Ewes Still In Good Demand At Methven

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28530, 8 March 1958, Page 16

Ewes Still In Good Demand At Methven

Though values for top sheep were somewhat lower than at the recent Ashburton County breeders’ ewe fair at Tinwald, there was still a strong demand for all classes of sheep at the Meth ven fair yesterday. The market for four and five-year-old ewes was again a particularly keen one at values generally in line with late rates. A feature of the sale was the remarkably good demand for sheep with uncertain mouths, of which there were a good number in the selection. These sold at considerably better than fat sheep rates.

The top class of two-tooth ewes could be quoted up to 10s down on Tinwald rates, though there was not the same selection of top sheep available yesterday as there was at the Tinwald sale, and for that reason a comparison is not easy to make. Nevertheless, the Methven offering was a very even good quality one and competent buyers praised the quality of the sheep. For the good average class of twotooths the sale was a strong one with little decline on late rates. As has lately become apparent buyers now look to be imposing a limit on their dealings. At Methven yesterday they were ready enough to buy at between 80s and £5 but above that price they operated very sparingly indeed. This had the result of making some of the average to good class sheep look dear in relation to the top class. Sales Over £5 Twelve sales were made yesterday at £5 or better compared with 28 at last year’s fair. Top price yesterday was £5 16s for a fine line of Romney-Corriedales from Lyndhurst, compared with £6 2s paid for the top sheep last year. In comparison with last year’s buoyant sale the two-tooths could probably be quoted back by about 10s. For older ewes the market was keen throughout with an almost complete clearance at values well up to late rates. Only one of the 19 lines of four-year-old ewes sold at less than 60s and eight realised 70s or more and two realised more than 80s. In the five-year section at least six lines sold at 60s or better. Four-year-old ewes sold to 85s compared with 95s at the last Methven fair and five-year-olds at 63s 6d against 79s a year ago. The offering this year totalled 20,539 compared with 17,275 last year and it included 5334 twotooths and 15,205 older ewes. Buyers were present from all parts of the province and some who filled their requirements came from the Peninsula, having failed to secure sheep at the buoyant Romney sale at Little River earlier in the week.

Top Prices Top price for two-tooth ewes went to J. G. Lilley and Sons (Lynd-

hurst), whose 60 Romney-Corrie-dales brought £5 16s. Last year the same vendors were paid up to £6. One hundred and thirty Romneys from R. G. Brown (Anama) were passed in at auction at well over £5, and were later sold privately for £5 13s 6d. Other leading sales of young ewes Included 83 Romneys from J. A. Parsons (Oranga) at £5 „ Bs, and 70 Romneys from N. E. Law (Springburn) at £5 7s. For 219 half- g breds the estate L. L. Richards (Mount Hutt) received 81s, and T. W. Johnston (Mount Somers) obtained the same price for 53. Double Hill Station (Rakaia Gorge) sold 105 Corriedales at 81s. For a line of 53 haff- - breds and three-quarterbreds, R. H. I Maidens (Haymarket) was paid 84s. In the four-year-old section, the Lands and Survey Department . (Rosehill block) again topped the 1 market with 84 Romneys selling at 85s. and a second cut from the same source made 765. Last year the Rosehill four-year-olds ranged up to 955. * The estate L. L. Richards sold a line of 249 at 81s, and S. Pawsey (Springburn) was paid 72s for 200 of the same breed. Amongst the fine wool entries, the Richards estate sold another 419 halfbreds at 725, and D. L. Ensor (Glenrock) gained 67s for 91 Corriedales. Corriedales from Glenrock headed ' the five-year-old market with 100 1 selling at 63s 6d. Another selection from the same line realised 595. Among the Romneys, 63s was paid in two places. The Lands and Sur- ’ vey Department received this price * for 188 Romneys, and H. R. Huddle- * stone (Mount Hutt), for 59 Romney * cross. The estate L. L. Richards was 1 again in the picture with 255 Rom- £ neys selling at 625. Halfbreds sold - up to 58s for 92 from L. P. Chap- 1 man (Inverary). I For four and five-year-olds, the f Bayfields Estate (Rakaia Gorge) I secured 66s for 300. s Range of Values 1 The following is a range of values with last year’s figures for com-

parison 1958 1957 s. s. s. s. Romney Two-tooth Ewes— • Best .. 100 to 108 116 to 122 Good .. 91 to 98 100 to 115 Average .. 82 to 89 90 to 100 Others .. 68 to 78 80 to 88 Fine Wool Two-tooths— Best .. 79 to 84 81 to 91 Others .. 51 to 60 50 to 70 ; Four-year-old Ewes— Best .. 80 to 85 80 to 95 Good .. 70 to 76 70 to 79 Average .. 60 to 65 60 to 68 Fine wools 62 to 72 — Five-year-old Ewes— Best .. 60 to 63 62 to 79 Good .. 55 to 58 — Average .. 47 to 54 43 to 58 Best fine wool 56 to 63 —