Weanling heifers enjoying best trade

RINGSIDE shows that the weanling heifers enjoyed the best of the trade last week with the heavier lots over 400kg showing improvements of between 30 -36c/kg . The quality lots sold for €2. 35 - 2.70/kg while plainer lots made an average of €2.13/kg.

Lighter quality heifers were selling for €2.40-3.00/kg with the plainer heifers making from €2.05-2.10/kg. The bulls were back a tad. Heavy lots sold for €2.15-2.60/kg while bulls less than 400kg made from €2.252.90/kg. Poorer quality bulls ranged from €1.55-1.90/kg.

Prices for steers were a little tougher with plainer types back by up to 10c/kg while the better types fared better with a 2-5c/kg move in the wrong direction. Steers under 400kg ranged from €2.10-2.60/kg. Dairy bred bullocks were selling at around €1.46/kg on average.

Continentals over 400kg made from €1.80 -2.40/kg . Heifers over 400kg were making from €2.10-2.50/kg with lighter types moving at €2.202.60/kg. Plain heifers are selling between €1.80-1.95/kg. Freshly calved dairy heifers are making anything from €1,300-2,000 with cows commanding between €1,000-1,500 depending on age and quality.

Friesian bull calves range from €60-200 while the main thrust of beef sired calves from the dair y herd are making between €200-400. Suckler cow prices in general vary from €1,300-1,700.

Heavy bullocks in Ballinakill sold for €1.80-2.20/kg. Forward stores moved at €1.70-2.25/kg while lighter stores made from €1.70-2.35/kg. Beef heifers were selling for €1.90-2.10/kg. Stores made f r om € 1 .7 0 -2. 05/ kg . Weanling bulls ranged from €1.95-2.15/kg. The heifers made from €1.70-2.00/kg. Prices for cull cows ran from €1.25-1.75/kg.

Kilkenny reported a drop of €10-20/hd for the plain stock in the 700 offered for sale. Heavy continental steers over 600kg were selling for €1.90-2.25/kg with plainer lots selling €1.45/kg.

Factory heifers sold for €1.802.50. The butcher types made from €1.70-2.15/kg. Stores made from €1.60-2.65/kg. Continental cows sold for €1.40-2.17/kg.

Dowra Mart had 580 cattle on offer last Saturday and described the trade as steady. Weanling heifers under 300kg made €1.80-2.80/kg with the top lots making from €2.80-3.25 each. Heifers from 300-440kg sold for €1.70-2.80/kg.

A few fancy lots made up to €3.15/kg. Heavier lots went for €1.80-2.60/kg with a few lots for breeding making up to €3.17/kg. Weanling bulls under 300kg made from €1.70-3.10/kg while bulls from 300-400kg ranged from €1.60-2.85/kg. Bulls over 400kg made from €1.70-2.65/kg.

Bullocks under 500kg made €350-700 over the weight in Ballymote. Heavier lots made up to €740 over. Heifers under 500kg made €320-600 over the €/kg. Heavier types made up to €715 over. Suckler springers sold from €1,200-1,500/hd. The best of the bull weanlings were selling for €500-800 with their weight. Poorer lots made from €300-450 over.

SELLING

At Enniscorthy Mart, the bull and heifer weanlings were selling for €300-650 with their weight. Fleshy cull cows were commanding €300-600 with the €/kg while store cows made from €50-250 over. Heifers fit for slaughter ranged from €500850 over. Stores sold for €250600 over. Beef bullocks were making from €600-1,000 with their weight. The stores traded at €100-750 over.

In the suck calf ring, prices of €60-215 were being paid for the Friesian bulls. Continental bulls made from €330-500 while the heifers sold for €200 -350. Angus and Hereford calves made from €150-330.

Carnew had 870 cattle including those entered for their annual fatstock show and sale for heifers and cows. Trade was lively with a strong e xport demand for quality store cattle

The overall champion was a 712kg Belgian Blue heifer which sold for €2,300. Beef heifers sold from €560 -1,100 over. Stores over 450kg made €4501,050 with the €/kg. Lighter stores moved at €350-960 over. Nice quality cows for further feeding sold back to €350 with the weight while plainer types struggled to clear the €/kg.

Top class bulls over 600kg up in Raphoe made from €400-730 over. Beef bullocks ranged from €645-815 over. Stores moved at €350-785 with the weight. Beef heifers moved at €445-890 over the €/kg with stores making from €370-780 over. Cull cow prices hit €700-1,730 each.

Balla Mart had 600 lots on offer. Trade was quite strong especially for heifers and store bullocks. Heavy bullocks were making from €500-1,000 with the weight or €1.39-2.54/kg while lighter plainer types were selling for €400-600 over their weight or €1.45-2.83/kg.

Light heifers under 400kg made €1.97-3.28/kg. Heavier heifers made €1.62-2.88/kg. A three-year-old Limousin heifer due to calve on March 8 topped the sucklers at €1,630 while the best cull cow, a five-year-old 895kg Charolais made €1,810. This was the equivalent of €2.02/kg. In the weanling section, the light bulls under 350kg sold from €300-500 with their weight or €1.41-3.12/kg while heavy bulls made €1.10-2.57/kg.

Light heifers ranged from €2.00-3.41. Heavy heifers made €300-675 over or €2.50-2.82/kg.

Continental steers between 450-550kg at Mayo/Sligo Mart generally sold for €2.00-2.40/kg while bull weanlings sold from €2.40-2.80/kg. Coloured heifers ranged from €2.30-2.70/kg with good weanlings making up to and over €3/kg. Cull cows sold up to €1,200. Suckler springers made up to €1,700. Friesian bull c al ves peaked at €120. Continental bull and heifer calves made from €330-550.

Bullocks were selling for €1.95-2.75/kg at Maam Cross Mart. Heifers made from €1.603.05/kg. Prices for weanlings ranged from €1.60-3.25/kg. Cull cows sold for €1.25-1.85/kg.