Old Ewe Market Again Strong At Sheffield

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31006, 11 March 1966, Page 14

Old Ewe Market Again Strong At Sheffield

The market for older ewes was again very strong at the Sheffield ewe fair yesterday. Compared with the buoyant market for this class of ewe at Oxford earlier in the week, yesterday’s sale was very close, but possibly barely as good taking into account that the Sheffield halfbreds were generally carrying a little more wool.

It was nevertheless a wonderful sale for vendors. In all sections of the fair there were instances of sales being made at 20s and more above last year’s prices. In the four-year-old section last year’s top price for fine wool ewes was yesterday’s lowest price.

The sale for younger ewes was not so spectacular, but in this department there was a higher proportion of smaller sheep than at most other fairs. Still compared with 11 pens of two-tooths sold last year, yesterday’s sale for 12 pens of the same vendors’ sheep was better on average by 10s a head, which is in line with the appreciation recorded for ewes in this category at Oxford and also at most other fairs in North and MidCanterbury this season. OFFERING DOWN The offering was about 1000 head down on last year. It totalled 10.756, compared with 11.762 a year ago. and included 2208 two-tooth ewes <2575 last year), 5655 older ewes (6814), 2288 ewe and wether lambs <3426), and 605 Merino wethers. The older ewes were generally a good lot and in the view of some observers they seemed a little better than last year. There were not the top class young ewes seen at other fairs and only five sales were made at £5 or better. The best of the fine wool two-tooths made from £5 to £5 3s, with good at 90s to 995, average at 80s to 88s, and others at 65s to 78s, Two pens of Romneys made from 96s to £5 Ils 6d.

The top price Romneys were from L. A. Ferguson (Baldoon). He sold 73 at £5 Ils 6d. Last year his best money was only 80s 6d. For fine wools the top money was £5 3s for 110 halfbreds from Faulkner Brothers (Cora Lynn). Last year Faulkner sheep tied for top price for halfbreds at 91s Anna vale Trust (Springfield), who were also paid 91s last year, received £5 Is yesterday for pens of 82 and 91. Reed Brothers (Dalethorpe), whose best money last year was S4s, yesterday sold a pen of 80 at £5 Os 6d. Big Advance As at the recent Culverden and Oxford fairs, four-year-old ewes had a uniformly strong sale. Out of 21 separate sales made of four-year-old ewes 16 were made at 70s or better and four at 80s or better. For 12 pens sold yesterday the average price was 16s to 17s a head better than for 10 pens of the same vendors’ sheep sold last year. The best of the four-year-old fine wool ewes sold from 79s to 86s, with good at 70s to 78s, and others at 66s to 695. The only Romneys, from L. A. Ferguson made 91s 6d for 150 and 88s for 81. Last year this vendor received 70s for ewes of this age group. Among the fine wool four-year-old ewes Mount Torlesse again topped the market with 150 halfbreds selling for 86s. and the remaining 225 out of the same line making 80s. Last year their market topping price was 665. H. R. Henderson (Thurso), who received only 55s 6d last vear, had a sale of 216 yesterday at 795, and sales at 78s were made bv Reed Brothers for 257 and the estate I. O Buchanan (High Peak) for 200 Tn the case of five-year-olds nine pens sold yesterday showed a 14s advance on a similar number of pens of the same vendors’ sheep nut up for sale last year. The best of the fine wools brought from 70s to 76s fid, with good at 60s to 665. and others at 51s to 58s. Romnevs sold at 52s fid. Grasmere station again headed this section with 227 halfbreds making 76s 6d. and another 271 71s. Last year they topped the market at 63s Mount Torlesse station, which had a sale last year at 50s fid. sold 402 and 166 halfbreds yesterdav at 75s fid. For a 'small selection of annual draft ewes values ranged from 61s to 73s fid. with the Ben More Graziers (Springfield' making sales at 73s fid for 86 Corriedales, and at 71s for 112. Good Sale There was an exceptional sale for ewe and wether lambs The best of the halfbred ewe lambs made to 755., with good at 60s to 63s and others at down to sOs. In the case of the Romneys the pick of the selection made to 85s 6d, with good at 68s 6d to 76s 6d and others at 53s to 655. W. J. Woods • The Larches) sold 90 Romney lambs at 85s fid and D. F. Clinton (Avondale) 130 halfbreds at 758. Halfbred wether lambs realised from 4Os to 53s and Rom

neys from 57s 6d to 675. L. A. Ferguson had 112 Romneys at 67s and Grasmere Station 73 halfbreds at 535. Out of a selection of Merinos, mainly from Mount White Station. four six and eight-tooth wethers made from 39s 6d to 425, three-shear wethers 49s 6d, other wethers 455, and ewes from 44s to 465. The sheep from the fair went to widely scattered parts. Quite a number were purchased for Ashburton and Rakaia. They also went to Darfield, Halkett and Courtenay, Little River, Oxford, Rangiora, Amberley, Motunau and also to Kaikoura. The following Is a range of values, with figures for last year’s fair being given for comparison:— 1966 1965 sto s sto s

