Keen interest in breeding cows

Press, 16 July 1987, Page 26

Keen interest in breeding cows

Keen farmer interest in breeding cows kept the store cattle market steady at the Addington market yesterday. Several lines of pregnancytested in-calf cows were a feature of the adult cattle yarding and they drew much more spirited bidding than fattening cattle or calves.

Fanners from as far afield as South Canterbury sought the better quality cows, which fetched from 5350 to $450 depending on condition. Other types of cattle failed to attract an enthusiastic response from buyers, although prices were generally unchanged from recent Addington rates. Big adult steers fetched $470 to $540 with one pen reaching $630, and several lines of good quality two-year-old steers made $430 to

$460. Prices of medium heifer calves were steady at $2lO to $250 for most of the betterconditioned stock, with bigger heifers reaching $2BO. The yarding contained about 900 cattle compared with almost 1100 at the previous store cattle sale. Store sheep A small yarding of mated ewes did not arouse the same strong interest as last week’s special sale had and prices were $2 to $3 cheaper. Some regular buyers probably attended yesterday’s sheep fair at Ashburton instead of Addington. Good Romney ewes fetched $24 to $27 and tidy ewes were generally $2l to $23. The store lamb market started with weak buying power, but the demand improved as the

sale progressed and prices stabilised to finish on a firm note- The small yarding of lambs was of good quality and many sales were made between $l9 and $23. Sales included:— Adult cattle: E. A. Shand (Culverden), 32 2 and year Hereford, Angus and Angus-cross steers at $470 to $630; M. G. and J. K. Gould (Culverden), 24 rising twoyear Hereford heifers at $434 to $440; The Gates Farm (Waiau), 38 rising two-year Angus and Angus-cross heifers at $324 to $380; L. J. O’Carroll (Hawarden), 14 pregnancy-tested in-calf Angus cows at $438; J. W. Shepherd (Scargill), 13 preg-nancy-tested in-calf Hereford cows at $448; R. D. Fisher (Allandale), 12 rising twoyear Simmental-cross heifers

at $430; Cascade Farm (Culverden), 14 two-year Hereford, Angus and Angus-cross steers at $424 to $425; L. G. and I. L. Ward (Ohoka), 20 Friesian cows at $298 to $340; J. N. Murchison and Son (Lake Coleridge), 14 preg-nancy-tested in-calf Angus cows at $376; D. A. Sloss (Cheviot), 21 rising two-year Angus and Angus-cross steers ats4s6 to $464; Putiki Farm (Port Levy), 18 Angus-cross cows at $332 to $366. Calves: R. D. Fisher (Allandale), 47 Murray Grey heifers at $2lB to $240; E. D. Ewart (Hawarden), 7 Hereford heifers at $280; D. Barnett (West Melton), 196 Angus and Angus-cross heifers at $2lO to $254.

Lambs: Glentara Farm (Greta Valiev), 57 Romney

rams at $2O to $20.80; P. G. Gregg (Rotherham), 130 mixed-sex at $l9 to $23.80; A. S. Fraser (Pigeon Bay), in Perendale ewes at $23.80 to $26; T. F. and J. P. Smith (Kaikoura), 82 Romneys at $24.80; D. S. Kennedy (Kaikoura), 71 Romneys at $24.40. Mated ewes: Estate T. W. Hutchinson (Little River), 40 shorn Romneys at $23.50; E. S. Page (Cheviot), 61 Romneys at $27.20; L. R. Forrester (Hawarden), 159 five-year halfbreds at $21.75; G. W. Simes (Wainui), 50 Perendales at $22; M. G. Gould (Rotherham), 77 five-year shorn Corriedales at $2l; A. J. Hutchinson (Wainui), 44 shorn Romneys at $26.25; I. A. McMeekan (Ranglora), 82 Romney cross at $27.75.