Breeding heifer prices hit €7,800 at Carnew Mart special sale
The 45th Annual Fatstock Show and Sale took place over the past two weekends at Carnew Mart in Co. Wicklow.
The show and sale of male cattle took place on Saturday, January 31, with the dry cow sale on Friday, February 6, and the heifer sale on Saturday, February 7.
Speaking to Agriland, Carnew Mart's David Quinn said that it was a "very busy weekend" for the Co. Wicklow mart venue with almost 300 cows on offer in the dry cow show and sale and 1,150 head on offer at the heifer show and sale.
The campion cow in the Friday sale was a pedigree Belgian Blue cow owned by Shay Hayden. The cow weighed just under a tonne and sold for €6,000 or €6.02/kg.
The price was "an all-time record for dry cows," Quinn said.
Another 924kg Belgian Blue cow owned by Tony Whitten sold for €5,260 or €5.69/kg, while an 890kg Belgian Blue cow owned by John Redmond sold for €3,700 or €4.16/kg.
In the heifer show and sale at the mart on Saturday, the top price went the way of the champion breeding heifer.
Owned by Sharon Rothwell, the 756kg pedigree Belgian Blue heifer sold for €7,800 or €10.32/kg.
The highest price per kilo in the sale went to a 556kg Belgian Blue-cross heifer that sold for €6,300 or €11.33/kg.
Other top prices from the heifer show and sale:
- 816kg Belgian Blue-cross heifer sold for €6,200 or €7.60/kg;
- 570kg Belgian Blue-cross heifer sold for €5,650 or €9.91/kg;
- 718kg Limousin-cross heifer sold for €5,620 or €7.83/kg;
- 630kg Charolais-cross heifer sold for €4,350 or €6.90/kg;
- 692kg Belgian Blue-cross heifer sold for €4,300 or €6.21/kg.
An entry of four continental-type heifers from Trevor Jackson averaged 603kg and sold for €2,800/head or €4.64/kg.
A 676kg Parthenaise-cross heifer owned by Jimmy McGing sold for €3,200 or €4.73/kg.
In the pre-sale show, the best weanling/store heifer under 500kg was owned by Seamus Wafer. The 406kg Belgian Blue-cross heifer sold for €3,320 or €8.18/kg.
A pair of Angus heifers owned by Ann Hardy weighed 542kg each and sold for €2,100 or €3.87/kg.
Three Hereford heifers owned by James Graham averaged 526kg and sold for €1,910 or €3.63/kg.
