Saturday, July 07, 2012 • Barrie Gordon
FEWER than 1000 sheep made it to Matawhero yesterday — 933 to be exact — making it the smallest sale this year.
The previous night’s heavy rains caused flooding and prevented an advertised line of 500 breeding ewes from fronting up.
The 483 ewes that did make it sold very well, showing the interest in breeding ewes. The medium-styled ewes, all scanned singles and all from one property, generated spirited bidding. The two-tooth line fetched $131.
Four-tooth to four-year ewes made $128 and light one-year ewes, $94.
Just 369 store lambs were yarded, most from one Wairoa farm. This market lost nothing from being small — in fact it might have been a shade stronger, especially for the more medium type of ewe lambs.
A couple of pens of solid males made $100 and similar ewe lambs, $93-$98. The prime pens held only 24 sheep. Fair average ewes lost ground at $73, while good lambs returned $108 and $110.
Another class to lose value were store ewes — only 57 head were offered. Average ewes went to $51 and light made $35.
Individual sales included:
Male lambs: Puhoro Station 65 at $100, 15 at $87; Panikau Station 27 at $100.
Ewe lambs: Puhoro Station 62 at $98, 69 at $93.
Mixed-sex lambs: Pihanui Station 33 at $95.25, 11 at $98.
Breeding ewes: Raroa Station 119 2-th ewes SIL, $131; 148 4-th/4-yr SIL $128; 76 one-year SIL $94, 96 2-th/4-yr SIL at $100.50.