ADDINGTON MARKET

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23300, 9 April 1941, Page 12

ADDINGTON MARKET

GOOD MUTTON SALE VALUES SLIGHTLY EASIER Though there were no spectacular advances at yesterday’s fat stock market, there was a sound sale. Larger entries of fat sheep stabilised prices In ■ that section, and most of the sharp advance created last week by the small penning was lost. Store sheep showed little change in- values for the best, but others were a little easier. Fat lambs sold at up to full schedule rates. Fat cattle declined slightly on the higher rates recorded last week. Porkers met with a sharp decline, but a small entry of baconers improved in values by 5s a head. STORE SHEEP Few good quality store sheep or store lambs were Included In the offering In this section, though the sheep entry was about 1000 larger than last week’s at 10,500 head, and the lamb entry increased from 2000 to 5000. Secondary quality met a slow sale at lower prices In both sections, but good pens were wanted at prices little below those last week. The interest in store sheep Is declining as the season Is now well on. and most farmers have got their rams out. ... The lambs were an unimpressive lot In point of quality, but where there was anv sign of condition which would allow lambs to be fattened off soon, there was a good demand at prices slightly but not quotably below those of last week. Secondary and inferior lambs were not wanted, and the restricted buying for this class caused numerous passings. The best of the rape lambs made up to 17s, with medium from 10s .to- 14s fid, arid Inferior and cull down to 4s. The two-tooth offering was smaller than for some time, and contained very few lines of good quality. There Was a fair showing of Romney and Romney cross, notably some Pitt Island, and for these there was a uniformly good demand at prices only slightly weaker than those of the last sale. The best of the Romneys, a splendid line of 130 from Balclutha, made 38s. Another line from the same place made 35s 3d, and that was the top price for the best of the Pitt Island sheep, which made from 30s upward. The best price for halfbreds was 24s fid for a line of 130. The entry of older sheep was even more nondescript than the two-tooths, and consisted very largely of shabby and Inferior culls. For the unattractive aheep there rvas a jw-elow salv but

to be a market for all but the worst at prices Is a head down on the average. For the better sheep there was a steady demand with values little below those of last week. The best price of the day for aged sheep was 20s, which was paid for a line of 103 Romney four-year-olds from Heriot. They were enormous sheep, bigger than any ewes seen at Addington for many years, and attracted lively attention. A line of six and eight-tooth Romneys from Pitt Island made 235. They were outstanding ewes. The best of the finewoolled ewes was a line of 197 Corriedales which made 15s 3d, and five-year ewes made to 9s fid. , , . , ".. The best of the crossbred two-tooths made from 30s to 365, with medium from 22s to 295, and inferior down to 14s. Finewoolled two-tooth made from 21s to 24s tor the best, with medium from 17s to 20s sd, and culls down to 8s fid. Best fouryear crossbreds made 14s to 20s, with medium worth 10s to 13s fid. and culls down to ss. Best four-year halfbreds made to 15s 3d, with medium from 8s to 12s, and inferior down to 4s. FAT LAMBS The entry in the fat lamb section approximated 2000 head, the largest penning lor some time. Quality was mixed, and although the new restriction brought in against killing 261b and under lambs for export removed this class from exporters competition, there was a considerable showing of light sorts forward. Butchers secured the main share of the penning, with the export demand accounting for about a third. Graziers took a proportion af the store quality. Export values were Eully maintained, and butchers’ lambs were practically up to the rates of last sale. The market, however, was scarcely as spirited as that off last week: FAT SHEEP There was a much increased entry in the fat sheep section, approximating near 4000 head, compared with about 2600 last week and 2700 the week before. Late arrivals by train swelled the entry considerably. Outside lines of both wethers and ewes from the Chathams and Southland improved the general standard of the entry, which comprised more wethers than for some months. The market over the earlier part practically lost the advance recorded last week of 2s 6d to 3s for ewes and 2s for wethers, but in the later stages, when some of the best sheep were offered, there was a recovery. In the final stages numerous successive pens of fine wool wethers sold at from 30s up to 335, and the coarse-skinned bigger sheep from elsewhere only at a very slight advance. Exporters, who have been out of the market .for the last two sales because of the import restrictions, were able to buy light wethers under the new restrictions at up to 225. and ewes to about 13s fid, and a few went their way. On- an average ewes were easier than last week by 2s-fid and wethers by Is fid. Values were as under:— Extra prime heavy wethers, to 35s lOd. Prime heavy wethers, 28b to 31s fid. Prime medium-weight-wethere, 35*-to SfeCd,

