Nine heifers make over €4,000 at Mayo mart
BALLA Mart saw a bigger sale on Saturday, with just over 1,100 cattle - up 190 on last week for the end of month Continental sale.
And there could have been a lot more stock booked, so the advice to anyone with cattle for next Saturday is to book in time, at 9.30 a.m. this Wednesday morning.
Cattle on Saturday were showing signs of the weather but there was a good clearance. A lot of farmers are coming out and not holding for spring due to the costs and labour involved.
Some strong Continental bullocks were making over €3,000 plus and were in great demand from feedlot and northern factory buyers.
There were a lot of heavy heifers this week and some met with a great trade, with nine heifers making over €4,000 this week.
There was a lot of mixed type lighter bullocks but when it came to strong types there were only 27 bullocks weighing over 700kg, with nothing heavier than 795kg, and only five that made over €3,000.
Bullocks 300kg to 400kg averaged €4.26/kg - up 7 cent/kg on last week; bullocks 400kg to 500kg averaged €4.10/kg - which was exactly the same; and those 500kg plus averaged €3.79/kg.
Top prices in the bullocks included:
295kg LMX €1,400 (€4.75/kg)
380kg LMX €2,180 (€5.74/kg)
450kg LMX €2,540 (€5.64/kg)
580kg LMX €2,920 (€5.03/kg)
640kg CHX €2,860 (€4.47/kg)
740kg CHX €3,200 (€4.32/kg)
790kg CHX €3,260 (€4.13/kg)
In the heifers, a farmer from Dromore West had some smashing Belgian Blues and one heifer weighing 550kg made €4,850 (€8.82/kg) while another weighing 640kg was sold for €4,900 (€7.66/kg).
Heifers 300kg to 400kg averaged €3.84/kg - up 30 cent/kg on last week; heifers 400kg to 500kg averaged €3.81/kg; and heifers 500kgs plus averaged €4.10/- kg up 10 cent/kg on last week.
Top prices in the heifers included:
275kg CHX €1,140 (€4.15/kg)
385kg LMX €1,860 (€4.83/kg)
495kg LMX €2,640 (€5.33/kg)
550kg BBX €4,850 (€8.82/kg)
595kg BBX €4,300 (€7.23/kg)
640kg BBX €4,900 (€7.66/kg)
780kg BBX €5,000 (€6.41/kg)
This week there were 210 cows, and not one dry cow missed. Dry cows 500kg plus were making €3.01/kg.
A farmer from Templeboy in Sligo had a March ’24 born cow, due in December to ‘Proper’, that sold for €5,000.
Booking for next Saturday's sale is on Wednesday on low call 0818 301 401.