Heifers Duke it out in Roscommon
A 28-MONTH-OLD Simmental heifer, due to calve, topped the trade for the breed at the Simmental Society sale of Simmental x heifers at Roscommon Mart on Friday evening.
The four star replacement index heifer by the sire, Kilclora Duke and out of the dam, Carrigdown Frigot is 63pc Simmental, with 25pc Limousin and 13pc Holstein, has a replacement value of €83 and sold for €1,900.
The highest price for a maiden heifer was shared by two December 2016-born heifers which sold for €1,500.
First to hit the figure was a five star Simmental (97pc) and Hereford x with a replacement value of €120 and breeding genes from Cruithill on the sire side and Celtic from the dam.
The second was a four star, 100pc Simmental, a replace- ment index value of €88 and carrier of Curaheen genes on the side of the sire and Hillcrest from the dam.
The large entry of maiden heifers met with a clearance in excess of 60pc, while the prices were back on the 2017 sale which is not unexpectd given the current difficulties being experienced on farms, which has delayed the breeding programme.
The second highest price in the maiden heifers was €1,490 which went to the same herd as the price leader for a five star, 100pc Simmental with a replacement value of €103 and Curaheen genes on both sides.
A further nine heifers sold for between €1,400 and €1,480 but the majority of sales were at prices beween €1,100 and €1,400.
Breeders struggled with trying to balance between the pressure to opt for the higher stars and at the same time take home a heifer with their preferred visual qualities, which has become a real dilemma for many farming within the BDGP environment.