coming forward. Some outstanding lines were penned, as will be indicated by a few of the top prices—from 31s to 355. Ex. prime heavy to 354 to 35 j Prime heavy .. 29 to 31 25J to 28 : ; Prime mediumI weight 26J to 28J 23 to 25 I Ordinary .. 24£ to 26 21 to 22i •! Light .. . . to 24 17 to 20 i Fat Sheep Doubtless the very satisfactory schedule rate for wethers was the main cause of "so many light-weights coming forward. Up to 481 b wethers are worth 5Jd per lb, or approximately 23s to 24s for a 48-501 b wether. There were many pens on Wednesday which came within this price, and the export firms secured a good proportion of them. The market was somewhat irregular, but except for export ewes the range of prices was easier. The ewe schedule for 481 b and under remains unaltered at 33d per lb, or about 15s, and a good deal was bought for export at from slightly less than this figure to 16s. As in the lamb section, the better feed conditions are being reflected in better quality.

WethersEx. prime .. to 35£ to 35 ' Prime .. .. 28i to 30 29 to 31 j! Prime medium- | weight 26 to 28 26 to 28J 1 Ordinary .. 22 J *to 25 J 22 to 25 I Light .. ..21 to 22 to 21

Ewes — Ex. prime heavy to 27i to 28;! Prime heavy .. 22 to 2i 19 to 22J Prime mediumweight 20 to 21i 16J to 18 Ordinary .. 17 to 19J , 132 to 16 Light .. .. to 16 to 13i Fat Cattle The market was over-supplied, and values were down by up to 2s per 1001 b. Many of the old cows were rubbishy, and the market would probably have been firmer had 50 to 100 of them been steered into the store pens. They took a long time to sell, and when the final two races of good cattle were offered the market failed to respond as it should have done. Some good drafts in the final stages were quite 10s a head cheaper than cattle of similar standard earlier in the day. Quality cattle, nevertheless, showed little easing—it was the array of old cows and very light steers that slipped most. Doubtless the easier market for mutton had an influence on values. For average cattle the market appears to have got down to autumn figures, but the season has been a good one for fatteners —and an unusually lengthy one. Steers— £ £.£.£. Ex. prime heavy to 15 to 19J Prime heavy .. 11 to 13 13 to 143 Prime mediumweight 10 to 11£ 12 to 134 Ordinary .. 72 to 92 94 to 11J Light .. ... to 75 to 9 HeifersExtra prime .. to 102 to 12J Prime .. .. 75 to 9 8 to 9i Medium .. 52 to 74 64 to 72 Light .. .. to 5J to 6 Cows — Extra prime .. to 11 to 12J Prime .. .. 6 to 72 6i to 8J Medium .. 4i to 5J 54 to 64 Light .. .. to 44 to 5