Full pens mean buyers fill their quota at Feilding

Normal transmission resumed with a large yarding at the Feilding Prime Stock Sale yesterday following what was a relatively small yarding last week when good sale prices were recorded.

This increased yarding allowed the two largest buyers to get their numbers without beating each other up, and the sale prices eased ever so slightly compared with last week.

This slight ease would not have been noticeable to most market watchers.

Where it was mostly felt was in the sale prices for the heaviest lambs, as there was quite a number of those with some large lines of well over 200 lambs put up.

The top price was $125 for 16 heavy lambs from A.M. Richardson which, in itself, was a little below last week's top but plenty of lambs yesterday clocked in just below $120, whereas last week they would have cleared $120.

Lambs around the 18/19kg carcass weight range continued to be the most strongly sought. Many more store lambs were offered this week although most were forward store and they lifted to match recent store lamb sale price improvements.

A thousand more ewes this week had no impact on ewe sale prices, which continued to improve.

The heaviest ewes and the medium ewes were at least firm and the grazing ewes lifted again.

The mutton ewe section is clearly the highlight of the sheep industry in the sale yards at present.

Some good beef cows were offered in the cattle sale, and prices for these lifted as well.

Large numbers of cattle are not coming forward, and it seems any increase will be easily handled by the market.

The dairy cow boner market was equally firm at this sale.

A couple of good Angus heifers sold to lifting demand as well, and the beef steers offered were more store-like in condition.

Bull numbers lifted again this week. Although the Jersey bulls dragged the cents/kg levels back overall, mostly the bulls were steady.

Some of the beef service bulls were very heavy and naturally marked back.

Sheep (6778): lambs (3898); prime (3280), 40-56 kg, $96-$125, $2.20-$2.45, slight ease; store (618), 27-36 kg, $75-$97.50, $2.42-$3.12, lift; ewes (2662); good, heavy, 26-30 kg, $92-$110, $3.30-$3.70, firm; medium, 21-25 kg, $74-$91, $3.20-$3.60, firm; lighter, 16-20 kg, $42-$72.50, $3.10-$3.60, lift; 2ths (145), $51-$97; male sheep (73), $40-$78.
Cattle (105): steers (3), 250-710 kg, $565-$1931, $2.26-$2.72; heifers (21), 355-580 kg, $930-$1577, $2.60-$2.73, lift; cows (51); good, heavy, 522-683 kg, $989-$1438, $1.88-$2.18, lift; boners, 447-577 kg, $804-$1090, $1.77-$1.89, lift; bulls (30), 330-1010 kg, $831-$2021, $1.61-$2.75, steady.

Feilding Calf Sale

About 60 calves were offered at another early-season calf sale yesterday and buyer demand was still strong. As the season progresses, larger numbers should pose no problems.

Bulls: Friesian; good, $280-$325; medium, $225-$275; W/F; good, $360-$380.
Heifers: W/F; good, 280-$340.