ADDINGTON MARKET

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27307, 25 March 1954, Page 8

ADDINGTON MARKET

Store Sheep Prices Lower

DULL SALE FOR ALL SORTS

The improvement in the demand for store sheep noticeable last week was not in evidence at the Addington store sheep sale yesterday. Prices for lambs, two-tooths and old ewes were weaker, and there was a very small attendance. The quality of the offering was not good, though there was a sprinkling of good sheep right through. The offering at 21.648 was considerably smaller than last week's tally of 33,925. It consisted of 7535 lambs, 2459 two-tooths, 10,536 old. ewes, and 1118 wethers. Last week there were 19,095 old ewes, 5272 two-tooths, 9314 lambs, and 224 wethers.

STORE LAMBS The quality of the store lamb entry was the poorest for some time. The yarding was mixed, and although there was a good proportion of even lambs, there was a very large tail-end, where the small lambs made the sale a very dull one. The total entry was 7535, of which 1369 were ewe lambs, compared with 9314. including 1481 ewe lambs, last week.

Halfbreds predominated as Usual, and for anything which showed a little quality and size, buyers paid prices which were just about up to recent rates. But for most of the lambs values showed a decided easing, and the sale was a dragging one. Very few farmers were present at the opening of the sale, and it was soon apparent that prices were down on last week. The sale became more free when the better-quality lambs were offered, but even here farmers were indifferent, and prices were erratic. With a very limited fattening season ahead, only the best lambs sold up to last week’s rates. Good carry-over ' lambs met a sound sale, but the small and nondescript lots were taken only at low prices. The general decline in values over the whole entry of wether lambs was about 3s a head. The top price for wether lambs was 57s for 77 Corriedales from Miss E. Price (Birdling’s Flat). The second run of 241 out of the same line made 49s 6d, and a third lot of 87 made 38s. A large line of early-shorn Romneys from the Chudleigh Estate (Chatham Islands) made to 48s for 142, and 138 realised 40s, and a small lot of 47 made 475. Best wether lambs made from 47s to 575, medium and good made from 38s to 465, while most of the tail-end lots made from 19s 6d to 33s 6d. The entry of ewe lambs was also very mixed, with small lambs predominating. With quality taken into account, values were up to recent rates. The top price was 71s for 80 Romneys from. J. R. Shannon (Cronadun). J. L. McCully (Seadown) sold 110 for 655. Fine-woolled ewe lambs made to 62s for 100 Corriedales from C. H. Morrison (Parnassus). Best fine-woolled ewe lambs made to 625, medium to good made from 48s to 535, with poorer sorts down to 325. . Representative sales included: M. Handisides (Hundalee), 50 wether lambs at 425, 89 at 35s 6d; J. Courage (Amberley), 94 Corriedaie wether lambs at 48s, 122 at 395; J. Buckley (Parnassus), 100 wether lambs at 44s 6d, 52 at 37s 6d; W. Deans (Darfield), 62 wether lambs at 345. 67 at 38s; D. McLean (Waiau), 80 halfbred ewe lambs at 61s, 77 wether l®mbs at 36s 6d; W. G. Chapman (Little River), 75 Down cross at 475; G. Mathias (Hawarden), 93 ewe lambs at 595; L. Massy (Seddon), 98 strong-woolled ewe lambs at 535.

TWO-TOOTHS The two-tooths were a very mixed lot, but contained a reasonably good showing of first-class sheep from southern sources and from local breeders. A small gallery watched the sale, and for the first half-hour it was very dull indeed. Prices were well below those of last week at the outlet, but improved as the sale went on, and finished about on a par to slightly below last week. The average decline would be about 5s a head. Where good sheep were offered, there was a sound demand, but there was never much life in the inquiry. All good sheep sold earlier looked 10s cheaper than similar sheep sold at the end of the sale, but there was no great improvement on secondary and backward sorts. Top price was £5 7s 6d for a pen of 63 Romney cross from D. F. O’Donnell (Ohoka), who also sold a pen of 66 at £5 3s. The best of the southern ewes were a pen of Corriedales from H. L. J. Smith (Teviot), which made £5 4s. They were Excellent ewes. The best of the offering made from 95s to £5 7s 6d, good 81s to 935, medium 71s to 80s, and others down to 445. Representative sales were:—On account of J. W. Jowers (Halkett), 65 Romney at 955; W. H. Gillespie (Cust), 87 Romney cross at 85s; A. W. Davis (Otago) 61 Corriedale at 735; C. Deans (Upper Highfield), 74 halfbred at 535; W. L. Doak (Cattle Peak), 65 halfbred at 775; G. Harold Parsons (Benmore), 57 halfbred at 665; Macfarlane’s Estate (Kaiwarra), 77 halfbred at 57s 6d. 115 at 80s; Wilkinson Brothers (Hurunui), 67 halfbred at 51s. AGED EWES Quality was again very mixed • among the older ewes, but as a whole it was a better showing than for some weeks because of the number of lots of younger ewes included. Many were 4, 6 and 8-tooths, and there were not as many lines of doubtful age as usual. Few lines lof genuine aged station ewes were entered. The gallery was small, and prices were erratic throughout the day. Some lots appeared to sell at about current rates, but most of the yarding was cheaper than last week, and on average the decline was probably 2s. It was a dull sale throughout, even on good ewes. Top price in the section was 84s, which was paid for 70 early shorn three-quarter breds from Wills and Le Cren (Snowdon). The best of a fair selection of Chatham Islands ewes made to 68s, which was paid for 70 2, 4 and 6-tooth Romneys from the Chudleigh Estate. An excellent sale was made by J. H. Ensor (Manuka Bay), who sold 64 four-year Romney cross at 645, and 127 at 63s 6d. These ewes were in excellent condition, and were one of the few genuine aged lines in the market. They were very late shorn. The best of the offering made from 62s to 84s, good 51s to 60s, medium 38s to 50s and others down to 20s.

Representative sales were:—-On account of H. Daymon (Chatham Islands), 77 four, six and eight-tooth at 51s, 71 six and eight-tooth at 60s, 142 at 57s 6d; K. Parkinson (Kaituna), 78 four and five-year Romney at 48s; A. S. Fleming (Culverden), 64 four, six and eight-tooth Corriedale at 495; D. Barwick (Poranui), 48 six and eight-tooth Romney at 61s; Cloudy Range Station, 74 s.m. halfbred at 425, 65. at 41s; Estate Walter Hill (Upton Fells), 279 four-year half bred at 48s 6d, 135 at 60s; C. G. Gardner (Emu Plains), 80 four-year Corriedale at 545, 78 two, four, six and eight-tooth and five-year at 495; T. S. Harrison (Drayton),, 188 s.m. at 50s; Mason Hills Estate, 161 s.m. halfbred at 40s, 90 at 30s; J. W. Graham and Son (Tai Tapu), 63 s.m. Romney at 435. The best young wethers made 60s to 70s; good 48s to 56s and old and inferior down to 30s.