IN THE KNOW
1DOWRA
Patsy Smith summed up his sale saying: “Quality sold well and were improved but plainer lighter cattle were a hard sell.” Heifers under 400kg sold from €1.80-2.80/kg, with 400-500kg making from €1.85-2.60/kg. Heavier heifers made €1.80-2.20/kg. Bullocks under 450kg sold from €1.70-2.50/kg, with heavier steers making €1.80-2.20/kg. On the weanling side bulls under 400kg sold for €2.00-2.90/kg, with heavier bulls making €1.80-2.40/kg. The tops of the dry cows sold from €1.60-1.95/kg, with store cows making 80c/kg to €1.70/kg.
2DELVIN
While this was not an overly big sale Thomas Potterton told me the trade was “good and firm” and was helped by more men around the ring looking to buy. Your lighter bullock saw prices range from €1.18/kg, as given for some Friesians, to €2.25/kg which was clicked by a 465kg Simmental. The more forward bullock saw his price hit a top of €2.31/kg, as in the case of 585kg Simmental. Heifers were a lively trade with sample prices including 460kg Limousins at €2.15/kg, a 545kg Simmental at €2.24/kg, and a 650kg Aberdeen Angus heifer at €2.05/kg. Cull cows sold from €1.40-1.79/kg.
3BLESSINGTON
The story here was of store and forward store bullocks making €550-885/hd over the €1/kg, with stores from 400-500kg making €420-580/hd over their weight. Heavier store types made up to €740/hd over the weight. Beef and butchers’ heifers sold from €420-680/hd, with beef cows making €200-380/hd over the €1/kg. Feeder cows sold from the €1/kg to €200/ hd over the weight. Friesian bull calves made €80 to €150/hd, with continental types making €180/hd to €340/hd. Hereford and Angus bulls sold for €120250/hd, with the heifers in the same breeds making €80/hd to €180/hd
4KANTURK
Numbers were less here as sellers bade their time and wait for rain to encourage buyer interest. Quality stock still moved well, with Charolais bull calves making up to €440/hd with the best of the Angus seeing €340/hd. Top of the heifer calf trade saw Hereford, Angus and Limousin calves all click around the €300/hd mark. If you wanted something bigger €1,130 would have got you a 595kg Hereford; six 443kg RWX went at €800/hd. The €545/hd paid for eight 358kg Friesians shows that when it comes to black and whites it isn’t all about milk.
5MAAM CROSS
Prices here saw heifers average €2.11/ kg to a max of €2.33/kg as paid for a 368kg Simmental. Bullocks also cracked on well with the average price settling at €1.98/kg, with a the top call of €2.54/kg going to a June 2017-born 434kg Charolais. Top price among the bull weanlings saw a 372kg Charolais click €1,005 or €2.70/kg. Top of the breeding cows was a Saler cross with a heifer calf at foot who sold for €1,700.
6BALLINAKILL
Numbers were small here, with the trade remaining steady. Heavy bullocks sold for €1.90-2.25/kg, with the forward store making from €1.90-2.60/kg. Lighter store bullocks sold from €1.80-2.40/kg. On the weanling side, bulls made €2.00-2.45/kg, with weanling heifers hitting a top of €2.40/ kg. Cull cows sold for €1.20-175/kg.
7BALLINROBE
Trade here was reported as steady although numbers were small. Among the prices of note was a 465kg Charolais-cross heifer that sold for €2.60/kg. On the bullock side there was a 615kg Belgian Blue at €2.27/kg. Lighter cattle might be finding it tough going but there was nothing wrong with the €2.53/kg (€1,000/hd) that a 395kg Simmental made.