Feilding Stock Sale: Hogget prices easing late in season

Hogget prices are easing.

Sheep entries at yesterday's Feilding Prime Stock Sale eased from last week, which was not unexpected given this late stage of the hogget season.

Ewe numbers dropped back quickly from last week and new season's lambs are not exactly coming forward in any great numbers.

Hogget schedules are coming back a little and, combined with a couple less buyers operating this week, the sale prices for hoggets at this sale also eased. The majority of the hoggets were medium types, predominantly ewe hoggets, with very few heavy males offered.

The heavy males topped out at $184 for 11 from Hugh Winder and $183 for 7 from Holly Farm but all weight ranges eased back by a similar amount including the store hoggets. Most of the hoggets had no teeth left, so time is up.

The spring lambs remained quite steady. The sale began with a nice line of 85 from Blackburn and Sons, which sold for $164 and Kontiki Farm later exceeded that value with 21 selling for $170. These prices are a fraction less than last week but essentially steady all the same.

Ewe numbers were nearly 2000 less than last week and, with all the good vibes in the mutton market, sale prices improved again even without the spectacular prices of the last two weeks.

There was an even split between good and medium types but all weight ranges lifted. The discount between fresh two-tooths and hoggets remains less than previous years, and it looks like there will be no easing in the price of sausages soon.

Even after last week's lift in cow sale prices, cow values remained firm. One regular hogget trader moved into the cow auction. The majority of the cows offered were dairies, and also more Jerseys came forward this week, which sell at a discount to the Friesians. There was also more weight in this week's cow offering.

One good Angus steer sold for $2006 ($2.95), but the heifers were not particularly heavy and sold accordingly.

The bulls sold over a wide range with the very big, heavy, beef ex-service bulls and one big slabby Friesian bull obviously selling at a cents/kg discount.

Sheep (5356): lambs (615); 22-56kg, $80-$170, $3.03-$4.00; hoggets (1742); heavy prime (232), 51-66kg, $160-$184, $2.80-$3.20, ease; medium prime (1402), 40-50kg, $120-$157, $3.00-$3.30, ease; store (108), 30-38kg, $70-$121, $2.40-$3.20, ease; ewes (2898); good, heavy (1,186), 26-30kg, $136-$170, $5.25-$5.60, lift; medium, (1390), 21-25kg, $111-$139, $5.30-$5.60, lift; lighter (224), 17-20kg, $80-$106, $4.70-$5.30, lift; 2ths (98), $115-$140; male sheep (101); 2ths (62), $55-$165; adult (39), $52-$100.

Cattle (101): steer (1), 680kg, $2006, $2.95; heifers (13); 310-457kg, $914-$1074, $2.35-$2.95; lesser sorts, 260-295kg, $364-$472, $1.40-$1.60; cows (60); good, heavy, 540-740kg, $1198-$1672, $2.17-$2.26, firm; boners, 420-540kg, $831-$1150, $1.90-$2.42, firm; lesser sorts, 310-390kg, $468-$592, $1.51-$1.52; bulls (27); 455-1040kg, $1110-$2244, $1.51-$2.83.