Strong demand for lambs continued.
The good news continued for vendors at yesterday's Stortford Lodge store sale.
The demand for store lambs continued to be strong while a big yarding of ewes with lambs at foot also sold on a par with last week.
The best of a small yarding of about 130 head also sold to good demand as spring grass growth takes off.
Prices:
Cattle.
Cows: Heald Farming, Takapau, five dairy, av weight, 408kg, 159c/kg, $640/head.
Steers: 2yr, P and A Morunga, Awamate, nine here-fries, av weight, 369kg, 312c/kg, $1152/head. Yrling, Wedd Farming, Puketitiri, five ang, av weight, 293kg, 355c/kg, $1040/head.
Bulls: 2yr, B McLaughlin, Takapau, 11 fries, av weight, 523kg, 309c/kg, $1620/head; 18 the same, av weight, 409kg, 318c/kg, $1300/head; Wairunga Ltd, Maraetotara, nine fries, av weight, 512kg, 301c/kg, $1045/head. Yrling, Wedd Farming, Puketitiri, 19 fries, av weight, 297kg, 316c/kg, $940/head; J and J Stephens, Otane, 11 fries and fries-cross, av weight, 276kg, 313c/kg, $867/head; Kairongoa, Elsthorpe, seven dairy-cross, av weight, 180kg, 293c/kg, $530/head.
Heifers: Yrling, R Robinson, Wairoa, 11 ang and ang-cross, av weight, 173kg, 410c/kg, $695/head; Wairunga Ltd, Maraetotara, five crossbred, av weight, 226kg, 329c/kg, $745/head; Wedd Farming, Puketitiri, six ang, av weight, 271kg, 349c/kg, $950/head.
Sheep
Ewes with lambs at foot: Tahaenui Station, Wairoa, 54 ewe, 94 b/f lambs, $85 all counted; 39 ewes, 65 b/f, $94; 55 ewes, 95 b/f, $94; 48 ewes, 71 b/f, $87.50; A and C Milligan, Pakipaki, 24 ewes, 34 lambs, $61.50; Mangakuri Station, Kairakau, 39 ewes, 65 lambs, $88.50; 31 ewes, 45 lambs, $93.50; 35 ewes, 58 lambs, $90; T Swanwick, Korokipo, five ewes, five b/f, $106; Beckford Holdings, Makaretu, 51 ewes, 81 lambs, $83; Gibb Aero, Maraetotara, 80 ewes, 82 b/f, $95.
Lambs: Senlac Station, Mangaorapa, 86 ewe, $102; 211 ewe, $130; 267 ewe, $117.20; 60 male, $115; Roston Farm, Puketitiri, 332 male, $135; 175 male, $121; 48 c/o, $136; 32 male, $121; Waimara Farm, Wairoa, 71 male, $151; 99 male, $146.50; Glenbrook Station, Waikare, 217 ewe, $134.50; Samaska Trust, Elsthorpe, 250 ewe, $138; 135 ewe, $130; Highfields Farming, Argyll Rd, 188 ewe, $133; Kaiwaka vendor, 138 ram, $114.70; Whakarawa, Turangi, 146 ewe, $136.50; C Nicholson, Roys Hill, 189 ewe, $136; 68 ewe, $123; Springfield P/ship, Taradale, 112 ewe, $146; 76 b/f ewe, $157.50; C and S Cutbush, Porangahau, 101 ewe, $124; Hilton Station, Middle Rd, 107 c/o, $160.50; 76 c/o, $155.50; 104 ewe, $140.50; 37 c/o, $135; C-M P/ship, Apley Rd, 47 m/s, $151; 59 m/s, $144.50; Arahiwi Farm, Wallingford, 68 male, $108; Landquip, Hastings, 59 m/s, $148; Belmont Station, Eskdale, 97 ewe, $121.50; Joncole P/ship, Te Hauke, 66 m/s, $126; C Hyde, Wairoa, 46 m/s, $92; S and P Rogers, Wanstead, 55 ewe, $137.
Prime sale
Prime stock continued to sell strongly at Monday's sale. This continues the rising trend of the last few weeks as finishers look to fill contracts.
A big yarding of almost 1900 lambs sold especially strongly while the best of a yarding of 20 cattle made more than $3/kg.
Prices
Cattle
Oxen: (Ang) av weight, 632kg, 638kg, 305c/kg, 312c/kg, $1973/head, $1984/head.
Heifers: (simm-cross, ang, sth dev) Av weight, 330kg to 553kg, 150c/kg to 305c/kg, $495/head to $1687/head.
Cows: (Jersey) Av weight, 467kg, 185.5c/kg, $867/head.
Sheep
Ewes: Woolly, heavy, $143, good, $134, med, $120. Slipe, $134 to 4138.50, med, $131 to $133, lighter, $98. Shorn, med, $122 to $130.50.
Lambs: Male, $130 to $$179, b/f, $100 to $163. Ewe, $125 to $192, b/f, $124. M/s, $100 to $169, b/f, $165.50.
August in review
Sheep of all classes shone during August at Stortford Lodge.
Prime ewe prices reached a plateau during July but lifted sharply again in August and seem likely to stay there in September as export markets stay strong.
Earlier in the month in-lamb ewes with good scanning percentages to a terminal sire sold well but late ram dates put some buyers off other pens.
PGG Wrightson agent and auctioneer Neil Common said the in-lamb ewes turned out to be cheap enough with the rising value of ewes and lambs later in the month.
Ewes with lambs at foot began to appear in numbers in August and those with docked, terminal lambs reached the $100 mark. Most of the others topped $80 and $90 all counted. The cheaper pens were mostly older ewes with very young lambs at foot.
The numbers of ewes with lambs also rose steadily during the month as some farmers offload their older ewes.
The prices of both prime and store lambs rose sharply during August.
Mr Common said some prime lambs selling for more than $170 went for up to $20/head more than their schedule price as contract buyers bought up large to meet their contracts. Contract finishers might make a loss at this time of year but made very good money earlier in the season.
Store lambs have also been very strong as the supply tightens. Mr Common said the yardings have been bigger than expected as farmers who would normally finish their lambs were attracted by the big money being offered.
"They will be finding they can meet their budgets without having to carry their lambs for longer and risk them cutting their teeth."
In the cattle pens prices flattened for a while with some hesitation over the future of export markets but good grass growth saw the market rise again.
Prime cattle also eased for a while but a shortage of supply saw prices rise again later in the month as heavy angus oxen reached $3/kg.
Lambing and calving got under way in August and good percentages have been reported. Cows and ewes went into mating in great order and this means good percentages and excellent survival as the sun shines and the grass grows.
Mr Common said farmers were enjoying a good early spring with the grass growing full dams and good ground moisture and export markets looking healthy.