Kanturk Mart held its first spring-born weanling sale of the year on Tuesday with an entry of 350 weanlings.

Most of what was on offer were under 370kg and born in 2018. There was a smaller offering of heavier bulls and they sold from €2.10/kg up to €2.50/kg, depending on conformation and weight for age.

Weighing 405kg, this January 2018-born bull sold for €1,000, €2.47/kg.

Angus and Hereford crosses were selling for up to €1.86/kg.

This Hereford cross bull born in March 2018 weighed 350kg and sold for €650, €1.86/kg.

Heifer weanlings were scarce in numbers and prices were a little bit back for the bulls in general but there was up to €3/kg available for extremely well-muscled heifers.

This Limousin heifer born in February 2018 weighed 260kg and sold for €615, €2.37/kg.

Show champion

The champion of the show and sale, sponsored by Boherbue Co-op, was a Charolais cross heifer belonging to Desmond Daly, Kanturk. She weighed 285kg and sold for €900, €3.16/kg.

This heifer belonging to Desmond Daly, Kanturk, was the spring-born weanling show and sale champion at Kanturk Mart. She weighed 285kg and made €900, €3.16/kg.

Reserve champion went to a Charolais cross bull, owned by Seamus and Mary Curtin, Kilcorney. This weanling weighed 405kg and sold for €1,000, €2.47/kg.

This Limousin bull was born in January 2018. He weighed 375kg and sold for €910, €2.43/kg.

Demand for older cattle followed a similar trend to the weanling sales with those likely to be finished in a shorter period of time and of good conformation proving to be a solid sell. However, similar to every mart at the moment, plainer dairy cross stock were harder to sell.

This pen of bulls born between September and November 2017 had an average weight of 415kg and sold for €900, €2.17/kg.

Cows

Cow condition had a big influence on price in the cow sale. Fleshed cows were selling for up to €510 with their weight with those requiring further feeding varying from €1/kg to €1.30/kg.

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Ringside comment: weanling prices increase with special sales taking place