Calves Sell Well At Kaikoura

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31043, 26 April 1966, Page 15

Calves Sell Well At Kaikoura

Values were pounds ahead <rf last year when the annual Kaikoura and East Coast cattle sale was held at Kaikoura this week. For steer calves, rates looked to be around £5 to £6 a head better and heifer calves appeared to show an even bigger appreciation. Steer calves made to £33 compared with £27 last year, and heifer calves to £3O compared with only £l7 a year ago. It was a similar story with the older cattle. Mated cows last year sold to little more than £3O and most sales were well below the £3O mark. This time several sales were made in the £35 to £4O range. Eigh-teen-months steers sold to £34 15s last year and to £45 5s this week. Compared with recent Addington rates, taking freight between Kaikoura and Addington into account, values were considered to be close to Christchurch market rates for steer calves. Heifer calves were possibly a little better. The calves came forward in excellent condition and it seems to be a characteristic of the sale that the cattle are improving year by year. Probably because of the good autumn with people holding cattle back, the entry was down on last year. There yvere 1253 calves, including 739 steer calves, 504 heifer calves and 10 mixed sex calves, compared with a total of 1565 a year ago. The over-all entry for the sale was about 1506 compared with 1871 last year. Buyers were present from Ashburton, Rakaia, Banks Peninsula, Rangiora, Culverden, Cheviot and Seddon, as well as the immediate district. Steer Calve* The best of the Aberdeen Angus and Aberdeen Angus cross steer calves made from £29 to £33, with good calves making from £27 to £29, average £24 to £26 and fithers down to £22 IDs. L. H. H. Weavers headed the section and the steer calf sale generally with 30 calves making £133. The estate C. J. Aitken received £3O 10s for 24 Aberdeen Angus cross calves and H. C. Acton-Adams £3O for 33 Aberdeen Angus and Aberdeen Angus cross. Last year the top money for these steer calves was 27. Straight black steer calves sold to £29 10s with average to good ranging from about £24 to £27. The estate C. J. Aitken, which was paid up to £25 5s last year, this week sold 32 calves at £29 10s.

There was a limited supply of Hereford steer calves and for average to good sorts values ranged from £25 to £27 ss, with 15 from R. D. Middleton making the top price. Last year this class of calf realised to £22 15s. In the heifer calf department the majority were in the Aberdeen Angus and Aberdeen Angus cross category and the best of these made from £23 10s to £24 15S, with average to good at £2O to £23 and others at £l7 10s to £l9 15s. The estate C. J. Aitken had 15 Aberdeen Angus cross at £24 15s and they also sold 31 straight Aberdeen Angus

at £24 19s. Aberdeen Angus heifer calves sold from £l9 5s to £24 10s.

Good Sale A notable sale of 10 Hereford heifer calves was made by B. T. Seddon at £3O. Other Hereford heifer calves made from £2O 15s upwards. The best of the mated cows made from about £35 to £4O 10s, with others selling down to £22 10s. Eight Aberdeen Angus and Aberdeen Angus cross cows, which had been with an Aberdeen Angus bull from December 1, from H. C. Acton-Adams, brought £4O 10s and 21 Hereford cows running with an Aberdeen Angus bull from the same date from E. G. Latter brought £4O, Twenty-month heifers sold up to £39 for 17 from D. J. Keenan. For IS-month steers prices ranged from £3l 15s up to £45 ss, with six Herefords from J. P. Emms selling at the top price. Some two-and-a-half-year-old steers sold from £3l to £46, with four Herefords and one black from R. L. Dillon selling for £46.