Smaller herd sizes and larger amounts of AI being used are typical of some of the tougher terrain in Leitrim and despite softer ground and longer winters than most, one thing that the county with the smallest coastline can boast of is the quality of cattle produced in the area.
Last Saturday’s weanling heifer show and sale typified the class of cattle that the west of Ireland can produce.
A yard full of 500 heifers saw very little poor-quality cattle on show, with nearly all classing R+ and above.
Charolais dominated the day’s trade from a numbers point of view, with golden Charolais heifers easily clearing the €3.50/kg mark for decent-quality types.
One mart drover noted: “This is still very much Charolais country - Charolais is king.
“Limousin-cross blue has started to creep in slightly, though this is more for the farmers chasing show and fatstock calves.”
Demand was seen from a variety of camps, with farmers, exporters, show enthusiasts and specialist heifer producers competing hard to source numbers.
Lighter heifers in the 300kg to 350kg weight bracket were in extremely high demand and generally sold from €3.60/kg to €3.80/kg for nice-quality types, with heavier heifers above 400kg below the average price, with some broaching the 480kg to 500kg mark just about clearing €3/kg and offering excellent value for money.
Some 49 heifers sold for between €4/kg and €5/kg, with a further 10 heifers selling for above €5/kg.
Colour paid a big part in prices, with well-marked roan heifers suitable for showing or breeding commanding a premium over solid coloured or white heifers.
The champion of the day - a Charolais-cross-Limousin heifer sired by AI sire Cloondroon Ricky - failed to meet her reserve when bid to €3,600.
The top-priced heifer went to a smart roan-coloured Belgian Blue-cross February-born heifer sired by Du Grand Bon Dieu (BB2247) which sold for €3,400 at 345kg (€9.86/kg).
A selection of dairy-beef runner calves met with solid demand.
Angus and Hereford types sold for between €350 and €760/head in the main, with quality and weight for age being the bearer of price.
Continental types were in shorter supply and sold to similar prices of the upper end of non-continentals, between €600 and €800.
A small selection of autumn-born calves saw €450 to €500 being paid for Belgian Blue-cross heifers, with Friesians selling at €120 to €150/head.
