Adult Ewes Exceed £5 At Methven

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31007, 12 March 1966, Page 22

Adult Ewes Exceed £5 At Methven

Another excellent sale prevailed for all classes of sheep at the Methven adult ewe fair yesterday. Four-year-olds sold to £5 3s, this being the highest of the ewe fair season, and five-year-olds sold to 87s.

The ewe fair was an excellent one for vendors, but dear buying for farmers in search of flock replacements. One auctioneer who has been associated with the fair for 30 years said that, apart from the wool boom year, when high prices were understandable, this was the best fair Methven had ever had.

The fair could not be rated as dear as Oxford earlier in the week, mainly because the sheep at Methven—particularly the station lines—were so much better. None of these station sheep carried as much wool as sheep at northern fairs, as most of them were summer-shorn. but they were splendidly brought-out, and their reputation for good shifting lent impetus to their eventual high values.

The yarding totalled 14,277 head compared with 14.859 last year, and was made up of 8138 Romneys and 6089 halfbreds and Corriedales All except 1000 ewes, were five-year-olds.

Few persons expected that the £5 would be reached yesterday. The station lines were sold fairly early in the sale and prices did not exceed the 90s mark.

It was not till fairly late that a pen of four-year-old Romneys made 965. Then only a few pens later, a pen of 149 Romneys from A. A. Grigg (Alford Forest) came under the hammer. Amidst a buzz of comment from the surrounding gallery, they were knocked down at £5 3s to a Lauriston buyer.

Most vendors’ sheep showed a fair rise in values on last year's prices. Generally, these ranged from 6s to 9s, but there were instances where vendors sold for less, and there was one instance where the rise was 255.

Most of the sheep went to down-country buyers in Ashburton county, but several hundred

ewes were bought for Leeston. Southbridge, and Lincoln, and other lots went to Hororala. Sheffield and Oxford

Mr Grigg’s sale of 149 Romney four-year-olds at £5 3s was the feature sale of the day. and represented a rise of 25s on his sale of 96 Romneys at 78s last year.

D. W. Knight, of Hillpark. Methven. sold 121 of the same age at 965, compared with 85s for 169 last year, and 1. A. Hart, of Alford Forest, sold 159 at 88s fid. compared with 87s for 200 last year.

Top price In the flne-woolled four year-old section was 81s 6d paid for 320 halfbreds from Mount Somers Estate. The same vendor sold 438 at Sts. Last year the estate sold two pens totalling 641 ewes, at 78s and I L. P. Chapman flnverary). ; sold 195 halfbreds at 775. and , 191 at 755. Last year his line iof 240 made 68s. R H. Ensor (Glenariffe) sold 366 Corriedales at 76s 6d <6Ss last year), and Double Hilt Station sold 281 ot the same breed at 77s (68s last year). FIVE-YEAR-OLDS Values in the five-year-old Romney ewe section were consistently high, any ewes with good mouths and uniformity selling for well over the 70s mark. T. L. Lucas, of Creekdale, Methven, lopped the section with a small pen of 60 at 87s, whilie A. A. Gr.gg (Alford Forest) sold SO at S3s. Another excellent sale was that of 241 Romney cross ewes from the estate of L. L. Richards (Mt. Hutt), at 81s. Other good five-year-old Romney sales included:— V. W. Wright (Methven), 120 at 75s (69s last year): D. W. Knight (Hillpark. Methven), 117 at 735; W. S. Greensdade (Montalto). 95 at 73s and 109 at 71s; B. Cottertll (Mt. Hutt). 203 at 74s (68s last year), M. Bell (Bicton). 75 at 795, I. A. Hart (Alford Forest). 178 at 775, W. s. Greenslade (Montalto). 95 Romney cross at 735. R. B. and J. McMillan (Winchmore), 128 annual draft at 80s; E. T. and T A Grigg (Alford Forest), 104 at 75s and 140 at 80s; J. E. McKenzie (Mt. Somers), 119 at '“some excellent pens of ewes were ottered in the five-year-O'.d fine-woolled section. Mt. Somers Estate was the major vendor here, selling 1300 halfbreds from

66s to 765. compared wth r range of 59s to 65s for 1150 la*t year. The estate of L. L. Rchard> <Mt. Hutt) had a Mfie very s.mjlar to last year w.th 352 halfbreds at 58s to 65*. coni pared with 62s 6d for a p« n of 256 last year. Double HMI Station showed a r»e of 6s on last year w.th the sale of 273 Corr:edale«> a» 66$ Following is the range of 'values, giving a comparison I with those of last year.— 1966 1965

Four-year-olds— s to s s to s Best Romneys 96 103 >0 X Good 82 87 70 a a Best fine wools 75 SI* 70 . x Five-year Old6Best Romneys 7 7 X ' 67 Good 70 a .> 60 66 Average b 68 52 58 Best fine-wools 70 76 6o 63 Av. to good 5s 65 50 55 Others 51 57 47 49