Feilding Stock Sale: Prime hoggets softer as ewe, cow prices firm

Cow conditions improved this week.

The various sections of yesterday's Feilding Prime Stock Sale moved in different directions, with the prime hoggets backing off from last week's strong levels at similar numbers; the few ewes available lifted; and, even though there were many more cows offered this week, their prices also rose.

There is a supplementary hogget fair scheduled for this coming Wednesday and, even though entries will not be large, the prospect of that may have hung over yesterday's hogget market a little, or perhaps last week's strong lift in the market meant the buyers did not have quite as much enthusiasm this week.

For whatever the reason, the sale - beginning with the heavy male hoggets as usual - immediately started with a softer tone, and this continued when the medium weight hoggets were offered. Prices by no means eased to any great extent, but probably dropped back $3-4/head, which is where they were a fortnight ago.

Entries were only slightly less than last week, so that will not have affected prices. Top price yesterday was exactly the same at $190, this time for 20 massive hoggets from the J Gibbes Family Trust but, in keeping with the soft tone, these hoggets were definitely heavier than last week's tops.

Store hogget numbers were much reduced and prices were reasonably steady, but a good argument could have been made to grade some of the lighter prime hoggets as forward stores and some may be farmed on.

Ewe numbers dropped right away and will stay down now until the early docking gangs begin. One buyer just blew everyone away and bought most of the ewe yarding, leading to a firming and a lift in the various ewe weight sections.

Some quite good cattle were offered, which helped improve prices, and the cow entries increased significantly, which brought out more buyers.

B McKenzie, No1 Line, sold 5 prime Hereford/Friesian heifers for $1510 ($3.02) which was a good result. Only 1 steer was offered, and this Angus steer will probably be farmed on at $2.86/kg.

The condition of the cows offered improved this week and, as mentioned, sale prices improved with extra buyers along.

Sheep (4017): hoggets (3567); heavy prime (1311), 50-68kg, $160-$190, $2.80-$3.20, ease; medium prime (2188), 41-50kg, $130-$160.50, $3.10-$3.30, ease; store (68), 22-36kg, $45-$134, $2-$3.82, steady; ewes (424); good, heavy (221), 26-30kg, $123-$140, $4.65-$4.75, lift; medium (104), 21-25kg, $85-$119, $4.10-$4.80, steady; lighter (17), 19-20kg, $77-$79, $4, steady; poor, $20-$21; 2ths (80), $100-$121.50; male sheep (26), $56-$148.

Cattle (157): steer (1), 440kg, $1258, $2.86; heifers (7), 430-500kg, $1217-$1510, $2.83-$3.02, lift; lesser, 450kg, $837, $1.86; cows (146), good, heavy, 443-616kg, $846-$1196, $1.86-$2.11, lift; boners, 411-550kg, $753-$876, $1.86-$1.99, lift; bulls (3), 200-775kg, $400-$2286, $2-$2.95.

Manfeild Park Calf Sale

Calf entries reduced to 320 for this sale yesterday and, with another good turnout of buyers, prices were stable. Medium Friesian bulls sold well and whiteface heifers remained strong.

Bulls: Friesian; good, $180-$215; medium, $145-$180; H/Fr x; good, $270-$275; medium, $160-$215; A/Fr x; $180-$265; Speckle Park; $275; Sim x, $275.
Heifers: H/Fr x; good, 220-$250; medium, $140-$180; A/Fr x; good, 205-$235; medium, $140-$180; Speckle Park; $330.