THE SHEEP MARKET IN BRITAIN

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 80, 28 December 1940, Page 14

THE SHEEP MARKET IN BRITAIN

War And Semi-Drought . Conditions A report has been received from Britain, dealing with the sheep trade there in September, when the “Blitzkreig” was ranging and there had been a long spell of dry weather. The report reads: "We are at the period of the year when breeding ewes and rams from the English stud producers are auctioned at the annual sales. War conditions not permitting the usual attendance from overseas this year, a permanent drop in values was inevitable. I should think that, with the exception of a limited demand from Argentina, practically the whole of the entries would be disposed of to local breeders.

“Hampshire top price was lOJgus., and there was a more active demand than was expected perhaps because this breed does better in varied feeding than any other United Kingdom breed. Southdowns did very merry trade, the top price here being also 21gns. Each year more of this breed are finding their way into Scottish flocks for grazing with the Cheviots. This cross results in a very attractively shaped lamb, while the Cheviot infusion makes the product much more hardy and capable of the rigorous climatic conditions of Scotland.

“The Rylands had about the best sale of all the breeds, 39gns. being rhe top price paid. There are not many stud flocks of this breed left in England and most of these are between the Cotswold and the Hereford. Originally this breed was the Merino of England and was bred in large numbers upon the Cotswold hills when this district was the main centre of English wool production, a fact that is emphasized by wool-washing plants that are still in existence on the streams between Whitney and Cheltenham.”

"We have reached the period of tlie year when lamb sales dominate the English live stock market offerings. At Hawick this week, during a sale that occupied three days, over 42.000 lambs changed hands. The first clay’s sale was confined to Down crosses, of which over 10,000 were on offer and also 500 p halfbred wether lambs. ’These offerings were mainly of the store type, bought for fattening, and prices covered a wide range. from 7/9 to 23/6 per head. Cheviot lambs averaged 7/7, of which nearly 9000 were sold. Grey-faced and black-faced lambs comprised the rest of the sale entry, both very hardy breeds of sheep, capable of existing in intense colds and snowstorms, and fat toning on heather and the coarse herbage of I he rough, wild highland type of countrv upon which they graze. These sheep seem to be practically immune from footrot, and though their wool clip is light and coarse, the flavour of their meat is equal to the best saltbush merino mutton if it is consumed where produced." Prices at Lamb Sales.

From the nature of the report, which was written by an Australian sheep expert, we assume that the ram prices referred to wore for floek rams and not for the highest standard of stud sheep, though tlie reference to overseas buyers and the Argentine, demand is a little complicating.