FAT SHEEP EASIER

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 796, 17 October 1929, Page 10

FAT SHEEP EASIER

NEW ZEALAND STOCK MARKETS WESTFIELD REVIEWED By R.W.C. The easier tendency in the market for cheep noted during the past month or so continues, and yesterday, at both Addington and Westfield, the fat sheep market registered a further decline. aggregate beef yarding of approximately 510 head at Westfield yesterday met with a steady demand, all good quality stock selling freely. The ox beef yarding was made up mostly of light to medium-framed well-fin-ished steers; big framed cattle were well in the minority. The market for ox beef was slightly better than last week, best selling at up to 43s a hundred. The sale of cows and heifers dragged noticeably toward the close, and prices had an easing tendency. Some of the best-known _ graziers of tho province contrib i. to the ox beef offering, well-finished lines of good quality cattle coming from G. Vosper (Maungatautiri), W. Vosper (Cambridge), W. C. Ring (Hinuera), J. Hanks (Te Aroha), E. A. Price (Papatoetoe), W. J. Ellett (Ihumatao), L. R. W. Reid (Te Hoe), F. Bregmen, W. H. Velland (Waipipi), and the Towers Estate (Matamata). No extra heavy prime cows were yarded. With the advance of the season the number of fresh-dropped calves tends to decline in tho yards, and there. is a bigger percentage of the more mature sorts coming forward at the i moment. At yesterday's Westfield j market there was an h.ll-round slight i decline in entries; this, however, did i not have much effect on prices, which j wero below last week’s levels. The I warmer weather and the increasing ! number of lambs is tending to affect j the retail demand for veal. Both baconers and porkers met with ! a very heavy demand, selling in the 1 vicinity of 75d a lb. Stores sold freely j on a firm market. Dull Sale of Sheep The sale of sheep was the slowest for many moths. The average quality was not high, there being a very assortment forward. Approximately 50 per cent, of the offering was made up of shorn sheep. A big percentage of the offering was passed in. . Bidding was restricted to a comparatively small ring of buyers, and at no time was competition keen. Prices ranged from par to 2s a head below last week’s easier, rates. Sheep which three weeks ago would have brought 43s were passed in at 39s 6d. On a comparative basis, shorn sheep met the best market, good sorts of well finished wethers making to 28s 6d, and well finished young ewes in sizeable lots making to 22s 6d. An offering of approximately 140 lambs met with keen competition from bLitchers at from lOd to lid a lb, dressed. Johnsonville Market An average yarding of sheep and cattle was submitted to a good attendance of buyers at the Johnsonville (Wellington) yards yesterday. The cattle were mostly of good quality, consisting of prime heavy bullocks and a few pens of lighter sorts, also a consignment of prime heifers. All classes met with keen competition at prices on a par with late rates. The wethers consisted of light and unfinished sheep, which did not met with much competition, and sold at prices slightly easier than last week. The ewes, with the exception of a few pens, were all good quality and heavy-weights, and sold on a par with last week’s prices. Hoggets sold freely at late rates, and spring lambs, which were of exceptionally good quality, met with keen competition, but prices were down 2s a head on last week’s sale. Extra heavy bullocks made £lB to £l9; heavy bullocks, £l6 to £l7 10s; medium bullocks, £l4 10s to £ls 10s; heavy cows, £l4 2s 6d; heavy heifers, £ls 12s 6d to £l6; medium heifers, £ll 17s 6d to £l2 10s; medium wethe.rs, 34s to 38s; heavy four and six-tooth ewes, 35s to 375; heavy ewes, 32s to 33s 6d; medium ewes, 28s 6d to 30s; hoggets, good, 30s to 325; medium hoggets, 26s 3d to 28s; hoggets, shorn, 23s 9d to 24s 6d; spring lambs, 28s 6d to 325. Sheep Easier at Addington There were good yardings in all divisions at the Addington market yesterday. Beef prices remained firm except for extra heavy sorts. Fat sheep showed a decline on last week’s rates, but prices for fat pigs, especially for porkers, showed a substantial increase. A short entry of spring lambs sawprices reach the comparatively high level of 43s 4d for extra choice quality lambs. The market for fat sheep was down Is to Is 6d a head on last week. Heavy prime wethers made to 455; heavy prime ewes, to 38s; good hoggets, to 32s lOd; good shorn wethers, to 36s 10d; good shorn ewes, to 33s 7d. In the fat cattle section, heavy prime i sorts showed an easier tendency. Choicest beef made to 575. Extra prime heavy steers realised up to £25 17s 6d; prime heavy steers, £2l to £23; medium-weight prime steers, £l9 to £2l 15s; ordinary steers, £l6 10s to I 10s; light steers, £l3 to £l6 ss; j extra prime heifers, to £2O 12s 6d; prime heifers, £l6 10s to £lB 10sordinary heifers, £l4 to £l6; light heifers, £lO to £l3 10s: extra prime cows, to £22 12s 6d; prime cows, £l6 to £18; ordinary cows, £l3 10s to £ls 10s; light and aged cows, £9 to £l3. The entry of vealers was practically the same as last week, with the qualitv indifferent, and prices unaltered. The top price was £9 3s 6cl. Bacon pigs averaged from 7£d to Sd a lb; porkers, from 9*d to lid a lb. Westfield Prices Prices at Westfield yesterday ranged as follows: Cattle.—Heavy prime steers, £l6 to £lB 12s 6d; medium, £l4 to £ls 10s; smaller and light, £l2 10s to £l3 15s: unfinished and small from £9 10s; -well finished cows and heifers, not excep- I tionally big in the bone, £ll to £l3 15s; medium, £8 15s to £lO 12s 6d; smaller, £7 5s to £8 10s; unfinished and light, from £4 10s. Calves. —Heavy runners made £ 6 8s to £9 17s: heavy prime vealers, £4 15s to £5 6s; medium, £ 4 4s to £4 8s: light, £ 3 to £3 11s: small vealers, £2 4s to £2 12s; good bucket-fed calves, £1 13s to £ 1 18s; rough and unfinished, 19s to £1 7s; fresh-dropped and small, 3s to 15s. Sheep.—Extra choice heavy prime wethers were paa**d in at 39\s; heavy prime, 34s to 369. heavy prime shorn wethers made to 2Ss Od; heavy prime shorn ewes made to 295; good shorn ewes, to 22s 6d; good hoggets, to 30s. Pigs.—Choppers made £2 5s to £3 10s (no heavy choppers were offered); heavy prime baconers, £4 16s to £5medium, £4 9s to £4 13s; light, £3 18s to £4 2s; heavy porkers, £3 5s to £3 9s; medium. £2 16s to £3 Is; light, £2 10s to £2 13s; small and unfinished, £2 4s to £2 7s; b.est stores, £2 4s to £2 12s; smaller. £1 16s to £2 Is; slips, £1 7s to £1 12s; good: weaners, 19s to £ 1 4s; small, 13s to I 16s.