Cattle mart report: Sun shines on busy marts
And while I don’t know too much about the state of the nation (all I do know is that our broadband is as crap as it was four years ago, indeed it could well be worse) with regards to green shoots they are certainly starting to appear ... in our fields.
Finally the dark wet days of winter seem to be at an end, the days have a definite feeling of spring about them.
To quote PG Wodehouse: “The sun shone through the window; birds twittered in the tree-tops, and generally speaking, hope dawned once more.”
Weather wise, things are starting to look up.
On Monday last, I ventured to Bandon mart where, from the calf to steer, it was feeding that was turning heads. The more well fed the animal, the more interested the buyer became.
Turning first to calves. Continental calves as ever, are flying high.
Good month-old Angus bulls were making €300 a piece with ease in Bandon.
And looking at the Friesian bull, by far the most popular calf in the mart, if you want to make a reasonable price for your Friesian bull calf right now, you are going to have to be generous with both your time and your milk.
Bandon on Monday had 1,320 calves on offer so there is plenty of choice for the buyer. And the buyer is choosing the Friesian bull with a bit of condition, a fellow who looks like he would be comfortable with a bit of travelling.
The kind of fellow you would be proud to take home is making €160. Whereas the fellow you wouldn’t be so proud to take home is making half that money.
So my advice to dairy farmers planning to sell calves is as simple as myself.
Don’t take small young calves to the mart, if at all possible hold onto the calf for an extra ten days to two weeks and make sure that there is a spring to his step and a bit of meat on his frame before he appears in the ring.
He will make you more money, and you can buy me a drink by way of thanks for that the next time we meet.
And as for bullocks, again it’s well fed articles who are commanding good money in the marts at the moment.
And while I can understand completely why a buyer would be anxious for a well fed calf, I really don’t understand the reason behind the drive some have to purchase large well fed cattle.
When I was a young fellow, buyers always had an eye for the hungry store, the empty animal with the good frame. A bullock or heifer who over time would transform into a good beast.
Nowadays for many buyers, not all, the animal has to be as plump as a pig before they raise a finger.
There is nothing at all wrong with showing an interest in the scrawny store that has potential.
In fact, the scrawny store could well leave you with a nice jingle in your pocket before the summer is out. So keep your options open as the serious buying of 2016 gets underway.
Remember if the price is right, the animal is right.
In Bandon on Monday dry cows made from €60 to €500 with the kilo.
Friesian bullocks sold from €200 to €500 with their weight. Continental bullocks made up to é630 with the kilo.
While Aberdeen Angus and Hereford bullocks sold from €300 to €630 with the kilo.
Heifers in Bandon made from €400 to €720 with the kilo.
No Breed Sex Weight €
1 Sim steer 550kg 1180
3 AA steers 523kg 1150
4 Fr steers 585kg 1060
1 AA heifer 580kg 1140
1 Ch heifer 540kg 1260
3 Ch heifers 490kg 1150
1 Fr cow 735kg 1230
In Skibbereen mart on Friday last dry cows sold from €90 to €590 with the kilo. Bullocks sold from €250 to €600 with the kilo. Heifers ranged in price from €325 to €680 with the kilo.
No Breed Sex Weight €
1 Fr steer 835kg 1390
3 Hr steers 611kg 1195
2 AA steers 482kg 975
6 Ch steers 424kg 1000
1 Lm heifer 485kg 1160
1 BB cow 505kg 900
1 Ch cow 760kg 1280
Exhaustion was the order of the day in Kanturk on Tuesday after the mart held its biggest cattle sale of 2016, so far.
“We are tired after a very busy day here in Kanturk Mart. We had over 1,290 animals on offer which included 605 calves,” Kanturk mart Manager Seamus O’Keefe told me after the sale.
“Customers from all over the country were present today and as always they are more than welcome. Calves were making top class prices except for the Holstein Friesians.
"Store heifers were making €400 with their weight with store bullocks making €600 with their weight for continentals. And dry cows for feeding were also in great demand,” he said.
