Carnew Mart in Co. Wicklow is set to host a special production sale of heifers with the genetic potential to deliver 'E' and 'U' grade weanlings.

The sale will take place on Friday, August 29, and will feature 15 in-calf heifers due this September as well as a selection of maiden heifers.

The heifers set to feature in the sale are from the suckler herd of John Byrne.

Described by Carnew Mart as "one of the top suckler farmers in the south-east of Ireland", Byrne is farming near Camolin, Co. Wexford with the help of his team Michael Collins, Barry Sinnott, and Barry McNally.

Speaking to Agriland ahead of the herd's production sale, Byrne, who has been producing suckler-bred progeny for the past 27 years, said: "About 15 years ago, we really began to focus on the back-breeding of our herd and trying to get good tanks of well-bred cows and get away from the Friesian and more towards the muscle with good-sized calves.

"We have a Limousin crossed with a Belgian Blue in the cows, and then the cows with the double muscle are are crossed back to a Limousin bull and the plainer cows get the Belgian Blue bull.

"We are having a production sale at Carnew Mart on Friday, August 29, featuring a selection of heifers on the point of calving and a selection of bulling heifers.

"The in-calf heifers in the sale, their back-breeding would feature the Red Belgian Blue bulls from Dovea and the bulling heifers would be a selection from our own cows, bred from some of our own red and blue bulls and some bred from AI (artificial insemination) bulls also."

Commenting on how the suckler farming business has been, Byrne told Agriland: "It's going very well now because the price has turned around but it had been very hard. We have put a lot into it."

A sample of the in-calf heifers on offer in the sale:

"It's grand now because we are getting paid for what we do. It's probably come 10 years too late, which has put a pressure on a lot of suckler farmers," Byrne said.

"Things are more positive now and I think it's going to be positive for the future because the suckler-bred cattle are not there now.

A sample of the maiden heifers in the sale:

"We moved to autumn calving so we have a nice-sized calf going out to grass and when the cow hits the grass the calf can take in the milk.

"We normally would finish everything and this year with the price of the weanlings, we said we might offer some of them in Carnew," the Co. Wicklow farmer said.

Some of the AI sires in these heifers' back-breeding include:

Elderberry Galahad (EBY);
Carrowreagh Pablo (LM7077);
Moondharrig Knell (LM4217);
New Red (BB7638);
Casimir (LM4152).

The sale kicks off at 7:00p.m. on Friday, August 29, at Carnew Mart in Co. Wicklow with online bidding available vis LSL Auctions.