Changed weather conditions are showing our district to have a wintry appearance and later sown fodder crops are starting slowly.

Livestock are generally in good order, with autumn lambing and calving in full swing and only moderate problems.

Twin lamb disease in heavy ewes has caused some producers to supplement lupins or cereal grain to the ewes' diet, while problems with older lactating cows and grass tetany are causing some concern.

Two inches of steady rain in the week after the Bathurst Show would be the answer to a tablelands cocky's prayer.

WHERE are the workers? Some reports during the past week tell of:

All of these jobs need staff that can be relied on and who are willing to work. Perhaps Jobkeeper changed the work habits of many Australians, but it's very obvious that our nation's economy has recovered much quicker than anyone expected.

RECENT RURAL NOTEBOOK COLUMNS:

"SPECIALISING in producing bulls for the southern grass-fed market."

That is the motto of the Violet Hills Charolais stud at Rydal that will offer 45 young bulls 20 to 21 months; 15 unregistered Charolais heifers, 20 to 20 months; PTIC to low birthweight Red Angus bull, and 10 Charolais heifers, same age, unregistered and not joined.

Details: Sean Jenkins, 0419 416 197; Daryl Jenkins, 0428 639 674; Andrew Bickford, 0427 943 781.

Sale day is on-property on May 13 at 1pm.

THE Eastern States Young Cattle Market Indicator (EYCI) recorded a record 907c/kg carcase weight last week and this is usually seen as a reliable guide to the state of the beef market.

Drilling down a bit further on the inputs that give the industry that figure gives us all some food for thought: Roma store market averaged 943c last sale and contributed 21 per cent of the indicator; Dalby averaged 922c; Wagga 947c; Dubbo 911c; Carcoar 845c; Wodonga 818c; Pakenham 816c.

To go a little further, 50 per cent of all cattle sold for the week went to feedlots, 9.5pc to butchers and 40pc to restockers.

These figures can be a bit confusing and your trusted stock agent must be your adviser if you're hoping to rejoin the cattle industry.

Like every business endeavour, entrants into the livestock production industry need a willing financier of low interest loans, a confident partner, very sound business plans and a heart as big as Tulloch's.

A FEW social jottings for the week.

There are two brand new little people related to the rural industry.

Belinda and Dan Owens have welcomed a little sister for Josephine and Isabella. No doubt she will be a much loved young lady.

Gail and Martin Morris have a little brother for his four sisters. He will probably be changing oil in prime movers before he starts kindy.

Lorance and Harriet Bourke are celebrating their diamond 60th wedding anniversary, and Max and Margaret Stuart are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary.

Congratulations to all of these families. They are each part of the reason why we love Bathurst and the people who live here.

HATS off to the lovely staff at Oberon Hospital.

A good friend has spent some time there recently and all involved have gone an extra mile.

Oberon has been blessed with good sporting teams and great nurses.

WEEK 43 saw an offering of 40,402 bales Australia-wide. By the end of the week, we had seen the EMI lift by 21ac or 1.6 per cent in Australian dollar terms to a new level of 1312ac/kg or, in US dollar terms, an increase of 16usc/kg or 1.6pc.

Demand for 18.5 micron and finer is extremely strong and this is being further fired by the lower than normal supply of these finer types.

By the end of the week, 18.5 micron and finer had appreciated by 70-100ac/kg.

The lack of supply is highlighted by 17 micron only being quoted nominally in both Sydney and Melbourne on the Wednesday close.

We are now seeing a 1000ac/kg spread between the 17 and 21 micron indicators.

Word from the showfloor is that the demand for these finer types is consistent and the trade is expecting a larger flow of broader, higher VM wools that this season is producing.

India and Europe are buying the odd parcel of wool, which is certainly helping competition in the room.

Crossbred wool types gained 5ac/kg over the week's sales; these types continue to do it tough.

Thirteen per cent or 139,000 more bales have been sold up until this point this season compared with the same time last season. Old stocks are continuing to flow on to the market.

Week 44 of sales sees an estimated offering of 50,821 bales compared with an actual offering in the same sale last year of 22,904 bales.

GEORGE and his wife had moved into town.

At 5pm, the police brought him home with a trolley full of groceries and told his missus: "We found him a bit lost and someone says he lives here."

As soon as the law left, she lined George up and wanted answers.

"Of course I wasn't lost, love," he said. "I was too buggered to push a trolley home, so I just used my remaining brains."

***

THE lady said she was 45. She just didn't say when.

***

MUM and dad were watching a depressing TV program when Dad made a bit of a speech: "I never want to end up like that - ignorant of the world around me, dependent on a stupid machine and fluids from a bottle."

Mum got up quietly, turned the tele off and emptied his stubby into the sink.