Castlerea Livestock Mart hosted its annual show and sale of continental weanlings last Thursday, with flying demand for the real top end of stock on offer.

Mart manager Brendan Egan said: “We had a very good yard of well-presented weanlings on offer. The last month has been super for growth, with a great bloom in stock which resulted in a great trade.”

Trade on the day topped at a massive €4.25/kg, which was paid for a weanling heifer. This November 2020-born Limousin weighed 400kg and sold for €1,700.

Short supply

Heifers of this weight were in short supply, as the majority on offer weighed under the 400kg mark.

Heifers weighing between 300kg and 400kg were most numerous, with 66 lots selling through the ring to average an impressive €2.86/kg.

This average price moved up to €3.43/kg for the top third of lots sold in the same weight bracket.

A testament to the quality of offer, three of these heifers surpassed the €4/kg mark.

Hitting a price of €4.18/kg was a Charolais heifer that weighed 325kg and came into €1,360.

A Limousin heifer of the same weight came into €1,340 (€4.12/kg), while the last to break the mark was a 380kg Limousin heifer that sold for €1,530 (€4.03).

Good show of lighter heifers

There was also a good show of lighter heifers, with 33 selling to average €2.85/kg. Top price here was an April-born Charolais weighing 290kg that sold for €1,090 or €3.76/kg.

Bulls

On the male front, bull weanlings in the 300kg to 400kg range again proved most plentiful.

In total, 139 bulls went through the scales at this weight to average €2.87/kg.

For the better-quality lots on offer, or the top third of lots sold, this average rose to €3.32/kg.

Two lots hit the €4/kg mark or higher here. Top price was a February-born Charolais that weighed 340kg and sold for €1,380 (€4.06/kg. Hitting €4/kg even was a 380kg Charolais bull that sold for €1,520.

Bulls surpassing the 400kg mark saw a marked drop in price, but the extra weight made up the difference with ease.

Quality again mattered, with the top third average standing at €3.09/kg, which was 41c higher than the overall average for that weight bracket.

A top price of €3.60/kg was achieved here for a 420kg Charolais.

In pictures

This eight-month-old second-prizewinning Limousin heifer weighed 395kg and sold for €1,160 (€2.94/kg).

This 11-month-old Limousin bull weighed 395kg and sold for €980 (€2.48/kg).

This seven-month-old Charolais heifer weighed 370kg and sold for €1,040 (€2.81/kg).

This seven-month-old Charolais heifer weighed 340kg and sold for €820 (€2.41/kg).

This seven-month-old Limousin heifer weighed 340kg and sold for €1,220 (€3.59/kg).

This eight-month-old Limousin heifer weighed 380kg and sold for €1,530 (€4.03/kg).

This nine-month-old Charolais heifer weighed 320kg and sold for €900 (€2.81/kg).

This eight-month-old Charolais bull weighed 420kg and sold for €1,020 (€2.43/kg).

This six-month-old Charolais bull weighed 340kg and sold for €980 (€2.88/kg).

This nine-month-old first-prizewinning Limousin heifer weighed 360kg and sold for €1,360 (€3.78/kg).

This second-prizewinning Charolais heifer weighed 325kg and sold for €1,360 (€4.18/kg).