Cattle marts report: Macroom lives up to name of never rearing a foolish mart trader
On Saturday last, Macroom mart had what could only be described as a massive showing of weanlings for its show and sale. The numbers were massive, the quality was massive.
The mart was packed with cattle, a point not lost on Macroom mart vice-chairman, Michael Murphy: “Some people warned us years ago when we made the move from Tuesday to Saturday, that the cattle sale would suffer. They told us that it would be the finish of the mart.”
Well clearly this did not happen. The mart has gone from strength to strength, and is now seen as one of the busiest marts in the country.
John Smith is a well known weanling buyer from Co Meath. John heads south each Friday to purchase weanlings in Skibbereen mart, and then stays over to purchase more in Macroom on Saturday.
John was entrusted with the task of judging the weanlings in Macroom on Saturday.
“The reason I come down here each week is because of the quality weanlings on offer both here in Macroom and in Skibbereen,” John told me.
“The weanlings today overall were outstanding, particularly the bulls. It was a difficult task to pick a winner.”
The champion weanling bull on Saturday was a Charolais owned by Michael D McCarthy from Kealkill, Bantry. This bull, born in January 2016, weighed 475kg and sold for €1,170.
The best pen of bulls went to two Limousin bulls owned by Donal Kelleher, Clondrohid. These weighed 545kg and sold for €1,160.
Local farmer Sean Lynch, also from Clondrohid, swept the boards in the weanling heifer class.
His Belgian Blue heifer champion weighed 355kg and later sold for €970, while three more of Sean’s Blues won the best pen of heifers award.
Summing up Saturday’s weanling sale, Macroom Mart manager, John O’Mahony, said “We had an exceptional turnout of suckler weanlings, which met with a good trade. Just to note also, there are more weanlings from dairy herds now being presented, which are meeting a slightly tougher trade.”
Regarding the mart in general, John added, “We had a good lively trade for forward store and finished cows, with plainer Friesian cows straight out of the parlour a tougher trade. Bullocks here met with a much improved trade on last week with customers buying to fill sheds.”
In Macroom on Saturday dry cows sold from €40 under to €455 over the kilo. Continental bullocks sold from €310 to €730 over the kilo. Hereford and Aberdeen bullocks sold from €250 to €450 over their weight.
Weanling bulls in Macroom on Saturday sold from €290 to €695 over the kilo, with heifer weanlings making from €265 to €615 over the kilo.
No Breed Sex Weight €
2 Hr steers 450kg 900
6 Hr steers 435kg 870
1 Lm steer 645kg 1375
2 Ch steers 530kg 1150
2 Lm heifers 430kg 1015
1 Lm cow 785kg 1240
1 Lm cow 815kg 1260
At John Smith’s other mart of choice, in Skibbereen Mart on Friday, mart manager, Tom McCarthy, reported a big sale of weanlings.
Weanling bulls in Skibbereen sold from €2/kg to €2.80/kg. Weanling heifers made from €2.10/kg to €2.50/kg.
Dry cows sold from €200 under to €400 with the kilo. Continental bullocks here made from €400 to €705 with their weight.
Friesian bullocks here sold from €200 to €400 over the kilo. Hereford and Angus bullocks made from €350 to €450 with the kilo. Heifers in Skibbereen sold from €250 to €650 with the kilo.
No Breed Sex Weight €
2 Ch steers 480kg 1140
4 Lm steers 522kg 1120
1 Ch steer 705kg 1380
3 Hr heifers 376kg 720
1 Ch heifer 605kg 1310
5 Lm heifers 401kg 850
1 Ch cow 775kg 1130
Five rings, an early start, and keen buyers anxious for stock ensured an early finish at Kilmallock Mart on Monday last. (The mart had sold 1,400 cattle by 3.20pm).
Denis Kirby of Kilmallock Mart reported that the trade overall was steady, bullocks sold here for up to €2.28 per kg.
Dry cows went to a high of €1.54 per kg. Heifers hit €2.13 per kg. Weanling bulls sold for up to €2.92 per kg. Weanling heifers hit €2.70 per kg. Suckler cows made up to €1,500 (paid for a four-year-old Belgian Blue and her Belgian Blue heifer calf). Calves and runners sold very well in Kilmallock with a top price of €640 paid for a seven week old Hereford bull.
Because of the big sales in Kilmallock at present, bullocks and dry cows will commence selling at 10am sharp for the next few weeks.
