Drop calves were a superb trade at the weekly cattle sale in Ballymena Mart on Friday 5 July, with prices at the top end of the market on par with animals sold through the weanling ring.
In total, 320 calves went under the hammer, with the overwhelming majority being beef-sired animals.
Calf quality throughout the sale was high, helping to attract strong bidding interest from buyers ringside, as well as online.
Bull calves topped £795 for a Charolais ready for weaning, with £790 paid for another Charolais-cross of similar age and size.
Several strong frame bull calves born in March sold above £600, with Belgian Blue-sired animals making £675 to £750, Simmental-bred calves topping £645 and Angus animals selling to £630.
This March-born Simmental heifer sold for £595.
May-born bulls were also an easy sell, with prices of £470 to £600 paid for Blue-sired animals, £530 to £580 for Charolais-cross, £450 to £560 for Angus and £400 to £600 for Limousin.
June-born bull calves sold from £200 to £350 for continental-sired animals. Dairy-bred bulls saw May-born Fleckvieh calves selling to £275, while a limited entry of reared Friesian types sold to £445.
Heifers
This pen of three May-born Hereford heifers sold for £380.
Prices for heifers topped £700 for reared Belgian Blues, while a good entry of March-born calves sold from £550 to £680 for continental and Angus types.
Younger heifers saw a May-born Charolais top £575, while Belgian Blue calves were freely making over £400 for heifers of similar age.
Angus heifers also sold beyond the £400 mark for April and May-born calves, easing back to prices between £250 and £350 for June-born lots.
Hereford heifers sold from £300 to £400 for May-born animals, with Limousin topping £585 for top-quality April-born animals.
Read more
Martbids Database: weanlings up and bullocks down
Camera at the Mart: weanling sale for the ages in Cahersiveen
Drop calves were a superb trade at the weekly cattle sale in Ballymena Mart on Friday 5 July, with prices at the top end of the market on par with animals sold through the weanling ring.
In total, 320 calves went under the hammer, with the overwhelming majority being beef-sired animals.
Calf quality throughout the sale was high, helping to attract strong bidding interest from buyers ringside, as well as online.
Bull calves topped £795 for a Charolais ready for weaning, with £790 paid for another Charolais-cross of similar age and size.
Several strong frame bull calves born in March sold above £600, with Belgian Blue-sired animals making £675 to £750, Simmental-bred calves topping £645 and Angus animals selling to £630.
This March-born Simmental heifer sold for £595.
May-born bulls were also an easy sell, with prices of £470 to £600 paid for Blue-sired animals, £530 to £580 for Charolais-cross, £450 to £560 for Angus and £400 to £600 for Limousin.
June-born bull calves sold from £200 to £350 for continental-sired animals. Dairy-bred bulls saw May-born Fleckvieh calves selling to £275, while a limited entry of reared Friesian types sold to £445.
Heifers
This pen of three May-born Hereford heifers sold for £380.
Prices for heifers topped £700 for reared Belgian Blues, while a good entry of March-born calves sold from £550 to £680 for continental and Angus types.
Younger heifers saw a May-born Charolais top £575, while Belgian Blue calves were freely making over £400 for heifers of similar age.
Angus heifers also sold beyond the £400 mark for April and May-born calves, easing back to prices between £250 and £350 for June-born lots.
Hereford heifers sold from £300 to £400 for May-born animals, with Limousin topping £585 for top-quality April-born animals.
Read more
Martbids Database: weanlings up and bullocks down
Camera at the Mart: weanling sale for the ages in Cahersiveen
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: