The 2017 sale season got under way in Skibbereen with only a small number of cattle on offer and more people present than livestock. It was hard to blame farmers for escaping the heavy overnight rainfall and misty morning.

Cull cows formed the backbone of the sale with a good trade for what was on offer. Cows present were in mostly in ideal condition and prices reflected this. Young cows or heifers which had not gone in-calf sold best. Cows made from €75 under up to €315 over the €/kg.

Sample cow prices:

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  • One Limousin weighing 685kg made €940 (€1.37/kg).
  • One Hereford weighing 695kg made €900 (€1.30/kg).
  • One Friesian (heifer) weighing 610kg made €1,035 (€1.70/kg).
  • One Friesian weighed 505kg and made €580 (€1.15/kg).
  • One Friesian weighed 685kg and made €840 (€1.23/kg).
  • Numbers were extremely small in other stock categories with some animals going unsold also.

    Sample heifer prices:

  • Two Hereford, born February 2015 and weighing 517kg, made €920 (€1.78/kg).
  • Two Angus, born April 2015 and weighing 302kg, made €560 (€1.85/kg).
  • One Angus, born March 2015 and weighing 375kg, made €700 (€1.87/kg).
  • Steers and bulls

    Of the rest of what was on offer, a pen of three Hereford bullocks, born April 2015 and weighing 561kg, made €985 (€1.85/kg). Two Angus bulls, born April 2016 weighing 247kg, sold for €560 (€2.27/kg). A Limousin bull, born May 2016 weighed 290kg and sold for €720 (2.48/kg).

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