Feilding Prime Stock Sale

Vendors should finish lambs well as they are expensive to replace.

Monday's Feilding Prime Stock Sale was a reasonably quick sale with a big drop in ewe numbers and also a big drop in heifer and cull cow entries.

Little change in lamb entries gave the main buyers plenty to work with, however, although next week's works closure for Anzac Day on Tuesday is looking likely to lead to a cancellation of the Monday prime sheep sale, as the main buyers are unable to shift their stock purchases as quickly as wished.

Prime lamb sale prices lifted from the start of the sale and cents/kg prices again reached a new seasonal high.

Quite a proportion of the lamb yarding was "slabby" and could have taken more finishing in spite of being heavy enough already.

The money was so good this would not have concerned the vendors but anyone trading would be well advised to properly finish their lambs as they are expensive to replace.

The day's top sale price was $146.50 for 33 lambs entered by B.P. Managh and many lambs were sold around the $140 mark. As we have come to expect, the most expensive lambs on a cents/kg basis were those around the 18-21 kg weight range.

The latter part of the sale steadied up but these were store lambs or forward store lambs and matched last week albeit a little cheaper than Friday.

The ewes were not as good as last week and mostly lighter, medium ewes. Ewe prices were basically steady with some bought to farm on.

Buying to farm on was apparent in the cattle sale as well and a proportion of the cows sold were heading to paddocks. The best cows, including the beef cows, sold to firm demand but the boners eased a little in line with their reduced quality.

The steer and the heifers sold were of only average quality and sold reasonably well considering that.

Three Friesian bulls sold for $1785 ($2.88).

Sheep (5306): lambs (4605); prime (4068), 40-56kg, $108-$146.50, $2.60-$2.90, lift; store (537), 27-40kg, $69-$114, $2.50-$2.85, steady; ewes (667); good, heavy, 26-27kg, $98-$105.50, $3.80-$4.20, steady; medium, 21-24kg, $76-$92, $3.70-$4.00, steady; lighter, 16-20kg, $50-$75, $3.10-$3.80, firm; 2ths (9), $97; male sheep (25), $39-$64.

Cattle (158): steer (1), 450kg, $1341, $2.98; heifers (7); 420kg, $1092, $2.60; lesser sorts, 373kg, $746, $2; cows (147); good, heavy, 498-643kg, $926-$1356, $1.86-$2.16, firm; boners; 330-557kg, $560-$1068, $1.60-$1.95, ease; bulls (3), 620kg, $1785, $2.88, firm.