Feilding prime stock sale

There were still a good number of hoggets coming through.

There was little of note about yesterday's Feilding Prime Stock Sale.Good numbers of hoggets are still coming forward, including plenty of big heavy male hoggets still, but with most sheep farmers becoming busier with lambing or preparations for same the ewe entry dropped right away.

The cattle sale had virtually no prime cattle at all, with no steers and only dairy heifers, plus all the cows were boners.

The hogget sale was very strong from the start. Last week the heaviest male hogget market just had a soft feel to it but any of last week's slight ease was easily recovered and the market for the heavy hoggets lifted again even though there were more of the heavy hoggets offered this week.

True to form though, the medium weight hoggets lifted more and there was some mirth on the buying rails every time the $8/kg schedule equivalent was passed and that happened frequently.

Top price was $190 for 40 very nicely vendor-shorn male hoggets from A Knight and nearly 2000 hoggets sold for over $160. There are still prospective buyers leaving each week without "firing a shot", so there does not seem any easing in sight for this hogget market yet.

Store hoggets remained firm again with one of the main prime buyers active in securing the better forward store hoggets.

Ewe numbers dropped right away but that had little effect on the sale prices which remained generally steady.

As stated, the cattle sale was of no great consequence. With no heavy or higher-yielding cattle put forward, this section also remained essentially steady. All the cows were boners yesterday and there were no male cattle at all put forward for sale.

Sheep (4076): hoggets (3718); heavy prime (1451), 51-65kg, $161-$190, $2.95-$3.25, lift; medium prime (1828), 41-50kg, $139-$165, $3.20-$3.55, lift; store (339), 25-39kg, $70-$137, $2.80-$3.60, firm; ewes (357); good, heavy (68), 26-28kg, $120-$133, $4.60-$4.75, steady; medium (194), 21-25kg, $88-$120, $4.20-$4.80, steady; lighter (33), 16-20kg, $70-$80, $4.00-$4.35, steady; 2ths (62), $86-$117; male sheep (1), $20.
Cattle (73): heifers; lesser sorts, (15), 270-420kg, $324-$828, $1.20-$2.01; cows (58); boners, 362-564kg, $585-$1066, $1.48-$1.89, steady.

Manfeild Park Calf Sale

Another good turnout of calves and buyers yesterday saw around 475 calves put up for sale. Good Friesian bull calves were in demand, and good whiteface heifer calves were very strong.

Bulls: Friesian; good, $150-$195; medium, $100-$150; H/Fr x; good, $275-$345; medium, $200-$260; Speckle Park; $265-$285; Charolais x; $355.
Heifers: H/Fr x; good, $240-$275; medium $170-$220; Speckle Park; $270-$315.