WESTFIELD STOCK SALE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 852, 21 December 1929, Page 12

WESTFIELD STOCK SALE

VERY HEAVY YARDING BEEF PRICES HOLD The Westfield stock sale was a “double market” in every sense of the word. Difficulty was experienced in coping with the yarding, and all available space was occupied, sheep and lambs being penned up in the alleyways, even taking up two rows of the ordinary pig section. Every pen was crammed full. An aggregate yarding of little short of 900 head of beef was drawn from over a wide range. Prices held steady at late rates, best ox making up to 42s a hundred, best cow and heifer to 39s a hundred The quality of the ox beef entry, generally, was good and well suited to the average butcher’s purposes; handy weight cattle predominated. and practically no exceptionally heavy prime cattle came forward. The quality of the cow and heifer offering was not quite up to that of the steer section.

One of the highest priced lines of the day came from Alex. Orr, Wiri, to sell at up to £l6 10s for a pen which went to T. Raster, Ponsonby.

Well finished cattle on account Trewin Bros., Maungaturoto, made up to £l6 2s 6d.

Light-weight ox on account W. H. Kelland, Waipipi, made up to £l4. Choice prime medium-weight steers on account Wills McLaughlin, Papatoetoe, made up to £ls 10s.

Well-finished steers on account G. Winstone, sen.. Mount Roskill, made up to £l6. Eight choice prime steers on account Clias. Stewart, Ohinewai, averaged £ls 10s.

Twelve well-finished steers on account W. J. Priest, Xgatea, averaged £l4 6s.

Well-finislied cattle from C. E. Sampson, Te Kauwhata, averaged £l4 13s.

Two trucks of medium-boned heavy prime steers on account B. Reed, Waerenga, averaged £l4 10s. A line of 30 medium-weight steers from F. A. Price, Papatoetoe, averaged £l3 10s.

Two trucks of well-finished mediumboned steers on account P. Corbett, Hikutaia., averaged £l4 15s. Two trucks on account J. R. Hill, Tehoe, averaged £l4 10s. Heavy Prime steers, generally, made from £l4 10s to £l6 10s; medium, from £l3 2s 6d to £l4 ss; light and small, from £lO. Best young cows and heifers made to £ll 10s; medium, from £ S to £ 9 555; small and light, from £6 10s; unfinished, from £4 10s.

A line of extra choice station cattle, on account Mr. Robt. Mitchell, Taneatua, met with keen competition, making up to £l2 17s 6d for a big-framed heifer, which went to Mr. D. Brideson, Epsom.

A heavy yarding of calves was made up of the choicest quality entry for many weeks. Prices, generally, were easier. One extra choice big runner, on account Mrs. Prentice, Waerenga, went to Mr. J. Rowe, Newmarket, for £lO, but this cannot be taken as an indication of the market. Choice, prime, big-framed vealers made from £4 5s to £5 2s 6d; good average sorts of vealers made from £2 10s to £3 12s.

The sheep market tended to be oversupplied, as butchers go mostly for lamb at this time of the year; nevertheless, there was a steady demand during the greater part of the sale. Heavy prime wethers made up to 29s 6d; choice young ewes made to 235. The news that exporters had reduced schedule prices by£d a lb had a bearing effect on the lamb market. There was a good demand for the Christmas trade, however, and prices ranged from par to slightly the export parity of 72d a lb for best quality lambs under 361 b on the hooks.

A rather restricted 3'arding of both fat and store pigs met a market practically on a par with late rates.