Feilding Prime store sale

Feilding recently had a big stock sale.

A big yarding approaching 5000 lambs was taken without the buyers at yesterday's Feilding Prime Sale missing a beat.

Even some pens of very heavy lambs were sold to competitive bidding with the lambs being way too heavy for meat company requirements amid signs that some companies are becoming more flexible with their weight range parameters. The obvious reason for that is the companies are not getting overwhelmed with plant bookings.

The top prices yesterday were $142 for 18 lambs from W Southee and $137 for 12 blackface lambs from C McFadzean, but the highest cents/kg was paid for lambs around the $110-$120 levels.

If there was any sign of weakness in this market, it was for the store and forward store lambs that could not match the recent highs or even the levels of last Friday's store sale. Store lambs have been relatively expensive, however.

The ewe market carried on its merry way. Sale prices have been firming every week and seemed to lift another few dollars yesterday.

Most of the ewes were in reasonable to good condition with very few long-term, grazing-type ewes to carry on, thus showing the good feed conditions prevailing and the ewe numbers were reduced on recent weeks.

Vendors should be delighted with what they are receiving for their cull ewes.
Cow numbers lifted again which should be expected from now on but prices remained at least firm. Reasonable beef cross cows had no trouble beating $2/kg and the better Friesian cows likewise. One main buyer admitted to having to dig in a little more to secure cows.

The heifers were mostly dairies and sold to firm demand, as did the steers with one pen of rather "active" Angus steers bettering $3/kg.

The very big bulls sold around the $1.80/kg mark and the other bulls sold in narrow ranges depending on breed, that is to say Friesian or Jersey.

Sheep (6678):
lambs; prime (4209), 40-60 kg, $107-$142, $2.40-$2.75, firm; store (605), 28-42 kg, $65-$110, $2.40-$2.84, slight ease; ewes (1721); good, heavy, 26-30 kg, $96.50-$114, $3.70-$4.00, lift; medium, 21-25 kg, $78-$94.50, $3.70-$4.10, lift; lighter, 16-20 kg, $64-$75, $3.70-$4.00, lift; poor, $41; 2ths (17), $95-$117; male sheep (26), $20-$113.
Cattle (234): steers (10), 321-470 kg, $867-$1292, $2.41-$3.02; heifers (44), 295-430 kg, $643-$1168, $2.18-$2.94; cows (163); good, heavy, 430-630 kg, $804-$1272, $1.87-$2.18, lift; boners, 390-600 kg, $628-$1154, $1.61-$2.32, firm; lesser sorts, 280-400 kg, $408-$612, $1.46-$1.53; bulls (17), 320-970 kg, $774-$1755, $1.81-$2.91.

Feilding calf sale
A slightly smaller yarding of around 120 calves sold on to the best market so far this autumn calf selling season with a large bench of buyers competing very strongly.
Bulls: Friesian; good, $300-$330; medium, $240-$250; W/F; good, $340-$390; medium, $260-$290; Char X; good, $325-$435.
Heifers: W/F; good, $350-$365; medium, $300.