Ewes firm at Oxford sale

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33776, 24 February 1975, Page 10

Ewes firm at Oxford sale

Under good competition throughout, all classes of ewes had a firm sale when the autumn series of ewe 'fairs was continued at Oxford yesterday. Unlike Hawarden the previous day, there was not such ' buying pressure, but the mar- ; ket nevertheless remained firm on the improved rates paid at Addington on Wednesday. I Generally, , both two-tooths I and adult ewes were selling ■at about half the rates paid •jlast year, When farming was i ‘ buoyant. The fair drew an entry of 13,700, compared with 13,175 |last year, and the stock on l hand covered a wide range I of type and quality. Apart from price levels, yesterday’s I fair followed much the same ; pattern as last year’s. In the two-tooth section, it ’ was the small sheep which , i seemed to have the best sale. ’ This was no doubt brought about by farmers buying to a . price range, but it had the : effect of making some of the ? good average two-tooths look > much more reasonable buys’ ing. i Good average ewes sold regularly at $lO to $ll, with ! small down to $B. . | A pen of 96 early-shorn Rom- ; neys from J. U. McCracken (Hay- . i land) fetched the top price of ISI6 in the twq-tooth section. On the day, it proved to be a fairly , j isolated price. For his line of 1497 selling at, $10.50 to the top

; money, Mr McCracken obtained: : a pen average of. almost $12.; Cullen Brothers obtained the ; next best price for Romnevs : with a pen of 100 at $12.70. , More Perendale ewes were in. ■ eluded this year. For 176 selling ! from $12.10 to $12.40. the West- : burn Trust (Summerhill) obtained | a pen average of $12.20, and for a line of 314, Birch Hill Station gained a pen average of $11.55. The top price here was also $12.40. A. E. Cross and Company (Bennetts) secured the best price of $l3 for a pen of 80 Corriedales in the fine-woolled section. M. Spencer Bower (Swannanoa), was one of the principal two-tooth vendors, his line of 460 halfbreds ranging from $9.90 to $11.20. for a pen average of $10.70; Two hundred and thir.’v halfbreds from R. H. M. Johnston (Ashley Gorge) sold at $lO to $ll. ADULT EWES Adult ewes had a verv sound I sale for the season, the market, being well in line with rates I paid for similar sheep at Add-; ington on Wednesday. I This year’s offering was much | improved on those of recent I years. There was a useful selee- ! tion of lines with sound mouths, j and fewer ewes which came within the category of works ' ewes. ; The lines off the plains came :: forward in very good order, some of them being in heavy condition, but some of the tussock ewes were again laiily light in condition. Nevertheless they were an improvement on the poor-framed, brokenmouthed type of ewe which has been seen too often at this fair. ' The best of the cast-for-agel ; ewes sold to $8.60. this being; paid for 305 five-year-old Corrie-; 'dales from A. R. Mackintosh! I (Whiterock). M. Harper, Mount: IPember (Lees Valley), sold 2831 ! four-year-old halfbreds at $8.25,1 and a further 155, carded as! four and five-year-olds at $7.45.:

; R. H. M, Johnston (Ashley I Gorge), received $8 for 200 four-! I year-old halfbreds and $7.90 for ; the balance of 82 in the same I pen. Another 226 of the same i description fetched $7. ' The Lands and Survey Department (Okuku Pass), received $7.50 for a line of 193 earlyshorn annual draft ewes. Two and three-shear Corriedale ewes, offered as capital stock on acount of I. M. and M. :J. Graham (Horrelville) sold to $lO. , Sales of the main fine-woolled, llines included: Okuku Hill (Lees Valley). 194 annual draft halfbreds at $7.20, 153 at $6.20; G. L. Burnett (Lees Valley), 207 annual draft halfbreds at 55.90; N. T. Duckworth (Wharfdale), 113 annual draft halfbreds at $7.10. 197 at $6.80; Gibson Brothers ISnowdale). 249 four-year-old Corriedales at $6.70, 188 five-year-olds at $6.70. A line of 219 five-year-old Romneys from Birch Hill Station equalled the top price of the fair. $8.60. M. L. and J. R. Croy (Spring Creek), sold 149 Romneys at $6.60 and C. B. Cottrell (Sum-! merhill), 143 Romneys at $6.40. A I pen of 189 big Romney-cross ewes from E. R. Meyer fetched! 56.80. A lar?e number of the adult! ewes ranged from 55.80 to $6.50, and ewes, suitable for the works,; down to $4. A large proportion of the yarding was bought for the Rangiora! district. Buyers from south of! the Waimakariri were also active, and odd sales were made to the i Peninsula and the West Coast. | The offering of 13,700 head consisted ’ of 5860 two-tooth ewes! (5170 last year), and 7840 adult! sheep (8005 last year).