Steady trade in cattle, it’s business as usual down at the marts as BSE scares subside
So last Monday morning, purely in the interests of good accurate mart reporting, I got Michael Crowley to haul seven bullocks to Bandon mart.
Honestly, you would have to ask yourself, is there any other mart reporter in the country who would go to such lengths, to bring you the most precise report possible? I think it’s fair to say that I’m outstanding really.
Anyway, Michael advised me to sell the seven Friesian stores in one lot, which I did.
The seven stores came into the ring weighing 333kg and they made €630. I thought it was good money, and before leaving the box I thanked the auctioneer for his good work. It wasn’t the best price paid for Friesian bullocks in Bandon on Monday, but mine weren’t the best Friesians on offer either.
Needless to say, I believe after Monday’s ‘experiment’ that the cattle trade is holding up very well, with no ill effect from the recent BSE scare. The trade remains as solid as ever.
And speaking of solid, one animal that certainly caught my eye in Bandon was a Hereford bull aged over four years and weighing over a tonne. He weighed 1065kg to be exact.
And even though Auctioneer Jim O’Brien announced that the bull was suitable for breeding, at that size, I felt he was more suitable for a casserole. The heavyweight Hereford bull made €1,900.
There was also a complete clearance sale of 65 spring calving cows in Bandon. And here the cows made from €1,500 to €2,250 a head.
Bandon
No Breed Sex Weight €
2 Ch steers 362kg 980
2 BB steers 465kg 1125
3 Fr steers 478kg 940
1 Sim heifer 380kg 940
1 AA heifer 655kg 1380
1 Ch cow 710kg 1400
1 Fr cow 775kg 1400
Bandon mart had 600 calves on offer on Monday, with the good trade for calves continuing. The mart had 100 dry cows on offer on Monday, and here they sold from €170 to €700 with the kilo.
Continental bullocks in Bandon sold from €500 to €700 with the kilo. Aberdeen Angus and Hereford bullocks ranged in price from €450 to €650 with the kilo. Friesian bullocks at Bandon mart sold from €300 to €550 with the kilo. Heifers on Monday sold from €360 to €725 with their weight.
Kilmallock
No Breed Sex Weight €
4 Ch steers 366kg 950
3 Hr steers 342kg 885
2 Fr steers 380kg 750
3 AA steers 630kg 1370
1 Sim steer 445kg 955
1 BB heifer 490kg 1120
1 Lm heifer 445kg 1040
Kilmallock mart had just over 800 cattle on offer on Monday, this number included 360 calves. Denis Kirby of Kilmallock reported, “an outstanding trade, with buyers very eager for cattle. All rings were very dear, with stock going as far away as Northern Ireland.
“Dry Cows were flying here on Monday, with up to €1.85 per kg paid for them. One farmer I met couldn’t believe that he got €675 for a 17 year old cow weighing 480kgs.
“The auctioneers in our calf ring, Danny Deady, Richard Ryan and John O’Connell, reported the calf trade to be the dearest this year, with young calves hitting €540 each.”
Looking at dairy stock in Kilmallock, a three-year-old in calf heifer made €1,400, while a three-year-old Jersey calved with one week sold for €1,400.
And looking at the suckling trade, a 12-year-old Limousin and her Belgian Blue heifer calf made €1,700 at the mart, while a four-year-old Norwegian Red and her Hereford bull calf made €1,330.
Turning to breeding bulls, in Kilmallock a Hereford made €1,350 while an Aberdeen Angus sold for €1,700.
Thurles
No Breed Sex Weight €
5 AA steers 338kg 920
3 Lm steers 270kg 760
1 Ch steer 290kg 900
8 Hr steers 428kg 1090
2 Fr steers 240kg 500
2 Ch heifers 321kg 895
6 AA heifers 360kg 905
The BSE scare wasn’t upsetting the trade is Thurles mart either, it was business as usual last Monday, mart manager Martin Ryan gave us this report. “Monday’s cattle sale here in Thurles was very strong, with strong numbers on offer for the time of year. The BSE issue had no impact at all, thank God.”
Corrin
No Breed Sex Weight €
4 Lm steers 395kg 1115
2 AA steers 260kg 710
3 Fr steers 380kg 795
7 Hr steers 367kg 940
6 Au heifers 290kg 830
1 Hr cow 840kg 1640
1 AA cow 578kg 1180
“We had a very strong trade for bullocks today, with an excellent demand for all types and weights,” was the report we received from Sean Leahy, manager of Corrin mart, after Tuesday’s cattle sale.
And in Corrin on Tuesday, store bullocks made from €270 to €720 over the kilo.
There was a lively trade for heifers in Corrin, and here they made from €300 to €600 with their weight. Sean told me there was an excellent trade for dry cows in Corrin and they sold from €650 to €1,640 a head.
Next we move to Dungarvan mart, where after Monday’s cattle sale mart manager, Ger Flynn, gave us the following report.
“We had a very good trade for all types of stores. The dry cow trade is holding up very well. We had an excellent heifer trade especially for continental store heifers.”
Dungarvan
No Breed Sex Weight €
1 Hr steer 570kg 1260
1 Lm steer 480kg 1230
4 AA steers 516kg 1160
2 Fr heifers 697kg 1340
2 Ch heifers 530kg 1250
1 Ch heifer 485kg 1120
1 Fr cow 735kg 1150
Skibbereen Mart manager, Tom McCarthy, reported that numbers of dry cows were back on Friday, but that the trade was holding well.
Dry cows in Skibbereen mart sold from €220 to an impressive €900 with the kilo.
Bullocks in Skibbereen sold from €300 to €850 with the kilo. Heifers on Friday sold from €400 to €765 with their weight.
Skibbereen
No Breed Sex Weight €
1 Ch steer 480kg 1300
3 Lm bulls 400kg 1140
1 BB steer 370kg 1110
1 Ch heifer 435kg 1130
2 Lm heifers 447kg 1120
1 Ch cow 935kg 1810
1 BB cow 765kg 1580
Macroom
No Breed Sex Weight €
2 Ch steers 315kg 975
3 Lm steers 453kg 1220
7 Fr steers 370kg 785
10 Hr steers 625kg 1260
1 Ch heifer 485kg 1430
1 Ch cow 685kg 1240
1 Sim cow 735kg 1520
And next to Macroom mart, where after last Saturday’s cattle sale, mart manager John O’Mahony gave us this following report.
“We had a special section last week for weanlings, and we will have a section again this coming week. And on Saturday, we had a great trade for all weanlings.”
In Macroom on Saturday, dry cows sold from é100 over to €785 over the kilo. Friesian bullocks made from €135 to €425 over the kilo.
Hereford and Aberdeen Angus bullocks sold from €210 to €635 over the kilo. While Continental bullocks made from €235 to €770 over the kilo.
Heifers in Macroom on Saturday sold from €225 to an impressive €945 over the kilo.
Kanturk
No Breed Sex Weight €
5 Fr steers 711kg 1280
5 AA steers 488kg 1075
1 Hr heifer 525kg 1125
1 AA heifer 540kg 1100
1 Ch cow 655kg 1020
1 Fr cow 720kg 1110
1 Hr cow 630kg 1180
And finally for this week, it’s to Kanturk mart we go, where after Tuesday’s cattle sale mart manager, Seamus O’Keeffe, gave us this report. “We had a big sale for the middle of June with 620 cattle, including 250 calves, on offer. The trade was up from last week, with exceptional prices made for all types of cattle.”
