Older Ewes Bring £5 4s.

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30981, 10 February 1966, Page 16

Older Ewes Bring £5 4s.

A feature of the store sheep market at Addington yesterday was the sale of a line of 437 annual draft Corriedale ewes from Culverden at the high price of £5 4s. It was one of the highest prices paid at the market for some time.

Good lines of breeding ewes continued to sell strongly, but lesser-quality ewes tended to meet a slightly easier sale. It was still an excellent sale, however, few ewes being sold at less than 40s. Two-tooth ewes were thought to be a little easier, but 16 pens sold at £5 or more.

Apart from the heavy weight of numbers, it was thought that the drier turn in the weather in the last week or two might have been responsible for the slightly easier trend of the market in some sections yesterday. The |amb sale included the first substantial drafts from the high country. They sold well, wether lambs making to 54s and ewe lambs to 675. In the ewe lamb section Romneys reached a new peak at 84s 6d, and there were several sales at more than 70s. Values for wether lambs were steady for the greater part of the sale, but over the concluding stages they eased slightly. The offering totalled 24,039 head, compared with 21,693 last week. It included 6981 wether lambs (5392 last week) and 2208 ewe lambs (1821)—a total of 9189 lambs —4292 two-tooth ewes (3513), 10,141 older ewes (10,842) ;and 418 wethers (125). Store Lambs In spite of the way feed has dried off over the last week, store lambs continued to meet a very good sale, although toward the end of the day the edge had gone off the higher values. The sale was notable for the first of the large lines of highcountry halfbreds, some in excess of 1000 head. All met a ready sale, the best of the wether lambs selling to 545, and the pick of the ewe lambs to 67s 6d. There were more Romney lambs forward this week, and for most of the day they sold well at recent rates. But toward the finish the buoyancy went out of the market, and some of the best lambs appeared to be back 2s a head on opening rates. Smaller lambs met a keen demand throughout the sale. With size and quality taken into account, they looked dearer than the well-grown lambs. During the greater part of yesterday’s sale, this description of lamb was a shade dearer than last week. Ewe lambs met a very sound sale as usual, with values for average quality firm on last week. The best pens, however, were 3s to 4s dearer, although quality was higher than last sale. Top price this week was 84s 6d for a pen of Romneys from Little River, and there were several Romney ewe lamb sales at more than 70s. In the finewool ewe lamb section, the large gallery showed particular interest in the high-country halfbreds, some of which were well grown. Best Romney ewe lambs sold from 73s 6d to 80s, with one sale at 84s, and good sold from 65s 6d to 72s 6d, with small down to 57s 6d. Best fine-wool ewe lambs sold to 67s for the tops of a line from Lake Coleridge; good finewool ewe lambs sold from 60s to 665, medium from 55s to 595, and small down to 495.

Best Romney wether lambs sold from 55s to 61s, with one sale of West Coast lambs at 665; good Romney wether lambs sold from 50s to 54s with small

