Martbids Database: weanling bull trade takes massive jump

I’ve been writing mart reports for a while now and I don’t think I have ever witnessed a trade like was seen in the last seven days.

Everything from weanlings to dry cows saw price rises this week.

Top-quality heifers were back a touch, but back from a very high average the previous week.

Exporters, farmers and factory agents all just can’t get enough cattle, with farmers actually becoming stronger around the ring over the last few weeks.

Short-keep cattle are still making over and above what they are worth in factory lairages, with a big Northern Ireland custom also flooding across the border in the last two weeks.

The country’s marts continue to see some very big numbers move out to marts, with one mart manager I spoke to this week saying it’s more of a March/April trade at the moment than an early February one.

Traditionally, January and February are very quiet months in marts, but the boost to the 2025 trade has meant farmers are moving out with stock a lot earlier than other years.

The higher volume of animals being shown at the moment is concerning some mart managers, who suspect that the traditional big grass sales in March and April may not come this year as the cattle simply won’t be there to be sold.

Farmers have been keen to cash in early this year and strike while the iron or auctioneers’ gavel is hot.

Taking a look at this week’s Martbids analysis table, weanling bulls took the biggest jump in price. Weanling bulls in the 400kg to 450kg weight bracket were up 47c/kg in price this week, one of the biggest jumps we have seen in a while.

Mart managers are reporting weanlings up €200 to €300/head on the same sales in 2024, with huge demand for good-quality weanlings.

Top-quality weanlings in the 300kg to 400kg weight bracket came in at €4.37/kg this week. Average-quality weanlings in the same weight bracket came in at €3.72/kg.

Weanling heifers also saw a lift, with top-quality weanling heifers in the 300kg to 400kg weight bracket coming in at €4.38/kg this week, up 19c/kg on the previous week.

Average-quality heifer weanlings in the same weight bracket came in at €3.74/kg, up 13c/kg on the previous week.

In the bullock rings, the trade was steady, with the heavy bullocks seeing the biggest price lift, driven by factory agents.

Top-quality bullocks in the 600kg-plus weight category came in at €3.84/kg this week, up 11c/kg on the previous week.

Aberdeen Angus and Hereford bullocks in the 500kg to 600kg weight bracket are trading from €3/kg to €3.40/kg.

Dry cows are also an exceptional trade, with some very big prices being paid for cull cows in marts this week.

Good-quality cows are making anywhere from €3/kg to €3.40/kg depending on weight and flesh cover.

Well-fleshed Friesian cows are trading for as high as €2.50/kg in some marts.

Carrigallen Mart in Co Leitrim saw a top price of €3,190 for a December 2017-born Charolais cow weighing 872kg (€3.66/kg) last Monday night.