Stortford Lodge Sale: Hard-sell needed for longer-term lambs

The good lambing season means a big supply of medium lambs is expected on the market.

Fears of a dry spell and falling schedules made longer-term lambs harder to sell at the Stortford Lodge store sale yesterday.

The best lambs in a yarding of about 6000 head sold well but anything longer term was harder work for auctioneers.

Agents said a lack of rain and concerns about the schedule falling from its present high of around $7/kg took the confidence out of the market. The good lambing season means a big supply of medium lambs is expected on the market.

However, the story was different for cattle.

A feature of this week's yarding of more than 600 head was the 99 angus cows with their angus calves at foot. The capital-stock cows from Claremont Trust, at Awamate near Wairoa, were for sale along with sire bulls because the farm has been sold.

Only one pen of the cows sold for less than $3/kg. The best of them, a pen of 22 mixed-age cows weighing 664kg, made $3.35/kg or $2230/head.

Moanaroa Station, Akitio, sold 30 angus cows and their angus calves for $3.61/kg The 576kg cows made $2080/head.

However, the best per/kg price was $3.74 paid for six charolais-cross cows and six crossbred calves. The 501kg cows from Barham Farming, Maraetotara, made $1880/head.

Agents said continued good outlook for beef and the price of young cattle was attracting farmers back to breeding cows.

PRICES

CATTLE

Cows with calves at foot: Claremont Trust, Awamate, (All CS) 16 m/a ang, 16 calves, av weight, 681kg, 323c/kg, $2200/head; the same, 16 calves, av weight, 710kg, 310c/kg, $2200/head; 22 the same, 22 calves, av weight, 664kg, 335c/kg, $2230/head; six the same, six calves, av weight, 680kg, 276c/kg, $1880/head; 18 4yr ang, 18 calves, av weight, 741kg, 306c/kg, $2270/head; 21 5yr-8yr, av weight, 688kg, 312c/kg, $2150/head; Moanaroa Farming, Akitio, 30 CS ang, 30 calves, av weight, 576kg, 361c/kg, $2080/head; S and H Hughes, Woodville, 22 m/a ang-here, 22 calves, av weight, 558kg, 317c/kg, $1700/head; B Donald, Dannevirke, 16 m/a here, 16 here calves, av weight, 681kg, 301c/kg, $2050/head; Barham Farming, Maraetotara, six charo-cross, six calves, av weight, 501kg, 374c/kg, $1880/head; Est A W Parsons, Wallingford, six ang, six calves, av weight, 581kg, 336c/kg, $1960/head; B Donald, Dannevirke, nine empty here, av weight, 617kg, 246c/kg, $1520/head.

Steers: 2yr, Black Stag Station, Tutira, 19 ang, av weight, 507kg, 327c/kg, $1660/head; Fruitstock, Raukawa, 27 here-fries, av weight, 591kg, 295c/kg, $1750/head; K and W Finch, Waipawa, nine here-fries and ang, av weight, 484kg, 298c/kg, $1445/head; GF and K Matches, Glengarry, 12 ang-here, av weight, 541kg, 330c/kg, $1790/head. Yrling, Mangatapiri Station, Elsthorpe, 42 ang, av weight, 363kg, 361c/kg, $1310/head; Emerald Hills, Waihau, 42 ang, av weight, 400kg, 337c/kg, $1350/head; Willow Tree, Matapiro, 21 ang, av weight, 414kg, 324c/kg, $1345/head; K and W Finch, Waipawa, 19 here-fries, av weight, 436kg, 294c/kg, $1285/head; Highgrove, Eskdale, 32 ang and charo-cross, av weight, 324kg, 320c/kg, $1035/head; P Raikes, Pakipaki, 12 ang, av weight, 336kg, 319c/kg, $1075/head; J Cropper, Whakapirau, 10 here-fries, av weight, 321kg, 310c/kg, $995/head; Waipiropiro Station, Poukawa, 14 ang, av weight, 362kg, 316c/kg, $1145/head; six the same, av weight, 295kg, 286c/kg, $845/head; C Bayliss, Puketitiri, 10 here-fries, av weight, 344kg, 289c/kg, $995/head; D and J McBride, Maraetotara, six here-cross, av weight, 349kg, 255c/kg, $890/head; S Solomon, Te Hauke, four crossbred, av weight, 374kg, 293c/kg, $1090/head.

