This 455kg May 2019-born Charolais heifer sold for €1,160 (€2.54/kg).
Drumshanbo Mart in Co Leitrim is a short drive across the border from Northern Ireland (NI) and that’s proving a big advantage, given the demand in NI for feeding cattle at the moment.
Dry cows and forward heifers have been most in demand from NI customers in recent weeks and have really helped to underpin the trade.
Close to 100 dry cows and 25 sucklers went through the ring last Friday night.
This 340kg May 2020-born Charolais bull sold for €1,100 (€3.24/kg).
Cows weighing over 700kg averaged €1.87/kg, with some cows in this category factory-fit selling for €2/kg to €2.20/kg.
Carrigallen Mart held its annual show and sale of heifers on Thursday last.
The sale saw 400 heifers go under the hammer, with a strong demand for factory-fit heifers, as well as heifers suitable for grazing.
Top-quality cattle were in demand, with the top price hitting €4,100 for a 710kg Charolais-cross heifer.
The sale champion sold for €2,020 at 665kg, while a second-prizewinning heifer sold for €3,000 at 650kg.
Price extremes
Mart manager Helen Kells said: “The in-calf heifer and fatstock scene has driven the price of the top of the range cattle to extremes in the past 12 months.
“It’s a massive boost for producers and our suppliers to have these customers willing to go the distance on the right animals.”
Calves on Joe Collingborn s farm.
The older I get, the more I realise that the SAS motto “who dares wins” often works.
I know I am getting old and grumpy, but it does irritate me that large, housed year-round herds on total mixed ration on dedicated contracts yield 5p/l milk price above mine by opening the door and allowing the herd out into grazing a sacrificial paddock for a short time each day.
This equates to milk produced from grass!
On the other hand, would I want to face an impromptu annual inspection with 20 minutes notice?
Close to the waterline