Sound sale of Romney ewes at Tinwald

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32542, 27 February 1971, Page 20

Sound sale of Romney ewes at Tinwald

Although values were generally back a little on last year’s rates, both Romneys and finewoolled ewes had a satisfactory sale at the Ashburton County breeders’ adult ewe fair at Tinwald yesterday. While bidding rarely became brisk, there was a sound inquiry for the more serviceable ewes. About 45 per cent of the offering of 150 pens fetched $5 or more. At 12,580, the yarding was 4,370 down on last year, which probably helped to keep values at a reasonable level.

A large proportion of the yarding again consisted of one-year ewes, but quality was improved on last year, when the district was just emerging from its second successive drought. FREEZING SCHEDULE Because of the class of the ewe offered, the freezing schedule has a large bearing on the prices paid at this fair, and it will be recalled

I that the schedule last year I was very good, a cull ewe [being worth up to $5, and sometimes a little more.

But with most old ewes being worth today -only 33.60 to 53.80 at the works, yesterday’s market could have come back much further than It did. The market for Corriedale ewes—which made up about 20 per cent of the yarding—could be quoted as flrm on last year. Any decreases occurred mainly among tha plainer one-year Rom neys. There were Instances of vendors showing decreases of 50c to 70c, but the better-quality ewes with two season’s breeding use left, were not much more than 20c to 30c easier. In a district where conditions can vary sharply from season to season, marked declines are generally a reflection of quality rather than market levels. While sales at more than 55 were frequent yesterday, very few Romneys fetched more than I 36. The pick of the offering of cast-for-age Romneys sold from 35.80 to 36.30, and this accounted tor a very small selection. Useful one and two-year ewes generally sold from 34.80 to 35.50, with plainer lots from $4 to 34.60. The best of the Corriedales sold from 36 to 36-50, with average from 35.30 to 35.80, and Plain down to $4.20. TOP ROMNEY PRICE The top price for Romneys was 36.30 for 159 ewes carded as four-year-olds, from K. C. Galletly (Lauriston). Idabum, Ltd (Anama), received 36.15 for 277 annual draft ewes, and the same price was paid for 315 five-year-olds from A. S. McClimont (Methven). These ewes were part of a line of more tban 1100 offered as the sale of capital stock. Another 210 ’ five-yeaiM>lds from this vendor fetched 36.10, and a further 347, $535. Two-shear ewes from the same property fetched 37, and a small pen of four-year-olds, 36.10. J. W. Gregory (Westerfield) sold 123 Romneys, carded as four-year-olds, at 55.80. The annual draft of ewes from

Lincoln Hills served as a good (Illustration of the market for regular lines. Numbering 597 head, they sold from $4.75 to 55.65 for a pen average of $5.35, a rise of 20c. Sales of younger Romney ewea Included 239 three-shear ewei fro T BeU (Lismore) al $5.80, 73 two-shear from O. J. McDougall and Sons (Lismore) al $6.10, and 90 two-shear from Idabum, Ltd, at $6.60. Corriedales and halfbreds had a good sale, for. with some e* ceptions, the offering was plain. C. P. Wright (Lyndhurst) topped the Corriedale section with a pen of 200 at $6.50. He also sold 149 at $5.90.

F. G. Rickard and Sons (Riverside) received $6.20 for 139 annual draft ewes, while a lino of 404 from J. M. Stirling (Valetta) changed hands at $6. The first "cut” of a line of 254 from E. A. Blain (Waterton) fetched $6. and the balance $5.90. Bell Brothers (Winslow) had a sale of 136 halfbreds at $5.80. ’ The current demand for open* faced sheep was shown when a pen of 160 Border-Merino ewes from W. G. Keown (Windermere) fetched $7.30.