Romneys in demand

Press, 26 February 1977, Page 3

Romneys in demand

I Romneys were the strong i point of the Oxford ewe fair! yesterday. In both the two-; tooth and adult ewe sections.' they met a keen demand, and vendors showed good mar-] gins over last year’s prices. In recent years small two-1 tooths have regularly been I a minor feature of the fair. I This aspect was again evident yesterday as many small sheep of several breeds often j sold within $2 to S 3 of ewes] of much better size and scope. The Oxford ewe fair is changing fast. Once confined to the fine-wool breeds, and later a small selection of Romneys, it now has all the breeds "to be found in Canterbury. But vesterday it was verymuch the Romney’s day; further evidence that this old breed is making a good comeback. Most of them were small to medium sheep, the best of them selling at $22 to $25, j [and smaller down to aboutj i«2O. Generally this was about' $5 up on last vear’s rates. I The top price here was j $25.80 for the top pen in a; (line of 498 from .1. U. Me' ICracken. Havland (Okuku). K. E. Wells (View Hill), sent I forward two pens totalling •’42. and both lots fetched I $25.60. Perendale and Perendalecross ewes sold in much the same range as the Romnevs, while a pen of BorderRomnevs offered on account of Kotare Downs ('Fernside'), scored the best price of the dav — $26. Corriedales and Halfbreds sold above Addington rates on Wednesday, particularly the smaller sheep. The faitaverage lines lifted by up to 20 per cent on last year, but for the smaller end of the yarding the rise was anything up to 40 per cent. Medium to good young I ewes ranged from about $l9 |to $33. with small sheep conjsistently at $l5 to $lB. A pen 'of Corriedales from B. W and P. F. Dixon (West Eyreton), fetched top price of I $23.20. I Romneys continued to fetch a premium in the cast-for-age ewe sale. Most of them wer» a nne-vear ewe and they sold steadily at $l4

to $l7, with a few at higher money. The top price was $2O for a pen of 183 earlyshorn four-year-olds from Birch Hill Station (Okuku). The same vendor sold a pen of Perendales also at $2O. Last year’s Romneys from this vendor fetched $13.10, so that this year’s price represented a rise of more than 50 per cent. Other vendors also showed marked rises although usually from about 25 to 40 per cent. Tussock-bred ewes from the hill vendors had the best of the fine-wool sale. The better lines which last year rarely exceeded $ll. sold regularly at $l4 to $l5, with plainer sheep down to $12.50. The top price for finewoolled ewes was $19,40 for a pen of 408 early-shorn five-year-old Corriedales from A. R. Mackintosh (Whiterock). A similar line of Halfbreds from the Lands and Survey Department changed hands at $16.80, and the top pen of late-shorn four-year-old Halfbreds from R. H. M. Johnston (Ashlev Gorge.) fetched $l6. The late shearing this season was reflected in the appearance of the yarding for a large number of ewes had not been long off the shears. The carding was 16.580 compared with 19.415 _last vear. and consisted of 7775 two-tooth ewes. 7660 adult ewes, 1025 lambs and 120 wethers. Buying inquiry came principally from fat lamb farmers from down-country, and districts south of the Waimakariri. A selection of sales was: TWO-TOOTH EWES Dalgety New Zealand, Ltd, sold on account of:— J. U. McCracken (Okukui, 100 Romnevs at $23.80. 130 at $24.20. 59 at $22.20, 44 at $20.80, 82 at $25 80 83 at $22.20: K.. Al. Wells rView Hill), 124 at $25.60. 118 at $25.60; R. H. M. Johnston iAshley Gorge). 194 halfbreds at $l9. 57 at. $lB 60. 79 at $18.20. 297 at $l7. 85 at $18.30: M. S. Bower (Swan nanoa). 100 Rotnney-Perendale $18.40. 48 at $2l. 166 hatfbred at 51R.60. 149 at $20.80. 48 at $18.20. 102 at $2O. 28 at $17.40: B W land P. F. Dixon AV*st Eyreton). 163 Corriedales at $22.20 . 78 at $23.20: Birch Hill (Okuku', wfe Perendales at $24. 70 at $22.40: J. R. Russell. Island Hill Lees Valter), ma halfbred« at $17.60, too at •’6.60. i"-« ’• *l7.<" T t iMeDonald and Co ’Eyrewell), 130 Cornedales at 822.