i Two-tooths Pyne, Gould, Guinness Ltd., ’ sold on account of:— Mt. Torlesse Station, Springs field: 70 at 945, 56 at 82s. Estate I. O. Buchanan, High r Peak: 75 at 765, 71 at 78s 6d. t Castle Hill Staion, Porters 1 Pass: 40 at 765. > Annavale Trust, Springfield: I 173 at £5 Is. 42 at 80s, 108 at 925, • 42 at 90s, 65 at 81s. t McAlpine and Westenra. 1 Craigieburn: 76 at 795, 20 at 65s 6d, 68 at 84s. Milliken Estate. Brookdale. Springfield: 66 at 82s, 87 at 88s ’ Reed Brothers, Dalethorpe: 80 1 at £5 0s 6d, 43 at 90s 6d, 117 ’ at 98s ; Dalgety and New Zealand l Loan, Ltd., sold on account of—- > Faulkner Brothers, Coral Lynn, ' Kowal Bush: 111 at 95s 6d, 110 I at £5 3s, 37 at 86s. , L. A. Ferguson, Baldoon, Rust sells Flat: 76 Romneys at 965. 73 at £5 Ils 6d. I Estate I. O. Buchanan, High ; Peak: 87 at 765, 56 at 65s 6d A. Graydon, Sheffield: 30 at : 86s. H. R. Henderson, Thurso, I Rakala Gorge: 81 at 85s, 67 at : 795. H.Z. Farmers' Co-operative Association of Canterbury, Ltd., sold on account of—- • Benmore Graziers, Springfield: 1 60 crossbreds at 91s, 132 at 90s. Adult Ewes 1 Dalgety and New Zealand Loan, Ltd., sold on account of:— Estate I. O. Buchanan, High ; Peak: 200 four-year-olds at 78s, 62 at 675. Grasmere Station, Cass: 121 ' four-year-olds at 765, 271 five- ’ year-olds at 71s, 227 at 76s 6d, 142 s at 59s 6d. H. R. Henderson, Thurso, ■ Rakala Gorge: 216 four-year-olds ’ at 795, 71 at 745, 71 at 735. , L. A. Ferguson, Baldoon, Rus- , sells Flat: 150 four-year-old Rom- , neys at 91s 6d, 81 at 88s. : Fyne, Gould, Guinness, Ltd., . sold on account of:— Reed Brothers, Dalethorpe: 257 four-year-olds at 78s, 84 at 70s, - 116 at 745, 157 five-year-olds at 66s 6d, 75 at 64s 6d. Mt. Torlesse Station, Spring- ' field: 225 four-year-olds at 80s, 150 at 86s, 568 five-year-olds at i 75s 6d. Milliken Estate, Brookdale: 257 : four-year-olds at 73s 6d, 173 at 665, 74 five-year-olds at 61s. Estate I. O. Buchanan, High Peak: 182 four-year-olds at 765, 97 five-year-olds at 665, 29 at 51s. Castle Hill Station, Porters Pass, 227 four-year-olds at 695. McAlpine and Westenra, Craigieburn: 74 four-year-olds at 745, 130 at 735, 80 five-year-olds at 58s, 78 at 56s 6d. Mt. White Station, Cass: 135 Merinos at 465, 367 at 445. N.Z. Farmers' Co-operative Association of Canterbury, Ltd., sold on account of:— Benmore Graziers, Springfield: 36 annual draft Corriedales at 73s 6d, 163 at 70s, 112 at 71s, 56 at 61s. National Mortgage and Agency Company, Ltd., sold on account of:— A. S. Rutherford. Otarama,

Kowai Bush: 66 Romneys at 675, 24 at 52s 6d. Lambs Dalgety and New Zealand Loan, Ltd., sold on account of:— Grasmere Station, Cass: 80 ewe lambs at 61s, 80 at 635, 115 at 575, 75 at 50s, 191 wether iambs at 51s, 73 at 535, 73 at 475, 83 mixed sex lambs at 40s. W. J. Woods, The Larches, Annat: 90 Romney ewe lambs at Sss 6d. 60 at 655. L. A. Ferguson, Baldoon. Russells Flat: 90 Romney wether lambs at 595, 90 at 57s 6d. 100 at 635, 111 at 65s 6d, 112 at 675. Pyne, Gould, Guinness Ltd., sold on account of: L. E. Roper, Bushy Park, Annat: 88 Romney ewe lambs at 74s 6d, 58 at 68s 6d, 27 at 535. National Mortgage and Agency Company, Ltd., sold on account of:— D. F. Clinton, Avondale, Darfield, 130 ewe lambs at 755. A. S. Rutherford, Otarama, Kowal Bush: 49 Romney ewe lambs at 61s, 321 Romney wether lambs at 57s 6d. N.Z. Farmers' Co-operative Association of Canterbury, Ltd., sold on account of:— K. C. Grant, Russells Flat: 150 Romney Ewe Lambs at 78s, 62 at 635.

Two-tooth Best fine wool 100 103 87 91 Good 90 99 SO 86 Average 80 88 70 78 Others 65 78 55 68 Four-year-old Ewes— Best fine wool 79 86 60 66 Good 66 69 52 55 Others 66 69 52 55 Five-year-old Ewes — Best fine wool 70 76 58 63 Good 60 66 — — Aver, to good — 52 56 Others 51 58 43 51 Details of sales were, all sheep being of halfbred breeding unless otherwise stated —