FAT SHEEP FIRMER.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20361, 19 July 1934, Page 11

FAT SHEEP FIRMER.

Entry Barely Sufficient for Butchers. GOOD BEEF UNCHANGED. 1 There was a, very keen sale for fat sheep, and especially for wethers, at the metropolitan stock market at Addington yesterday. The yarding was only just sufficient for butchers* requirements, and competition forced values up by Is a head for wethers, and from 6d to Is for the better-class ewes. In the fat cattle pens quality was slightly better than that of last week, and good-quality beef was firm, with secondary sorts showing a slight drop. Fat Cattle. The entry was much larger than last week’s, comprising 515 head, compared with 369. Except for a few truck lots from North Otago and the West Coast the entry was all from within the province. It included some excellent cattle from the Peninsula, and there were also some good quality cattle from local fatteners and North Canterbury stations. The proportion of secondary cattle showed little change, but on an average quality was a little better than usual. The market opened strongly for the primest cattle, which showed a sliglu improvement until the final stages or the sale, when they slipped back to slightly under last week’s rates. On an average good quality beef could be quoted as firm, with practically no advance in prices. Plain big beef maintained prices until near the concluding stages, but all secondary and inferior cattle were slightly lower throughout, and in the closing stages were difficult to sell. Amongst the outstanding pens was one of twelve steers from E. Hay (Pigeon Bay), one of which equalled top price of the market at £l2 12s 6d, with seven others at £l2 2s 6d, the draft averaging £ll Ss 9d. Three steers from J. E. Thacker (Duvauchelle) sold at £ll 17s fid to IT2 12s fid. the latter figure equalling top price of the sale. A neifer from C. B. Thacker (Okalns Bay) sold at £9 17s 6d and two from C. B. and J. R. Thacker at the same figure. Best beef made from 24s to 26s 6d per LOOlb, heavy from 20s to 235, secondary from 16s to 19s and inferior down to 14 s. Values were:— Extra prime heavy steers to £l2 12s 6d. Prime heavy steers, £8 15s to £lO 15s. Prime medium-weight steers, £7 10s to £9. Ordinary steers. £5 to £7. Eight steel’s to £4 10s. Extra prime heifers to £9 17s 6d. Prime heifers, £5 10s to £7 10s. Ordinary heifers. £4 5s to £5 ss. Eight-heifers to £4. Extra prime cows to £8 7s 6d. Prime cows, £5 to £7. Oi dinary cows, £3 10s to £5. Light and inferior cows to £3 ss. Fat Sheep. The entry of 3800 head of fat sheep, as against 3400 last week, represented the third consecutive yarding of a size barely sufficient for the trade's requirements. Consequently butchers were keen to get ample supplies to offset any short yarding in the near future. Wethers rose by Is a head on last week’s rates, and really good ewes, of which there were many, sold at an advance of 6d to Is The general quality of the entry was an Improvement on that of the previous week. Top price for wethers was 29s 7d, which figure was obtained for seven of 56 sold for the New Zealand and Australian Land Company (Hampden) and for nine of

48 belonging to J. J. Earl (Orari). Ewes made to 25s lOd. at which price four of a truck lot from Hunter Morris (Winchmore) changed hands. They were Corrledales in really prime condition. Values were:

Extra prime heavy wetliers, to 29s 7d. Prime heavy wethers, 26s to 2Ss. Prime medium wethers, 23s to 25s 6d. Ordinary wethers. 19s to 22s 6d. Eight wethers, 17s to 18s Gd. Extra prime heavy ewes, to 25s lOd. Prime heavy ewes, 23s to 24s 6d. Prime medium ewes, 19s Gd to 22s fid. Ordinary ewes, 15s fid to 19s. Eight ewes, 11s to 15s. Store Sheep. The store sheep sale showed a little Improvement on last week’s. The entry was slightly larger, but there were no very outstanding lines. For good ewes in lamb there was a steady demand, and for them values were better by from 6d to Is a head. One line of 69 soundmouthed ewes in lamb from Llsmore sold at 275. Values were:— Medium two, four and six-tooth ewes, 20s 9d to 21s. Good sound-mouth cross-bred ewes, to 275. Medium six-tooth half-bred ewes, 25s id to 27s 6d. Medium six and eight-tooth crossbred ewes, to 23s 9d. Fallinr-raouth half-bred ewes, 12s 6d to 15s 6d. Forward four and six-tooth half-I>red and three-quarter-bred wethers, 21s lOd to 22s 2d. Ordinary fom: and six-tooth half-bred wethers,, to 18s 7d. Merino wethers, to 17s 9d. Fat Lambs. The yarding of about 350 fat lambs, as against 100 last -week, was just sufficient for butchers’ requirements, and the entry, which included many medium sorts, sold at last week’s rates. Two pet lambs, sold on account of J. Stone, Jun. (Methven) and R. H. Rossi ter, jun. (Oxford) brought the best prices of 27s 7d and 27s Id. The best pen of lambs was forward from J. Madeley (Kaiapoi), ten of 19 making 26s lOd and the rest from 24s lOd. Values were: Extra prime heavy lambs, to 27s 7d. Prime heavy lambs, 24s 6d to 26s 6d. Prime medium-weights, 21s to 245. Light lambs. 15s to 20s. Dahjr Cattle. The entry of dairy cattle comprised 96 head, most of them of indifferent quality. There was good competition for the few heifers from local dairymen, but the demand otherwise was poor. Values were: Best second, third and fourth calvers, £4 10s to £6. Medium second, third and fourth calvers, £3 to £4 ss. Aged and inferior, 25s to 355. Extra good heifers, to £7. Good heifers. £3 to £5 ss. Others, 30s to 50s. " Store Cattle. •Oddments comprised practically the whole of the store cattle entry. There were no straight lines of either young or adult cattle, and no quotable prices. Values for young cattle were on a par with . those of last week, but potting bulls were easier. Fat Figs. The entry of fat pigs was of medium size. Porkers covered a wide range of quality and buyers’ requirements were hard to fill. There was a good sale throughout. Values were: Choppers, £3 to £5 18s 6d. Baconers, 17s 6d to 53s 6d. Heavy baconers, £3 to £3 7s 6d. Extra heavy baconers, to £3 16s 6d. Average price per lb. 43d to 5Jd. Porkers. 26s fid to 32s 6d. Heavy porkers, 35s 6d to £2 0s 6d. Average price per lb, od to s}d. Store Figs. There was a small yarding of store pigs, comprising mostly rough sorts. Values were slightly easier on late rates, especially for good large stores. Values were: Weaners, 9s to 11s 6d. Slips, 10s to 13s Gd. Small stores, 14s to 16s. Medium stores, 16s fid to 18s. Good stores, 18s 6d to 2 is. Extra large stores, to 26s 6d. Sows in pig. £4 15s to £6 13s.

HIDES, SKINS AND TALLOW. The Dunedin Stock Agents and Woolbrokers’ Association reports as follows: Increased quantities were forward for Tuesday's tale, the total offering being a large one. In sympathy with the disturbances in trade in America, prices for bucks showed a decline from the extreme rates paid a.t last sale, but still remain at payable prices. Good winter bucks were lower on an average by 6d per lb. with spotted sorts 9d lower and inferior 3d to 4d lower. Winter does showed a further drop of 3d to 4d, and all off-season grades, such as autumns and incomings, were 3d lower and spotted sorts 6d lower.