Price drop for store lambs

TOP PRIMES: This pen of prime lambs from Mangatoitoi Station at Ngatapa sold for an impressive $185 at the Friday sheep sale two weeks ago. Picture by Trevor Brown

It was a bleak day yesterday at the weekly Matawhero sheep sale where 1280 sheep were confronted by a reduced number of buyers. Prices fell accordingly, along with some lots being passed in.

There were 34 prime-lambs offered and the top price of $167 was paid for two male lambs from the Bruce and Hills Partnership.

D.B and T.R Morrison Partnership at Matawhero were paid best price of $143 for 32 heavy store male lambs, while A.D Shaw at Matawai received $126.50 for 67 well-conditioned store ewe lambs.

Several lots of smaller store lambs sold down to $30.

The Hassendean Partnership at Makauri were paid $82, all counted, for a pen of 17 ewes with 17 lambs at foot.

Store ewes sold from $85 down to $30. The 63 feeder calves sold from $220 down to $30.

Best prices: Prime lambs: Bruce and Hills P/S, 2, $167, 13, $154, 5, $130; G.M Daulton, 5, $150; Blue Duck P/S, 4, $147; Jan and Lyn Hoffman P/S, 5, $138.

Store male lambs: D.B and T.R Morrison, 32, $143, 16, $121; Greenlakes Station (Tiniroto), 27, $132, 12, $100.

Store ewe lambs: A.D Shaw, 67, $126.50; D.B and T.R Morrison, 18, $121; Greenlakes Station, 50, $117, 61, $90.

Feeder calves: Colin Kerr (Ngatapa), Hereford X bull calves: 10, $220, 5, $140; Hereford X heifer calves: 6, $170, 4, $165, 2, $120, 2, $50, 4, $30.

Rau Holdings (Matawai), Friesian bull calves: 30, $70.