Ballinrobe Mart in Co. Mayo hosted its weekly general cattle sale on Wednesday, June 12, with numbers of cattle on offer described as “holding steady”, according to mart manager Teresa Gibsey.
The mart manager said there was “a good clearance of cattle” at this week’s sale, with a strong trade for heifers and cows with heifer prices reaching €1,840/head and cows reaching €2,170/head.
Heifer prices ranged from €590-1,840/head or €2.23-3.73/kg. The average price paid for Angus-cross heifers on the day was €2.51/kg.
The average price paid for for Charolais heifers was €2.90/kg, while Limousin heifers also had an average sale price of €2.90/kg.
Heifers in the 500kg plus weight category sold for an average price of €2.77/kg and heifers in the 400-500kg weight bracket had an average sale price of €2.77/kg.
Lighter heifers in the 300-400kg weight bracket had an average sale price of €2.66/kg.
Top heifer prices from the sale included:
- 595kg Limousin heifer sold for €1,840 or €3.09/kg;
- 615kg Limousin heifer sold for €1,750 or €2.85/kg;
- 525kg Limousin heifer sold for €1,580 – €3.01/kg;
- 450kg Limousin heifer sold for €1,580 – €3.51/kg;
- 400kg Limousin heifer sold for €1,490 – €3.73/kg;
- 360kg Limousin heifer sold for €1,140 – €3.17/kg;
- 315kg Limousin heifer sold for €1,070 – €3.40/kg.
The trade for bullocks has “held steady for this time of year” with more Friesian and Hereford-cross bullocks on offer this week.
Bullock prices ranged from €500-1,670/head or €1.67-3.59/kg. The average for Angus bullocks was €2.57/kg. Charolais bullocks averaged €2.76/kg and Limousin bullocks averaged €3.18/kg.
Friesian bullocks averaged €1.85/kg while Hereford bullocks averaged €2.28/kg.
The average price for bullocks weighing over 500kg was €2.44/kg and bullocks in the 400-500kg weight bracket averaged €2.57/kg while lighter bullocks weighing from 300-400kg averaged €2.31/kg.
Top prices from the bullock sale included:
- 720kg Angus bullock sold for €1,670 or €2.32/kg;
- 555kg Charolais bullock sold for €1,400 or €2.52/kg;
- 435kg Limousin bullock sold for €1,560 or €3.59/kg;
- 400kg Limousin bullock sold for €1,360 or €3.40/kg;
- 370kg Limousin bullock sold for €1,210 or €3.27/kg;
- 225kg Limousin bullock sold for €700 or €3.11/kg.
Dry cows made from €990-2,170/head with the best price going to a six-year-old Simmental cow weighing 860kg, selling for €2.52/kg.
A 755kg Charolais cow made €1,870 or €2.48/kg and the overall average sale price for cows was €2.30/kg.
A Salers-cross cow with a Charolais heifer calf at foot made €2,020 while another Limousin cow with a Limousin heifer calf at foot made €2,000.
On Wednesday, June 19, the mart will host a special entry of 18 cows with calves at foot and on Wednesday, June 26, the mart will host its end of month continental bullock sale.
Sheep sale at Ballinrobe
The mart hosted a sheep sale on Thursday, June 13, with strong demand and a full clearance seen.
Prices from the sheep sale at Ballinrobe Mart:
- 52kg, €218, €4.19/kg;
- 48kg, €207, €4.31/kg;
- 46kg, €200, €4.35/kg;
- 42kg, €186, €4.43/kg;
- 41kg, €171, €4.17/kg.
Prices for ewes with lambs at foot ranged from €90-300 for ewe and twin-lamb unit.
Cull ewes ranged from €20-210/head with an average of €120/head paid. 109kg cull ewes made €210/head or €1.93/kg while 95kg cull ewes made €190/head or €2.00/kg. Cull ewes weighing 82kg made €182/head or €2.22/kg.
A notable price of €222/head was paid for a batch of 57.5kg hoggets. Another notable sale was a pen of spring lambs weighing 46kg, which fetched an impressive rate of €4.43/kg or €204/head.
Lambs were making from €2.72-4.43/kg with an average of €3.99/kg or €98 to €222/head, with an average of €185.