The bull sale on 6 October witnessed one of the best sales on record at Carrigallen Mart. Over 400 bulls at the special show and sale generated huge interest for all types, with the €4/kg price breached on occasion while a significant number of good-quality continental bulls topped €3/kg.

Last Saturday’s sale saw only quality continental heifers generating similar interest ringside with plain cattle a struggle for auctioneers to sell.

Some 575 heifers were booked in for the sale with the recent heavy rain in the west a contributing factor to the high volumes of heifers on sale.

This fine April 2018-born Belgian Blue cross weighed 235kg and sold for €850 (€3.61/kg).

There was strong demand from ringside for each of the show and sale champions but these standouts do not fully reflect the overall sale. This is a similar feature in many other special heifer sales, with demand lagging well behind bulls.

The day’s sale can be summed up as top-quality calves making €3/kg and over, while poorer-quality or light heifers struggled to hit €2/kg with plenty in between.

This June 2018-born Charolais cross heifer weighed 285kg and was bid into €660 (€2.31/kg) but went unsold.

Martwatch data shows heifers weighing 200kg to 300kg averaging €2.80/kg, while heifers weighing 300kg to 380kg averaged €2.58/kg and heifers weighing up to 450kg averaged €2.52/kg.

There was a considerable volume of plain types which generated much lower interest from ringside. The number of plainer continental types was a surprise given the strong grass-growing year it has been in the north, west and northwest, with some farmers pointing to a slow spring possibly stalling performance.

Champions versus challengers

The overall champion was a January 2018-born Charolais cross which opened at €1,000 before being bid into €1,200. The owner felt the heifer was worth more and she went unsold.

The standout performer of the champions was the third-placed heifer from the Limousin section. The April 2018-born animal tipped the scales at 260kg and sold for €1,160 (€4.46/kg).

In the main, Charolais heifers were the best performers. A good-quality Charolais in the 300kg to 400kg bracket made €2.50/kg, with the plainer types coming in at €2.30/kg.

Activity at ringside was driven by farmer buyers.

This shapey January 2018-born Limousin cross heifer weighed 380kg and generated strong demand from farmer buyers. The hammer fell at €1,300 (€3.42/kg).

This January 2018-born Limousin cross heifer weighed 340kg and sold for €990 (€2.91/kg).

This February 2018-born Charolais cross heifer weighed 355kg and sold for €1,010 (€2.84/kg).

The champion heifer at the Carrigallen show and sale was a January 2018-born 480kg Charolais cross. She was bid into €1,200 (€2.50/kg) but went unsold.

This March 2018-born Charolais cross heifer weighed 320kg and sold for €740 (€2.31/kg).

This March 2018-born Limousin cross was a five-star heifer with a replacement index of €109. She weighed 310kg and sold for €910 (€2.93/kg).

This June 2018-born Charolais cross heifer weighed 285kg and was bid into €660 (€2.31/kg) but went unsold.

This March 2018-born Charolais cross heifer weighed 305kg and, after a struggle, made €725 (€2.37/kg).

This February 2018-born Charolais cross heifer weighed 310kg and made €780 (€2.51/kg).

This April 2018-born Charolais cross weighed 320kg and made €980 (€3.06/kg).