Large crowds of farmers gathered at Tuam Mart on Monday evening, October 23, for the annual sale of in-calf suckler bred heifers belonging to Norman Connolly.
The sale featured a total of 72 in-calf heifers and witnessed a full clearance with an average sale price of €3,527.
The top price on the evening was €6,100 and went to Lot 16, a Limousin-cross heifer scanned in-calf to Belgian Blue bull An De Beauffaux (BB4438).
The four-star heifer was served with sexed semen and was expected to deliver a heifer calf.
The second-top price on the evening was €5,250 and went to Lot 72.
This December-2020-born red-roan Limousin heifer was served with sexed heifer semen from the artificial insemination (AI) bull Loyal (LM4184).
The heifer has an expected calving date in November.
Lot 19 sold for €5,000, the third-highest price on the night.
This April-2021-born Limousin-cross Belgian Blue heifer was served with sexed heifer semen from Limousin AI bull Ewdenvale Ivor (LM2014).
The heifer had an expected calving date of January 2024 and the notes in the catalogue described her as the “pick of the bunch”.
The next two highest-priced heifers were Lot 38 and Lot 71, both selling for €4,650.
Lot 38 was a Limousin-cross Charolais heifer served with sexed heifer semen to AI Limousin bull Powerful Proper (LM7416) and is due to calve next month.
Lot 71 was again a Limousin-cross heifer served with sexed heifer semen to AI Limousin bull Loyal (LM4184) due to calve next month.
Speaking to Agriland after the sale, Norman Connolly thanked the staff at Tuam Mart for their help in organising the sale and wished all successful bidders the best of luck with their new purchases.
He said: “It was clear from the sale that customers wanted, size, power and a bit of quality. There seemed to be a particular emphasis from the customers on suckler heifers with good power and weight.”
He noted that only 16 of the 72 heifers on offer were either four- or five-star.
Customers from across the island bought suckler heifers in the sale with three going to Donegal and six heifers going to homes in Northern Ireland.
Also on the evening, a Limousin heifer ‘Lola’ was raffled off with the proceeds being donated to the development of a playground at Lavally National School in Co. Galway.