In Pictures: Tullamore Farm annual heifer sale preview

Tullamore Farm will hold its annual draft heifer sale on Wednesday 29 October in Central Auctions, Roscrea, Co Tipperary, at 8pm.

The sale will include 14 in-calf heifers and seven maiden heifers. All heifers are genotyped four- or five-star on the replacement index and are eligible for the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) scheme.

All heifers are spring 2024-born, with most sired by AI sires such as Tomschoice Lexicon, LM4151, Curaheen Earp, Curaheen Gunshot, EBY and other leading AI sires.

Heifers have been bred to calve at two years old in January, February and March 2024 and are in-calf to LM2014, LM8259, SA2189 and LM7416. All heifers have been scanned twice with dates for AI and calving date.

The average replacement index of the in calf heifers is €161. The breeding programme on Tullamore Farm is centred on having a good functional R grade cow capable of breeding R/U grade progeny.

There is a Curaheen Earp-sired heifer in this year’s sale with a replacement index of €201, while there is also a Salers heifer with a replacement index of €194.

Replacement index

When selecting AI bulls for use on the farm, the replacement index is number one, with focus on breeding good functional cows capable of making future replacements for the suckler herd.

It’s not all about figures; the animals also have to perform on the farm to earn their keep. The average replacement index of the Tullamore Farm suckler herd is €133. Within that is a +16kg for daughter milk and a 8.5kg figure (five stars) for carcase weight.

Good figures

All heifers have very good milk and fertility figures and nearly all heifers have high carcase weight and carcase conformation figures. The average carcase weight figure for the group is +20kh, which is 1.5kg ahead of last year’s batch of heifers, while the average milk figure is 6.37kg.

Heifers have been selected for the sale based on a combination of genetics and visual appearance, while also keeping docility to the forefront of our minds.

The farm operates on a high herd health policy and all heifers have been vaccinated against BVD and leptospirosis prior to breeding on a two-shot programme.

The sale will start at 8pm with both ringside and online bidding available on the night. Online bidding is via the Irish Farmers Journal MartBids platform.

Prospective purchasers are advised to register to bid online on www.martbids.ie and apply for permission from Roscrea Mart to bid. For bidding enquiries, contact Roscrea Mart on 0505-21687.

For people who wish to view the heifers before the sale and bid online without attending the mart, heifers can be viewed on farm before the sale between now and the sale date.

Contact farm manager Shaun Diver on 087-217 5486 to arrange a viewing. Transport can be arranged with the mart. The sale will be streamed live on martbids.ie with a full sale report inside next week’s Irish Farmers Journal.

Heifer preview