Bulls: Claremont Trust, Awamate, one ang sire, weight, 925kg, 432c/kg, $4000; one the same, weight, 930kg, 559c/kg, $5200/head; one the same, weight, 1060kg, 490c/kg, $5150/head. Yrling, J Gilmour, Sherenden, 25 fries, av weight, 371kg, 293c/kg, $1090/head; R Paine, Raukawa, 10 fries, av weight, 354kg, 287c/kg, $1020/head; Waikawa Farm, Tutira, 13 wnr fries, av weight, 106kg, 488c/kg, $530/head.
Heifers: 2yr, P and L O'Rourke, Rissington, 15 fries, av weight, 381kg, 225c/kg, $860/head; Lynmar Farm, Sherenden, six here-fries, av weight, 470kg, 297c/kg, $1400/head; S Houkamau, Waipawa, five here-fries, av weight, 478kg, 292c/kg, $1400/head. Yrling, Emerald Hills, Waihau, 30 charo-cross, av weight, 397kgm, 298c/kg, $1185/head; P Raikes, Pakipaki, 29 ang, av weight, 382kg, 316c/kg, $1210/head; 18 ang and ang-cross, av weight, 326kg, 303c/kg, $990/head; C Bayliss, Puketitiri, 20 ang, av weight, 310kg, 315c/kg, $980/head; Kiwi Station, Wairoa, 22 ang, av weight, 273kg, 314c/kg, $860/head; Evans P/ship, Puketapu, 17 ang and ang-cross, av weight, 312kg, 320c/kg, $1000/head; eight sth dev-cross, av weight, 307kg, 309c/kg, $952/head; D and J McBride, Maraetotara, six here-fries, av weight, 327kg, 290c/kg, $950/head; G Noriko, Whirinaki, five wnr crossbred, av weight, 68kg, 411c/kg, $280/head.

SHEEP

Ewes with lambs at foot: J and S Paterson, Dartmoor, 48 hggts, 48 lambs, $80 all counted; A Scoular, Poukawa, 37 hggts, 39 lambs, $82; J and E Mallory, Patangata, three ewes, three lambs, $82; 35 ewes, $135; M Pedlow, Meeanee, 20 ewes, 21 lambs, $111.50; P Raikes, Pakipaki, 16 ewes, 17 lambs, $83; Hilton Station, Middle Rd, eight ewes, 10 lambs, $73.

Lambs: Hoggets, l/t, B and E Tuanui, Whakapirau, 129 ewe, $136.70; 32 c/o, $139.50. Spring, Mangatapriri Station, Elsthorpe, 380 c/o, $99; 189 m/s b/f, $86; Carlyon Station, Farm Rd, 195 c/o, $88.50; 143 c/o, $78; 102 m/s b/f, $91; 102 m/s b/f, $85.50; Waipoapoa Station, Maraetotara, 384 m/s, $96; 166 m/s, $83; Brownlie P/ship, Frasertown, 160 c/o, $77.50; 178 c/o, $68.50; 180 c/o, $63.50; Ferguson Pastoral, Kahuranaki, 151 c/o, $79; 146 ewe, $81.50; Springfield Station, Puketapu, 232 m/s b/f, $95.50; D and J Willis, Porangahau, 163 m/s b/f, $82.50; 213 m/s b/f, $75; 102 m/s b/f, $82.50; 59 m/s b/f, $65.50; 39 m/s b/f, $97.50; 61 m/s b/f, $50; Leonard Pastoral, Blackhead, 127 m/s, $89; 174 m/s, $75.50; Te Puna Station, Wairoa, 199 ram, $85; 120 ram, $71.50; 213 ewe,$71.50; 123 ewe, 62; On-Farm Research, Poukawa, 85 m/s, $76; Kaweka Farming, Waimarama, 98 ewe, $68.50; K Wallace, Middle Rd, 107 b/f, ewe, $81; Belmont Station, Eskdale, 62 m/s b/f, $141.50; 39 m/s b/f, $117; 30 m/s b/f, $104.

Prime sale

A big yarding of about 5000 ewes sold strongly again on Monday. There were a lot of medium ewes in the offering and they sold accordingly.

The yarding of prime lambs also sold strongly for an offering of more than 300 of varying quality.

The strong tone was maintained for the big yarding of 103 mostly female cattle.

PRICES

CATTLE

Cows: (Fries, ang, fries-cross, ang-here) Av weight, 412kg to 567kg, 168.5c/kg to 234c/kg, $695/head to $1453/head.

Heifers: (Here-cross, charo-cross, sth dev) Av weight, 492kg to 830kg, 232c/kg to 294c/kg, $1393/head to $2290/head.

Oxen: (Here-fries) Av eight, 510kg, 605kg, 285c/kg, 296c/kg, $1453/head, $1790/head.

SHEEP

Ewes: Shorn, heavy, $164; good, $126 to $140; med, $110 to $119; light, $87 to $100. Woolly, heavy, $165.50; good, $127 to $137; med, $105 to $119; light, $87. Slipe, good,$128 to $135; med, $112 to $119; light, $102.50 to $108.

Lambs: hoggets, l/t, male, $5126 to $163; ewe, $118 to $155; m/s, $110, $146. Spring, m/s, $144, $153; b/f, $119 to $163.50; male, $163.50; b/f, $149; ewe, $75 to $184; b/f, $147.50.