The main interest in the sheep section was the first of this season's store spring lambs with a couple of annual lines entered. Three serious bidders saw strong returns at up to $120.
Hoggets were again clean up lines, mostly ewe hoggets, and prices remained buoyant. One small pen of prime hoggets made $161 and the best of the store ewe hoggets sold for $142.50. Very small hoggets dropped as low as $70.
Ewes with LAF, $37-$94; new season lambs, $86-$120; hoggets; good, $135-$142.50; light-medium, $70-$131.
Two pens of bullocks started the cattle sale and sold up to $2030, $3.12/kg. The two year steer section offered cattle that were a little plain and, with a higher proportion of dairy cross cattle, eased by around 10c/kg. There was more selection in the yearling steers. The better traditional steers all sold above $4.00/kg and 19 Simmental-cross yearlings sold for $1245, $3.66/kg. With a reasonable selection, this was the firmest section on the day.
Yearling bulls struggled a little again. The better Friesians sold well – 10 sold for $1515, $3.05/kg, – but the lighter bulls eased back again. There were no older bulls at all offered.
Only one pen of older heifers made it in. Considering almost all the yearling heifers were dairy cross, they actually sold quite well. Angus-Friesian yearling heifers sold for $1040, $3.09/kg. This was a surprisingly small cattle sale.
Steers; 3yr, 610-650kg, $1900-$2030, $3.11-$3.12/kg; 2yr, 337-536kg, $875-$1680, $2.60-$3.36/kg; 1yr, 267-340kg, $710-$1245, $2.66-$4.61/kg; Bulls; 1yr, 175-497kg, $675-$1515, $2.43-$3.86/kg; Heifers; 2yr, 520kg, $1490, $2.87/kg; 1yr, 183-337kg, $670-$1040, $3.08-$3.56/kg.
