€7,800 top price at Mayo special breeding heifer sale
BALLA Mart held a special breeding heifer sale on Saturday, with over 1,000 cattle booked in for the mart sales overall.
An outstanding Belgian Blue heifer that came from Moate in Co. Westmeath - born June ’24 and weighing 655kg - was sold online for €7,800 to a farmer from the North.
In all, five heifers made in excess of €4,000, with 18 lots making over €3,000, ranging from €5.50 to €6.50/kg.
In general, prices for heavier cattle were similar to last week but lighter stock were holding their own due to farmers buying for grass. And farmers are becoming more price conscious when picking up cattle.
Bullocks 300kg to 400kg averaged €4.82/kg, bullocks 400kg to 500kg averaged €4.55/kg, and those 500kg plus averaged €4.23/kg.
Top prices in the bullocks included:
295kg CHX €1,870 (€6.34/kg)
375kg CHX €2,460 (€6.56/kg)
415kg CHX €2,640 (€6.36/kg)
677kg CHX €3,180 (€4.80/kg)
745kg CHX €3,200 (€4.30/kg)
Heifers 300kg to 400kg averaged €4.76/kg, heifers 400kg to 500kg averaged €4.66/kg, while those 500k plus averaged €4.50/kg.
Top prices in the heifers included:
285kg CHX €1,640 (€5.75/kg)
325kg LMX €2,040 (€6.28/kg)
480kg BBX €5,350 (€11.15/kg)
590kg CHX €4,150 (€7.03/kg)
620kg BBX €4,980 (€8.03/kg)
655kg BBX €7,800 (€11.91/kg)
Dry cows 500kg plus this week were down to €3.39/kg.
There were 102 cows for the third ring, with 34 of these were weighing in excess of 700kg. The tops was a December 2017 SIX dry cow that made €3,220 for a Castlebar farmer.
Best in the springers was a January ‘23 Limousin cow that was bought for €4,600.
Saturday, March 28, will be the end of month Continental sale with booking on Wednesday on low call 0818 301 401.
Nice selection of stock at Ballinrobe Mart
WEDNESDAY last saw a smaller sale at Ballinrobe Mart after St. Patrick’s Day, with there was a nice selection of stock on offer and heifers reached a high of €6.48/kg.
Heifers fetched prices from €700 to €2,100 per head or €3.75 to €6.48 per kg. Heifers 500kg plus heifers averaged €3.71/kg or €2,025/head, with a top price of €3.80/kg; 400kg to 500kg heifers averaged €4.06/kg or €1,825/head, with the high of €4.06/kg; and 300kg to 400kg heifers averaged €5.21/kg or €1,745/head, with a top price €5.94/kg or €1,920/hd.
Top heifer prices included the following:
AAX, 585kg, €2,100, €3.59
AAX, 510kg, €1,940, €3.80
AAX, 495kg, €1,970, €3.98
AAX, 435kg, €1,870, €4.30
LMX, 378kg, €1,920, €5.09
CHX, 315kg, €1,870, €5.94
CHX, 300kg, €1,760, €5.87
CHX, 270kg, €1,750, €6.48
AAX, 280kg, €1,530, €5.46/kg
Bullocks achieved prices from €1,580 to €2,100 per head or €4.17 to €5.85 per kg. Bullocks 400kg to 500kg averaged €4.57/kg or €1,960/head; 300kg to 400kg bullocks averaged €5.05/kg or €1,665/head; while 200kg to 300kg bullocks averaged €5.85/kg or €1,580/head.
Top bullock prices included:
CHX, 400kg, €2,100, €5.25
AAX, 475kg, €1,980, €4.17
AAX, 410kg, €1,900, €4.63
LMX, 315kg, €1,630, €5.17
CHX, 270kg, €1,580
Dry cows ranged from €1,370 to €2,180 per head, with an average of €1,820/head or €2.74/kg.
Suck calves ranged from €280 to €310, with an AAX bull, 45kg, making €310, and an AAX heifer, 40kg, selling for €300.
Cows with calves at foot made from €2,200 to €2,320.
Cattle are wanted weekly for customers. Calf sales are taking place from now onwards.
An organic sale takes place on Wednesday, March 25, and the third Wednesday of every month thereafter.
For more information, call (094) 9541140.
SHEEP SALE
Last Thursday's sheep sale saw ewe hoggets range from €90 to €215, or €3.40 to €4.00/kg, averaging €3.71/kg.
Mixed bunches ranged from €170 to €210, or €3.13 to €3.70/kg, averaging €3.42/kg.
Rams ranged from €102 to €212, or €2.75 to €3.76/kg, averaging €3.35/kg.
Wethers ranged from €177 to €201, or €3.64 to €3.93/kg, averaging €3.76/kg.
Prices included: EH, 61kg, €215, €3.52; EH, 41kg, €164, €4.00; EL, 38kg, €152, €4.00; Mixed H, 46kg, €170, €3.70; RL, 59kg, €210, €3.56; RL, 49kg, €184, €3.76; WL, 45KG, €177, €3.93.
In the cull ewes, prices ranged from €70 to €222, averaging €125/head, and price per kg ranging from €1.13 to €2.23, with an average of €1.77/kg.
In-lamb ewes ranged from €116 to €182.