Big crowd for Maniototo lamb sale

Buyers inspect lambs at the Maniototo last muster lamb sale held last week. Photo: Supplied

A strong crowd of buyers was attracted to another successful Maniototo last muster lamb sale, where a record yarding of 17,000 lambs were offered for sale.

About 11,000 of the lambs were sold by PGG Wrightson Livestock.

Every pen in the yards was used to hold lambs for the sale as buyers competed for the high-quality offering of mainly forward store lambs. Fewer prime lambs were on offer than last year but the prime lambs offered met good demand, selling between $130 and $172 for the heavyweights.

Mid and North Canterbury buyers competed with Otago buyers, who have enjoyed a good growth period during autumn after a dry summer and were looking for good lambs to carry through winter.

The yarding included a large offering of quality half-bred lambs, there being a good number of blackface cross and crossbreds on offer to provide plenty of variety for of buyers.

Top cuts of male half-bred lambs fetched $125 to $133, medium cuts $115 to $124 and lighter lambs $100 to $110.

Vendor S&N Francis sold a large number of half-bred lambs at an average of $126 per head. Greer Farms' half-breds averaged $124 and CMD Inder's half-breds averaged $124.

Blackface and crossbreds also sold well, ranging from $100 to $130 for good stores. A few lighter lines sold for between $80 and $95.