Carnew Mart in Co Wicklow held a special suckler sale before the weanling sale on Wednesday last. The sale included the clearance of local farmer Colin Tyner’s top-quality 100-cow suckler herd. The cows on offer were calving from February to the first half of April to a super Belgian Blue stock bull.

The majority of Limousin- and Angus-cross cows were rated four and five stars on the replacement index (these are visible through the ICBF filter on the MartBids app), with many of the Parthenaise- and Hereford-cross cows bred within the herd from Limousin-cross cows rated one to three stars.

The best competition was for young cows with good conformation. Prices for these cows ranged from €1,200 to €1,450, with a couple of cows breaking the €1,500 mark and selling to a top of €1,540.

Older cows with good conformation and younger Angus-cross cows sold from €1,000 to €1,200, with less than a handful of lighter and aged cows from €800 to €1,000. The herd achieved a good average of over €1,200 per head.

There was also an entry of 10 Angus-cross heifers calving next spring at two years of age to an easy-calving Hereford stock bull. These heifers weighed from 450kg to 480kg on average and sold from €780 to €880.

The 2012-born Belgian Blue stock bull, with a high terminal index of €229 and weighing 1,000kg, generated high levels of interest and sold for €3,400. The December 2014-born Hereford stock bull weighed 1,069kg and sold for €1,600.

Mart manager David Quinn said the last two sales of weanlings has witnessed a much livelier trade.

Bulls weighing 300kg to 380kg averaged around €2.35/kg, with plainer lots from €2.20/kg to €2.25/kg and the best-quality lots from €2.50/kg to €2.80/kg.

Heavier bulls weighing 380kg to 480kg and grading U+ and E sold from €2.70/kg to €3.20/kg.

David says the heifer trade has improved in recent weeks, but still lags behind bulls. Heifers weighing 300kg to 400kg averaged around €2.15/kg.

Plainer types sold from €1.75/kg to €2.10/kg, with good-quality suckler-bred heifers selling from €2.20/kg to €2.45/kg.

Commission rates are 1.5% to the seller and €10 to the buyer.