Tullow Mart recorded a good entry of 600 head for its annual fatstock heifer sale held on Friday last.
Manager Eric Driver reported that buyers from Northern Ireland have been very active in the mart’s recent bullock and cow fatstock sales and were once again very fit for heifers.
Competition with agents purchasing for southern factories and butcher/wholesale contracts led to a vibrant trade, with beef heifers readily selling from €2.50/kg to €2.90/kg.
This Belgian Blue-cross bullock weighing 630kg and born 25 May 2020 sold for €1,710 (€2.71/kg).
Several lots exceeded a price of €2,000/head (in excess of €3/kg), with the hammer falling on first-prizewinning beef heifer weighing 675kg at a price of €2,640 or €3.91/kg.
Short-keep heifers were also keenly sought after, with top prices for quality continental heifers selling from €2.75/kg to €3.00/kg, while lesser-quality lots sold back to €2.50/kg.
This 680kg Belgian Blue-cross bullock born 4 April 2020 sold for €1,680 (€2.47/kg).
Heifers with breeding or show potential sparked a flurry of bidding activity, with a standout price of €2,400 paid for a 565kg Limousin heifer.
It was a similar story for yearling and weanling heifers, with a seven-month-old 360kg Belgian Blue-cross heifer fetching a price of €2,320 or €6.44/kg.
This top-quality Limousin-cross bullock weighing 690kg sold for €1,880 (€2.73/kg).
Continental heifers weighing 300kg to 400kg averaged from €2.65/kg to in excess of €3/kg, while lighter heifers less than 300kg ranged from €2.80/kg to €3.25/kg.
Continental cows sold from €2/kg to a top of €2,000 for a 750kg cow-heifer, while fleshed Friesian cows sold from €300 to €500 with their weight.
This Charolais bullock weighing 720kg and born 29 February 2020 sold for €1,840 (€2.56/kg)
There was also in the region of 50 bullocks on offer, with beef bullocks following a similar trend to heifers and selling from €2.60/kg to €2.90/kg.
Yearling bullocks met firm demand, with prices ranging anywhere from €2.60/kg to €3.40/kg depending on quality.
Weighing 720kg, this good-quality Charolais-cross born 8 March 2020 sold for €1,930 (€2.68/kg).
Eric says the trade for Friesian bullocks has also improved greatly, with prices rising to over €2/kg.
Calf numbers are starting to build, starting with an entry of 50 head in Friday’s sale.
This Charolais-cross bullock weighing 760kg and born 24 January 2020 sold for €1,970 (2.59/kg).
Friesian export-type calves sold from €40 to €80, with stronger calves described by Eric as having lots of milk selling from €90 to a top of €120.
Light Angus, Hereford and Shorthorn calves sold from upwards of €70 to €80/head for light-boned calves to a top of €200 to €220 for stronger heifers and bull calves.
This pedigree Charolais cow with a bull calf at foot sold for €4,000.
This pedigree Charolais cow in calf to the sire CF52 sold for €2,250.
This quality Charolais yearling bullock born 10 February 2021 and weighing 400kg sold for €1,380 (€3.45/kg).
This Charolais-cross bull weighing 635kg. sold for €1,590 (€2.50/kg).
These two-year-old Limousin-cross store bullocks averaging 600kg live sold for €1,590 (€2.65/kg).
Tullow Mart recorded a good entry of 600 head for its annual fatstock heifer sale held on Friday last.
Manager Eric Driver reported that buyers from Northern Ireland have been very active in the mart’s recent bullock and cow fatstock sales and were once again very fit for heifers.
Competition with agents purchasing for southern factories and butcher/wholesale contracts led to a vibrant trade, with beef heifers readily selling from €2.50/kg to €2.90/kg.
This Belgian Blue-cross bullock weighing 630kg and born 25 May 2020 sold for €1,710 (€2.71/kg).
Several lots exceeded a price of €2,000/head (in excess of €3/kg), with the hammer falling on first-prizewinning beef heifer weighing 675kg at a price of €2,640 or €3.91/kg.
Short-keep heifers were also keenly sought after, with top prices for quality continental heifers selling from €2.75/kg to €3.00/kg, while lesser-quality lots sold back to €2.50/kg.
This 680kg Belgian Blue-cross bullock born 4 April 2020 sold for €1,680 (€2.47/kg).
Heifers with breeding or show potential sparked a flurry of bidding activity, with a standout price of €2,400 paid for a 565kg Limousin heifer.
It was a similar story for yearling and weanling heifers, with a seven-month-old 360kg Belgian Blue-cross heifer fetching a price of €2,320 or €6.44/kg.
This top-quality Limousin-cross bullock weighing 690kg sold for €1,880 (€2.73/kg).
Continental heifers weighing 300kg to 400kg averaged from €2.65/kg to in excess of €3/kg, while lighter heifers less than 300kg ranged from €2.80/kg to €3.25/kg.
Continental cows sold from €2/kg to a top of €2,000 for a 750kg cow-heifer, while fleshed Friesian cows sold from €300 to €500 with their weight.
This Charolais bullock weighing 720kg and born 29 February 2020 sold for €1,840 (€2.56/kg)
There was also in the region of 50 bullocks on offer, with beef bullocks following a similar trend to heifers and selling from €2.60/kg to €2.90/kg.
Yearling bullocks met firm demand, with prices ranging anywhere from €2.60/kg to €3.40/kg depending on quality.
Weighing 720kg, this good-quality Charolais-cross born 8 March 2020 sold for €1,930 (€2.68/kg).
Eric says the trade for Friesian bullocks has also improved greatly, with prices rising to over €2/kg.
Calf numbers are starting to build, starting with an entry of 50 head in Friday’s sale.
This Charolais-cross bullock weighing 760kg and born 24 January 2020 sold for €1,970 (2.59/kg).
Friesian export-type calves sold from €40 to €80, with stronger calves described by Eric as having lots of milk selling from €90 to a top of €120.
Light Angus, Hereford and Shorthorn calves sold from upwards of €70 to €80/head for light-boned calves to a top of €200 to €220 for stronger heifers and bull calves.
This pedigree Charolais cow with a bull calf at foot sold for €4,000.
This pedigree Charolais cow in calf to the sire CF52 sold for €2,250.
This quality Charolais yearling bullock born 10 February 2021 and weighing 400kg sold for €1,380 (€3.45/kg).
This Charolais-cross bull weighing 635kg. sold for €1,590 (€2.50/kg).
These two-year-old Limousin-cross store bullocks averaging 600kg live sold for €1,590 (€2.65/kg).
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