Cattle marts: Plainer animal feels the pinch as winter lingers at the marts
Believing the winter had ended in early March, I had shut up shop regarding the feeding of bales, and rubbing my hands with glee, had sent them forth to a field of grass.
“Be gone!” says I to the bunch.
Well now the only thing that is gone is the grass. The grass has gone to mud, I’ve stopped rubbing my hands with glee and I’m back opening bales. Which just goes to show that I don’t know everything after all.
On Monday my cattle were back on silage, and they weren’t allergic to the stuff either. They munched through it as if it was a hardy day in November. At least they were happy, I suppose.
Elsewhere on this paper today, we have Ryanair supremo Michael O’Leary talking about the never ending workload of the Irish farmer.
Well he’s dead right there. We have mud now where we should have grass and we have a winter that refuses to shove off into the sunset. But as the actress said to the bishop, ‘We’ll carry on regardless,’ and so we must.
And in spite of the winter having overstayed it’s welcome, the mart trade remains firm, at least for quality stock, at least for now. I went to Kilmallock mart on Monday, where the rain poured down and the cattle poured in.
There was a tidy sum of money spent on cattle and calves in Kilmallock on the day — €1.2 million to be exact. The mart had 2,400 stock on offer, with a strong trade for quality stock, but I felt the poorer type Friesian was feeling the pinch. Bullocks on Monday sold for up to €2.59 per kg.
Weanlings (Kilmallock had 650 on offer) sold for up to €3.18 per kg. Dry cows hit €2.03 per kg. Heifers sold for up to €3.00 per kg. Dairy stock on offer sold well with a top price of €1,610 paid out for a three-year-old cow calved with nine days.
Calves were once again in demand, with two eight-week-old Hereford heifers topping the bill and selling for €415 each. On Saturday last at the mart’s bull sale, Aberdeen bulls sold for up to €3,650 each. The average paid out on the 29 bulls on offer was €2,050.
No Breed Sex Weight €
3 Lm steers 378kg 980
2 Hr steers 383kg 855
5 AA steers 357kg 790
1 Hr heifer 485kg 1005
2 Lm heifers 485kg 1140
1 Fr cow 485kg 910
1 sim cow 665kg 1180
No Breed Sex Weight €
5 Fr steers 332kg 580
2 Fr steers 497kg 910730
6 AA steers 390kg 975
2 BA steers 702kg 1570
1 Lm heifer 530kg 1215
1 BB cow 710kg 1460
1 Fr cow 795kg 1370
Bandon mart on Monday had 170 dry cows on offer, with dry cows selling here from €50 to €750 with the kilo. Aberdeen Angus and Hereford bullocks sold from €300 to €700 with the weight.
Continental bullocks sold from €400 to €870 with the kilo. Friesian bullocks in Bandon made from €200 to €550 with the kilo.
Heifers here made from €300 to €700 with the kilo. Shipping Friesian bulls calves sold from €80 to €150 a head in Bandon. Dairy stock in Bandon sold from €1100 to €1,460, with maiden heifers selling from €600 to €720 a head.
No Breed Sex Weight €
5 Ch steers 470kg 1185
5 Hr steers 595kg 1370
6 AA steers 510kg 1190
4 Fr steers 580kg 1080
3 Lm heifers 460kg 1170
1 Ch cow 650kg 1310
1 Fr cow 710kg 1020
The trade for the quality store animal remains strong in Macroom.
Saturday’s sale saw another day of big prices for Hereford and Angus cattle weighing around the 500kg mark.
In Macroom on Saturday, dry cows sold from €100 to €660 over the kilo. Continental bullocks made from €365 to €830 over the kilo.
Hereford and Aberdeen Angus bullocks sold from €270 to €755 over their weight.
Friesian bullocks sold from €205 to €705 with the kilo. Heifers sold from €275 to €895 over their weight.
No Breed Sex Weight €
3 Ch steers 473kg 1065
5 AA steers 570kg 1060
1 Fr steer 585kg 1010
1 AA heifer 570kg 1200
1 Ch heifer 425kg 890
1 Fr cow 720kg 1370
1 Fr cow 730kg 1055
Kanturk mart had a very big sale of cattle on Tuesday. The north Cork mart had an impressive 1,980 cattle and calves on offer (920 calves). Prices remained similar to the previous week, with the mart reporting a complete clearance of stock.
A special sale of breeding heifers and an all breed bull sale is due to take place this Saturday, April 8, at Kanturk mart.
Skibbereen mart manager Tom McCarthy reported a strong trade for Friesian bull calves on Friday, Friesian bulls made from €100 to €180 a head. Dry cows in Skibbereen sold from €50 to €675 with the kilo.
Aberdeen Angus and Hereford bullocks sold from €360 to €650 with the weight. Continental bullocks sold from €400 to €700 with the kilo. Friesian bullocks in Skibbereen sold from €230 to €500 with the kilo. Heifers in Skibbereen sold from €350 to €800 with their weight.
Weanling bulls made from €350 to €600 with the kilo. Dairy stock in Skibbereen sold from €1100 to €1,480, with suckler stock selling from €1,000 to €1,300.
No Breed Sex Weight €
3 Lm steers 358kg 1025
3 Ch steers 308kg 1000
3 Hr steers 543kg 1215
6 Lm heifers 375kg 1100
1 Lm cow 705kg 1380
1 Ch cow 595kg 1000
1 Fr cow 775kg 1150
Meanwhile, across in a busy Dungarvan mart in Waterford on Monday, Friesian bull calves sold from €35 up to €150 a head.
Hereford bull calves there made up to €220 a piece, with €380 a head being paid for the continental bulls.
No Breed Sex Weight €
1 Hr steer 755kg 1490
4 AA steers 602kg 1305
3 Ch steers 553kg 1370
4 AA heifers 555kg 1100
6 Ch heifers 365kg 900
1 Lm cow 725kg 1390
1 Fr cow 660kg 1030
And finally, in Corrin mart had 2,000 stock on offer on Tuesday.
Mart manager Sean Leahy reported “a strong trade” for bullocks and heifers.
In Corrin on Tuesday bullocks made from €160 to €600 with their weight, with beef bullocks making up to €935 with the kilo.
Store heifers sold from €230 to €610 with the weight. Dry cows in Corrin sold from €450 to €1,390 a head.
No Breed Sex Weight €
2 Lm steers 615kg 1550
5 Hr steers 476kg 1110
5 AA steers 598kg 1275
1 Ch heifer 640kg 1560
2 Lm heifers 350kg 890
1 BB cow 775kg 1340
1 Fr cow 765kg 127
