Tullow Livestock Sales, Co. Carlow held its weekly cattle sale on Friday (November 6) and its weanling sale on Saturday (November 7).

Speaking after the cattle sale, mart manager Eric Driver said trade was "a little bit dearer", adding that factory feedlots were "more competitive" compared to recent weeks.

With store numbers beginning to tighten, a brisk trade for both heifers and bullocks was reported.

Store heifers in the 420-460kg range sold for between €3.60/kg and €4.10/kg, with store bullocks of the same weight averaging €4.00/kg.

Beef cattle saw a stronger demand, with factory agents urgent to fill quotas.

Top price was paid for a Charolais heifer weighing 760kg which sold for €3,200.

Cows were also in high demand, particularly continental cows, which saw a high of €2,380.

Friesian store cows sold for between €2.30/kg and €2.60/kg, with the beef continental cows making well over the €3.00/kg mark.

Sample sale prices from Tullow on Friday:

A Friesan cow weighing 585kg sold for €1,540, or €2.63/kg;
A Limousin cow weighing 685kg sold for €2,210, or €3.23/kg;
A Charolais bullock that weighed 510kg sold for €2,130, or €4.18/kg.

Calves continue to trade well, with a top price of €720 being secured for a Friesian bull.

Weanling sale

Saturday's weanling sale saw over 200 head on offer, with a full clearance of stock reported.

With the customers for heavier weanlings not as prominent in November, plainer type heavy bulls saw an ease in price, according to the mart manager.

Despite that, weanlings in the 300-420kg range saw a very brisk trade, with over €5.00/kg being achieved on multiple lots.

The weanling heifers were "dominated by good farmer trade", with €4.70-4.80/kg "freely given" for suckler bred stock.

Tullow Mart will hold another weanling sale on Saturday (November 14), with 30 suckler cows due to calve between December and February going under the gavel directly after the weanlings.