Dairy farmers paying €400 or more for handy bull calves, to offload surplus milk
In Macroom on Saturday, factory agents were clearly anxious for beef cows, and the beefier the better. The Yanks must be a hungry bunch.
With new Irish beef markets opening in the US, and a dry cow trade kicking off in an impressive manner, if I had to look into my crystal ball and make a prediction for 2015, I’d say that it will be a mighty year for beef.
But that of course is just a wild guess, so don’t be quoting me next September if we are crying once more at our poor factory returns. My crystal ball has been wrong before.
“We had a good size entry of cattle here today on our first day back,” Macroom mart manager John O’Mahony told me after Saturday’s cattle sale.
“There was an excellent trade for all types of stock across the board, which resulted in a full clearance.”
As we mentioned here last week, the trade for calves has started with a bang, and in Macroom on Saturday, there were plenty of customers for the calves on offer.
Unfortunately, I missed the calf sale in Macroom, but my uncle Charlie was on hand to reassure me that I didn’t miss any bargains.
“The calf trade was flying,” he told me.
Dairy farmers are clearly the buyers at the moment, paying €400 or more for handy bull calves, as they strive to offload surplus milk.
And more luck to them. I wish I had their money.
And I look forward to seeing these calves return to the ring in April or May.
Macroom
Saturday
No Breed Sex Weight €
3 Sim steers 640kg 1340
1 Hr steer 425kg 905
3 Fr steers 588kg 950
1 Ch heifer 405kg 925
1 Sim steer 285kg 700
1 Fr cow 600kg 1190
1 Ch cow 747kg 1280
In Bandon on Monday, mart manager Tom McCarthy also reported that the great trade for calves is continuing.
Looking at the bullock trade in Bandon, Aberdeen Angus and Hereford bullocks ranged in price from €400 to €550 with the kilo.
Quality Friesian stock sold from €320 to €500 with the kilo.
Dry cows were also selling well in Bandon, making from €1/kg to €600 with the kilo.
Heifers on Monday sold from €375 to €600 over the kilo.
Bandon had 250 calves on offer.
Bandon
Monday
No Breed Sex Weight €
2 AA steers 495kg 1010
1 Hr steer 520kg 1035
3 Fr steers 591kg 1070
2 AA heifers 577kg 1060
1 Ch heifer 425kg 950
1 Fr cow 915kg 1470
1 Fr cow 800kg 1170
Next, we turn to Dungarvan mart, where on Monday, mart manager Ger Flynn reported that the first cattle sale of the year had kicked off well.
“We had a very good start to 2015,” Ger remarked.
Dungarvan
Monday
No Breed Sex Weight €
1 Hr steer 540kg 1120
1 AA steer 515kg 1025
5 Hr steers 429kg 915
4 Hr heifers 482kg 1025
1 AA heifer 390kg 800
1 Fr cow 795kg 1200
1 Fr cow 730kg 1140
Buyers from as far afield as Donegal, Roscommon and Westmeath descended upon Kilmallock Mart on Monday, where Denis Kirby reported, “The big surge in prices continued on Monday, with Freisian store bullocks hitting the €2/kg mark.”
Kilmallock had a total of 614 cattle on offer on Monday.
Bullocks here made up to €2.44/kg. Heifers hit a high of €3.06/kg.
Kilmallock had 91 dry cows on offer, and they made up to €1.70/kg. And echoing the current level of demand, dry cows in Kilmallock were said to be up €200 a head, compared to the same period last year.
And looking at dairy stock, a 3-year-old Friesian calved since Tuesday sold for €1,200, while a 3-year-old calved heifer fetched €1,100.
In suckling, a 6-year-old Simmental cow and her Charolais bull calf sold for €1,970.
A 5-year-old Charolais and her Charolais heifer calf made €1,740. In general, sucklers in Kilmallock made from €1,090 upwards.
Weanling bulls in Kilmallock made up to €3.60/kg. And looking at the calf scene, €635 was the top price paid for runner type calves, while young beef breeds made up to €400.
At the bottom of the scale, 2-week-old Friesian bulls were hitting €140 a head.
Kilmallock
Monday
No Breed Sex Weight €
4 Hr steers 370kg 885
7 Lm steers 342kg 835
5 Sim steers 543kg 1140
3 Fr steers 545kg 1020
1 BB heifer 500kg 1070
1 AA heifer 485 kg 990
1 Sh cow 775 kg 1000
Tom McCarthy reported a “nice sale of stock” in Skibbereen on Friday.
Dry cows sold from €50 under to €510 over the kilo.
Heifers in Skibbereen sold from €250 over to €520 with their weight.
Bullocks made from €300 to €682 over the kilo. Suckler stock in Skibbereen sold from €980 to €1,350 a head.
Next Friday, Skibbereen mart will have the first part of a complete clearance sale, 27 in-calf Charolais and Limousin cows will be up for grabs.
Skibbereen
Friday
No Breed Sex Weight €
3 Ch steers 568kg 1250
3 Fr steers 251kg 540
1 Hr steer 420kg 900
3 AA heifers 630kg 1090
1 Lm heifer 380kg 760
1 AA heifer 495kg 860
1 Ch cow 630kg 1140
At the first dairy sale of the year in Kilkenny mart on Monday, freshly calved Friesian cows and heifers peaked at €1,510, with maiden Friesian heifers selling for up to €790 per head.
Kilkenny
Thursday
No Breed Sex Weight €
2 AA steers 680kg 1300
5 Fr steers 655kg 1280
5 Lm steers 535kg 1350
3 Ch steers 430kg 1020
3 Sim heifers 625kg 1305
3 AA heifers 600kg 1255
2 Lm heifers 330kg 730
Looking back to last Thursday’s general cattle sale, Kilkenny mart manager George Candler said, “Our first cattle sale of the year was a small affair, with just 300 cattle on offer.
“But trade showed a bite for forward store and beef type heifers and bullocks.”
There was also a good trade for cull cows in Kilkenny, with Friesian culls selling from €1.10/kg to €1.70/kg, and Continental types making from €1.30 to €2.04/kg.
There was a lively trade for bullocks at Corrin mart on Tuesday.
Store bullocks in Corrin sold from €180 to €470 over the kilo, with forward and beef bullocks making up to €690 over the kilo.
Corrin also had a good trade for heifers, from €250 to €480 over the kilo, with butcher types making up to €600 over the kilo.
Dry cows in Corrin sold from €500 to €1,380 a head.
Corrin
Tuesday
8 Hr steers 760kg 1450
1 Lm steer 534kg 1210
2 AA steers 480kg 960
3 Ch steers 360kg 830
1 Lm heifer 460kg 1050
4 Hr heifers 487kg 1010
1 AA cow 840kg 1380
Finally this week, we turn our gaze to Kanturk, where Michael Scanlon gave us this summing up after Tuesday’s cattle sale.
“We had a good number of cattle at today’s sale, despite a heavy snowfall in the area overnight.
“There was an outstanding trade for all cattle with prices well up on pre-Christmas prices, with strong Friesian bullocks making up to 500 over the kilo.
“Heavy heifers were also a good trade, making up to €600 over the kilo.
“A small entry of calves were in great demand, with Hereford and Aberdeen Angus bulls making up to €400 a head, and Hereford and Aberdeen Angus heifers making up to €300 a piece.”
Kanturk
Tuesday
No Breed Sex Weight €
1 Fr steer 465kg 800
2 Lm steers 325kg 800
1 BB steer 450kg 900
6 AA steers 480kg 930
2 Lm heifers 455kg 920
1 BB heifer 370kg 800
1 AA cow 600kg 900
