Poor sale for rams

Press, 8 February 1986, Page 11

Poor sale for rams

The lack of confidence In the sheep industry showed again at the annual Canterbury flock ram fair at Christchurch yesterday where less than a third of the rams offered for auction were sold. Several regular breeders described the fair as the worst they could remember as farmers showed virtually no interest in the bulk of the yarding. Romneys and English Leicesters easily took most honours — a Romney made the top price of $9OO and several others sold between $6OO and $BOO. Only three English Leicesters out of 25 failed to find buyers. Except for these high points, bids were scarce and many rams failed to attract a starting price. Vendors and auctioneers often outnumbered buyers at the selling pens and the cafeteria was by. far the busiest part of the fair. ■ ; : i J The. total yarding was 865 rams (down considerably on last year’s fair) and only 273 were sold at auciton.

The clearance of woolbreed rams was 34 per cent, and for meat-breed breeds 26 per cent. In the wool-breed section, Romneys averaged $250 ($3lO last year), Coniedales $l9l ($184), Border Leices-

ters $144 ($107), Coopworths $ll2 ($120), and English Leicesters $157 ($137). The meat-breed averages were led by Poll Dorsets at $167 ($155), $l4O for Hampshires, $l2O ($163) for Dorset Downs, $ll2 ($160) for Suffolks, and $lO7 ($127) for South Suffolks. Forty-seven per cent (121) out of 258 Romneys were sold.

The top of the Romneys was a Haines Family Trust, Brookside, ram which sold for $9OO. The same vendor sold two for $750, one for $450 and seven betweep $2OO and $275.

The Clay-Moor stud, Springston, picked the bestram to go to the fair as the sole entry and it sold for $800; C. T. Burrows, Culverden, sold a ram for $6OO and 13 in the range $l5O to $275 for an average of $242; P. J. E. Robertson, Gore, sold one for $640 and four others between $250 and $375 for an average of $369; A. N. Chamberlain, Ellesemere, five for an average of $310; M. A. and M. F. Loffhagean, Culverden, seven for an average of $150; R. J. and M. A. Burrows, Culverden, one for $2OO and one for $125; W. M. and P. A. Robertson, Gore, seven for an average of $260; H. I. and M. E. Robinson, Woodend, six for an average

of $137; O. J. Adams, Ashburton, five for an average of $280; Mereoak Farm, Ltd, Ashburton, five for an average of $195; the Estate of E. R. Humphries and sons, Gore, 13 for an average of $192; N. C. Davidson, Halswell, five for an average of $216; H. C. Vanstone, Little River, four for an average of $277; David Robertson, Gore, a ram for $175; Les R. Petrie, Woodend, one for $180; D. E. and M. H. Oakley, Ashburton, one for $160; P. C. Macaulay, Ashburton one for $250 and another for $l2O. D. A. and S. J. Wyilie, Ashburton, sold a Romney ram for $240; W. J. and M. D. Symes, Christchurch, one for $120; K. P. and P. M. White, Omakau, two for $275 each; Spring Creek stud, Oxford, one for $150; J. A. Brown, Ashburton, one for $200; R. A. Brown, Feilding, one for $225; Wayne Donaldson, Hinds, one for $2OO and one for $150; D. A. Scott, Ashburton, one for $140; D. M. and J. D. Stowell, Ashburton, one for $160; C. M. Chamberlain, Sheffield, one for $175; N. W. Scott, Ashburton, one for $275; A. M. Mcllraith, Southbridge, one for $325 and S. L. and B. E. Chambers, one for $450. All five English Leicester vendors sold rams. P. S. Northcote, Waiau, sold three for an average of $116; J. D. B. Reid, Darfield, eight at an average of $162; R. J. and M. A. Burrows, Culverden, six at an average of $199; the Ravenswood stud, Woodend, four for an average of $l4O and H. C. Vanstone, Little River, one for $lOO. Considering the reasonable level of interest in Romneys and English Leicesters, the demand for other wool-breed rams was most disappointing. Only a fifth of a yarding of 192 Corriedales sold at auction and only five Border Leicesters out of 43 changed hands. There was no inquiry for 12 Perendales or six Merinos and only five Coopworths from an offering of 18 were sold. In the Coopworth rams, N. W. Scott, Ashburton, sold one for $200; D. M. and J. D. Stowell, Ashburton, one for $lOO and O. J. Hickman, Blenheim, one for $lOO and two for $BO. The top-priced Corriedale ($370) was sold by Birchfield Partnership (Ashburton) who received prices of $l6O to $175 for three other rams. A Masterton vendor, L. N. Hoggard, sold eight between $l6O and $320, R. G. B. Reid (Darfield) received $145 to $175 for seven, and M. E. Taylor, Ltd (Ward) sold four at $l6O. G. R. and K. M. Millar (Southbridge) had Corriedale sales at $260 and $l5O, J. R. Fleming (Rotherham) $220 and $l9O, and David McLaughlin (Culverden) one at $3OO. Other Corriedale sales included F. E. Booker (Hawarden) at $175 and $l7O, J. K. Fincham (Hawarden) two at $l7O, Mrs N. R. Amos (Ashburton) two at $175, J. G. Booker (Hawarden) $175, C. A. Sutherland (Rolleston) $l5O, R. B. and S. G. A. Hoban (Culverden) $l9O, and