No Breed Sex Weight €
3 Lm steers 378kg 860
6 AA steers 396kg 780
3 Hr steers 370kg 750
5 Fr steers 529kg 915
3 Sim heifers 488kg 890
1 Hr heifer 470kg 900
2 Fr cows 390kg 600
“We had top class dry cows on offer here today,” Bandon mart manager Tom McCarthy mentioned after Monday’s cattle sale in Bandon. “With our best seller making €885 with the kilo.”
In Bandon on Monday, dry cows sold from €200 under to €855 with the kilo. Continental bullocks on Monday made from €400 to €700 over the kilo.
Aberdeen Angus and Hereford bullocks sold from €300 to €650 with the kilo. Friesian bullocks in Bandon made from €220 to €550 with the weight. Heifers in Bandon on Monday made from €250 to €700 with the kilo.
No Breed Sex Weight €
7 Ch steers 590kg 1275
6 Hr steers 570kg 1155
2 BB heifers 547kg 1235
4 Lm heifers 410kg 840
1 Fr cow 955kg 1480
1 Ch cow 825kg 1470
1 Lm cow 765kg 1650
5 Lm steers 681kg 1380
5 Ch steers 569kg 1140
5 Hr steers 605kg 1015
2 BB heifers 487kg 945
1 AA heifer 630kg 1190
1 Sim cow 820kg 1295
1 Lm cow 685kg 1135
“We had a big sale of cattle here on Monday, with a good solid trade for all types of forward stores. The dry cow trade is holding well for quality suckler bred cows,” Dungarvan mart manager Ger Flynn reported after Monday’s cattle sale.
No Breed Sex Weight €
1 Ch steer 860kg 1810
4 Lm steers 520kg 1310
3 AA steers 480kg 980
1 BB steer 395kg 1050
2 Lm heifers 475kg 1085
2 BB heifers 535kg 1150
3 Hr heifers 315kg 635
Next we turn to Kilkenny mart, with a report by mart manager George Candler on Tuesday’s weanling show and sale.
“Our annual show and sale of weanlings attracted less animals than last year which can be attributed to the reduction in the suckler herd in this part of the country.
“There were some good quality animals on offer but there was disappointment in the sticky trade experienced by the producer of bull weanlings in excess of 420 kilo.
“Most of these heavy weanlings ranged from €2.05 to €2.25 per kilo which is about . €150 per head less than 2015.”
“In the show section which was sponsored by Brett Bros, Glanbia, and Red Mills the best Autumn born weanling was owned by Thomas Bowe of Durrow, with John Frisby of Mullinavat in second place, third place went to the Cahill Family, Freshford.
And looking back to last Thursday’ general cattle sale George added.
“We had a big yard of cattle with a reduction for most lots by €15 to €20 per head on the previous week’s returns,” he said.
“Plain animals showed the biggest reduction. Top quality Friesian bullocks peaked at €1.85 per kilo. Quality continentals are still the best sellers.”
In a busy Kilkenny mart, continental cull cows made from €1.30 to €1.85 per kilo. Meanwhile, Friesian types at the mart were selling from €1.05 to €1.50 per kilo.
No Breed Sex Weight €
4 AA steers 580kg 1020
5 Lm steers 498g 1000
5 Hr steers 485kg 950
1 Ch heifer 710kg 1440
2 Lm heifers 580kg 1160
1 Hr cow 730kg 990
1 Fr cow 740kg 1000
Speaking after Tuesday’s busy cattle sale, Seamus O’Keefe, Kanturk mart manager, reported: “We had a large number of cattle, with 874 on offer at Tuesday’s mart sale. The trade was similar to last week with continental stock making top prices.
“Our next weanling show and sale is on October 18 for spring born weanlings, sponsored by Dovea Genetics. There will also be a special section for organic weanlings on the day.”
Intakes open at 7am, show cattle must be penned by 10.30am with judging at 11am with the sale of the supreme champion at 1pm.
No Breed Sex Weight €
1 Lm steer 670kg 1335
3 Hr steers 490kg 965
3 Lm steers 528kg 1095
2 Lm heifers 395kg 795
3 AA heifers 486kg 1000
1 AA cow 885kg 1300
1 Fr cow 820kg 1270
Corrin mart in Fermoy also had a large sale of cattle on Tuesday, with a “lively trade” reported by mart manager, Sean Leahy, for heifers and bullocks on the day.
In Corrin on Tuesday, store bullocks sold from €80 to €460 over the kilo, with beef bullocks making up to €665 with their weight.
Store heifers in Corrin made from €200 to €400 over the kilo with butcher types making up to €580 over the kilo. Dry cows in Corrin made from €400 up to €1,300 a head.
