Thursday saw another large yarding of about 2300 weaner calves offered to a reasonable bench of buyers.
Virtually all of the weaners were later-born calves from the hill country stations in the Taihape region.
Sale prices did continue to soften a little from the very high levels achieved earlier in the weaner-selling season but this was no surprise as most buyers have already secured their requirements and the continual rain (again falling during this sale) is a reminder of the onset of winter.
South Island interests were very active in buying many of the larger lines of Angus weaner heifers: Kowhainui Station, Taihape, sold a pen of 41 Angus for $1045 (3.70) to top this section. The day's top price was $1270 ($4.08) for a pen of 9 Charolais cross weaner steers from the Carey Alabaster Trust, Taihape.
The continual rain is not helping the demeanour of those buying and selling on Fridays either. Cattle entries were again closed earlier in the week but the heavy rain can change plans.
This was apparent in the number of empty sheep pens.
The first of the scanned ewes were offered and they were useful ewes with 212 woolly, Romney 5-year-old ewes from Kuratahi, Taihape, scanning 176 per cent and selling for $151.
The lamb numbers were much reduced on last week and a few more locals were operating.
The day's top price was $118 for 152 male lambs from Bushfurlong Partnership, Tapuae, with the nearest male lambs to them making $114 and 91 top woolly Romney ewe lambs from G Cleaver, Taihape, sold for $115.
It was interesting to compare lamb weight ranges with the second section of better medium males selling for virtually the same price as the top males.
The top and medium lambs were firm with the lighter lambs lifting again.
The light ewe lambs became unpredictable as their sale prices fluctuated so much but they lifted overall.
One vendor, Rangitautau Trust, Kai Iwi, had all the older steers and they sold to firm demand at up to $3.09/kg for traditional steers.
More than 300 rising two-year steers were offered, after last week's rain affected the yarding, with the traditional beef steers also remaining firm. M&J Windley, Kiwitea, sold 14 Angus and Angus/Hereford cross steers for $1660 ($3.10) to be the day's top price and only the Friesian and Friesian cross steers were back.
Bull numbers stayed around just over 200 rising 2-year-bulls, mostly being useful Friesians.
Karaka Court, Cheltenham, sold 20 Friesians for $1470 ($2.80) to head the section with the beef bulls over $3/kg and the section steady overall.
Weaner bulls were a struggle with large numbers offered (564 weaner bulls) and there were too many for the market. Hardly any pens sold for more than $4/kg, these being very light bulls, and there were passings.
The heifer section was quite large but, with the higher number of crossbred heifers offered, eased back a little. J England, Beaconsfield, sold 17 Angus and Angus/Hereford cross heifers for $1255 ($2.83). Heifers have struggled to regain the levels they sold at earlier but do offer winter options at lighter weights.
There was very little interest in the weaner steers and heifers put up for sale which was no surprise after a large weaner sale the day before.
Sheep (10,642): ewes (494); SIL (212), $151; RWR (193), $95-$120; lambs (10,148); 40-44kg, $105-$118, $2.60-$2.82, firm; 36-40kg, $103-$114, $2.60-$3.07, firm; 31-35kg, $93-$108.50, $2.57-$3.21, firm; 26-30kg, $78.50-$100, $2.98-$3.55, lift.
Cattle (1583): steers; R3 (51), 482-520kg, $1490-$1575, $3.03-$3.09, firm; R2 (317), 313-583kg, $930-$1660, $2.71-$3.24, firm; R1 (42); 139-278kg, $550-$860; bulls; R2 (219), 337-525kg, $860-$1470, $2.55-$3.06, steady; R1 (564), 120-270kg, $470-$925, $2.47-$4.58, ease; heifers; R2 (335), 315-442kg, $830-$1255, $2.32-$3.06, ease; R1 (55), 150-262kg, $350-$690.