KILLING SEASON

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26354, 8 January 1947, Page 4

KILLING SEASON

FINEGAND WORKS OPEN SOME 38LB LAMBS FORWARD Only 900 lambs came forward yesterday for the opening of the killing season at the South Otago Freezing Company’s works at Finegand. They were in reasonably good condition being picked tops from Milton and Owaka—the two early districts in the south—and one or two iines averaged more than 381 b. "... “The season has been extremely backward and the works will be slack for the next two weeks,” the manager (Mr E Barnett) told a Daily Times reporter yesterday. “I do not expect that we will be busy until after the end of the month.” ‘ / There was no shortage of labour at Balclutha yesterday. More labourers were present than in some previous seasons. Balclutha does not employ the chain slaughtering system but engages solo butchers and, although there was only half a team available yesterday, it was ample for the quantity of iambs to be killed. It is expected that there will be more butchers at the works when they are needed in a month or so, after the shearing season ends and second chains are dis continued at works in the North Island. The New Zealand Refrigerating Company’s works at Burnside will open to-morrow for two days’ killing this week. A large yarding of stock is not expected, the manager (Mr K. Clark) said yesterday. First drafts would be from districts near Dunedin and from South Otago and Southland. Nothing was expected from Central Otago until February. Throughout Otago and Southland, conditioning of lambs has been delayed by the cold, showery weather. Mp Clark added that he was hopeful there would be sufficient labour for the opening of the season.