Prices For Breeding Ewes Ease At Stortford Lodge; Poorer Quality

Wanganui Chronicle, 24 February 1949, Page 7

Prices For Breeding Ewes Ease At Stortford Lodge; Poorer Quality

HASTINGS, Last Night (PA).— Though a numerically strong entry of 16,000 head of store sheep was yarded at Stortford Lodge today, it was generally the poorest quality seen for some time. With_m°st farmers fully stocked up after the second ewe fair, values for breeding ewes eased considerably, but otherwise the market was sound. Infrequent pens of forward conditioned lambs still commanded some attention, but in the majority tail-end lots off hard country were offered. Evidence of the decline in ewe values was shown when an early short draft of well-bred two-tooths could realise only 48s 3d. Sounder mouthed lines of five-year ewes were traded at 28s to 30s. Poor conditioned pens brought 22s 9d to 26s 9d. Top quality two-tooth ewes made to 48s 3d, inferior to medium changing hands at 34s 6d to 35s 3d. Good six-tooth ewes realised to 38s 8d and mixed aged ewes 32s Bd. Two-tooth wethers exchanged at 35s 3d to 395, and fat and forward older wethers made 37s lOd to 40s Id. Best quality Down cross lambs sold at 335. with others at 27s 3d. Woolly wether lambs with size and condition realised 29s 3d to 30s 6d. For better conditioned lines of shorn w <her lambs farmers paid to 31s 2d, lighter making 26s 9d to 27s 6d, and interior pens off hard country, 17s to 245. Short yarding values ruled in the fat sheep market, when the market showed an all-round firming tendency. The quality was average, but competition among butchers was fairly keen. Prime aged ewes realised 30s 7d to 37s lOd, with quality Down cross sorts

at 38s 4d. Medium conditioned young ewes were traded at 32s lOd. Heavy wethers in prime order sold at 42s 7d to 43s 4d, others bringing 38s lOd to 39s 4d and small Down cross wethers 33s Id. Fat lambs were knocked down at 34s 4d to 35s 7d. There was a keen demand for store cattle of good quality, but a limited yarding of 258 head restricted somewhat the activities of a fairly full bench of buyers. Three-year A.Asteers made to £l6 2s 6d. with Herefords at £l3 Ils. Young cows realised to £l4 ss, heifers ranging from ‘£ll 4d to £l2 15s. There was a slight easing in the beef market, and this, combined with the absence of any really heavy quality beasts, kept prices on a lower plane than last week. MSaium to heavy bullocks, in a total beef offering of 150 head, made up. to £23 18s 6d. compared with the top price of over the £25 mark for somewhat heavier bullocks at the previous sale. Choice quality heifer beef made up to £l6 8s 6d, and cows realised up to £l3 18s 6d. Medium to heavy bullocks made from £2l 13s 6d to £2l 8s 6d, and averaged £22 15s. Slightly heavier ox ranged from £23 18s 6d down to £2l 18s 6d, and averaged £23 3s. Light A.A. bullocks made from £l9 18s 6d to £2l 16s 6d. Lighter young steers made £l4 Is, £l3 Ils and £l2 16s. A splendid line of Shorthorn cross made £l4 8s 6d to £l5 6s. and A.A. heifers made £l3 Is. Cow beef of only average quality mad e from £l3 18s 6d to £l3 Is-. Other lines of cow beef realised from £l2 8s 6d to £l3 3s 6d, with less impressive quality offerings at £l2 Ils down to £ll 6s and below.