STORE SHEEP FIRM.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20278, 12 April 1934, Page 13

STORE SHEEP FIRM.

Better Values in Main Sections. ADDINGTON STOCK SALE. Values in the main sections at the Addington stock sale yesterday were generally firmer. Store sheep had a good sale, with sound-mouthed ewes Is a head dearer than at last week’s market. In the mutton section fat wethers suitable for the butchery trade showed an advance of Is a head, while ewes were very firm. There was an increase of id per lb in the fat lamb schedule. Beef sold well in spite of the yarding being heavier than usual. rat Cattle. With colder temperatures prevailing and increased fat sheep prices, the beef market has been given a fillip. An improved demand was evidenced in the ready disposal of a large entry of 540 head, which included a large proportion of first-class pens. There were some remarkably well-finished lines of steers forward. The demand was well sustained on a basis firm on late rates. The entry compared with one of 370 last week. There were odd pens from the West Coast and two or three consignments from Otago and Southland. The top price was £ll 2s 6d, paid for one steer in a line of seven sold on account of the Greenland Estate. The line averaged £lO 5s 6d a head. Perhaps the choicest of the larger lines offered was that sold on account of Sir R. Heaton Rhodes (Otahuna>. In it twelve steers #old from £lO 7s 6d to £lO 12s 6d—seven at the top figure. The cattle were Hereford cross and Red Polls. The latter provided much interest. Sit' Heaton also sold a heifer at £8 17s 6d, which was the top price lor that section. Guildford’s Estate (Port Levy) sold twenty-one steers at £8 7s 6d io £lO I7s 6d—another of the outstanding lines of the day. The top price for cows was £8 12s 6d, secured for one sold on account of the Mount Somers Estate. Best beef made up to 24s per 1001 b; good, 18s to 21s; heavy-weight, 15s 6d to 17s 6d; ordinary quality, 13s to 16s; and rough down to 10s 6d. Values were;— Extra prime heavy steers to £ll 2s 6d. Prime heavy steers, £7 10s to £S 15s. Prime medium-weight steers, £6 10« to £B. Ordinary quality steers, £3 10s to £6. Eight steers to £3 ss. Extra prime heifers to £8 17s od. Prime heifers. £4 to £6 7s 6d. / Ordinary heifers, £2 15s to £3 15s. Eight heifiers to £2 10s. Extra prime cows to £8 12s 6d. Prime cows, £3 10s to £5 ss. Medium cows, £2 to £3 ss. Light cows to £2. Fat Sheep. The quality of the fat sheep yarding was scarcely as good as that of last week. Butchers’ wethers had a keen and firm sale at an advance of from 9d to Is a head. For the lighter wethers butchers competed with graziers at from 22s to 235. Good quality ewes met with a keen demand from butchers, and this class improved towards the end of the sale by up to Is a head. There would have been a dull sale for the poorer quality stuff if freesers had not operated fairly keenly. The yarding totalled 4 800 head, compared with 4500 last Week. Top price fpr wethers was 20s Id, which was obtained for twentyone of a line of fifty-eight forwarded by D. Macdonald (Edendale). Ewes sold to 23s 7d, that price being secured for the tops of fifty-eight sold by T A. Stephens (Irwell). Values were:— Extra prime heavy wethers, to 29s id. Prime heavy wethers, 24s to 26s 6d. Prime medium-weight wethers, 2ts Gd to 23s 6d. Ordinary quality wethers. 19s to 21s. Light wethers, 15s to 18s 6cl Prime heavy ewes, to 23s 7d. Prime medium-weight ewes, 18s 6d to 21s. Ordinary quality ewes. 15s fid » o 3 ?s. Light ewes, 11s to 15s. Store Sheep. There was nothing particularly interesting about the store sheep offering. The yarding was not as big as the previous week’s, and the general average quality was lower, the appearance of many travelled sheep from lower Marlborough depreciating it considerably in this respect. They were mostly merinos and some of them were penned in a very poor condition. In addition to these outside lines.—and also in contrast to them—was a fair muster of North Island and Chatham Islands Romneys. Interest in the market was keener than it was the week before and the sale throughout was a good one, there being a;n excellent clearance of practically the whole offering. Sound mouth ewes on an average were Is a head better, and even among the inferior sheep there were some great sales. Wethers were in heavier supply than usual and they sold firmly at late rates. Anything in forward condition was wanted. Values were;— Good two-tooth Romney ewes, 2Ss 9d to 30s 6d. Ordinary four and six-tooth cross-bred ewes, 20s 9d to 25s 9d. Ordinary, six and eight-tooth Romney ewes, 20s to 22s 3d. Good two-tooth half-bred ewes to 32s 6d. Ordinary two-tooth half-bred, 27s to 28s 9d. Ordinary four and six-tooth half-bred. 23» to 25s 6d. Ordinary six and eight-tooth halfbred ewes to 225. Good four-year-old half-bred ewes, 22s to 245. Medium s.m. half-bred ewes, 19s to 21s 6d. Ordinary s.m. half-bred ewes, 16s 6d to 18s 6d. S. and f.m. ewtes, 13s to 15s Gd. Aged and inferior half-bred ewes, 8s 6d to 12s 6d. Forward half-bred wethers, 19s to 235. I Other half-bred wethers, 15s to ISs I 6d. Merino wethers, Is 6d to 8s 3d. Vealers. There was a large entry of vealers, large and rough sorts predominating. Butchers filled their requirements without difficulty and poorer types were taken by graziers at slightly below late rates. The top price was £4 Ss 6d. Dairy Cattle. There was an entry of sixty head at dairy cattle, with quality very mixed. Aged types met no demand and were removed to the store section. Good >'ows and heifers met a spasmodic demand, but some satisfactory prices were realised. The top price was £9. foi a cow sold on account of F. J. Andrew (Te Perlta). Values ranged as follows: Extra good second and third cat vers, to £9. Good second and third calvers, £t 10s to £6 10s. Medium second and third calvers, £3 to £4 ss. Others, 30s to £2 ss. Good heifers, to £7. Medium heifers. £4 to £5 ss. Others. £2 to £3 15s. Store Cattle. There was a full yarding of store cattle. Included was one useful line of three-year-old Shorthorn steers, which sold satisfactorily at £4 8s fd. Two-year-old steers made from £3 to £3 15«; two year-old heifers, £2 to £2 10s. yearlings, mixed sex, 15s to 27s 6d; fresh cows, to £2 8s fid; aged and Inferior cows, 11s to 17s; bulls, to £3 15s; yearling bulls, to £3 ss. Pat Pigs. There was a very large entry of fat pigs—The demand was irregular, but values maintained approximately late rates. Values were:— Choppers, £2 to £4. Baconers, 46s Gd to 54s 6d. Heavy baconers, 57s 0d to £3 5s fid. Extra heavy baconers, to £3 17s Gd. Average price per lb, 4id to sid. Porkers, 32s to 37s Gd. Heavy porkers. 38s Gd to 44s fid. Average price per lb, 5d to »ld. Store Pigs. The entry of store pigs was the largest for some time. The basis of prices was 3s a- head below that established last week. Values were: Weaners, 5s 6d to 7s. Good weaners. to 9s. Slips. Ss to 10s. Small stores, Its to 12s. Medium stores, 12s to 14s. Good stores, 14s to 16s. f Extra good stores, to £l. I Sows in pig, to £3 3s.