down to 445. The best of the fine-wool wether lambs—most of them halfbreds—sold from 51s to 545. with good from 47s to 50s, and small and light down to 41s. Fourteen pens of Down cross lambs were yarded, most of them being small lots, and they sold generally from 46s to 525, with two sales at 55s and 58s 6d. Shorn lambs—all of them Romneys—sold from 49s to 545. Leading sales of store lambs quoted by stock firms were: Wether lambs: J. W. Ensor (Garrymere), 101 Corriedales at 51s 6d; R. A. Wise (Cheviot), 58 Down cross at 535; G. W. Crispen (Mount Paul, Waiau), 77 halfbreds at 46s to 52s 6d; J. D. Stewart (North Loburn), 235 halfbreds at 49s to 49s 6d: E. S. Sloss (Amberley), 90 Corriedales at 545; C. M. King (Governors Bay), 104 Romneys at 53s 6d to 595; A. Borrell (Waitaki), 154 Romneys at 56s 6d to 61s; J. Swarbrick (Kaikoura), 294 Romney-cross at 48s 6d to 54s 6d; F. R. Davison (Culverden), 108 halfbreds at 53s 6d to 61s L. E. Dalzell (Culverden), 105 Corriedale at 49s to 52s 6d; E. G. O. Rutherford (Lochiel), 168 halfbreds at 48s to 535; H. T. J. Reddie (Little River), 276 Romneys at 49s to 54s 6d: N. A. Vowles (Medway, Hanmer), 173 halfbreds at 51s to 545; Glen Colwyn estate (Parnssus), 500 Corriedales at 47s to 545; N. G. Fagan (Cheviot), 165 Corriedales at 47s to 525; P. B. Nixon (Rakanui, Kaikoura), 625 Romneys at 46s 6d to 53s 6d; Horsford Downs (Whiterock), 382 Romney-cross at 51s 6d to 575; J. J. Murdoch (Kaituna), 188 Romneys at 49s to 51s; estate 1. O. Buchanan (High Peak), 9,00 halfbreds at 43s 6d to 51s; Murchison Bros. (Lake Coleridge), 500 halfbreds at 46s 6d to 53s 6d. Ewe Lambs: H. T. J. Reddie (Little River), 176 Romneys at 80s to 84s 6d; Murchison Bros. (Lake Coleridge), 590 halfbreds at 56s to 675; W. M. McCready (Rakaia Gorge), 140 halfbreds at 54s 6d to 62s 6d; M.W.S. Trolove (Kekerengu), 150 Corriedales at 60s to 65s 6d; B. and D. C. Wynn-Williams (Waipara), 73 Corriedales at 665; P. B. Nixon (Rakanui, Kaikoura) 227 Romneys at 56s to 72s 6d; C. M. King (Governors Bay), 36 Romneys at 665. Two-Tooth Ewes Though still selling very well, two-tooth ewes were again a little easier. The further decline of a shilling or two was reflected over virtually the whole offering, but was probably most marked in the case of the average to good class of sheep which formed the bulk of the selection. Sales were just a little harder to make than has lately been the case. The entry was a large one at 4291 head, compared with ' 3513 last week, and comprised slightly more than three races which took about two hours to sell. Quality was fairly good with a sprinkling of top-class fine-wool and Romney ewes and a big representation of wellgrown average to good sheep. The size of the selection probably also tended to take the edge off the sale. A large gallery again followed the market and there was little variation in the tone of the market throughout. In spite of the easings of the last two weeks values were still at very good levels. Altogether 16 pens sold at £5 or better and half of these were fine wool sheep. Fine wool ewes predominated in the selection, and the best of these sold at £5 to £5 12s with eight sales at £5 or better. Good young fine wool ewes brought from 90s to 995, aver-1

