Tateetra & Rathmore Farms’ sale report
According to John Kingham, average prices were up €180/head on last year’s levels at Tateetra & Rathmore Farms’ annual weanling heifer sale this year.
The manager of Ireland’s largest suckler herd reported that entries levelled at €1,530 on October 1st, 2021 – up from €1,350 last year.
Leading the charge at €5,500 was a Simmental-cross-Charolais heifer, a four-star November-2020-born Culla NSO daughter, weighing 520kgs.
Tateetra and Rathmore Farms, a 500-cow suckler enterprise in County Louth and County Meath, holds an annual heifer sale each October.
152 heifers, including 45 halter-trained entries, came under the hammer at Carnaross Mart, County Meath, on Friday, October 1st, at 6 pm.
Tateetra & Rathmore Farms’ sale report
Speaking following the sale, Kingham said:
“We would like to thank all our purchasers, and we hope the heifers are very lucky for you. Also, we would like to thank the underbidders who play such an important role in the sale.”
“We had 100% clearance and a top price of €5,500 with an overall average of €1,530, an increase from last year’s average of €1,350.”
“We would like to thank our sponsors for their generosity. Also, our hard-working Tateetra & Rathmore team for their hard work all year but especially leading up to this sale.”
“Last but not least to Carnaross Mart. The mart, as always, looked extremely well. The professional way with which the team at Carnaross dealt with the entire sale was second none. Thank you.
“Again thank you and best wishes to all our purchasers. We hope they go on to breed very successfully for you,” Kingham concluded.
Breed averages:
- BBX / 2 heifers / €2225 / Top of €2400
- CHX / 22 heifers / €1434 / Top of €5500
- LMX / 62 heifers / €1541 / Top of €4200
- SHX / 6 heifers / €1592 / Top of €3150
- SIMX / 59 heifers/ €1513 / Top of €4050
Top prices:
- 1 heifer @ €5500 (CHX)
- 4 heifers €4000 – €5000 (2 LIMX / 2 SIMX)
- 8 heifers €3000 – €4000 (2 x SIMX, 4 x LMX, 1 x SHX, 1 x CH)
- 14 heifers €2000 to €3000.
Suckler farm
Kingham joined the farm as an assistant manager in October 2017 and became the manager in January 2018.
The breeds on the farm include Limousin, Charolais, Belgian Blue, and Shorthorn, with Limousin and Simmental-crosses being the most prominent cow-type.
Since his interview with That’s Farming last year, Kingham has introduced new breeding lines from Belgium by purchasing some red roan bulls and red roan Belgian Blue heifers.
The farm runs 19 stock bulls in total alongside their AI programme for choice. These breeds of bulls include Limousin, Charolais, Belgian Blue, Shorthorn, and Simmental.
Some main AI sires he uses include the following Simmentals: Coose Jericho- P, Bosahan Dynamo and Popes Grandsalm.
Demand for breeding stock
In an interview with That’s Farming ahead of this year’s sale, Kingham said:
“The current trend at the minute is phenomenal, and interest is high for breeding stock. So, it is great to see the suckler farmer back on top of the table where he has not been.”
“There is an interest there, and it is great to see it. However, you cannot price a top-end quality heifer now; she is selling very well.”
“152 heifers averaged €1,350 and the top price last year was €4,100 for Rumour. She was our own Limousin-cross heifer.”
: John Kingham, manager, reported that weanling heifers sold to €5,500.){kind=link}