On Wednesday (April 12), as rain and wind swept across the country from Storm Noa, a large crowd nonetheless packed into Carnaross Mart for Taaffe Auctions’ monthly sale.
This month’s Taaffe Auctions sale contained 130 lots of milking stock, along with 61 bulling heifers.
Neither the weather nor the recent downturn in milk prices hampered the trade at the 141st Carnaross dairy sale, with a top price of 4,000gns achieved on the day. With that said, it was evident that buyers were being a lot more picky about the lots they chose to bid on.
A large presence of Northern buyers also helped with the boosting of the trade, for milking stock particularly.
Greenlea Yamaska Aiko
Achieving the top price of 4,000gns was Greenlea Yamaska Aiko from the Greenlea herd of Padraic Greenan.
Freshly calved on her second lactation, she sold milking 52L/day. In her first lactation she produced 9,402kg of milk at 3.80% fat and 3.38% protein.
Her dam Greenlea Carlino Aiko (VG88) produced 11,833kg of milk at 3.4% fat and 3.11% protein in her third lactation. Greenlea Yamaska Aiko was sired by the well-known bull Westcoast Yamaska.
The next highest price of 3,700gns was achieved by three lots, the first being Lot 102: Cornboro Unix Finesse.
Calved since March 5, this Croteau Lesperron Unix-sired heifer sold milking 36L.
Her dam Cornboro Miss Finesse produced 6,576kg of milk at 4.25% fat and 3.36% protein in her second lactation.
The second lot to achieve this price was Lot 169: Killanny Magictouch Bridgid 67.
Calved since March 21, this S-S-I Modesty Magictouch-Et sold milking 34L. Her dam Killanny Hanrahan Bridgrid 304 produced 6,512kg of milk at 3.42% fat and 3.74% protein in her second lactation.
Just two lots later the price was achieved again by Lot 171: Greenlea Legend Roxy 6.
Freshly calved in her second lactation, this Morningview Legend-Et-sired cow produced 7,085kg of milk in her first lactation.
Her dam Greenlea Padbury Roxy (EX90) produced 11,057kg of milk in her fourth lactation.
Milking 47L/day and selling for 3,600gns was Lot 32: Cannontown Alltime Caroline.
Calved into her second lactation, this S-S-I Headway Alltime-Et sired cow is projected to produced 10,093kg of milk and 749kg of milk solids.
Selling for 3,500gns was Lot 117: Cannontown Hangtime Pee.
Calved since March 3, this Cookiecutter Hang-Time-Et-sired second lactation cow is projected to produce 8,737kg of milk and 669kg of milk solids.
Next was Lot 159: Seanacourt S1488 Spottie, sold for 3,350gns on the day.
Calved since March 20, she was sired by Val-Bisson Doorman and her dam is Suirvalley Fr Spottie, who in her third lactation is projected to produce 5,558kg of milk.
Following closely behind was Lot 116: Cannontown Hurricane Margie 21, who sold for 3,300gns.
Calved since January 28, this Bacon-Hill Hurricane-Et-sired heifer is projected to produce 8,276kg of milk in her first lactation.
Selling for 3,100gns was another Cannontown heifer, Lot 112: Cannontown Highlite Christina.
Calved since February 18, this Cookiecutter Hang-Time-Et-sired heifer is projected to produce 8,765kg of milk in her first lactation.
Taaffe Auctions
The gallery below contains some more pictures and prices from Wednesday’s sale.
EBI
There was a nice group of high economic breeding index (EBI) heifers on offer at Taaffe Auctions’ sale, which came from the Wyndale herd of Thomas Burke.
They were met with a good demand with all of them making north of 2,000gns, with the top price of 2,600gns being paid for Lot 55: Wyndale FR4534 Maeve 3187.
Some more sample prices from these heifers can be seen in the gallery below.
Bulling heifers
There were 61 bulling heifers on offer at the sale from two farms. A group of 50 high-EBI heifers Michael Callan’s Philipstown herd were first to go on offer.
A spring-calving herd selling over 596kg of milk solids, the heifers on offer had an average EBI of €212.
Prices ranged from 620gns to a top call of 1,060gns for Lot 206 with an EBI of €239.
Sired by Bawngarra Brod – the heifers dam yielded 7,792kg of milk at 4,51% fat and 3.84% protein in her last lactation.
Sample prices:
The second batch of bulling heifers from the herd of David Gartlan’s Killanny herd also sold well on the day, with prices ranging from 720gns to a top call of 1,100gns, with most of the herd for selling of upwards of 900gns.
The top-priced heifer from this section of the sale was Lot 228: Killanny Motion Gail 818 BSR, with an EBI of €238. Her dam produced 7,111kg of milk in her first lactation.
Ayrshire
At Wednesday’s dairy sale there were also a nine pedigree Ayrshires on offer from the Threemile herd of Christian Keenan.
The mix of cows and heifers sold from 1,480gns to a top price of 2,180gns.
Selling for the top price of the Ayrshires on offer was Lot 111: Threemile Perfek Whiteford.
Calved into her second lactation since late-February, she produced 6,914kg of milk at 3.75% fat and 3.30% protein in her first lactation.
Her dam Threemile Lady Whiteford was coloured breeds heifer champion at the Emerald Expo in 2018, she is sired by Haresfoot Simply Perfek.
Selling for 2,150gns was Lot 109: Threemile Magic Lulu (GP84-2YR).
Freshly calved into her second lactation she produced 5,663kg of milk at 4.18% fat and 3.69% protein in her first lactation.
Selling for 2,050gns was Lot 110: Threemile Master Trident. Calved since mid-February she sold milking 28L/day.
