Tullamore Farm will hold its annual draft heifer sale on Wednesday 25 October in Central Auctions, Roscrea, Co Tipperary, at 8pm.
The sale will include 20 in-calf heifers and seven maiden heifers. All heifers are genotyped four- or five-star on the replacement index and are eligible for the SCEP scheme.
All heifers are spring 2022-born, with most sired by AI sires such as Tomschoice Imperial, Brooklands Marco, HJD, OHD, Norman Inventor, Clonagh Frosty KIng and Curaheen Earp.
Heifers have been bred to calve at two years old in January, February and March 2024 and are in-calf to LM2014, EBY, Brooklands Marco and a Salers stock bull.
All heifers have been scanned with dates for AI and natural service. Eight of the heifers in this year’s sale were bred using sexed female semen and all are scanned carrying heifer calves.
Breeding programme
The average replacement index of the group is €134. The breeding programme on Tullamore Farm is centred on having a good functional R grade cow capable of breeding R/U grade progeny.
There is an EBY-sired heifer in this year’s sale with a replacement index of €168, while there is also a Curaheen Earp sired heifer with a replacement index of €172.
When selecting AI bulls for use on the farm, the replacement index is number one, with focus on breeding good functional cows capable of making future replacements for the suckler herd.
It’s not all about figures and the animals also have to perform on the farm to earn their keep. The average replacement index of the Tullamore suckler herd is €135. Within that is a +9.5kg for daughter milk and a 14kg figure for carcase weight.
Good figures
All heifers have very good milk and fertility figures and nearly all heifers have high carcase weight and carcase conformation figures.
The average carcase weight figure for the group is +19.75kg, which is 1.5kg ahead of last year’s batch of heifers, while the average milk figure is 4.82kg.
Heifers have been selected for the sale based on a combination of genetics and visual appearance, while also keeping docility to the forefront of our minds.
The heifers are all spring 2022-born and have been managed on a grass-based diet for the duration of their lifetime. Their lifetime consumption of concentrates stands at 300kg of meal fed at weaning time as calves and during their first winter.
No concentrates have been fed to the group since turnout in 2023. The farm operates on a high herd health policy and all heifers have been vaccinated against BVD and leptospirosis prior to breeding on a two shot programme.
We have some super heifers included in the sale this year
Commenting on the heifers, Tullamore Farm manager Shaun Diver said: “We have some super heifers included in the sale this year. EBY and Curaheen Earp are two bulls that have bred really well for us here on the farm and we have a few great heifers by these AI bulls included in this year’s sale.
"We aren’t into breeding very big heifers on Tullamore Farm that calve at three or four years of age. We are looking to produce a medium-sized cow that will calve successfully at two years of age and go on and hopefully be profitable for the rest of her lifetime.
"The cows that we have have been able to consistently produce U grading progeny in our under-16-month bull finishing system.
"Previous customers have kept in touch with us and they are really happy with the way stock are performing. That’s important for us. We have selected easy calving bulls so that heifers will hopefully calve down for the first time without assistance."
Online bidding
The sale will commence at 8pm with both ringside and online bidding available on the night. Online bidding is via the Irish Farmers Journal MartBids platform.
Prospective purchasers are advised to register to bid online on www.martbids.ie and apply for permission from Roscrea Mart to bid.
The mart has asked that all bidding registrations be complete by Monday 23 October to make sure that permissions are granted in time before the sale.
For bidding enquiries, contact Roscrea Mart on 0505-21687. For people who wish to view the heifers before the sale and bid online without attending the mart, heifers can be viewed on farm before the sale between now and the sale date.
Contact Shaun Diver on 087-217 5486 to arrange a viewing. Transport can be arranged with the mart. The sale will be streamed live on martbids.ie with a full sale report inside next week’s Irish Farmers Journal.
Lot 809: Another very high index heifer. This Clonagh Frosty King daughter is four stars for carcase weight and five stars for daughter milk. She’s due on 13 February 2024 to Brooklands Marco ( LM5443). She’s out of a great breeding daughter of Ulsan. Her February 2023-born heifer calf gained 1.2 kg/day since birth.
Lot 804: This heifer is by the famous Brooklands Marco (LM5443) and s due to calve on 5th February 2024 to LM2014 (sexed female semen). Her mother is a big strong Limousin cow. She weighed 682kg on 3rd August 2023. Her February born bull calf gained 1.28kg/day since birth. She has a calving interval of 355 days over 4 calvings.
