Saturday saw the final sale at Headford Mart for 2018. It was the special Christmas Cracker sale, which saw a positive end to the year.

With December traditionally being a slow month numbers-wise at marts, the special Christmas Cracker sale has worked wonders in drawing more cattle out in mid-December. Numbers at today’s sale were well up on previous weeks as a result, and the quality on offer was a little higher also as some farmers held the best-quality cattle to enter into the show.

This Limousin-cross bull, born May 2017 and weighing 410kg, was bid to €770 but not sold (€1.88/kg).

Bullocks

Like previous weeks, better-quality heavy bullocks were in demand again, with the best-quality bullocks selling to over €750 along with the weight.

While overage cattle have taken a hit in the past few weeks, once they were well fleshed demand was strong for them.

The average 500kg to 600kg bullock sold mainly from €2.00/kg to €2.20/kg. There were some plainer types on offer also which sold for a little under the €2.00/kg mark.

Stores from 400kg to 500kg were plentiful again. Average-quality types sold mainly from €1,000/head to €1,150, with top-quality bullocks going over the €1,200 mark.

There were some plainer types on offer also, and these saw prices range mainly from €800 to €950/head.

This Charolais-cross heifer, born April 2017 and weighing 500kg, sold for €1,150 (€2.30/kg).

Heavy heifers were not that common, but where top-quality show winners were on offer, prices topped out at €1,400 for 645kg or €2.18/kg.

Other good-quality heavy heifers sold from €1,200 upwards. Heifers from 500kg to 600kg sold mainly from €1,000 to €1,200/head. Lighter store heifers from 400kg to 500kg were the most common on the day and sold mainly from €800 to €1,000 depending on quality.

The plainer-quality light stores were harder sold than the equivalent bullock, but there were buyers present for every type.

Weanlings

The weanling trade was strong where quality was good, but plain light heifers were met with mixed demand. The average 300kg heifer sold mainly from €680 to €750, with heavier continental heifers making over €950 at times. Light heifers under 300kg were met with lower clearance rates.

The weanling bull trade was quite strong, but like the trade for heifers, where plainer types were on offer, they were harder sold. Bulls over 300kg sold mainly from €780 to €900/head depending on quality. Light bulls under 300kg were variable, with some top quality types making up to €900, while plainer quality types hovered around €600 mark.

This Charolais-cross bull, born March 2018 and weighing 360kg, was bid to €810 but not sold (€2.25/kg).

This Limousin-cross heifer, born June 2017 and weighing 475kg, sold for €1,000 (€2.11/kg).

This Angus-cross heifer, born February 2017 and weighing 510kg, sold for €1,000 (€1.96/kg).

This Charolais-cross heifer, born July 2016 and weighing 645kg, sold for €1,400 (€2.17/kg).

This Limousin-cross heifer, born April 2017 and weighing 655kg, sold for €1,200 (€1.83/kg).

This pair of Charolais-cross heifers, born April 2017 and weighing 512kg on average, sold for €1,210 (€2.36/kg).

This Limousin-cross cow, born January 2016 with a June-born heifer calf at foot, sold for €1,250.

This Belgian Blue-cross bull, born April 2018 and weighing 365kg, was bid to €840 but not sold (€2.30/kg).

This Charolais-cross bull, born March 2018 and weighing 400kg, was bid to €860 but not sold (€2.15/kg).