Stortford Lodge: Small, quality yardings sell well

Store lamb prices showed the growing unease with the market with prices for smaller lambs slipping further. Photo / Christine McKay

Small yardings of sheep and cattle sold well at the Stortford Lodge store sale yesterday.

Both offerings were of good quality, a reflection of good grass-growing conditions lately.

However, store lamb prices showed the growing unease with the market with prices for smaller lambs slipping further.

Most of the cattle in the yarding of about 270 head were yearling heifers which sold well.

The offering was down on what was advertised.

This was due to the closure of the Napier-Wairoa road after heavy rain on Tuesday night.

Buyers were from Hawke’s Bay with others from Wairarapa and Manawatū.

There were also three buyers on the online Bidr platform.

Prices

Cattle

Cows, calves at foot: All cap stock, D and C Yule, Dartmoor, 30 m/a here, 30 calves, 722kg, 250c/kg, $1805/head; 15 m/a here, 15 calves, 692kg, 248c/kg, $1720/head; 13 m/a here, 13 calves, 702kg, 255c/kg, $1790/head.

Heifers: 2yr, Kennith Farm, Tamumu, 13 ang, 542kg, 309c/kg, $1675/head; Featherstone Trust, Havelock North, nine ang-cross, 578kg, 294c/kg, $1700/head; W Hamlin, Mangatarata, 12 sth dev, 476kg, 300c/kg, $1430/head; five sth dev, 431kg, 292kg, 292c/kg, $1260/head. Yrling, Beckford Holdings, Makaretu, 23 ang, 327kg, 323c/kg, $1060/head; 27 ang, 299kg, 334c/kg, $1000/head; 11 ang-here, 302kg, 323c/kg, $980/head; nine ang, 295kg, 339c/kg, $1000/head; Raukawa Station, Raukawa, 23 ang, 318kg, 331c/kg, $1055/head; J Hamilton, Patangata, 13 ang, 295kg, 330c/kg, $975/head; 12 charo-cross, 313kg, 346c/kg, $1085/head; five ang-cross, 309kg, 299c/kg, $925/head; five crossbred, 316kg, 269c/kg, $850/head; Tapahia Farming, Wanstead, 365kg, 320c/kg, $1170/head; eight ang, 292kg, 335c/kg, $980/head.

Steers: Yrling, Raukawa Station, Raukawa, 14 ang, 332kg, 393c/kg, $1305/head; Gallop Priest P/ship, Taihape Rd, six ayrshire-cross, 375kg, 277c/kg, $1014/head.

Sheep

Ewes, lambs at foot: HardMaster Farm, Havelock North, five ewes, eight b/f, $61 all counted.

Hoggets: l/t, B and E Tuanui, Whakapirau, 77 c/o, $32; 26 ewe, $131; Stonehenge Trust, Whakapirau, 37 m/s, $116; 10 m/s $89.

Lambs: Mt Erin Station, Middle Rd, 179 m/s, $102.50; 240 m/s, $88; 149 m/s b/f, $79.50; Droxford Farm, Middleton Rd, 142 m/s, $86.50; 156 m/s, $73; Freethlands, Salisbury Rd, 190 m/s, $85; 58 m/s, $74; Girvan Farm, Wanstead, 73 m/s b/f, $108; 119 m/s b/f, $83.50; 130 b/f m/s, $70.50; 49 m/s b/f, $63; Ard Lussa Farm, Waihau, 54 m/s, $67.50; M Johnson, Haumoana, 20 m/s b/f, $99; Stonehenge Trust, Whakapirau, 74 m/s b/f, $114.50; 219 m/s b/f, $79.50; 92 m/s b/f, $72.50.

Prime sale

A good quality yarding of about 330 lambs sold on a solid market on Monday.

Prices, particularly for new-season lambs, were back about $5 on the week before but still up on the last few weeks.

The ewe yarding of about 540 head was of mixed quality and sold accordingly.

Prices

Lambs, new season: M/s, $119 to $132. Hoggets, l/t, male: $119 to $157; ewe, $100 to $160; m/s, $148 to $160.50.

Ewes: Woolly, heavy, $117; med, $90; light, $61.50 to $70.50. Slipe, good, $93, $94; med, $75; light/med, $61.50, $66.