There was a strong trade for all categories of cattle at Macroom Mart’s weekly cattle sale on Saturday, March 26.
Commenting on the sale, Macroom Mart’s Jerh O’Sullivan said “a flying trade” was witnessed for dry cows of all weights, grades and fat covers.
Interestingly, the Macroom Mart manager also noted a definite improvement in lighter store-cattle from the slight dip in prices seen over the past three weeks.
He added that the good weather and warmer conditions have brought out grass buyers in larger numbers.
Starting with the calves, export-type Friesian bull calves sold from between €15 and €95, while the stronger-type of these calves sold up to a top price of €180.
Aberdeen-Angus cross and Hereford-cross bull calves were generally selling from €110 up to a top price of €335, while Aberdeen-Angus cross and Hereford-cross heifers sold from between €70 to €295.
Continental bull calves and heifer calves both sold for as high as €495.
Meanwhile, in the dry cow ring, prices were good, with cows selling from €1.80/kg to as high as €2.50/kg.
Sample prices from the dry cow ring:
- Hereford cow weighing 1,040kg sold for €2,490 or €2.39/kg;
- Limousin cow weighing 790kg sold for €1,890 or €2.39/kg;
- Friesian cow weighing 760kg sold for €1,530 or €2.01/kg;
- Limousin cow weighing 530kg sold for €1,230 or €2.32/kg;
- Friesian cow weighing 525kg sold for €950 or €1.81/kg.
The majority of continental bullocks at Macroom Mart sold for between €2.40/kg and €2.80/kg, depending on quality, while heifers sold from between €2.30 and€2.75/kg.
Sample prices from the bullock ring:
- Charolais bullock weighing 765kg sold for €2,100 or €2.75/kg;
- Seven Limousin bullocks weighing 625kg sold for €1,650 or €2.64/kg;
- Charolais bullock weighing 530kg sold for €1,430 or €2.70/kg;
- Charolais bullock weighing 415kg sold for €1,130 or €2.70/kg;
- Aberdeen-Angus bullock weighing 675kg sold for €1,730 or €2.56/kg;
- Two Hereford bullocks weighing 590kg sold for €1,490 or €2.53/kg;
- Three Aberdeen-Angus bullocks weighing 550kg sold for €1,530 or €2.78/kg;
Lighter-type store bullocks:
- Four Hereford bullocks weighing 268kg sold for €740 or €2.76/kg;
- Seven Friesian bullocks weighing 320kg sold for €610 or €1.91/kg;
- 10 Friesian bullocks weighing 244kg sold for €530 or €2.17/kg.
Sample prices from the heifer ring:
- Charolais heifer weighing 605kg sold for €1,440 or €2.38/kg;
- Limousin heifer weighing 545kg sold for €1,490 or €2.73/kg;
- Limousin heifer weighing 450kg sold for €1,210 or €2.69/kg;
- Two Simmental heifers weighing 405kg €1,020 or €2.51/kg;
- Eight Aberdeen-Angus heifers weighing 477kg sold for €1,280 or €2.68/kg;
- Six Aberdeen-Angus heifers weighing 460kg sold for €1,100 or €2.39/kg;
- Three Hereford heifers weighing 440kg sold for €1,060 €2.40/kg.
Evening suckler sale at Macroom
Macroom Mart also hosted its first evening suckler sale on Thursday, March 24.
The sale got underway at 6:30p.m and included in the inaugural evening sale was a herd of 40 autumn-calving Limousin cows with Limousin calves at foot.
Sample prices from the suckler sale:
Most of the cows in the sale were back in-calf again to an artificial insemenation (AI) Limousin bull or a 5-star Limousin stockbull.
The stock were primarily U-grade type females and were all genotyped. Most of the cows are 75% Limousin, with Simmental and Saler genetics, the Macroom Mart manager explained.
Macroom Mart also plans to host a further two evening suckler sales in April.