W. D. and A. C. Power (Hawarden) at $175. A Border Leicester ram from P. H. Letham (Ashburton) made $3OO and another from the same vendor reached $lOO. R. N. Currie (Ashburton) and M. J. Crosson (Rakaia) each sold one at $lOO and I. D. and P. E. Stevenson (Flaxton) one at $l2O. Only five Border Leicesters out of 48 were sold. The 40 per cent clearance for Dorset Downs was easily the best of the meat-breed section, and only 5 per cent down on last year’s sale. Most Dorset Downs ranged from $lOO to $l6O, the top price of $lBO being received by D. O. Masefield and Sons (Goughs Bay). The Masefields sold three other Dorset Downs from $l4O to $l6O, D. M. and J. D. Stowell (Ashburton) six from $lOO to $l6O, and G. R. and G. H. Millar (Leeston) eight from $9O to $l6O. -■ ■ ■- ■■■—■ — Other Dorset Down sales included A. H. Busch (Christchurch) with six at $lOO to $l4O, H. C. and G. C. G. Abbott (Southbridge), four at $lOO to $l2O, A. A. and L. W. Ellis (Amberley), two at $lOO, and single rams from G. J. and S. J. Letham (Ashburton), $lOO, D. R. and D. E. Cameron (Springston), $l2O, and H. Dalziel (Amberley), $lOO. Seventeen Suffolks out of 62 were sold, representing a clearance of 27 per cent. Ravenswood Stud (Woodend) topped the prices with $lBO, followed by D. M. and J. D. Stowell with three rams at $l2O to $l6O. M. J. and M. A. Loffhagen (Culverden) sold four Suffolks at $lOO to $llO, G. C. G. and D. M. Abbott three at $lOO to $l2O, Camshorn Stud (Amberley) two at $9O and $lOO, Springside Stud (Oamaru) two at $lOO, and M. E. Taylor two at $9O. South Suffolks were in similar demand to Suffolks and 30 per cent of a yarding of 60 rams was sold. A. J. Prouting (Sheffield) sold three at $l2O to $l5O, and G. J. and J. P. Chamberlain (Ellesmere) five at $lOO to $l2O. Four South Suffolks from J. J. and M. A. Loffhagen fetched $lOO to $l2O, three from S. J. Sinclair (Ashburton) made $lOO, two from Spring Creek Stud sold at $lOO, and single rams from M. A. Brown (Ashburton), F. J. Amos (Ashburton) and H. C. Vanstone (Little River) sold at $lOO. Two Poll Dorsets sold at $240, one from G. S. Donald (Balcaim) and the other from S. M. Boon and Son (Dunsandel). The Boons’ other two successful sales were at $lBO and $lOO, and Mr Donald sold four more at $l5O to $l9O. The only other Poll Dorset sold from a yarding of 68 made $lOO for G. G. and B. M. Gilbert (Leeston). Two Hampshires from C. V. Saunders and Sons (Ashburton) sold at $l4O and one South Dorset Down from A. A. and L. W. Ellis (Amberley) made $lOO. Twelve Hampshire and 11 South Dorset Downs were passed.