Watch: seven-year-old suckler cow tops €5,000 in Castlerea Mart

Castlerea Mart in Co Roscommon recorded a new record price of over €5,000 for an in-calf suckler cow in its sale on Thursday.

The cow in question was a seven-year-old Belgian Blue-cross due to calve in April to the AI Charolais bull Ricky.

Prices in excess of €3,000 were also achieved for herd comrades aged five to six years of age.

Manager Brendan Egan commented that the trade for the entry of seven quality in-calf cows was helped by the fact that they were offered for sale from a local producer known for producing top-quality stock who is now cutting back on cows.

Demand and prices paid for quality in-calf springers and cows with calves at foot have been boosted significantly by the vibrant trade for dry cows and weanlings.

Young cows

Young cows with calves at foot sold from €2,700 to €3,300 on Thursday.

Brendan said: "We hit a top price of €3,240 on Thursday, with a lot of good-quality continental cows selling upwards of €2,000 to €2,500. This gives a great starting point to farmers when replacing cows."

He added that the fact that suckler cow numbers have been falling so rapidly in recent years has meant that the same level of quality in-calf cows or heifers are not coming on to the market, further bolstering demand.

This seven-year-old Belgian Blue-cross cow in-calf to the AI sire Ricky and due to calve in April sold for €5,040.

This January-2016 born Simmental-cross cow weighing 760kg and due to calve in March sold for €3,000.

This Charolais-cross cow born 23 April 2020, weighing 690kg and with her time up to the AI Charolais bull Liseron (4320) sold for €3,040.

Weighing 685kg, this Limousin-cross cow born 03 May 2017 and due to calve to a Charolais sire at the end of April sold for €2,860.

This May 2020-born Simmental-cross cow and her 28-day-old Limousin-cross calf with a combined weight of almost 700kg sold for €3,100.

This Limousin-cross cow born 6 February 2020 and her 28-day-old Limousin-cross bull calf with a combined weight of 616kg sold for €2,860.

This Salers-cross cow born May 2022 and her good-quality Aberdeen Angus-cross heifer calf with a combined weight of 550kg sold for €2,080.

High prices

Thursday's trade recorded a new high average price point for many classes of stock. Continental-cross cows ranged in general from €3/kg to €3.60/kg, with a selection of top-quality lots rising to €3.80/kg. Friesian cows ranged in the main from €2.20/kg to €2.90/kg.

Bullocks reached a high point of €3,320, with Martbids analysis showing the average price per kilo topping the €4/kg mark at €4.04/kg.

The top third of bullocks weighing 600kg-plus sold for €4.31/kg, while bullocks weighing from 500kg sold from €3.64/kg for the bottom third of animals and rising to €4.42/kg for the top third of bullocks.

The top price in the heifer ring was recorded just shy of €3,000 at €2,920.

Heifers weighing 500kg to 600kg sold from an average of €3.77/kg for the bottom third of entries to €4.26/kg for the top third, with those weighing 400kg to 500kg selling from €3.72/kg to €4.72/kg and averaging a fine price of €4.22/kg.