Lamb prices bounce from last week's loss

The lamb entries were slightly fewer than last week at back under 2000.

The cyclical nature of this Monday prime lamb sale that can confound some vendors was evident again yesterday when prime lamb prices made a great attempt at recovering all of the fall of last week.

Lamb schedules have eased again this week but those with contracts to fill need the numbers and this spring has not been easy for lamb finishers.

The lamb entries were slightly fewer than last week at back under 2000 again and, with all the regular buyers on site, sale prices for prime lambs had some ping right from the start of play.

This was not the case with the store lambs which did ease back a little from last week as can often happen on Monday with fewer buyers attending.

The top price was $120.50 which was paid for 20 big blackface lambs from Totara View, followed closely by Peter Jessop selling lambs for $120.

This indicates the top prices lifted above last week but it was also apparent that the cents/kg lifted, especially at the lower end of the range.

Aside from the grazing ewes, which were essentially steady, the sale prices for ewes eased back this week.

Ewe entries were a thousand head above last week and the medium and heavy ewes were just marked back.

They are still selling at very firm levels with regard to schedules but, unfortunately, it has almost got to the stage where wool is being discounted on the ewes and shorn ewes are making a comparative premium.

A handful of hoggets and two-tooth ewes remained calm and there was a reasonable entry of cull flock rams for the dog meat buyers.

Two big Friesian steers started the cattle sale; selling for $2194 ($2.66) and a couple of reasonable South Devon cross heifers were steady at $1230 ($2.59).

The better cows firmed yesterday but with some in-calf cows amongst them the foetal blood would have been an attraction for the works buyers. Boners were steady on last week.

Two lines of Hereford bulls stood out in the cattle sale and sold well at $2251 ($2.85) for 9 and $2052 ($2.83) for 2 with a Friesian bull selling for $2.86.

Cattle sale entries are still low with no imminent increase likely such is the shortage of cows to kill around.

Sheep (5,841): lambs (1,891); prime (1,638), 35-48 kg, $90-$120.50, $2.55-$2.75, firm; store (253), 28-36 kg, $65-$90, $2.15-$2.55, ease; hoggets (65), $40-$95; ewes (3,782); good, heavy, 26-30 kg, $83-$93, $3.00-$3.20, ease; medium, 21-25 kg, $59-$78, $2.80-$3.10, ease; lighter, 16-20 kg, $40-$60, $2.50-$3.00, steady; 2ths (27), $66-$89; male sheep (75), $36-$57.

Cattle (64): steers (5), 430-825 kg, $954-$2194, $2.22-$2.66; heifers (4), 475 kg, $1230, $2.59, steady; lighter sorts, 170 kg, $387, $2.28; cows (39); good, heavy, 507-665 kg, $1019-$1339, $1.87-$2.27, firm; boners, 520-574 kg, $936-$1073, $1.75-$1.88, steady; bulls (16), 200-790 kg, $400-$2251, $2.00-$2.86, firm.