The Greenlawn herd of the Curtin family held its annual sale on Saturday, March 2 with over 86 Lots on offer.
The sale included 50 freshly calved heifers and cows, 17 bulling heifers, 13 heifer calves and six straws of pedigree Shorthorn semen.
Speaking to Agriland, auctioneer Michael Taaffe of Taaffe auctions said the trade was “brisk” for all sections of the sale.
Greenlawn
Topping the Greenlawn herd sale at 5,500gns was Lot 9: Woodmarsh Rubicon Melody (VG-2YR), who completes 11 generations of VG/EX cows.
Just 10 days calved into her second lactation, she completed an outstanding first lactation, giving 10,208kg of milk with a fat content of 4.56% and a protein content of 3.41%.
Sired by EDG Rubicon, she had been purchased as a bulling heifer at the dispersal sale of the renowned Woodmarsh Herd in the UK. She was purchased by a Co. Kildare breeder.
The second highest price was secured for Lot 40: Mohoncross Dawn 96 Red (VG88-3YR), who was calved since January and in her second lactation. She sold for 5,100gns.
Image: Taaffe auctions
This red and white cow sired by Mr. D Apple Diamondback sold milking 58L/day, and is backed by five generations of cows classified (EX).
She produced 12,788kg of milk, with a fat content of 3.53% and a protein content of 3.35% in her first lactation. She was purchased by a Co. Cork breeder.
The sale included one pedigree dairy shorthorn, this freshly calved heifer Lot 32 Greenlawn Lady Barrington 1663 sold for 3,900gns, and was purchased by a Northern Ireland breeder.
Calved in February and producing 32L/day, this heifer is sired by Tweels Barrington Grange 5th, and is backed by the renowned Rodway Lady Barrington family.
Taaffe auctions
Taaffe said that the heifer calves were met with a lively trade selling to 1,550gns for Lot 19 Greenlawn Ranger Shower purchased by a Co. Louth breeder.
This January-born heifer calf is sired by three-star OH Ranger-Red and out of Ballytigue Crown Red Shower (VG-2YR) who is 13th generation VG/EX from the famous Glen Drummond Shower cow family.
The third dam of this calf is Ballytigue Gold Chip Shower (EX94-3E), who won reserve champion Baileys All-Ireland Cow at Virginia Show in 2019.
The trade for bulling heifers was also strong, with 17 heifers selling from 1,000gns to 1,850gns and an average sale price of 1,379.41gns achieved.
The top price from this section of the sale was Lot 67: Greenlawn Parfect Tangy, sired by the very popular USA sire, Siemers Rengd Parfect.
Her dam is Lot 25: Greenlawn Twist Tangy 1541 (VG86). Described as being “very smart” by Taaffe, she sold earlier in the sale for 3,350gns and was milking 56L/day.
Sale averages:
- 24 heifers in milk averaged 2,726.67gns;
- 28 cows in milk averaged 3,137.50gns;
- 17 maiden heifers averaged 1,379.41gns;
- 13 heifer calves averaged 925.00gns;
- Six Shorthorn straws from Tweels Barrington Grange 5th averaged 70gns.