ADDINGTON YARDS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18641, 19 December 1928, Page 10

ADDINGTON YARDS.

TO-DAY’S SALE. The pre-Christmas double market was held at Addington to-day. There was a particularly large entry of fat lambs. As the freezing works close for the holidays on Saturday, there was not much demand from the freezing buyers, but the butchers competed keenly, and all decently finished lambs sold at satisfactory prices. There was also a good demand for fat cattle, and prices improved a lot on late rates. For a double market there was not a large entry of fat sheep, only eleven races being filled. The entry of store sheep was the largest for months. Wethers formed the bulk of the entry. They were slightly easier than at the previous sale. STORE SHEEP. Entries in the store sheep pens were the largest forward for many months, no doubt in response to the recent strong demand from fatteners. Wethers constituted the bulk of the yarding, the balance of which was made up by a pen or two of dry ewes and ewes and lambs. Included in the offering were some fair-sized lines of Chatham Island wethers, and a number of drafts of back-country station wethers. From among these the best sheep in the yards could be picked out, there being several pens of fairly well-conditioned and strongly constitutioned sheep off hard country yarded. The Chathams’ sheep for the most part, penned up in good condition, and showed little effect of their sea journey. As far as the remainder of the yarding went, there was little to pick and choose from. A lot of the sheep were backward and with worn mouths, and would require a good deal of attention before they showed anything In the shape of a return. The sale opened quite well, but there was a noticeable weakening in the demand. As it progressed there was some irregularity, and It was evident that buyers realised that they had been paying a little bit too much for this class of sheep at recent sales. Consequently they shaded their ideas of value down a little, though in some cases the prices paid allowed very little margin for those seeking some return. Better class sheep were wanted, but farmers were not prepared to give as much for them as they have been doing lately. The heavy supply was doubtless partly responsible for the slight easing. There were quite a number of passings where vendors reserves were too high for the market. FAT LAMBS. The lamb entry was a Christmas one, both in size and quality. The lamb pens were inadequate to accommodate the entry and a race and a half of the fat shep pens were utilised. Some fine drafts of lambs were forward, pen after pen of the weightier sorts in demand by butchers being offered. Naturally, however, in such a big entry there was a fair proportion of medium to light sorts The butchery trade made the competition keen from the outset, and it was only an occasional pen that went to tn - works, which, in any case, close for the holidays at the end of this week. A good deal of the offering made up to lid a lb for medium-weights and over 10id for the heavier sorts. An odd P« n s s” d at 37s 3d. but for a deeen-sized lot the best flgurs was secured by J. M’Cann (Ohoka), who sold 30 at 35s <d to 36s 4d. The range of prices was:— Extra prime lambs, to 37s 3d. Prime lambs, 32s to 345. Medium lambs. 29s to 31s 6d. Light lambs, 26s to 28s 6d. FAT CATTLE. Another heavy entry of 595 head, a few less than last week. Quality, however, was not up to the standard of the preceding Wednesday, the buk of the steers being plainer and not so well finished, whilst the proportion of cows was considerably larger. The entry was quite a moderate one in numbers in view of the holiday, and this was reflected in the competition, which over the earlier stages was very keen. Prices allround showed an improvement on last week of 20s to 30s a head.