age to good to 80s to S9s. average at 70s to 79s and others at down to 665. Sheep late or recently shorn sold from about 70s to 795. In the Romney section the pick of the entry sold from £5 to £6 Is, with also eight pens making £5 or better. The top price sheep came from A. J. Sloss. Cairnbrae, Omihi, who had 46 at £6 Is and another 73 at £5 15s. The good young Romney ewe realised from 90s to 97s with average to good at 70s to 84s. Two pens of very recently shorn Romneys sold at 75s to 78s. A few pens of Perendale ewes sold from 74s to £5 ss. Details of leading sales of two-tooth ewes quoted by stock firms were:—A. J. Sloss (Cairnbrae, Omihi), 177 Romneys at £5 10s to £6 Is; T. A. McKellar (Knockindale, Pigeon Bay), 146 Romneys at £5 6s; J. F. Smith (Broadfields), 120 Corriedales at 95s to 995; A. Buppicich (Broadfields), 231 Corriedales at £5 3s to £5 12s (70 at the top price); Bluff Station, Ltd. (Kekerengu), 281 halfbreds at 82s to 92s 6d; R. A. Black (Sa-lix, Culverden), 136 Corriedales at £5 2s to £5 9s: J. H. Ensor (Manuka Bay), 138 Romney-cross at £5 to £5 ss: H. M. Chapman (Lincoln), 288 Romneys at 96s 6d to £5 3s 6d: R. S. Harrison (Domett) 108 three-quarterbreds at 84s to 93s 6d. Kyenton Farm (Culverden). 65 Corriedales at 90s; W. B. Clarkson (Flax Hill), 80 halfbreds at 81s; A. B. Anderson (Claverley), 130 Romneys at £5 to £5 10s; D. A Anderson (Kalimera. Hundalee), 170 Percndales at £5 2s to £5 ss. Older Ewes For the good standard lines of older breeding ewes there was a sustained inquiry at very good prices indeed, and a feature of the market was the sale of the whole of a line of 437 annual draft' Corriedale ewes from R. A. Black (Salix, Culverden) at £5 4s. This was one of the highest prices paid at the market for this class of ewes for years. TThe purchaser was Mr G. Coe on behalf of C. and M. Maw, of Southbridge. For the top class of ewes values remained fully up to recent levels, but with the weight of numbers in the entry and also the rather drier turn in the weather in the last week or two the market was considered to a shilling or two easier for the average run of one-year ewe. The sale was still an excellent one, however, and few ewes sold at under 40s regardless of their mouth. The best of the older fine wool ewes sold up to £5 4s for the outstanding line of Culverden sheep. The good class of four and five-year-old ewe sold between about 60s and 68s, with average at 50s to 58s and others at 36s to 49s 6d. Recently shorn fine wool ewes made from 45s to 58s. Four, six and eighttooth ewes sold for 675. in the Romney section the pick of the selection made from 73s to 78s, with average at 50s to 59s 6d, and others at 36s to 49s 6d. Shorn Romneys made about 51s. Some mixed aged Romneys made up to 83s and four and six-tooths to 755. Leading sales of older ewes quoted by stock firms were: T. Edridge (Mina), 192 four-year-old Corriedales at 67s to 68s; R. L. Corbett (Shands track), 57 mixed aged Corriedales at 55s 6d; A. T. Stone (Hororata), 317 annual draft halfbreds at 68s; A. T. Black (Salix, Culverden), 437 annual draft Corriedales at £5 4s; Derrett Bros. (Hororata), 61 five-year-old Corriedale ewes at 595; M. M. Turnbull (The Deans, Amberley), 102 five-year-old Corriedales at 595; Faulker Bros. (Cora Lynn, Kowai Bush), 211 five-year-old halfbred ewes at 58s 6d; P. W. Moore (Kekerengu), 160 five-year Corriedales at '6ls; Mrs K. M. Popplewell (Knock, Culverden), 153 annual draft Corriedales at 635; J. A. Paton (The Birches, Oaro), 176 four-year-old halfbreds at 52s 6d; J. Ross Murray (Wood bank, Clarence Bridge), 306 five-1

year-old Corriedales at 565: J. L. Lewis (Summerhill). 65 mixed aged Romneys at 83s; R. E Mehrtens (Oxford). 79 two-shear Romney cross at 635; Clifton Farming Company (Cashmere). 144 annual draft early-shorn Corriedales at 725: W. B. Clarkson (Flax Hills), 300 five-year-old halfbreds at 53s to 60s: J. R Stanbury (Little River), 114 four and five-year Romneys at 78s: W. J. Morgan (Okaharia. Hundalee), 220 five-vear-old halfbreds at 52s 6d to 62s 6d: Mrs E. E. Trueman (Le Bons Bay), 80 Romneys at 735; J. A. Howden (Port Levy), 125 Romneys at 51s: J. W. Rivers (Hawarden), 150 Corriedales at 59s to 60s; G. T. Newton (Mount Greba), 334 at 39s to 475; A. McL. Stewart (Scar gill), 44 Corriedales at 40s and 212 at 625. Wethers The wether entry was made up mainly of good upstanding woolly two-tooth halfbreds from the Bluff station. Kekerengu. These sold from 63s to 755. A pen of fat and forward Merino wether hoggets sold at 555. Among sales of wethers quoted by stock firms were: Bluff Station. Ltd. (Kekerengu), 314 two-tooth halfbreds at 66s to 755: W. B. Trotter (Fairlie), 94 Merino wether hoggets at 555.