LIVESTOCK MARKETS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 90, Issue 118, 23 May 1946, Page 8

LIVESTOCK MARKETS

WESTFIELD PRICES (P.A.) Auckland, May 22. Average yardings of beef, lambs, pigs and calves and a lower than average supply of sheen were offered at the Westfield sale. There was a steady demand for beef, with all classes selling at late quotations. Sheep were also in demand, with values improving on last week’s sale, and values wer e very firm for extra heavy prime lambs. There was a good yarding of calves, prime runners and vealers meeting with a steady sale. Values showed an improvement on late quotations. Prices for bacon remained firm. Pork was in short supply, and values showed considerable improvement. Store pigs met with an erratic sale. Cattle.—Extra choice ox to £2 9s per 1001 b.; choice and prime, £2 6s to £2 8s; ordinary, £2 3s to £2 ss. Extra prime young cow and heifer, to £2 6s. per 1001 b.; choice and prime, £2 to £2 ss; ordinary cow beef, £1 14s to £1 19s; extra heavy prime steers, £2O to £2O 15s; heavy. £lB 10s to £l9 15s; medium, £l6 to £lB ss; light, £l3 to £l5 17s 6d; small and unfinished, £8 to £l2 17s 6d; extra heavy prime cow and heifer, £l2 to £l4 10s; heavy prime cow, £lO to £ll 15s; medium, £8 10s to £9 15s; light, £7 to £8 7s 6d; small unfinished, £4 10s to £6 15s.

Sheep.—Extra heavy prime wethers, £2 Is to £2 4s; heavy, £1 15s 6d to £2 0s 6d; medium, £1 16s to £1 18s; light and prime, £1 13s to £1 15s 9d; plain and unfinished, £1 5s to £1 12s; extra heavy prime young and maiden ewes, £1 10s to £1 14s; heavy prime ewes, £1 8s to £1 9s; lighter, £1 5s to £1 7s 6d; light. £1 to £1 4s 6d; just killable, 16s to 19s 6d; others, 6s to 15s.

Lambs.—Extra heavy prime Jambs, £1 14s to £1 18s; heavy prime llimbs, £1 11s to £1 13 s; medium, £1 8s to £1 10s 9d; lighter, £1 6s 9d to £1 7s 9d; light, £1 4s to £1 6s 6d; spall and plain, £1 to £1 3s 9d; others, 6s fo 19s. Calves.—Runners, £5 10s to £9; heavy vealers, £6 to £7 ss; medium, £5 to £5 15s; light, £3 15s to £4 10s; small, £1 5s to £3 10s; unfinished and bucketfed, £1 to £1 10s; bobby and rough calves, 10s to £l. . Pigs.—Choppers, £3 10s to £9; heavy prime baconers, £5 10s to £6 ss; medium, £5 to £5 9s; light, £4 8s to £4 18s; heavy porkters, £4 to £4 7s; medium, £3 10s to £3 19s; £2 15s to £3 8s; small and unfinished, £2 5s to £2 12s; Stores, £1 10s to £2; slips, £1 5s to £1 14s; weaners, 7s to 18s.

VALUES AT ADDINGTON (P.A.) Christchurch, May 22. The entry of store sheep at Addington to-day slightly exceeded 5000, compared with 8500 at the two previous sales. Only 1000 were lambs and they were a mediocre selection, and met with a dull sale, at Is a head below recent levels. A large proportion of the adult sheep yarding consisted of wethers, which met an excellent demand, at values fully Is a head up on last week. Ewes, of which there was not a large offering, also sold very well, and were dearer than they were last week./ The best price for lambs was 24s 9d, which was paid for a pen of ewes. Good ewe lambs made from 21s to 245. Best wether lambs made to 22s 4d, and good from 18s 6d to 20s 6d. The best wether price was 375, which was paid for twotooth Romneys. Good wethers were worth from 26s to 30s, and others 22s to 25s 6d. A good line of two-tooth Romney-cross ewes made 34s 6d, and a pen of good-aged crossbreds ‘made 335. Good ewes made 20s to 24s 6d; others, 16s to 19s 6d. Fat Sheep.—An entry of 6000 head, compared with 55C/J last week. It was of average quality, though it contained an exceptionally good line of Chatham Island wethers. Over the first few races the bidding w&# exceedingly keen, and values were fully a shilling a head above those of last week, particularly for young wethers, of which there were only a moderate supply. Later the values settled back and, over the whole sale, showed little variation from last week. Butchers took the bulk of the yarding, useful competition ccming from country buyers, who are apparently finding supplies short in their districts. Values were: Extra prime heavy, to 57s 7d; prime heavy, 40s to .6s; prime me-dium-weight, 32s 6d to 395; ordinary and light, 28s 6d to 325; extra prime maiden ewes, to 48s 4d; extra prime, 27s to 32s 6d; prime, 22s to 26s 6d; medium and light, 16s to 21s. Fat Cattle.—An entry of 603 head against 636 last week. Nearly the whole of the offering came from within the province, except for some lines from the West Coast. A few good lines were entered and once again a large part of the entry was made up of cows, most of them of ordinaiy to poor quality. The best steers and heifers met an excellent demand at full late rates, but plain beef and cow beef were easier. The best beef made to 55s per lOOlbs.; good, 46s to 50s; medium, 40s to 435; best cow beef, to 335; secondary, 29s (all per lOOlbs.) Values were: Extra prime steers, to £24 2s 6d; prime, £l9 to £2l 10s; prime medium weight, £l6 2s 6d to £lB 2s 6d; ordinary, £ll 10s to £l5 10s; extra prime heifers, to £l5 17s 6d; prime, £l2 17s 6d to £l4 7s 6d; medium, £lO 7s 6d to £l2 10s; others, from £7 10s; extra prime cows, to £l4 2s 6d; prime, £9.15s to £l2; medium, £6 15s to £8 10s; light, £5 to £6 10s. Fat Pigs—The porker yarding was of medium size, and comprised mostly good quality pigs. Values opened firm and improved slightly over the latter part of the sale. Choppers were for-» ward in smaller numbers, and the sale was keen with values better by approximately £2 a head. The bacon yarding was smaller and the demand again sound, at prices fully up to last week’s rates. The average price per lb. was 83d to 9d.

Herd-testing Course. Provided future worthwhile work can be guaranteed, the Rehabilitation Board is agreeable to assist suitable ex-servicemen to undertake a special course in herd-testing to be conducted at Massey College. The course is of two weeks, and is sponsored by the Herd Recording Council of the New Zealand Dairy Board. It will be held in July.