Carnew Mart in Co. Wicklow, has hosted its annual Belgian Blue weanling show and sale sponsored by the Irish Belgian Blue Cattle Society.
There was also a clearance sale of John Redmond’s Bluestar Belgian Blue suckler herd, on Wednesday, September 13, which was described by Carnew Mart’s Eugene Clune as “one of the country’s’ top suckler herds”.
“This herd has consistently produced show-quality stock for a long number of years. It possesses the top genetics from all over Europe with Belgian Blue, Limousin and Parthenaise breeding to the fore,” Clune added.
“John is exiting the suckler industry to concentrate on setting up a new dairy herd so this was a full clearance of all his commercial cows,” he said.
“He is a renowned suckler farmer. His weanlings would consistently get prizes and secure the top prices. He has a wealth of knowledge as regards breeding the quality suckler stock.”
The clearance sale featured 40 cows, 40 calves, 50 maiden heifers and a number of stock bulls.
Commenting on the trade, Carnew Mart’s Eugene Clune, said the trade on the evening “surpassed all expectations”.
Prices on the evening were described as “exceptional” with sucklers topping at €5,000 while the heifers topped at €3,200 or €8/kg for a 396kg Belgian Blue heifer.
Weanling bulls on the night met “an electric trade” with exporters, farmers and specialist feeders very active.
Top prices from the weanling bull sale:
- 534kg sold for €2,240 or €4.19/kg;
- 538kg sold for €2,240 or €4.16/kg;
- 500kg sold for for €2,000 or €4.00/kg.
In the Carnew Mart suckler sale, there were 40 spring calving cows all described as “of top-quality breeding”.
The cows in the clearance sale had spring-born calves at foot and were scanned back in calf to a limousin stockbull.
Cows sold from €2,500 to €5,000 with most cows selling between €3,000 and €3,500.
Other top prices on the evening:
- Belgian Blue heifer weighing 442kg at €2,460 €5.57/kg;
- Belgian Blue bull weighing 486kg at €1,780 or €3.66 kg;
- Three weanling heifers weighing 422kg selling for €2,416 or €5.73/kg.
Clune said: “One farmer in the sale sold a lorry loads of weanlings that averaged €4.50/kg or €1,870/head and another farmer with 40 weanlings on offer averaged €3.50/kg.”