Stock Values At Stortford Lodge Sale

Chronicle (Levin), 4 March 1948, Page 3

Stock Values At Stortford Lodge Sale

(Per. Press,' Association) HASTINGS, Mareh 3. Store lambs coutinued the recent cLownvviird trend in values at Stortford Lodge today. It was agaiu apparent graziers are lin-ding the feed position inereasingly diflicult, the result being seen in a further decline of ls Gd to 2s a head. Breeding ewes were easier tlian at the last Stortford fair and wethers reipiiring some topping oil' also met with a "stocky" dciuand. The yarding of S(J()(1 liead included more weLhers than for some tinie. Much of the stock was sliowiug the effects of the dry conditions. Shorn wether lambs were traded at 19s 4d- to*23s 7d,-ivvo0.ily wether lambs at 21s and 21s ld and sappy Uown lambs to 22s 7d. A lineof early shorn ewe la'mlos- '-realiscd 25s.! klive-year-ewes c-hanged hands at 21s Co 2,0s Gd and mixed -jaged tp fpui- year dFds' ' at 224. T wo-topths' Gvere' passed i|i at' 31s Gd. Forward eonditioncd four-' tpoth wethers made 37s 4d, lighter 34s (id and older 'wethers were traded at 3'1 s 7d, other's being passed in at 35s Od. _ . )ButCiTers,p'aid;h'om;"iFs -Gd'to- 2s- ;r- headyoge for.. vvet;iier& la-the-fat.aheep- sce; uon, this class of sheep beiug in short supply. In a fair yarding, .Gwes lambs shovved little movemenf on recent" yaluations. .Heavy wethers gold,, at qy tp 4os Gd, primgv -brui^Ingj j ^s\^7,di;:t«/ 42s lOd and ligKt"ei-37s 10d*. Pr'iihe ewes Were quoted at 27s 1.0d,,fp 'Sps 7d and. mferior sorts at 19s 3d-to' 23s 4d. -'Hb'WiT' two-tooth ewes cr'eated competition to siell at from 3Gs 7d' ,46443s 4d, LanrbS clhanged hands at ; f «Jnx" 29sc tp- 33g- 10d.* ; Female cattle dominated a.. short yarding of 110 head'of beef and wliereas the females met with a good deniand, eows met a "sticky" demand. Butchers were not particular ly'interested because of the difficulty in getting cattle through the Works. A large eonsigument of quality A.A. heifers aroused interest in the rostrum to sell at from £13 18s Gd to £17 lGs, an average of £14 11s. Lighter heifers were traded at £11 3s Gd to £13 8s Gd. Cows were solrj at well below rates a month ago, solid Herefords making up to £12 lGs. For medium cows values ranged from £9 18s Gd to £11 3s Gd. Light ox realised to £.13 lGs. _ - . For the first time since the end of.last spring, the store cattle market W-as really tested when - a yarding of. 420 head, mostly from the Gisborne (listrict, was offered. Although the auction atitracted a fair attendance it was obvious from the, outset that good ra.iijs.are- re« quired before life enters this market. Cattle grazing is providing headach.es for graziers'; be'cause;' of the lapk; ofL^aiil. and fariners are no~t y'et in a position to stock up. The entire entry of stafcion cattle was passed in except for a smalP line of three-year .A.A. steers which were quit at £11 17s Gd, and a pen of L8-months steers sold for £8 19s. For; some lines the auctioneers had to battle hard to obtain so much as a starting bid.