The Greenlawn herd held its annual sale on Saturday (February 25), with a number of new Irish sale records achieved at this year’s sale.
The sale contained the first Siemers Rengd Parfect-ET-sired heifer to sell at auction in Ireland.
The Curtin family run the Greenlawn herd, which is based in Brosna, Co. Kerry. The family operates what can only be described as a ‘unique’ system.
The family conduct a yearly sale where all the cows heading into their second lactation are sold, along with select first-lactation heifers, bulling heifers and heifer calves.
This year’s sale contained 50 freshly-calved heifers and young cows, 12 bulling heifers and eight heifer calves.
The Greenlawn herd won a somatic cell count (SCC) award last year and was a runner up in the intermediate section of the Kerry Friesian Breeders herd competition 2022.
Greenlawn
This year’s sale was conducted by Michael Taaffe of Taaffe Auctions, who described the group of 50 milking heifers as “exceptional”.
A large crowd attended the Brosna farm, along with a large volume of online bidders – which resulted in a record-breaking sale.
The first record broken was a new Irish record price at auction for a Dairy Shorthorn when Lot 15: Greenlawn Barrington Bluma (VG87-3YR) sold for 6,250gns to a Northern Irish breeder.
This cow sold fresh on her second lactation giving 39L following a superb first lactation of 7,316kg with 4.45%fat and 3.44% protein.
She is a potential third generation (EX) from a family that was purchased in the UK but originated in Denmark.
This new Irish record price was not the only record at the sale as the following Lot resulted in another record being broken.
Bluma’s younger full sister was Lot 16: Greenlawn Barringtonbluma (VG-2YR), fresh on her first lactation in January and milking 27L.
Image: Darragh Curtin
She sold after a protracted bidding battle establishing a new Irish auction record price for a Dairy Shorthorn of 7,000gns. She also was secured by a buyer from Northern Ireland.
Holstein
Taaffe described the trade for Holsteins as being “outstanding from start to finish” and was also topped at 7,000gns for Lot 30: Mohoncross Ruth 15 (VG86)(VG89-MS).
According to the auctioneer, this young cow is the complete package of cow family, outstanding conformation and remarkable production and had completed a first lactation of 10,742kg at 3.83%fat and 3.54% protein.
She sold milking 47L on her second lactation to a Co. Kerry breeder.
Next highest was 6,050gns for Lot 7: Knowthfarm Rage Trip Red (VG87), a red and white second-lactation cow sired by the famous US artificial insemination (AI) bull Ri-Val-Re Rager-Red and from the renowned Trip cow family that was a feature of the Knowthfarm dispersal sale some years ago.
This cow created great pre-sale interest with her beautiful conformation and sold milking 44L and was purchased by a Co. Kerry breeder.
Image: Taaffe Auctions
Another two Lots sold at 5,000gns including Lot 14: Bayvilla Stella 88 (VG87) an eighth generation VG/EX daughter of Roylane Boxer Punch who sold milking 42L on her second lactation and was purchased by a Co. Cork breeder.
Next at 5,000gns was Lot 20: Mohoncross Dream 27 (VG87) a daughter of Woodcrest King Doc from a dam who produced over 100t milk lifetime.
This young cow sold, milking 52L a day on her second lactation and was secured by a Co. Antrim breeder.
A further five cows sold at prices over 4,000gns.
The heifer calf trade was topped by the highly anticipated Siemers Rengd Parfect-ET-sired heifer Lot 8A: Greenlawn Parfect Lexus selling at 3,500gns.
She was the first daughter of the highly acclaimed US AI high genomic bull Siemers Rengd Parfect-ET to sell in Ireland.
Her dam Lot 8: Woodmarsh Pepper Lexus (VG87-2YR) was withdrawn from the sale.
She is bred from an outstanding high component cow family originating at Farnear Holsteins in Iowa, US.
The heifer calf is on her way to her new home in Co. Tipperary.
Image: Darragh Curtin
Image: Darragh Curtin
The sale concluded with 12 bulling heifers and these sold from 1,200gns to top of 1,850gns for Lot 55: Greenlawn Rubicon Lily 1620, sired by EDG Rubicon and purchased by a Co. Louth breeder.
The 12 bulling heifers on offer at the sale averaged 1,470gns.
The sale averages also established new Irish auction record prices as follows:
- 19 freshly-calved heifers averaged 2,986.84gns (record);
- (A calved heifer – milking on three spins, sold for 1,500gns);
- 31 freshly-calved cows averaged 3,732.26gns (record).