Cattle marts report: A week at the marts, where the clever money was on the Friesian bullock
You, my friend, are snapping up the bargain of the year. Nobody will make money like you will.
Paying out €550 for a 350kg Friesian bullock was a no-brainer. You are on a winner.
If you are not on a winner, nobody is.
This price will not hold, in fact, it’s strengthening as I write. Once grass kicks off properly and confidence replaces doubt, a rise in the price of the Friesian store is as sure as Trump launching a few more Tomahawk missiles.
It’s inevitable. So grab those empty Friesian stores while the going is good, and you can thank me for my sound advice, later in the year when you are smelling of roses.
The quality store is of course a different matter, as is the dry cow, they are flying high.
Bandon Mart on Monday had 200 dry cows on offer, with some nice fleshy cows appearing, and mart manger Tom McCarthy noting “a buoyant trade” for the dry cow.
Dry cows on Monday sold from €70 to €700 with the kilo. Aberdeen Angus and Hereford bullocks sold from €350 to €560 with the weight. Continental bullocks sold from €400 to €820 with the kilo.
Friesian bullocks in Bandon made from €200 to €650 with the kilo. Heifers here made from €300 to €860 with the kilo. Bandon Mart still has a glorious number of calves on offer each Monday.
This week, the mart sold 1,675 calves with the trade remaining just as buoyant. Shipping calves on Monday sold from €80 to €170 a head.
No Breed Sex Weight €
4 Lm steers 508kg 1330
7 AA steers 349kg 850
1 BB heifer 550kg 1410
1 Fr cow 710kg 1210
2 Sim cows 607kg 1300
1 Hr cow 755kg 1350
1 AA cow 865kg 1520
There is nothing more pleasurable to the beef farmer’s eye than the sight of a contented looking animal stretched out on a grassy field. An animal with his belly full and it tilted towards the sun.
And thankfully at long last, it’s a sight that is becoming more frequent on the nation’s fields, as the weather finally gets its act together. While not a particularly bad winter, it sure was a long one. A winter that put us all to the test.
Now, hopefully, we can drive on with a little more confidence, the grass is growing, cattle are growing, the year is finally come to life. And things were certainly full of life in Macroom mart on Saturday.
If you wanted to buy a quality animal, you were in the right place, all you needed were deep pockets.
In Macroom on Saturday, dry cows sold from €80 to €500 over the kilo. Continental bullocks made from €325 to €800 over the kilo. Hereford and Aberdeen Angus bullocks sold from €265 to €770 over their weight.
Friesian bullocks sold from €205 to €705 with the kilo. Heifers sold from €260 to €660 over their weight.
No Breed Sex Weight €
6 AA steers 620kg 1390
2 Hr steers 585kg 1260
2 Ch steers 560kg 1360
3 Lm heifers 480kg 1140
4 Ch heifers 280kg 725
1 Sim cow 705kg 1160
1 PT cow 630kg 1130
There were big numbers on offer in Kilmallock once again last Monday. The mart had 2,500 stock on offer, with close on 400 buyers doing business. Bullocks here sold for up to €2.66 per kg.
Weanlings (Kilmallock had over 600 on offer) hit the magic €3 per kg. Dry cows (Kilmallock had 250 on offer) sold for up to €2.12 per kg. Heifers hit €2.94 per kg. Suckler stock sold for up to €1,480, which was paid for a 9 year old Blonde and her Blonde bull calf.
The Hereford calf promotion run in Kilmallock mart on Monday was won by John McCarthy, Shandrum, Charleville, his Hereford heifer calf sold for €325. Michael Murphy, Relihan, Glenlara, Newmarket Co Cork had the best bull, which sold for €400.
Today, the North Munster bull sale takes place in Kilmallock, this sale will have 90 bulls of all breeds.
No Breed Sex Weight €
1 Lm steer 390kg 960
4 Hr steers 394kg 940
2 BB steers 398kg 915
3 AA heifers 482kg 1000
2 Hr heifers 443kg 960
2 Fr cows 470kg 915
1 Je cow 475kg 715
Big numbers of cattle were also on offer in Skibbereen mart on Friday. The mart had over 1,000 cattle and calves on offer, with dry cows here selling up to €800 with the kilo.
Aberdeen Angus and Hereford bullocks sold from €350 to €800 with the weight. Continental bullocks sold from €400 to €850 with the kilo.
Friesian bullocks in Skibbereen sold from €200 to €500 with the kilo. Heifers in Skibbereen sold from €250 to €700 with their weight. In Skibbereen weanling bulls made from €340 to €810 with the kilo.
Dairy stock in Skibbereen sold from €900 to €1,450, with suckler stock selling from €900 to €1,470.
No Breed Sex Weight €
2 Lm steers 387kg 1110
5 Ch steers 371kg 1050
4 Hr steers 337kg 920
1 Ch heifer 530kg 1180
1 Lm heifer 520kg 1160
1 Ch cow 800kg 1550
1 BB cow 700kg 1530
In Dungarvan mart on Monday Friesian bull calves sold from €70 to €140 a head. Hereford bull calves made up to €280 a piece, with up to €340 a head being paid for the continental bull.
Corrin had 2,000 stock for sale Tuesday. Mart manager Sean Leahy reported “a good strong trade” for bullocks and heifers.
Bullocks made from €160 to €640 with their weight, with beef bullocks making up to €730 with the kilo.
Store heifers sold from €200 to €550 with the weight, with butcher types making up to €710 with the kilo.
No Breed Sex Weight €
5 Hr steers 494kg 1100
2 Lm steers 583kg 1260
1 BB steer 645kg 1350
3 Lm heifers 511kg 1230
5 Lm heifers 428kg 1025
2 Hr heifers 515kg 1045
1 Fr cow 575kg 1040
No Breed Sex Weight €
3 Ch steers 660kg 1395
5 Lim steers 449kg 1200
5 Hr steers 580kg 1205
1 Ch heifer 510kg 1200
10 Lm heifers 345kg 900
2 AA heifers 570kg 1180
2 Hr heifers 397kg 870
Finally, for those who say the live mart trade is old hat, who prefer buying cattle on a tiny screen, Kanturk put paid to such nonsense with its biggest sale of cattle and calves in 17 years!
No Breed Sex Weight €
3 Lm steers 538kg 1310
2 AA steers 595kg 1200
2 AA heifers 442kg 860
1 Lm heifer 350kg 830
1 Ch heifer 590kg 1240
1 Fr cow 760kg 1170
1 Sim cow 720kg 1140
