Demand for show-type heifers or top-quality heifers possibly capable of breeding show-type animals continues to flourish.

Such heifers stole the limelight in Roscrea Mart’s weanling show and sale on Wednesday evening. In particular demand were Belgian Blue-cross and Limousin x Belgian Blue cross heifers with top prices exceeding €4/kg to €5/kg.

Competition was hottest for some older 2023-born heifers weighing from 400kg to 500kg and closer to being served with a dozen top heifers averaging €4.30/kg (€3.30/kg to €5.45/kg). The top handful of heifers weighing 300kg to 400kg also averaged around the €4.30/kg mark.

While the general run of prices for better-quality continental cross heifers ranged from €3/kg to €3.60/kg with plainer-quality types selling from €2.60/kg to €3/kg.

Lively trade

Lighter heifers weighing 200kg to 300kg averaged €2.77/kg with a wider differential based on varying quality and plainer-quality types, some with poor weight-for-age selling from €2.30/kg to €2.70/kg.

The trade for an entry of over 260 bulls was lively.

Bulls weighing 300kg to 400kg recorded a fine average price of €3.25/kg with the top third including prizewinners averaging €3.72/kg.

R grading continental bulls traded from €2.80/kg to €3.30/kg with U grades higher and plainer-quality types, some of which were bred from the dairy herd selling back to €2.25/kg to €2.75/kg.

It was a similar trend with lighter bulls weighing 200kg to 295kg with prices here averaging €2.88/kg and selling in a wide differential from less than €2/kg to shy of €4/kg.

Better-quality bulls sold from €3.20/kg to €3.80/kg with average quality from €2.70/kg to €3.15/kg.

Specialist feeders and factory agents were keen for heavier bulls weighing upwards of 400kg and faced competition with live exporters. Prices averaged €3.15/kg with a selection of U+ and E grading bulls selling from €3.70/kg to €4.75/kg while the general run of good-quality bulls sold from €3/kg to €3.50/kg and back to €2.60/kg to €2.90/kg for lesser-quality bulls.

This small framed but extremely muscled Belgian Blue heifer weighing 285kg and born 06/02/24 was judged champion heifer and sold for €2,020 (€7.08/kg).

This quality Limousin x Blue-cross heifer weighing 495kg and born 25/02/23 sold for €2,700 (€5.45/kg).

This Belgian Blue-cross heifer weighing 505kg and born 24/04/23 sold for €2,620 (€5.19/kg).

This Limousin-cross heifer weighing 320kg Band born 01/03/24 sold for €960 (€3/kg).

This Limousin-cross heifer weighing 315kg and born 25/01/24 sold for €920 (€2.92/kg).

Weighing 330kg, this Limousin-cross heifer born 03/10/23 sold for €950 (€2.88/kg).

This 320kg Belgian Blue-cross heifer born 19/01/24 sold for €1,340 (€4.19/kg).

This Charolais-cross heifer weighing 275kg and born 05/04/24 sold for €800 (€2.91/kg).

This batch of three good-quality Charolais-cross heifers averaging 320kg and born March 2024 sold for €1,000 (€3.13/kg).

This Limousin-cross bull weighing 430kg, born 05/02/24/ and judged third place sold for €1,680 (€3.91/kg).

The reserve champion bull was this 465kg Limousin-cross born 15/01/24 and which sold for €2,210 (€4.75/kg).

This Belgian Blue-cross bull judged the champion bull, weighing 540kg and born 26/11/23 sold for €2,300 (€4.26/kg).

This 345kg Charolais-cross bull born 31/03/24 sold for €1,000 (€2.90/kg).
These three May 2024-born Limousin-cross bulls weighing 241kg sold for €700 (€2.91/kg).

This Limousin-cross bull weighing 310kg and born 29/03/24 sold €960 (€3.10/kg).

Weighing 390kg this Limousin-cross bull born 28/02/24 sold for €1,170 (€3/kg).
This top-quality Limousin-cross bull weighing 340kg and born 25/02/24 sold for €1,190 (€3.50/kg).

This Limousin x Belted Galloway bull weighing 405kg and born 24/02/24 sold for €1,225 (€3.03/kg).

These two light Shorthorn bulls averaging 160kg and born 17/05/24 and 16/06/24 sold for €500 (€3.13/kg).