The annual dairy heifer sale in Corrin Mart, Co Cork, took place last Friday.
The sale consisted of 140 dairy heifers made up from pedigree, non-pedigree, milk recorded and high-EBI heifers.
The quality of stock on sale was high, with sellers having built their breeding reputation over many years.
Clearance rate was high with strong prices. This has come as a surprise to many farmers coming off the back of a tough year for dairy farming and new nitrates derogation rules.
Speaking to mart manager Sean Leahy at Corrin Mart, he commented on the strength of demand for good-quality dairy heifers.
“There was a range of good-quality stock on sale this week. Any good-quality stock that will do 500kg-plus of milk solids was demanding high prices. Any heifers calving in February or March also made good money.
“It can’t be overlooked at the quality of some of these heifers. Some dams were doing 800kg-plus of milk solids, so they were an exceptional bunch,” Sean said.
Paying for quality
It was evident that farmers were willing to pay for quality, with one farmer buying eight heifers. The average value of these eight heifers was €2,100/head.
Sean also commented that while there were very good prices paid for heifers, the same sellers were making a lot more last year.
He said one seller in particular sold his heifers at an average price of €1,900/head, but this is back €400/head on where they were last year.
Freshly calved heifers and heifers on the point of calving averaged out at €1,400.
The highest trade for heifers were genotyped, high-EBI Holstein Friesian heifers.
These were an exceptionally well-bred bunch, as there was a big emphasis on fertility in their breeding, with all heifers having a fertility sub index +€100.
It must be noted that this group’s dams were also producing 550kg-plus of milk solids.
Demand for crossbred animals wasn’t as high, as they averaged at €1,100/head. Again, good-quality stock sold well, but there wasn’t demand for crossbreds on the day.
Overall, all stock for sale averaged at €1,400/head, with the top price paid for a heifer being €2,320.
There was a strong clearance rate at 91%, showing strong demand for good quality, earlier calving strong in-calf heifers.
The second half of this annual dairy heifer sale will take place this Friday at 11am in Corrin Mart.
This pedigree Holstein, with an EBI of €224, sold for €1,500 and has calved.
This crossbred €191 EBI heifer sold for €1,100, with her dam producing 4,700kg milk.
The highest seller on the day, this €235 EBI heifer, calving early February to sexed semen, made €2,320.
This €272 EBI heifer, due in early February to sexed semen, sold for €1,900.
This €247 EBI heifer, scanned in-calf and due mid-February to an Aberdeen Angus bull, sold for €1,860.
This in-calf heifer, with an EBI of €270 and due to calve mid-January, made €1,520.
This April 2021-born calved heifer, with a dam producing 6,700kg milk, sold for €1,380.
This 505kg recently calved pedigree Holstein sold for €1,400 with an EBI of €83.
Calving in March, this €256 EBI heifer sold for €1,100.
This €214 EBI crossbred, with high milk percentage PTA and calving in February, sold for €1,140.
This 25% Jersey-cross, with a €251 EBI, sold for €1,000, calving in April.
The annual dairy heifer sale in Corrin Mart, Co Cork, took place last Friday.
The sale consisted of 140 dairy heifers made up from pedigree, non-pedigree, milk recorded and high-EBI heifers.
The quality of stock on sale was high, with sellers having built their breeding reputation over many years.
Clearance rate was high with strong prices. This has come as a surprise to many farmers coming off the back of a tough year for dairy farming and new nitrates derogation rules.
Speaking to mart manager Sean Leahy at Corrin Mart, he commented on the strength of demand for good-quality dairy heifers.
“There was a range of good-quality stock on sale this week. Any good-quality stock that will do 500kg-plus of milk solids was demanding high prices. Any heifers calving in February or March also made good money.
“It can’t be overlooked at the quality of some of these heifers. Some dams were doing 800kg-plus of milk solids, so they were an exceptional bunch,” Sean said.
Paying for quality
It was evident that farmers were willing to pay for quality, with one farmer buying eight heifers. The average value of these eight heifers was €2,100/head.
Sean also commented that while there were very good prices paid for heifers, the same sellers were making a lot more last year.
He said one seller in particular sold his heifers at an average price of €1,900/head, but this is back €400/head on where they were last year.
Freshly calved heifers and heifers on the point of calving averaged out at €1,400.
The highest trade for heifers were genotyped, high-EBI Holstein Friesian heifers.
These were an exceptionally well-bred bunch, as there was a big emphasis on fertility in their breeding, with all heifers having a fertility sub index +€100.
It must be noted that this group’s dams were also producing 550kg-plus of milk solids.
Demand for crossbred animals wasn’t as high, as they averaged at €1,100/head. Again, good-quality stock sold well, but there wasn’t demand for crossbreds on the day.
Overall, all stock for sale averaged at €1,400/head, with the top price paid for a heifer being €2,320.
There was a strong clearance rate at 91%, showing strong demand for good quality, earlier calving strong in-calf heifers.
The second half of this annual dairy heifer sale will take place this Friday at 11am in Corrin Mart.
This pedigree Holstein, with an EBI of €224, sold for €1,500 and has calved.
This crossbred €191 EBI heifer sold for €1,100, with her dam producing 4,700kg milk.
The highest seller on the day, this €235 EBI heifer, calving early February to sexed semen, made €2,320.
This €272 EBI heifer, due in early February to sexed semen, sold for €1,900.
This €247 EBI heifer, scanned in-calf and due mid-February to an Aberdeen Angus bull, sold for €1,860.
This in-calf heifer, with an EBI of €270 and due to calve mid-January, made €1,520.
This April 2021-born calved heifer, with a dam producing 6,700kg milk, sold for €1,380.
This 505kg recently calved pedigree Holstein sold for €1,400 with an EBI of €83.
Calving in March, this €256 EBI heifer sold for €1,100.
This €214 EBI crossbred, with high milk percentage PTA and calving in February, sold for €1,140.
This 25% Jersey-cross, with a €251 EBI, sold for €1,000, calving in April.
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