Ballybay Mart in Co. Monaghan hosted its annual fatstock sale on Saturday, November 30, with over 600 head of cattle on offer.
Speaking to Agriland after the sale, Ballybay Mart manager Jimmy Reilly said there was “a super trade on the day in the bullock, heifer and cull cow sales”.
The judges in the pre-sale show were Drew McMurray and Bobby Patterson and three lots were sold on the day for Crocus Cancer Support charity. These were donated by Ballybay Mart, Fergal McKenna and Pauric Sherry.
Taking the top-price on the day was Lot 720, a 770kg Belgian Blue-cross heifer. This heifer was sold for breeding at €4,300 or €5.58/kg.
Other impressive prices on the day included €2,900 for the second-placed heifer in the breeding heifer class.
The Champion Beef Bullock in the sale weighed 990kg and sold for €3,960 or €4/kg, with the Reserve Champion bullock weighing 985kg and selling for €3,480 or €3.53/kg.
The Champion Beef Heifer weighed 695kg and sold for €2,620 or €3.77/kg and the second-placed heifer in this class weighed 600kg and sold for €2,340 or €3.90/kg.
The first prize beef cow was a Belgian Blue weighing 785kg and made €2,860 or €3.64/kg.
The second prize beef cow was 910kg and made €2,720 or €2.99/kg.
Other top prices from the sale included:
- 600kg heifer sold for €2,500 or €4.17/kg;
- 610kg heifer sold for €2,560 or €4.20/kg;
- 790kg cow sold for €2,740 or €3.47/kg;
- 820kg cow sold for €2,840 or €3.46/kg;
- 750kg bullock sold for €2,900 or €3.87/kg;
- 745kg bullock sold for €2,660 or €3.57/kg;
- 585kg heifer sold for €2,080 or €3.55/kg;
- 625kg heifer sold for €2,320 or €3.71/kg.
The mart manager said: “Cows are a serious trade still with forward Friesian cows making €2.40-2.50/kg in cases.”
He said that numbers of cattle in the sale are currently running ahead of last year to date and noted that it was a steady back-end to the year in terms of the number of cattle coming through the mart on a weekly basis.
He attributed this to the more settled weather this autumn as well as the rising trade.
Some of the top prices from the sale at Ballybay Mart:
The mart hosted its final Friday weanling sale of the year on Friday, November 29.
The mart manager said: “We had a full clearance and a superb trade on the night for the 150 weanling bulls, 50 weanling heifers and over 35 suckler cows.
Reilly noted that “suckler cows are up €600-800/head on this time last year, for the good in-calf cows and heifers”.
“Farmers are looking at the price of weanlings and are going to dip their feet back into suckling because €4/kg is extremely common now for good weanling bulls and heifers and any heifers with nice markings and suitable for breeding are very, very dear.”
Ballybay Mart will host a dispersal sale of 100 head of dairy stock on behalf of Mr. James Wakely, Drumgar, Dundalk, Co. Louth on Saturday, December 7.
The sale will feature 80 spring calving British Friesian cows and approximately 20 springing and maiden heifers. The sale will start at approximately 1:00p.m.
The final sale of the the year at the mart venue will take place on Saturday, December 14.