Carrigallen Mart was a sea of gold and orange on Saturday last, with farmers within the mart’s hinterland noted for their love of Charolais-cross cattle.

Similar to many other weanling sales this year, a kind summer led to cattle of good weight for age, while increased weanling prices and scheme incentives also showed on a lot of weanlings being announced as “weaned and eating meal”.

The yard was noticeably quiet, with little bawling, a reassurance to buyers that this was indeed true.

While show winners did catch some of the highest prices, farmer buyers were notably active around the ring, competing against feedlots for quality U and R grading heifers.

The majority of weanlings were spring-born, with some late-autumn or winter born heifers of a heavier class also in the mix, but the majority clocked in on the scales at 300kg to 360kg.

Three-hundred-and-sixty weanling heifers passed through the ring, with just 40 bulls on offer due to the bull show and sale held the week prior.

Heifer prices

Heifers in the 200kg to 300kg weight band sold to a strong average of €6.57/kg, with the top third selling to an average of €7.21/kg.

What really demonstrated the quality and prices on offer was that the bottom third of these lighter heifers still averaged €5.94/kg.

As mentioned, the majority of heifers were between 300kg and 400kg. A total of 158 heifers in this bracket averaged €6.14/kg. This puts a 340kg heifer at €2,087.60/head.

The top third were ahead by just under €1/kg at €7.08/kg, while the bottom third impressed at €5.36/kg.

Heavier heifers in the 400kg to 450kg bracket totalled just under 40 and with several of the prizewinners included in this, the variance in price between the top prices and lower ones was greater than for other weight bands. Heifers of this weight averaged €6.66/kg, with the top third averaging €9.16/kg.

Several quality lots suited to either showing or for elite in-calf heifer sales were present, with show enthusiasts active alongside these producers.

Top call was the show champion, a Belgian Blue-cross heifer weighing 440kg, that sold for €6,500 (€14.77/kg), while the first-prizewinner in the Belgian Blue heifer class commanded second highest at €5,400 (€14/kg).

A further three lots sold between €4,000 and €5,000, while five lots of heifers sold between €3,000 and €4,000.