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How good is the weather at present, very good; first we had the drought then lots of rain and some floods but at present it is excellent.
The kikuyu has gone mental; grass growth is slowing a little but what a great start to winter, long may it last.
Dargaville Sale:
The Dargaville sale was mostly 202 calves on Thursday. The few store cattle saw 18-month heifers make $1100. Weaner heifers made $430 to $490.
Weaner bulls sold for $650 and weaner steers $600 feeder calves sold for $312 and $315, then lots for $205 to $260. Medium calves made $160 to $190 down to $100 to $150, small calves made $50 to $195.
Kauri Sale:
A good entry of 424 feeder calves sold very well on Tuesday 18th. Top calves sold for $400 then a lot of good calves sold for $340 to $390 down to $270 to $300, light calves made $120 to $200 and small calves $20 to $110. The next feeder calf sale only is on Wednesday 26th.
Wellsford Sale - Prime Cattle:
A small sale on a nice warm day and a very strong market on Tuesday 18th; heavy prime ox made $1849 to $1874 (2.89c-2.98c). Heavy steers $2025 to $2060 (3.00c). Heavy cows sold for $1174 to $1600 (1.95c-2.85c), then $855 to $873 (1.80c-1.86c). Prime heifers sold for $1150 to $1482 (2.46c-2.93c).
Sheep:
Good prime lambs sold for $109 to $100, good store lambs made $90 to $94, then $85 to $89, down to $80 to $89 and $71 to $79.
Good mixed age ewes sold for $91 to $96, then $85 to $89 down to $66 to $75, feeder calves sold well. Top calves made $300 then lots made $250 to $295 down to $200 to $240 light calves made $180 to $230 down to $100 to $150.
Kaikohe Sale:
A smaller yarding of 400 cattle at Kaikohe on Wednesday 19th after the short Easter week; values were on a par with recent sales. The great surge of grass growth lately has started to slow down as we get closer to winter.
A good entry of 20-month steers saw Whiteface make $1250 to $1330, Angus Friesian $1300, Hereford cross $1450 (2.80c-3.17c) and Swiss Brown $1550 (3.00c) then Hereford cross and Angus cross $1100 to $1160 (3.00c) with medium steers $780 to $900 (2.68c-3.28c). 20-month beef cross bulls made $1300 to $1430 (2.90c). Lots of weaner bulls made $605 to $660 (4.04c-4.31c) down to $305 to $500 (2.97c-3.22c).
Short horn cross and Swiss Brown weaner steers made $845 and light steers $530 to $750 (3.30c-3.50c). 20-month heifers sold for $1140 to $1170 (2.82c-2.85c) and Charolais Whiteface cross $1070 to $1200 (2.88c-2.98c) and Friesian heifers $850 (2.20c) then $865 to $870 (2.76c-2.80c). Swiss Brown weaner heifers made $590 (2.93c) then light weaner heifers $350 to $575 (2.82c-3.79c).
Heavy empty Friesian cows sold better for $1050 to $1165 (2.00c-2.30c) then $880 to $950 (1.97c-2.00c).
Jersey cross cows made $650 to $700 (1.78c-1.80c).