Stortford Lodge Stock Values

Chronicle (Levin), 15 July 1948, Page 3

Stortford Lodge Stock Values

: ^ HASTINGS, July 14. Thespirited eompetition whieh. has rnarked the saie .of breeding ewes in recent vveeks, was iacking at Stortford Lodge today. Except for top quality pens bidding was sluggish and even for the best sheep in the offering of 4001) head, the edge was off the market with the easing in values. Hoggets, on the other hand, niet a firm inquiry for the short supply. Fewer farmera thanusual fotlowed the .sale and the auctioneers were foreed.to work hard, there- being-. several passings. The market was not easy to follow but it would appear that during the reeent period of animated' buying, most distriet farmers hav-e. filled their immediate requiremfents. Five-year' ewes were traded at • 31s 5d to 39s, and sixyear ewres at -30s. Tow-tooths sold at •36s 9d, four-tooth at 40s, six-tooths at 36s 6d and four-year-olds >at 30s. Meaty wethers brought 41s and 42s. Wether hoggets with a killable top realised 35s, other good lines bringing 31s to 32s 6d. The season 's top price for ew-e hoggets of 42s was paid for a top quality draft. Other ewe hoggets ranged from 31s 3d to 34s 3d. DoWn cross hoggets were. traded at 25s 9d to 32s 2d. ; Mutton was even dearer than on iast week's strong market, the rise being most noticeable on lighter quality sheep which were dearer by Is to ls 6d a head. The yarding included a good offering of quality and butehers operated keenly Extra heavy ewes were traded at 43s Id to 46s 4d, prime sorts bringing 37s 7d to 39 10s and lighter 32s 7d to 36s 4d, with extra prime young ewes at 48s lOd to 51s lOd and lighter young ewes at 38s ld to 42s lOd. Prime wethers ranged from 50s lOd to 52s lOd, medium making 46s lOd to 49s lOd and unfinished 43s 10d to 44s lOd. Heavy lambs brought 44s lOd to 50s lOd, medium 37s 7d to 43s lOd and light 34s 10d. The market for store cattle was again a bright one despite the sizeable yarding of 700 head. Bidding for better quality lines was quite brisk and values were well up to those last week. Weaners made up a good portion of the yarding and included some weli grown good quality sorts. A draft of weaner A. A. steers brought the season 's top price of £7 11s and weaner heifers made £6 7s. Bulloc.ks sold at from £ll" ,15s to £14 15s, rising twoyear steers £9 10s to £10 14s, good weaner steers £7 ls to £7 11s, smaller £5 4s to £6 5s, and weaner heijers £3 12s to £6 7s. There was another strong market for beef -when a yarding of 130 head included some nicely finished ox and heifer beasts. A consignment of bullocks fed on chou moellier, topped the market for price and quality, the best line realising values £24 6s to £24 18s 6d. A single bullock, an • almost perfect specimen of ox beef, also made £24 18s 6d. Other bullocks fou'nd buyers at £23 8s 6d to £24 ls and another pen made £23 13s 6d. While the overall quality was good, the ymrding included a lot of beasts that laeked linish and were inclined to be shelly. Female beef shared in the strong inquiry, top price foT heifers being £16 3s 6d and for cows £14 3s 6d. The market tailed off towards the end of the sale when the butehers had fulixiled their. requirements, and several pens of medium to prime quality bullocks were passed in at values approximately £18. Values for prime ox ranged from £2f 13s 6d to £24 18s 6d with medium selling at £17 18s 6d -to. £20" 18s 6d, Prime heifers were traded at . from £14 3s 6d to £16 3s 6d, medium brought £11 3s 6d to £12 16s and a light beast £7 18s 6d. Prime cows were knoeked down at £12 16s to £14 3s 6d and medium sold for £12 3s 6d. Vealers made £3 18s to £5 12s.