Mart sales shrink, as the big day comes into view

Latest prices from Skibbereen, Ennis, Kilmallock, Kilkenny, Macroom and Kanturk marts

Wed, 15 Dec, 2021 - 12:29

Denis Lehane

It’s certainly beginning to feel a lot like Christmas, at the marts.

Over the past week numbers of cattle on offer have been falling faster than the snow in the famous Shakin’ Stephens Christmas song.

Fellows like me, who have let time slip with regards to picking up a few cattle before years end, will find it difficult now to pick up anything at all.

Because, just like old Shaky, we are now more interested in finding ourselves under the mistletoe than finding ourselves turning out a pen of bullocks in the direction of home.

The only droving we will be doing soon is ‘Droving home for Christmas.’

At the marts, numbers might be on the decline, but demand for quality stock has never been stronger.

We will head first to Skibbereen mart on Friday, where numbers are back but prices certainly were not.

Dry cows sold from €120 under to €845 with the kilo. Bullocks made from €290 to €715

with their weight.

Heifers in Skibbereen made from €295 to €820 with their weight.

Weanling bulls in Skibbereen on Friday sold from €250 to €609 with the weight, weanling heifers made from €225 to €490 with the kilo.

Skibbereen
Friday
No	Breed	Sex	Weight	€
2	Hr	steers	675kg	1390
1	AA	steer	475kg	990
1	Lm	steer	505kg	1150
1	Hr	heifer	390kg	800
2	Lm	heifers	557kg	1200
1	Sim	cow	790kg	1540
1	AA	cow	865kg	1710

Kanturk mart on Tuesday had a large entry of cattle, mart manager Seamus O’Keeffe gave us this report.

“Our big entry of cattle included 200 cows, the big number on Tuesday was partly due to us being closed last Tuesday.

“Our day could be summed up by saying we saw some excellent prices for top class cattle, with plenty of demand here also.”

The mart also held a weanling show and sale on Tuesday with the best weanling bull going to a Charolais owned by Sammy O’Sullivan from Kiskeam. This bull weighed 385kg and sold for €900.

The best weanling heifer went to a Blonde d’Aquitaine owned by William Curtin from Banteer. This animal weighed 265kg and sold for €715.

“Next Tuesday will be our last sale of 2021,” Seamus added.

“And so we would like to take this opportunity to wish all our customers, family and friends a very Happy Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year.

“We will re-open on Tuesday January 4th 2022.”

Kanturk

Tuesday

No Breed Sex Weight €

3 AA steers 361kg 790

3 Hr steers 371kg 810

5 Hr steers 520kg 1110

1 Lim heifer 375kg 940

10 Hr heifers 350kg 740

1 AA cow 815kg 1530

1 FR cow 835kg 1450

Macroom mart on Saturday had a big sale of cattle with Tim McSweeney of Macroom mart reporting “Prices were good, sellers were happy.”

Dry cows here sold from €115 to €830 over the kilo.

Friesian bullocks sold from €1.60/kg up to €1.80/kg. Continental bullocks made from €2/kg to €2.20/kg.

Angus and Hereford steers sold from €1.90/kg to €2.15/kg. Heifers sold from €2/kg up to €2.20/kg.

Weanling bulls in Macroom sold from €2.10/kg to €2.55/kg, weanling heifers made from €2.20/kg to €3/kg.

Dairy stock in Macroom sold from €1000 to €1400 a head.

Macroom
Saturday
No	Breed	Sex	Weight	€
5	Fr	steers	518kg	950
3	Hr	steers	725kg	1540
6	Hr	steers	402kg	870
2	Lm	steers	687kg	1470
8	Hr	steers	402kg	870
1	Ch	cow	770	1600
1	Fr	cow	770	1280

Kilmallock mart will have its final sale of the year next Monday, but looking back to last Monday the mart reported a

continuation of the strong trade.

120 buyers purchased the 500 cattle on offer. Bullocks in Kilmallock sold for up to €1280 a head or €2.51 per kg.

Dry cows were in good demand with 25 farmers and factory agents purchasing the 135 dry cows that were on offer.

Dry cows sold for up to €1280 a head or €2.02 per kg.

Heifers made up to €1250 a head or €2.55 per kg.

Dairy stock made up to €1200 a head or €1.74 per kg.

A March born Hereford bull made €540 in the calf ring. Young calves sold for up to €375 a head.

In calf sucklers hit €1180 (paid for a 3-year-old in calf Charolais).

Weanlings sold for up to €1170 a head or €2.43 per kg.

At the final sale of cattle at Kilmallock mart on this coming Monday December 20th, the mart will have 3

Limousin cows with Limousin calves at foot on offer.

Kilmallock
Monday
No	Breed	Sex	Weight	€
1	Lim	steer	395kg	840
1	Ch	steer	365kg	800
7	AA	steers	243kg	610
2	Fr	steers	355kg	610
5	Ch	steers	524kg	1200
6	AA	steers	515kg	1140
3	BB	steers	508kg	1080

Geraldine Walsh of Clare Co-Op marts gave us the following report after the sale of bullocks on Friday.

“Numbers of bullocks are starting to ease back a bit, we had 370 bullocks on offer on Friday.

“The trade is still very strong all round, with Aberdeen Angus and Hereford cattle in great demand, especially if they

were anyway forward.

“Some very fancy prices were paid for stores, in some cases hitting the €3/kg mark.”

And looking back to Thursday’s general sale of cattle, Geraldine added.

“Numbers here were holding pretty strong with 470 on offer in the cull cow and heifer ring (280 cull cows were on offer).

“Again, a very strong trade for anything forward in the cull cow and heifer ring.

“ A selection of Pure Bred Shorthorn heifers made from €990 to €1,480 a head for 1 ½ year old maidens.

“We had 11 aged bulls on offer and these averaged €1.77/kg, with a Charolais suitable for breeding making €2,590 at

1,035kgs.

“Again, more than 60% of cows on offer were Continentals. Heifers a very good trade yet again.”

Ennis
Thursday
No	Breed	Sex	Weight	€
1	Lim	heifer	645kgs	1640
1	Ch	heifer	560kg	1440
2	Lm	heifers	472kg	1370
1	Hr	heifers	550kg	1170
1	Hr	cow	680kg	1480
1	Lm	cow	830kg	2000
1	Sh	cow	695kg	1190

Kilkenny mart manager George Candler gave us this report following last Thursday’s sale of cattle.

“We had a similar sized sale on Thursday, to the previous week, with a very sharp trade for forward

store bullocks and heifers. We had plenty of customers willing to spend on quality.

“Beef bullocks and heifers, which were increased number wise compared to last week, met a flying trade.

“We had over 200 cull cows on offer with Continentals selling to a high of €2.48 kilo.”

At Kilkenny mart on Thursday bullocks sold from €1.65 to €2.80 per kilo.

Heifers here made from €2 to €2.65 per kilo.

Friesian cull cows sold from €0.85 to €1.95 per kilo. Continental cull cows made from €1.40 to €2.48 per kilo. Kilkenny mart had 780 cattle on offer on Thursday.

Kilkenny
Thursday
No	Breed	Sex	Weight	€
1	Lim	steer	775kg	2030
2	AA	steers	595kg	1390
4	Fr	steers	500kg	950
10	Fr	steers	490kg	940
1	Lim	heifer	760kg	1750
2	BB	heifers	490kg	1190
5	Ch	heifers	395kg	880