This is a subscriber-only article
Number of weanlings increased at this week’s sale in Ennis.
The south of the country is always first out of the traps for the first special weanling sales and there a number of them taking place in the southwest in the next week.
Autumn weanling sales have started off really well, with great demand in Ennis on Tuesday for both bulls and heifers.
The heifer ring stole the show, with a number of top-end Limousin x Belgian Blue heifers hitting big money.
A 475kg Belgian Blue-cross heifer made €2,400 (€5.05/kg), while a 440kg Limousin heifer hit €2,000 (€5.54/kg).
Replacements
Suckler farmers, having had a very positive spring in terms of weanling sale prices, are back out in force looking for replacement heifers.
Red or blue animals with a white fleck which falling into the roan category are making the highest prices.
One farmer with two pens of heifers averaging 410kg secured €3.45/kg across the board.
Confidence is obviously high in the suckler sector, with farmers willing to invest in high end stock for replacements.
A small suckler sale saw a top of €1,900 for a cow and calf outfit.
The bull ring was also very positive with a few good customers for heavier bulls over 400kg.
The general run of the 300-400kg bulls was around the €2.60-€2.80/kg mark, with a few exceptional calves crossing the €3/kg.
Mart manager Martin McNamara told the Irish Farmers Journal: “Trade has opened up strong for autumn-born weanlings.
“With the good prices, it has encouraged some farmers to move cattle a little earlier this year and they are probably better off.
“Most of our customers are looking for that nice store weanling, with fewer customers looking for that very heavy meal-fed weanling.
“Exporters are slowly coming to life with a few working on small numbers but they don’t usually get going until July/August every year. “
Ennis Mart will hold a special sale of autumn-born weanlings on Tuesday 13 July, with over 600 weanlings expected to be at the sale.
SHARING OPTIONS: