Cootehill Mart held its annual show and sale of weanlings on Friday night, with more than 200 bulls and 100 heifers on offer. Quality counted in the bull ring, with the general run of good Charolais/Limousin bull calves weighing from 330kg to 350kg making from €2.30/kg to €2.50/kg or €400 to €500 with the weight.

In Cootehill mart tonight for the annual weanling show and sale. This April born Charolais x calf weighed 275kg with the hammer dropping at €775. Lighter calves still a great trade with plenty of farmer buyers around the ring, exporters active also. @farmersjournal @FJBeef pic.twitter.com/YLQWYHB74o
— Adam Woods (@ajwwoods) October 4, 2019

A few exceptional lots crossed the €2.80/kg mark. There seems to be a great appetite for calves weighing between 320kg and 350kg, with farmers and exporters willing to go that extra bit to secure quality animals. There were fewer customers with their hands up for calves over the 400kg to 420kg mark. A few very good 500kg to 600kg autumn calves made between €2.00/kg and €2.10/kg.

Cootehill Mart Weanling Show and Sale: This black Limousin weanling bull, great length, weighing 360kg with the hammer dropping at €880 (€2.44/kg) @farmersjournal @FJBeef pic.twitter.com/jrCDoZxMQL
— Adam Woods (@ajwwoods) October 4, 2019

Monaghan has a number of specialist young bull producers who would have traditionally been killing in ABP Clones and these producers would normally be very good customers for these good heavy calves. The power just doesn’t seem to be in them this year though, with most working off a set budget and not willing to go higher than €2.10/kg for those heavy calves.

Cootehill Mart Weanling Show and Sale: A super Charolais weanling, born in Sep 18, weighing 415kg sold at €1200. @farmersjournal @FJBeef #onefortherope pic.twitter.com/sQZ9EX1xLH
— Adam Woods (@ajwwoods) October 4, 2019

Champion calf of the sale was a January 2019-born Belgian Blue bull weighing 560kg which made €1,200.

This 640kg September 2018-born Charolais bull made €1,260.

A January 2019 bull calf weighing 380kg made €910.

This 410kg November-born Charolais made €880.

This 360kg first prize winning black Limousin made €880.

Heifer ring

It was a similar story in the heifer ring, with good heifer calves weighing between 300kg and 250kg getting into €2.50/kg pretty handy. Farmer buyers dominated, with very little export activity for heifers. The standout price was for a Jan 2019-born Charolais heifer weighing 325kg. After a marathon bidding session, the hammer finally dropped at €1,350, making her the highest-priced heifer on the night at €4.15/kg. She was snapped up by a local beef finisher.

Cootehill Mart Weanling show and sale. 1st prize winning Charolais heifer weighing 325kg, born in January 19, makes the top price at the sale, as the hammer drops at €1350 (€4.15/kg). See https://t.co/B58bv2SqtV for online sale report.@FJBeef @farmersjournal pic.twitter.com/Wu1t5QjRdV
— Adam Woods (@ajwwoods) October 4, 2019

Poorer quality heifers made around €2/kg.