The New Zealand Farmers' ; Co-operative Association sold I on account of:— A. XV. Gillespie (Bennetts), 159 Romneys at $25; J. D. and M. J McLachlan (Okuku), 103 Romneys at $2O; G. XV. Telford (Loburn), 107 Romneys at $23. 41 at $20.20; Molloy Bros. (Oh oka), 90 Rom neys at $21.60; R. J. Charles (Oxford), 101 Corriedales at $20.60. 100 at $18.40, 45 at $18; I. A. and M. J. Graham (Horrelville), 100 Corriedales at $17.80. 167 at S2O, 142 at $22.40. 136 at $18.20; W. R. Ensor (Okuku), 95 Romneys at $17.40, 172 at $18.40: L. E. Taylor (View Hill), 329 Romneys at $22.40; C. B. Cottrell ''Summerhill*, 156 Romneys at $l9. 148 at $18.60; D. S. Taylor (View Hill),! 109 Romneys at $19.80: J. A. Tas-1 man (Swannanoa). 83 Corriedales! at 521.20. Wrightson N.M.A., Ltd, sold ■ on account of:— Kotare Downs (Fernside), 80 Rorder-Romneys at $26; R. and G. Petrie (Swannanoa*, 104 Border-Corriedales at $24.60: Lands and Survey Department (Okuku Pass), 100 halfbreds at $19,20; Gibson Brothers, Snowdale (Lees Valiev), 116 halfbreds at $lB. 152 at $17.20; J. C. Horn 'Oxford). 99 Romneys at $22.80. ADULT EWES The New Zealand Farmers' Co-operative Association sold on account of:— W. F. Asche (Okuku’. 412 one-1 year Romneys at $l6. 192 mixed) age at $16.80: E. XV. Feary and! Co. ’ .Mount Oxford). 375 annual! draft halfbreds at $11.70 to: $11,80: F. J. Gallagher (Okuku),l 219 Romneys at $l5 80: A. \VJ Gillespie (Bennetts*. 120 Romnevs’ at $16.20: G. I. Burnett ’Lees Valiev). 130 annual draft balfbreds at $13.10: M J Ensor ’.Okuku;. 136 Corriedales at $13.80; Innishmore Farm (Ox ford:. 135 one-vear Romnevs at $13.20. Wrightson N.M.A., Ltd, sold on account of:— Lands and Survev Department ’Okuku Pass*, 253 early-shorn annual draft halfbreds at $16.30: Gibson Brothers. Snowdale *Leesi Valiev*. 241 annual draft halfbreds at $14.40. 209 at $13.80. 84 at $l4; XL Harper, Mount Pember (Lees Valley). 485 annual draft halfbreds at $l5 60. 98 al $14.80: Small Familj 1 Trust (Oxford), 131 four and five-year-old Romnevs at $l7. 105 two and three-shear at $21.60, 16.3 annual draft Border-Romneys at $13.60. Dalgety, New Zealand, Ltd, sold on account of:— R. H. M. Johnston (Ashley i Gorge l . 402 four-vear-oid half-1 bred?* at $l6, 185 at $14.70. 186 four and five-vear-old at $13.30:1 •J. R. Russell. Island Hill .Lees 1 X 7 alley i,’ 127 five-year-old halfbreds at $l5, 78 at $13.20. Okuku? Hills Station (Lees Valiev., 311* anua] draft halfbreds at $l3. 183 al $l4; XV. and R. Russell. De Eourbles <Lees Valley), 220 four-year-old halfbreds at $14.40: R.; W Russel], Kingsdown 'Lees' Valley), 134 five--ear-old halfbeds at $14.10. 154 at $12.60.Birch Hill -Okuku fiv*-<ear-| old Romneys at $2O, 74 Perea-1 dales at $2O. i