On Friday evening (November 6), Elphin Mart played host to a special sale of in-calf commercial heifers – owned by Martin O’Connor from Strokestown, Co. Roscommon. The trade on the night can only being described as being unique.
The sale is an annual event and is always highly anticipated, with prices recorded being the talk among many farmers who have attended year after year.
As described by one farmer who was watching the sale online, it certainly is a “confidence booster” for suckler farmers.
Commenting on the trade, the auctioneer Tom Cox explained: “It really was an extraordinary sale. Martin’s sale average was up €500/head on last year’s figure.
“It was great to see and there certainly is a bit of confidence out there [amongst farmers].
I have been saying it for a long time now, there is a return from the good suckler cows and there is always a demand for good commercial replacement heifers – never more so than this year.
Topping the sale this year at a staggering €9,000 was a February 2018-born Charolais-cross heifer (pictured above). This female was in-calf to Simmental sire Popes Grandslam (SI4313) and is due to calve down on November 23. She was secured by Tateetra and Rathmore Farms, based in Co. Louth.
During the auction, Tom Cox noted: “We are setting a record price for a commercial in-calf heifer.”
Tateetra and Rathmore Farms secured 11 heifers on the night, including eight of the highest-priced females.
Charolais heifer – sold for €7,000
Next up at €7,000 was another Charolais-sired heifer (pictured above) calving down on November 15. This April 2018-born heifer is in-calf to Lodge Hamlet (LM4058).
Limousin heifer – sold for €6,210
A 30-month-old Limousin-bred heifer (pictured above) reached the third-highest price of the night at €6,210. This quality female was in-calf to Queenshead Altea (S593) and is due to calve down in early February 2021.
Charolais-sired heifers commanded the top prices it seems as another heifer sold for €5,000. A July 2018-born heifer; she sold being scanned in-calf carrying a heifer to the well-known Limousin sire Elderberry Galahad (EBY).
Charolais heifer – sold for €4,500
€4,500 secured the next top priced heifer (pictured above). This Charolais-sired heifer sold in-calf, again to the Limousin sire Elderberry Galahad (EBY).
Receiving a call of €4,000 was a December-2017 born heifer. This Charolais-sired heifer was one of the first lots into the ring and sold in-calf to Lodge Hamlet (LM4058).
A pedigree registered Limousin heifer also sold amongst the commercial lots. She secured a price of €3,600 and sold in-calf to Lodge Hamlet (LM4058).
Other leading prices recorded for in-calf heifers:
- Limousin – in-calf to EBY: €3,500;
- Limousin – in-calf to S593: €3,300;
- Limousin – in-calf to EBY: €3,100;
- Limousin – in-calf to LM4058: €3,000;
- Limousin – in-calf to LM4058: €2,850;
- Limousin – in-calf to LM4058: €2,800;
- Charolais – in-calf to S593: €2,750;
- Limousin – in-calf to LM4058: €2,750;
- Limousin – in-calf to EBY: €2,750;
- Charolais – in-calf to EBY: €2,700;
- Belgian Blue – in-calf to S593: €2,700.