Cork Holstein Friesian Club held its annual 'Cream of Cork' sale over the weekend, with a top price of €5,000 achieved.

The sale is different from your traditional sale where you bid on whatever is in the ring at the mart.

This sale runs online over the course of a couple of days, kicking off last Friday, March 27 and finishing up Monday, March 30.

With seven bulls and 33 calved heifers on offer, bidders had a great chance of buying into some of the best pedigree bloodlines in Cork.

Sale

Dock Bullseye Marie 2 had made the top price of €5,000 by the time bidding closed.

The March-2024-born heifer bred by the Hayes family had an economic breeding index (EBI) of €-45, broken into milk traits of 343kg milk at 10.21kg fat and 5.59kg protein.

Her dam, Dock Lauthority Marie EX 90 is produced 8,914kg milk at 3.46% fat and and 3.11% protein in her first lactation, while maintaining a somatic cell count (SCC) of 27.

The 'choice lot' of the sale made €4,000, with the highest bidder getting to pick one of two heifers.

The two heifers were January-2024-born twins, Seaview Missy 230 and Seaview Missy 231 bred by the White family of Clonakilty.

Seaview Missy 230 boasted an EBI of €82, with a milk sub-index of €58, broken into traits of 207kg milk at 7.27kg fat and 9.47kg protein, as well as a fertility sub-index of €11 and a health sub-index of €12.

Meanwhile, Seaview Missy 231 also had an EBI of €82, with the same milk and health sub-indexes, however she was €1 less in fertility and her milk traits came in at 204kg milk at 7.33kg fat and 9.42kg protein.

Further top prices from the sale included;

€4,000 for Blarney Midmarch Pledge 2035 (EBI €59);
€3,050 for Ardnasalem Jenny 5 (EBI €-48);
€3,000 for Blarney Connor Tina 46 (EBI €115);
€2,800 for Ryefarm Lawson Buttercup (EBI €135);
€2,800 for Mylawn Nina 3886 (EBI €198).

The sale closed with an average price of €2,984 for sold heifers.

Bulls

Seven bulls also went up for grabs during the weekend long sale, with a top price of €4,850 given in this category.

The top price went to Lisduff Brevity ET, an October-2024-born bull bred by the O'Sullivans of Whitechurch.

The bull boasted an EBI of €137, with a €91 milk sub-index, €37 fertility sub-index, an €11 calving sub-index, and a €14 health sub-index.

The Lisduff herd also sold two more bulls over the weekend, with Lisduff Altitude ET (EBI €118) and Lisduff Magistrate ET (EBI €174) going under the virtual hammer.

Lisduff Magistrate ET sold for €3,700 while Lisduff Altitude ET sold for €3,300.

Ballintotas Rager Contented, a November-2024-born bull with an EBI of €49 also sold for €2,200.