Elphin Mart had just under 300 weanlings through the ring on Monday night for a special sale of weanlings.
The quality was exceptional and the trade matched it, with farmer buyers now competing strongly with exporters for weanlings.
Farmer buyers are getting stronger in the last two or three weeks, with some realising that they will either have to dig deep and buy or stay out altogether as the weanlings just won’t be there to buy.
Top call on the night went to a February 2025-born Belgian Blue bull weighing 530kg and selling for €3,410 (€6.43/kg). A January-born Charolais heifer weanling weighing 355kg sold for €3,000 (€8.45/kg).
The top third of heifer weanlings in the 300kg to 400kg weight bracket came in at €6.87/kg, with the top third of bull weanlings in the same weight bracket coming in at a massive €7.29/kg.
Heavier weanlings in the 400kg to 450kg weight bracket came in at €7.07/kg for the top third in terms of quality.
'Unreal' quality
Commenting on the quality, mart manager Ciaran Lynch said: “I don’t think I ever seen [such] a yard of weanlings, the quality was unreal. One after another, they just got better and better.
“I think there’s a more of a focus on quality in the last few years. Even before cattle prices took off, farmers were seeing the huge difference there was between an average weanling and a good one and some might have reduced numbers and tried to buy in a few better heifers to increase the number of quality weanlings that they were breeding.
“It’s paying off, with those farmers now getting their weanlings into €2,000 to €2,500/head. It’s great money and it puts suckling back as an option again.
“You see lads putting more of an effort in now and concentrating on it, whereas before it was just take it or leave it.
“We had a local farmer who sold 33 weanlings with us on Monday night - a mixture of bulls and heifers - and he went home with a cheque of just shy of €80,000. It’s great to see the lads that stick at it getting rewarded for it.”
This January 2025-born Limousin bull weanling weighed 320kg and sold for €2,170 (€6.78/kg).
This March 2025-born Limousin bull weanling weighed 410kg and sold for €2,740 (€6.68/kg).
This February 2024-born Belgian Blue weanling weighed 530kg and sold for €3,410 (€6.43/kg).
This February-born Belgian Blue heifer weanling weighed 350kg and sold for €2,140 (€6.11/kg).
This February 2025-born Limousin heifer weighed 410kg and sold for €2,140 (€5.22/kg).
This February 2025-born Belgian Blue heifer weighed 260kg and sold for €1,980 (€7.62/kg).
This November 2024-born Limousin heifer weighed 400kg and sold for €2,780 (€6.95/kg).
This February-born Charolais heifer weanling weighed 370kg and sold for €2,410 (€6.51/kg).
This Charolais heifer weanling weighed 365kg and sold for €1,890 (€5.17/kg).
This June 2024-born Charolais bull weighed 460kg and sold for €2,560 (€5.56/kg).
This January born-Limousin bull weanling weighed 425kg and sold for €2740 (€6.45/kg).
Elphin Mart had just under 300 weanlings through the ring on Monday night for a special sale of weanlings.
The quality was exceptional and the trade matched it, with farmer buyers now competing strongly with exporters for weanlings.
Farmer buyers are getting stronger in the last two or three weeks, with some realising that they will either have to dig deep and buy or stay out altogether as the weanlings just won’t be there to buy.
Top call on the night went to a February 2025-born Belgian Blue bull weighing 530kg and selling for €3,410 (€6.43/kg). A January-born Charolais heifer weanling weighing 355kg sold for €3,000 (€8.45/kg).
The top third of heifer weanlings in the 300kg to 400kg weight bracket came in at €6.87/kg, with the top third of bull weanlings in the same weight bracket coming in at a massive €7.29/kg.
Heavier weanlings in the 400kg to 450kg weight bracket came in at €7.07/kg for the top third in terms of quality.
'Unreal' quality
Commenting on the quality, mart manager Ciaran Lynch said: “I don’t think I ever seen [such] a yard of weanlings, the quality was unreal. One after another, they just got better and better.
“I think there’s a more of a focus on quality in the last few years. Even before cattle prices took off, farmers were seeing the huge difference there was between an average weanling and a good one and some might have reduced numbers and tried to buy in a few better heifers to increase the number of quality weanlings that they were breeding.
“It’s paying off, with those farmers now getting their weanlings into €2,000 to €2,500/head. It’s great money and it puts suckling back as an option again.
“You see lads putting more of an effort in now and concentrating on it, whereas before it was just take it or leave it.
“We had a local farmer who sold 33 weanlings with us on Monday night - a mixture of bulls and heifers - and he went home with a cheque of just shy of €80,000. It’s great to see the lads that stick at it getting rewarded for it.”
This January 2025-born Limousin bull weanling weighed 320kg and sold for €2,170 (€6.78/kg).
This March 2025-born Limousin bull weanling weighed 410kg and sold for €2,740 (€6.68/kg).
This February 2024-born Belgian Blue weanling weighed 530kg and sold for €3,410 (€6.43/kg).
This February-born Belgian Blue heifer weanling weighed 350kg and sold for €2,140 (€6.11/kg).
This February 2025-born Limousin heifer weighed 410kg and sold for €2,140 (€5.22/kg).
This February 2025-born Belgian Blue heifer weighed 260kg and sold for €1,980 (€7.62/kg).
This November 2024-born Limousin heifer weighed 400kg and sold for €2,780 (€6.95/kg).
This February-born Charolais heifer weanling weighed 370kg and sold for €2,410 (€6.51/kg).
This Charolais heifer weanling weighed 365kg and sold for €1,890 (€5.17/kg).
This June 2024-born Charolais bull weighed 460kg and sold for €2,560 (€5.56/kg).
This January born-Limousin bull weanling weighed 425kg and sold for €2740 (€6.45/kg).
SHARING OPTIONS