Top of €3,660 for dry cow in Cootehill

With prime cattle in tight supply, factory agents have been very active over the last few weeks and it was no different at the annual show and sale of fatstock cattle in Cootehill just before Christmas.

Heavy cattle were a solid trade, with the top price going to a 2019-born Limousin cow weighing 1,040kg and selling for €3,660 to a local factory. Cows were the highlight of the trade, with good-quality young heavy cows selling for €2.40-€2.60/kg and some of the best cows hitting €3.00/kg.

Store cows met a little reduced demand but good-quality cows requiring further feeding sold for €2.00-€2.20/kg.

Well-fleshed Freisian cows weighing around 600kg were selling for €1,000-€1,200. Lighter dairy cows were back at €1.20-€1.50/kg.

Heifers also met a good trade, with some of the best beef heifers hitting over €3.00/kg. A few exceptional heifers sold for breeding crossed the €4/kg mark, with the top price going to a July 2020-born Charolais heifer weighing 590kg and selling for €3,300. A 400kg Limousin heifer also sold for €2,160 (€5.40/kg).

The best-priced bullock was a 650kg Limousin cross which sold for €2,180 (€3.35/kg).

A lot of the better-quality bullocks in the 400-500kg category sold for €2.80-€3.00/kg.

Young bulls also met good demand, with weanling bulls in the 350-400kg category hitting €1,300-€1,500 on a number of occasions.

Cootehill Mart’s Steven Drury said: “We had a super trade on the day, with the top price going to a local farmer for a super Limousin cow. We had a lot of customers for the heavier cattle and breeding cattle also sold very well.

“All in all we have been really happy with the year’s trading with numbers building nicely over the last 12 months.

“Our first sale of 2023 takes place on Thursday 6 January at 6.30pm. Our first cattle sale of 2023 takes place on Wednesday 11 January with a special sale of suck calves, weanlings and sucklers taking place on Friday night 13 January.”