No Breed Sex Weight €
1 Hr steer 710kg 1280
8 Hr steers 548kg 1145
2 Fr steers 635kg 1090
1 Hr heifer 555kg 1100
1 Hr heifer 565kg 1080
1 Lm heifer 495kg 1005
1 Shx cow 745kg 1110
In Dungarvan mart on Monday the strong cattle trade continued, mart manger Ger Flynn gave us the following report. “We had a very good trade for all forward cattle, with an exceptional trade for forward dry cows.”
Sucklers with calves at foot sold for up to €1,610 in Dungarvan on Monday.
No Breed Sex Weight €
2 BB steers 627kg 1410
1 Hr steer 700kg 1395
2 Lm steers 542g 1250
3 Hr heifers 471kg 955
1 Fr cow 775kg 1280
1 Fr cow 805kg 1315
Corrin mart manager Sean Leahy reported “a very strong trade for bullocks” after Tuesday’s cattle sale.
In Corrin, store bullocks sold from €230 to €560 over the kilo, with beef bullocks making up to €700 with their weight. Sean also reported “a good strong trade for heifers”.
In Corrin, heifers made up to €490 over the kilo, with butcher types making up to €790 with the kilo.
No Breed Sex Weight €
1 BB steer 620kg 1315
5 AA steers 557kg 1235
4 Hr steers 457kg 1075
7 AA steers 295kg 690
1 Ch heifer 550kg 1330
1 Lm heifer 570kg 1360
1 Fr cow 830kg 1190
Over 100 calf buyers did business in Kilmallock on Monday last.
Kilmallock had 900 calves on offer with beef calves hitting €475 a head (paid for 4 week old Limousin bull). Friesian bulls went to a high of €245 while the poorer quality. Friesians hit €140 a head.
Kilmallock mart had 1,870 stock on offer with trade in all rings reported as being “stronger than in the previous weeks,” by Denis Kirby.
Bullocks made up to €2.92 per kg. Dry cows went to a high of €1.74 per kg. Heifers sold for up €2.87 per kg. Suckler cows hit €1,450, for a three-year-old Limousin and her Aberdeen Angus bull calf.
Monday was Kilmallock’s Spring Dairy Show and Sale. Denis Kirby had the following to add regarding the event: “The show and sale was a big success with 120 dairy stock sold.
"40 buyers from as far away as Galway were keen bidders for the stock on offer. The Champion of the Show was a two-year-old calved heifer exhibited by Desmond Frawley, Coolrea, Bruree and purchased by a local dairy farmer for €2,050.
“€1,400 upwards was common for calved heifers. While calved cows made up to €1,780 a head. In-calf heifers sold for up to €1,550. Breeding heifers made up to €760 per head.
“The stock on offer were a credit to sellers in the way they were presented for sale. GVM would like to thank them and the purchasers of the stock for making the sale a big success. Many thanks to the sponsors, Kilmallock Credit Union, Eurogene AI Services, Howard Farm Feeds and Milk Quality Solutions.”
No Breed Sex Weight €
2 Lm steers 380kg 900
5 Fr steers 393kg 780
4 BB steers 528kg 1165
8 AA steers 548kg 1120
2 AA heifers 485kg 1020
1 Hr heifer 480kg 1010
2 AA heifers 465kg 930
Finally to Macroom, where mart manger John O’Mahony gave us this report after last Saturday’s cattle sale: “We had a great sale of cattle here again this week with a similar trade to last week. There was a bigger number of calves on offer with shippers and farmers at ringside.”
In Macroom on Saturday dry cows sold from €95 under to €690 with the kilo.
Continental bullocks made from €220 to €560 with the kilo. Hereford and Aberdeen Angus bullocks sold from €215 to €635 over the kilo. Heifers in Macroom sold from é220 to €625 with their weight.
No Breed Sex Weight €
2 Hr steers 585kg 1230
7 AA steers 375kg 845
2 Ch steers 407kg 920
1 CH steer 350kg 870
5 Ch heifers 470kg 1035
3 Ch heifers 430kg 1055
1 Sim cow 650kg 1340