Lot 810: A lovely shaped daughter of Brooklands Marco. This heifer is due to calve on 24th March 2024 to the Salers bull.
Lot 811: This ¾ bred Limousin is a grand daughter of the famous Castleview Gazelle going back to a great Roundhill Hector sired cow. She is 4 stars for daughter milk. Her mother has bred bulls to 436kg at 16 months and her daughter made €2200 in last year’s sale. She is due to calve on 24th March 2024 to the Salers bull
Lot 819: A lovely marked Boherard Hurricane sired heifer out of a black Limousin cow. She is due to calve on 23rd March 2024 to the Salers bull.
Lot 801: This heifer has a replacement index of €149. She is also 5 stars for milk and calving interval. She is due to calve on 21st March 2024 to the Salers stock bull. Her mother first calf was a bull and he weighed 441 carcases weight at 16 months grading a U=3-. Her heifer calf this year has gained 1.22 kg/day on the cow. Her mother weighed 630kg on 3rd August 2023.
Lot 815: Another high index Norman Inventor heifer. She has a replacement index of €140 with 4 stars for carcass weight. She is due to calve on 20th March 2024 to the Salers bull. She gained 1.24kg/day on her mother. Her mother has a replacement index of €149
Lot 805: This heifer is sired by Norman Inventor (LM4151). She is due to calve on 20th March to the Salers bull. Her mother has bred bulls to 452kg deadweight and all her progeny have graded U so far. She is a super breeder with a 379 day calving interval over 6 calvings. Her heifer in last year’s sale sold for €2250.
Lot 803: Sired by the famous Clonagh Frosty King this heifer is due to calve to the Salers bull on 23rd March 2024. Castleview Gazelle breeding in her mother. This heifer carries 5 stars for daughter milk. Her mother is a great breeding Limousin cow. Her February 2023 born bull calf gained 1.42 kg/day since birth. Her mother’s calving interval is 357 days and she weighed 600kg on 3rd August 2023
A March 2022 born maiden heifer by Curaheen Earp
A February 2022 born maiden heifer by Hideal
Lot 808: One of only three Belgium Blue heifers in the sale. This Boherard Hurricane (OHB) daughter is due to calve on 13th February 2024 to LM5443. Her mother is by the Salers bull Ulsan and she has bred bulls to 386kg carcase weight at 14 months grading a U=2+. Her April 2023 born heifer calf gained 1.31kg/day this year.
Lot 806: This OHB sired heifer goes back to a great Salers cow on Tullamore farm. She is due to calve on 21st January 2024 to EBY (Sexed female semen). Her mother has a massive replacement index of €198, one of the highest on Tullamore farm. She weighed 785kg on 3rd August and has a calving interval of 361 days after 4 calvings.
Lot 810: A lovely shaped daughter of Brooklands Marco. This heifer is due to calve on 24th March 2024 to the Salers bull.
Lot 814: A super Charolais HJD sired heifer with one of the highest replacement indexes in the sale. She is 4 stars for daughter milk with a replacement index of €141. She is due to clave on 21st January to EBY (sexed female semen).
Lot 812: A really nice EBY daughter out of a great Simmental x Charolais cow. She is due to calve on 22nd March to the Salers bull.
Lot 807: Another lovely Clonagh Frosty King Simmental heifer. She is due to calve to EBY (sexed female semen) on 21st January 2024. She gained 1.2kg/day on her mother as a calf. Her mother is a great black Limousin cow with a number of daughters retained for breeding in the herd.
A March 2022 born maiden heifer by Hideal
Lot 811: This ¾ bred Limousin is a grand daughter of the famous Castleview Gazelle going back to a great Roundhill Hector sired cow. She is 4 stars for daughter milk. Her mother has bred bulls to 436kg at 16 months and her daughter made €2200 in last year’s sale. She is due to calve on 24th March 2024 to the Salers bull
Lot 809: Another very high index heifer. This Clonagh Frosty King daughter is 4 stars for carcass weight and 5 stars for daughter milk. She’s due on 13th February 2024 to Brooklands Marco ( LM5443). She’s out of a great breeding daughter of Ulsan. Her February 2023 born heifer calf gained 1.2 kg/day since birth.
Lot 817: A very sweet Knockmoyle 10 Loki ET heifer. She is due to calve on 23rd March to the Salers bull. She goes back to a super Limousin cow that has bred some great cattle on Tullamore Farm
A March 2022 born maiden heifer by Norman Inventor