Mutton-breed rams in demand at annual fair

Press, 26 February 1983, Page 17

Mutton-breed rams in demand at annual fair

Mutton breeds were in much stronger demand than wool breeds at the annual Canterbury flock ram fair at the Addington showgrounds yesterday. Except for the passings of some Southdowns and a few Poll Dorsets. all other mutton breed rams had a total clearance, emphasising the trend towards faster maturing lambs. Al) breeds of black-faced rams increased their average prices compared with last year's fair. Of the wool breeds. Romneys had easily the best of the sale. Well-bred’ Romneys were sought and a Romney from White Brothers (Omakau) topped the sale with 8850. Corriedale and Border Leicester rams had a disappointing sale with many passings. Some mutton breed rams were of mixed quality, but such was the demand that even plain rams easily exceeded their reserve price. All 66 Dorset Down rams offered were sold at an average price of $214. compared with $l6O last year. D. O. ’ Masefield and Sons (Goughs Bay) sold four Dorset Downs at $320 and averaged $270 for 12 sales. A. H. Busch (Prebbleton) sold eight rams between $2OO and $3OO. and T. J. Masefield (Goughs Bay) had eight sales from $lBO to $3lO. H. Dalziel (Waipara) averaged $2lB for six Dorset Downs and H. C. and G. C. G. Abbott (Southbridge) sold six rams from $l7O to $240. Thirty-one South Suffolks sold at an ’ average price of $234 compared with $llB last year. No rams were passed in. J. R.. E. D. and Estate of M. L. Croy (Oxford) sold two South Suffolks at $3OO. D. J. and J. Stewart (Rakaia) sold 18 between $l6O and $240. H. C. Vanstone (Little River) received prices of $lBO to $240 for eight South Suffolks. Suffolk rams averaged $232. compared with $146 last year. All 18 rams sold easily. Mrs C. M. Wade (Halswell) had an outstanding sale, averaging $306 for five Suffolks with a top price of $330 (twice). Ravenswood Stud (Woodend) sold one Suffolk at $260 and M. S. Andrews (West Melton) had two sales at $260 and $l7O. G. C. G. and D. M. Abbott received $220 for two Suffolks. An average price of $219 was received for 30 South Dorset Down rams compared with $123 last year. None were passed. The top price for South Dorset Downs was $420 for a ram from A. A. and L. W. Ellis (Amberley), who sold eight others for an over-all average of $275. R. J. King (Pendarves) sold 12 South Dorset Downs between $l4O and $220, and H. M. and D. H. King (Ashburton) had four sales from $l5O to $240. Only three Poll Dorset rams out of 27 offered were passed in. The 24 rams sold averaged $136, compared with $137 last year. A. W. Phillips (Darfield) sold eight Poll Dorsets from $llO to $2OO. and R. J. and N. F. Chapman (Waikari) had two sales at $lBO and two at $l3O. G. G. and B. M. Gilbert (Southbridge) sold six between $l2O and $l7O.

Five Hampshire rams from C. V. Saunders and Sons (Ashburton) sold from $2OO to $2lO. Southdown rams averaged $lO6 for 15 sales compared with an average of $lll last year. Twenty-four rams were passed. Leading Southdown sales included W. J. Brooks (Brookside) with two rams at $l4O. two at $l2O and two at $lOO. L. A. Christey (Southbridge) sold two at $lOO and one at $9O. Ten English Leicesters sold for an average price of $145. compared with $134 last year. The top price was $3OO for a ram from R. J. and M. A. Burrows (Culverden). Other vendors had sales between $9O and $240. Interest in Border Leicesters was very limited and only about 15 per cent of the offering of 160 rams was sold. The average was $llO compared with $l2O last year. Successful Border Leicester vendors included K D. Stevenson (Flaxton) with sales at $l6O. $l4O (2). $llO and $lOO. I. R. Caird (Timaru). $l7O. and P. H. Letham (Ashburton). $l4O. $llO (2). and $lOO (2). Three Lincoln rams from K. A. and L. M. Hall (Timaru) sold at $9O and $lOO (2). The average for 138 Romney rams was $205. Eighty-eight rams failed to find buyers. Romney rams generally had a successful sale, with buyers looking for the well-bred sheep. Near

the end of the sale, interest waned and several passings were made. Along with the top price of $B5O. While Brothers had other sales at $4OO. $340 (twice). $250 and $2OO. Haines Family Trust (Brookside) sold 12 Romneys between $2OO and $450. including seven at $360 or more. Merry vale Stud Farm (Gore) had a consistent sale. 13 rams selling from $l7O to $3OO. C. T. Burrows (Culverden) received a top price of $330 (twice) for Romneys and had seven other sales from $240 to $2BO. Two Romneys made $3OO and another sold for $2OO for P. C. Macaulay (Ashburton), and H. I. and M. E. Robinson (Woodend) sold nine from $l2O to $320. O. J. Adams (Ashburton) received $4lO for one Romney. In the Corriedale section the figures speak for themselves. Only 150 of the 453 Corriedales offered sold at auction and the average price was $125.13. Last year only 326 rams were offered and 86 per cent of these sold. These averaged $130.81. Last year the market was strongly supported by a MidCanterbury farmer armed with an export order , for Corriedale rams. No such support was available this year and the market was well over-supplied. Over all the quality was des-

cribcd as average. Certainly buyers were willing to compete freely for the best sheep but plainer sorts were hard to sell. Of the 150 sold 77 sold at $lOO or less, and six sold at $2OO or more. The best price, was $5OO for a ram from G. R. and K. M. Millar (Southbridge). The Millars averaged $136 for 18. The rest sold between $lOO and $2OO. Last year the Millars had top price also at $325. E. K. and D. J. Millar (Killinchy) sold four rams between $llO and $4OO at an average of $215: B. J. Johns (Culverden) sold five between $lOO and $2OO at an average of $156; W. E. and N. J. Moorhead (Southbridge) three between $llO and $2OO at an average of $153 and M. A. and M. W. Moorhead (Southbridge) 12 between $9O and $lBO for an average of $l4B. None of the 26 Borderdales offered were sold at auction. Eight pens were offered but no bids were received. The sale for Coopworths improved on last year when 30 were offered. 19 were passed, the average was $9B and the top price $l2O. Yesterday less than half of the 33 offered sold but these averaged $123 and the top price was $lBO. Neil Scott (Ashburton) sold six between $llO and $lBO and D. M. and J. D. Stowell (Ashburton) sold three from $9O to $l6O.