Prices reach 3,900gns at Boliesgreat dairy sale

Taffee auctions held its final in-milk dairy sale of the spring 2022 season on Wednesday, May 5, at Carnaross Mart.

The Royal County mart played host to the dispersal sale of Seamus Byrne’s Boliesgreat herd.

Last year, the herd averaged 11,920kg of milk, which was sold to Glanbia at 4.15% butterfat and 3.57% protein.

The sale consisted of first to fourth-lactation cows, with 92 lots on offer at the sale.

Despite talk of a weakened trade for dairy cows, this sale showed that quality stock remains in high demand among farmers, with an average sale price of 2,586gns achieved on the 87 lots sold at the sale.

Northern buyers made their presence felt ringside, securing a large number of lots, but southern buyers were also very active on the day.

Heifers in-milk

Heifers in-milk were a strong trade on the day, securing a joint top-price of the day of 3,900gns.

This price was achieved by Lot 40, Maurill Bloom Imacow. Calved since March 29, this Siemers Bloomfield-ET-sired heifer was milking 41kg in early April when recorded.

Her dam, Maurill Flame Imacow (VG87), gave 7,628kg in her second lactation.

Second highest price for the heifer in-milk section went Lot 6, selling for 3,850gns.

Sired by Moorabby Leister, she is projected to produce 10,698kg of milk in her first lactation.

Third highest went to Lot 9, Maurill Peresus 2153, who sold for 3,750gns.

This heifer, calved since March 24, was milking 43.2kg when recorded in early April.

Sired by Westcoast Perseus, her dam Maurill Leon Pam gave 6,737kg of milk in her second lactation.

The next highest price went to Lot 41, Maurill Pereus Nora, who sold for 3,500gns. Sired by Westcoast Perseus, her dam Maurill Zol Nora (VG86) gave 8,434kg of milk in her second lactation.

When recorded in early April, Maurill Pereus Nora was milking 39.8kg of milk.

Lot 72, sired by Ballygowen Albert, is projected to produce 9,180kg of milk in her first lactation.

Her dam Boliesgreat LDU Gwen gave 13,006kg of milk in her sixth lactation. Lot 72 sold for 3,450gns.

Other notable prices from this section can be seen in the gallery below:

Second-lactation cows

With the second-lactation cows, prices continued to hold, as demand remained.

Top price for the second-lactation cows went to Lot 19, sired by Meenascorthy Galtee, who sold for 3,650gns.

In her first lactation she produced 9,146kg of milk and is projected to produce 10,452kg in her second lactation.

The second highest price for this section went to Lot 66, who sold for 3,600gns.

Sired by Bo-Irish Mrice Carlino-ET, she produced 11,452kg of milk in her first lactation.

Next was Lot 74, sired once again by Bo-Irish Mrice Carlino-ET, who produced 9,528kg of milk in her first lactation.

In her second lactation now, she is projected to produced 11,611kg of milk. She sold for 3,600gns.

Other notable prices from this section can be seen in the gallery below:

Dairy sale

The final section of the dairy sale contained predominately third and fourth-lactation cows, with a small number of fifth-lactation cows also on offer.

Top price for this section, and joint top-price of the day, went to Lot 10, who was sired by Goldenfield Rascal ET.

Now in her third lactation, Lot 10 is projected to produce 14,318kg of milk; in her second lactation she produced 12,488kg of milk. She sold for 3,900gns.

Next was Lot 70 from the Olivia cow family, who sold for 3,000gns.

This freshly calved third-lactation cow, sired by Apina Nadal, produced 11,236kg of milk in her second lactation.

Moving to Lot 63, this fifth-lactation cow sold for 2,900gns.

Sired by Lisduff Raider, she is projected to produce 13,425kg of milk in her fifth lactation.

Calved since September, she is now back in-calf to an Aberdeen Angus bull.