Ordinary wethers, 22s 6d to 24s 6d. Light wethers, to-225, • Extra prime heavy ewes, to 27s lOd. Prime heavy ewes, 19s 6d to 22s fid. Prime medium-weight ewes, 15s 6d to 19s. Ordinary ewes, 12s 8d to 15s. Light ewes, to 12s. FAT CATTLE The entry in the fat cattle section was a shade larger than that of last week, comprising 457 head as against 410. Though quality was very mixed, , there was a fair showing of outstanding cattle, good lines being penned from the Peninsula, local fattening districts, and a few truck lots from the Coast. The stream of old cows if anything showed an increase, the approach of winter doubtless adding to the number of dairies being culled out of the herds. The market failed to maintain the buoyant market of last week, and part of the substantial advance then recorded was lost. The best of the steers were down by 10s a head, but all other classes by a full 15s. Except for the small number of top lines, sales were harder to make, and for the inferior cow class distinctly so. The sale closed firmly, when one of the best lines in the' market was offered. Best beef made round about 40s per 1001b, g'ood to 38s 6d, medium 32s to 345, and rough down to 265. Amongst the notable lines was one of 15 steers, the bulk two and a half years, ■from J. E. Thacker (Okain’s Bay), which averaged £l7 12s 6d. Another of 14 from W. A. Jamieson (West Coast) averaged £l7 3s 6d, and a third erf 21 from A. Sharp (Halswell) £lB 9s 4d. Values were as under:— Extra prime heavy steers, to £l9 12s fid. Prime heavy steers, £ls 15s to £l7 15s. Prime medium-wight steers, £l3 10s to £ls 15s. Ordinary steers, £9 15s to £l2 15s. Light steers, to £9 10s. Extra prime heifers, to £l4 2s 6d. Prime heifers, £9 15s to £ll ss. Medium heifers, £7 to £9 ss. Light heifers, to £6 15s. Extra prime cows, to £l3 7s 6d. Prime cows, £7 15s to £9 10s. Medium cows, £5 15s to £7 10s. Light and aged cows, to £5 10s. VEALERS The entry in the vealer section was of medium size, and It included a fair proportion of large and unfinished runners. Quality calves were very few in number, and these again met with a keen sale. Apart from this class, values were a shade easier. Values were:— Large runners to £7 6s. Medium to good runners, £4 3s fid to £5 18s fid. Good vealers, £4 0s to £5 8s fid. Medium vealers, £3 Is to £3 18s fid. Large calves,, 46s to 565; medium, 36s to 445; small, 5s to 295. STORE CATTLE There was a small entry of store cattle, and it Included few straight lines of young sorts, but the few there were met with quite a free sale. A pen of two and a hall pwuwild ■teezvgood'Calourvin fair-coa-4

ditlon, made £7 3s fid to £7 11s, anc another of 18-months-old black poll steer: £6 2s. Odd pens of cows, which comprised most of the remainder of the entry showed no change In values. DAIRY COWS The entry in the dairy section was small comprising about 45 head. Cows, which were yarded in smaller numbers, included only about half a dozen good dairy sorts the remainder being made up of inferior and late calvers. Heifers were yarded ir larger numbers than for some time, comprising about half the entry. Included were some excellent sorts, which made from £l4 10s to £l6 10s. The better class sorts met with a very keen sale, bui moderate and inferior cows and heifers were down on last week’s reduced rates Best second and third calvers made from £l2 10s to £ls 10s, medium £8 15s tc £ll, inferior £5 to £7 10s. 'Spring calvers sold at from £4 15s to £7 15s; best heifers £l4 to £l6 10s, good £lO 10s to £l2 10s, medium £7 15s to £9 15s, small and backward to £6 15s. FAT PIGS The entry of porkers was considerably in excess of the requirements of the trade, and after the first three races had been offered, values eased by from 8s to 10s a head, and remained at the lower level throughout. Choppers were in medium supply and showed very little change in values. Baconers were fewer in numbers than usual, and values were about 5s a head better than last week. Values were:— Choppers, 58s fid to £6 11s. Light porkers, 34s fid to 42s fid. Medium porkers, 43s fid to 49s fid. Heavy porkers, 51s fid to 54s fid. Average price per lb, fild to 7Jd. Light baconers. 57s fid to £3 4s fid. Medium baconers, £3 9s fid to £3 15s fid.. Heavy baconers, £3 17s to £4 4s fid. Average price per lb. fild to fijd. STORE PIGS • In view of the very small entry in the store pig section, the sale was a very disappointing one. The only classes to command good competition were sucking pigs. All other sorts Were about 2s to 4s a head down on the good prices of last week's sale. Values were:— Small weaners, 5s to 7s; medium, 6s to 8s; best to 13s, Slips, 13s to 18s. Small stores, 20s to 235. Medium stores, 24s to 28s. T.arffe stores to 375.