Feilding prime stock sale

At the most recent Feilding Stock Sale there was a solid lift in all lamb sale prices and a definite firming in ewe prices

Another cold sale day in the prime sheep pens did not force the sale prices down at yesterday's Feilding Prime Stock Sale.

In fact, quite the opposite occurred with a solid lift in all lamb sale prices and a definite firming in ewe prices. A similar number of lambs to last week were yarded but a new and very difficult to beat buyer arrived for this sale and he purchased large numbers.

This forced the regular buyers to lift their sights as well and sale prices lifted across all weight ranges, including those very heavy male lambs that are normally discounted.

Evidence of that is in the form of the top prices with Richard Brown selling 51 shorn male lambs for $194 and RD & GT Knight selling 24 for $190 and over 200 lambs made $170 or more. The medium weight lambs did sell for more cents/kg as a rule but such was the increase in heavy lamb prices that the margin closed noticeably.

Store lambs were also strong. Many lamb finishers are struggling to finish lambs in the wintry conditions and a reasonable number of forward store lambs were entered today with probably a new seasonal cents/kg high paid for some pens.

That tempo was not sustained in the ewe pens but prices firmed all the same, especially for the good and medium ewes. Over 600 two-tooths were sold this week.

Yarding numbers usually ease back in August so there should be no supply pressure to force prices into a downwards trend.

Cattle numbers nearly doubled this week as a result of more cows coming forward.

The wet conditions probably influenced a few more cows to be culled.

With a mix of beef cows and dairies being offered to a couple more buyers, sale prices were on the firm side. The heifers were all dairies with resulting lesser yields and these sold at lower levels than last week and the dairy influence in the steer section kept those prices below Friday levels but they were firm all the same.

One big Friesian bull entered by Stuart Fraser sold for $2065 ($2.43).

Sheep (5904): lambs (4141); heavy prime (1092), 50-65kg, $123-$194, $2.85-$3.10, lift; medium prime (2165), 40-50kg, $124-$153.50, $2.90-$3.15, lift; store (884), 23-42kg, $61-$141, $2.65-$3.70, lift; ewes (1746); good, heavy (148), 26-28kg, $121-$134, $4.65-$4.80, lift; medium (765), 21-25kg, $90-$120, $4.30-$4.80, lift; lighter (194), 16-20kg, $64-$84, $4.00-$4.20, firm; poor, $30-$50; 2ths (639), $52-$115; male sheep (17), $31-$131.

Cattle (89): steers (6); 480-680kg, $1253-$1911, $2.61-$2.89, firm; heifers (7); 427-520kg, $979-$1289, $2.21-$2.48; cows (75); good, heavy, 525-679kg, $1181-$1446, $1.88-$2.25, firm; boners, 437-582kg, $721-$1094, $1.61-$1.88, firm; lesser sorts, 360kg, $471, $1.31; bull (1), 850kg, $2065, $2.43.

Manfeild Park Calf Sale

This was the largest calf sale of the season to date with over 350 calves offered yesterday and, with a good bench of buyers attracted, sale prices remained at recent firm levels.
Bulls: Friesian; good, $270-$290; medium, $170-$240; H/Fr x; good, $325-$375; medium, $160-$280; A/Fr x, $210; Ch/Fr x, $385.
Heifers; H/Fr x; $160-$205; A/Fr x, $100-$125; Ch/Fr x, $245.