Ballybay Mart had a big entry of 200 weanlings at Friday night’s weekly suckler and weanling sale in the Monaghan town.
Trade would be described as solid, with a lot of bigger feeders in attendance looking for numbers to replenish sheds.
Good-quality bull weanlings in the 300kg to 400kg weight bracket came in at €3.50/kg to €4.00/kg, with a few exceptional lots coming closer to €4/kg.
Plainer types were trading from between €3.00/kg and €3.50/kg. Dairy-cross bulls were back at €2.50/kg, with a few Friesian types dipping below this.
Weanling heifers
In the weanling heifer ring, it was a similar story although the lighter plainer heifers were back a touch on previous weeks.
Top call in the heifer ring went to a roan Limousin heifer selling for €3.97/kg. Good-quality weanling heifers averaged out at €3.00/kg to €3.20/kg.
The general cattle sale on Saturday also saw a big entry of stock with over 700 cattle moving through the rings.
Cull cows were probably the highlight of the trade, with factory agents keeping the trade up.
Top call went to a 2018-born Limousin dry cow weighing 625kg and selling for €1,940. Another Limousin cow weighing 730kg sold for €2,040.
Dairy cull cows were solid, especially for anything with flesh with a Friesian cow weighing 655kg selling for €1,600.
Bullock trade
Saturday’s sale of bullocks also met a good trade, with a Charolais-cross bullock weighing 300kg selling for €1,350.
The sale also included a special sale of 50 pedigree bulls on the night, a mixture of continentals and traditional breeds.
Top call went to a Charolais bull selling for €4,050 followed by another younger Charolais bull selling for €3,000. A pedigree Limousin bull was also hammered down at €3,000.
Traditional breeds were in demand from dairy farmers and €2,980 was the top price paid for an Aberdeen Angus bull, while the Herefords topped out at €2,500.
The best money was for the stronger pedigree bulls that were ready for work, with younger lighter bulls a little harder to shift.
Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, Ballybay Mart manager Jimmy Reilly said: “We’ve had a really good spring 2024, with the trade holding up very well even in the really tough weather we had feeders and exporters buying away. The grass buyers have really kicked off in the last two weeks and that has injected some energy.”
Ballybay Mart will hold its last Friday evening weanling sale on Friday 31 May. Weanling sales will revert back to the general cattle sale on Saturdays until August.
This April 2023-born Aberdeen Angus bullock weighed 370kg and sold for €780 (€2.11/kg).
This April 2023-born Herefrod cross bull weanling weighed 250kg and sold for €580 (€2.32/kg).
This April 2023-born Hereford cross bull weanling weighed 270kg and sold for €550 (€2.03/kg).
This October 2023-born Charolais heifer weanling weighed 260kg and sold for €960 (€3.69/kg).
This May 2023-born Limousin bull weanling weighed 605kg and sold for €1,960 (€3.23/kg).
This June 2023-born Limousin bull weanling weighed 365kg and sold for (€3.26/kg).
This August 2023-born Limousin bull weanling weighed 430kg and sold for €1,310 (€3.05/kg).
This June 2023-born Charolais bull weanling weighed 315kg and sold for €980 (€3.11/kg).
This April 2023-born Charolais heifer calf weighed 400kg and sold for €1,390 (€3.48/kg).
This April 2023-born Limousin heifer weanling weighed 360kg and sold for €1,000 (€2.78/kg).
This April 2023-born Limousin heifer weanling weighed 350kg and sold for €1,200 (€3.43/kg).
Ballybay Mart had a big entry of 200 weanlings at Friday night’s weekly suckler and weanling sale in the Monaghan town.
Trade would be described as solid, with a lot of bigger feeders in attendance looking for numbers to replenish sheds.
Good-quality bull weanlings in the 300kg to 400kg weight bracket came in at €3.50/kg to €4.00/kg, with a few exceptional lots coming closer to €4/kg.
Plainer types were trading from between €3.00/kg and €3.50/kg. Dairy-cross bulls were back at €2.50/kg, with a few Friesian types dipping below this.
Weanling heifers
In the weanling heifer ring, it was a similar story although the lighter plainer heifers were back a touch on previous weeks.
Top call in the heifer ring went to a roan Limousin heifer selling for €3.97/kg. Good-quality weanling heifers averaged out at €3.00/kg to €3.20/kg.
The general cattle sale on Saturday also saw a big entry of stock with over 700 cattle moving through the rings.
Cull cows were probably the highlight of the trade, with factory agents keeping the trade up.
Top call went to a 2018-born Limousin dry cow weighing 625kg and selling for €1,940. Another Limousin cow weighing 730kg sold for €2,040.
Dairy cull cows were solid, especially for anything with flesh with a Friesian cow weighing 655kg selling for €1,600.
Bullock trade
Saturday’s sale of bullocks also met a good trade, with a Charolais-cross bullock weighing 300kg selling for €1,350.
The sale also included a special sale of 50 pedigree bulls on the night, a mixture of continentals and traditional breeds.
Top call went to a Charolais bull selling for €4,050 followed by another younger Charolais bull selling for €3,000. A pedigree Limousin bull was also hammered down at €3,000.
Traditional breeds were in demand from dairy farmers and €2,980 was the top price paid for an Aberdeen Angus bull, while the Herefords topped out at €2,500.
The best money was for the stronger pedigree bulls that were ready for work, with younger lighter bulls a little harder to shift.
Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, Ballybay Mart manager Jimmy Reilly said: “We’ve had a really good spring 2024, with the trade holding up very well even in the really tough weather we had feeders and exporters buying away. The grass buyers have really kicked off in the last two weeks and that has injected some energy.”
Ballybay Mart will hold its last Friday evening weanling sale on Friday 31 May. Weanling sales will revert back to the general cattle sale on Saturdays until August.
This April 2023-born Aberdeen Angus bullock weighed 370kg and sold for €780 (€2.11/kg).
This April 2023-born Herefrod cross bull weanling weighed 250kg and sold for €580 (€2.32/kg).
This April 2023-born Hereford cross bull weanling weighed 270kg and sold for €550 (€2.03/kg).
This October 2023-born Charolais heifer weanling weighed 260kg and sold for €960 (€3.69/kg).
This May 2023-born Limousin bull weanling weighed 605kg and sold for €1,960 (€3.23/kg).
This June 2023-born Limousin bull weanling weighed 365kg and sold for (€3.26/kg).
This August 2023-born Limousin bull weanling weighed 430kg and sold for €1,310 (€3.05/kg).
This June 2023-born Charolais bull weanling weighed 315kg and sold for €980 (€3.11/kg).
This April 2023-born Charolais heifer calf weighed 400kg and sold for €1,390 (€3.48/kg).
This April 2023-born Limousin heifer weanling weighed 360kg and sold for €1,000 (€2.78/kg).
This April 2023-born Limousin heifer weanling weighed 350kg and sold for €1,200 (€3.43/kg).
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