Portumna Mart in Co. Galway will host a dispersal sale of a largely Fleckvieh-cross herd tomorrow (Saturday, December 2), with 52 cows and 12 heifers to go under the hammer.
The Rose Cottage Herd, which has previously won milk quality awards, consists of Irish-bred and milk recorded cows.
The majority of the cows for sale are Fleckvieh-cross, with some Holstein Friesians for sale as well. All animals for sale are in-calf.
Herd owner Brian Hayes uses Fleckvieh artificial insemination (AI) from Celtic Fleckvieh Ireland, and an Aberdeen Angus stock bull.
The in-calf heifers are all Fleckvieh cross, born in February and March 2022.
Cows from this herd have achieved milk yields in the region of 8,000kg of milk, fat in excess of 5%, protein over 4.1%, and Economic Breeding Index (EBI) figures up to €215, according to auctioneer Denis Barrett, who will oversee the sale.
The herd averages milk yields of over 6,600kg of milk, over 3.8% fat content, around 3.5% protein, and a somatic cell count (SCC) of 30,000 cells/ml.
The auctioneer said: “What sets this dairy sale apart is that most animals have a 4- or 5-star beef replacement rating, with indices reaching up to €224.
“Even the calves not kept for the dairy herd are retained on the farm and raised in a calf-to-finished beef system, resulting in impressive carcass weight grades.”
The cows for sale range from first-time calvers to those with five or more calves.
All animals up for sale are in-calf to either AI Fleckvieh or the Angus stock bull, with calving expected between January and April.
To view the stock, appointments can be made with Brian Hayes on the morning of the sale at Portumna Mart.
The sale will be managed by Denis Barrett Auctions, with Barrett serving as auctioneer. The auctioneer firm has a catalogue of the sale on its website.
Online bidding is also available through MartEye.
“Dairy farmers are reporting impressive yields from their Fleckvieh herds, which are primarily grass-based systems,” the auctioneer said.
“Irish milk records are also supporting these claims,” he added.