Last Thursday’s dry cow and heifer sale in Carnaross saw good numbers of both cull cows and feeding type heifers on offer, with keen demand seen for all types.

Factory agents were prevalent around the ring for both, purchasing a mix of finished and forward store types.

In the heifer ring, the majority of lighter stores were Hereford- and Angus-cross heifers,with heavier lots being continental sucklers.

Angus-cross heifers from 500kg to 600kg averaged €3.83/kg, with Hereford-crosses averaging €3.55/kg.

Charolais- and Limousin-cross types both averaged €4.47/kg, with highs of €5/kg being paid.

More forward store types and finished dairy-beef lots between 500kg and 600kg were a sharper trade and commanded higher prices per kilo.

Continentals

Angus-cross heifers of this weight averaged €3.94/kg, with Hereford types jumping up to €3.86/kg.

Continental cattle also saw a rise in price per kilo with the heavier weights, albeit a smaller one, with Charolais- and Limousin-crosses averaging €4.51/kg and €4.50/kg respectively, while a small show of Belgian Blue-crosses averaged €4.21/kg.

Top price in this weight bracket was a Limousin-cross heifer weighing 565kg that sold for €3,290 (€5.82/kg).

Heavier heifers from 600kg to 700kg were back slightly on price per kilo for continental cattle than these forward store types, with Charolais and Limousin heifers both sitting at €4.39/kg of an average, while Angus- and Hereford-crosses averaged €4.01/kg and €3.91/kg respectively.

A showing of heavy heifers above 30 months saw no penalty for age, with these heifers selling in the main from €4.24/kg to €4.54/kg.

Cull cows

In the cull cows, a mix of suckler and dairy cows were on offer, with a good show of both fed and feeder-type dairy cows.

Friesian cows from 500kg to 600kg averaged €2.40/kg, but rose as high as €3/kg, with crossbred dairy types of this weight averaging €2.01/kg.

Friesian cows from 600kg to 700kg averaged €2.54/kg.

Cows between 700kg and 800kg were more a mix of suckler and dairy stock, with dairy stock in this bracket carrying good flesh which saw an average price of €2.86/kg paid, with suckler types between 70c and €1/kg above this.

Lots above 800kg sold from €3.75/kg to €4.32/kg for suckler cows, with dairy cows averaging €3.16/kg.