Camera at the Mart: good appetite for in-calf heifers in Carrigallen

Bovanto Livestock, run by Anthony Mimnagh of Carrigallen, Co Leitrim, held its inaugural heifer sale in Carrigallen Mart last Monday night.

Twenty-six hand-picked heifers were on offer, along with three heifer and calf outfits which opened the sale.

There was plenty of activity both online and ringside from the large crowd in attendance.

The lineup of cattle consisted mainly of Belgian Blue-cross heifers, with Limousin-cross and some pedigree types within the mix also.

All the heifers were inseminated to easy calving red Limousin bulls such as Ivor, EBY and Rolex, with a mixture of calving dates among the cattle.

First outfit

Auctioneer Eamon Gaffney was at the helm of proceedings on Monday night where he opened the bidding for the first cow and calf outfit, a 2020-born Charolais-cross with an EBY-bred roan heifer calf at foot at €2,000, which swiftly progressed to €3,000, with the hammer finally dropping at an impressive €3,700.

The quality continued with a pedigree Belgian Blue born in October 2019 with a January-2023 Limousin-cross bull calf at foot securing the sale-topping price of €4,650.

Other Belgian Blue-cross cattle made average prices of around €2,800, with some lots such as a February 2021-born Belgian Blue-cross sired by EBY and in-calf to Ivor sexed semen left the ring at a price of €3,300.

A selection of three 2021-born pedigree Charolais heifers all scanned in-calf to Whitecliffe Orwell made an average price of €2,670.

Another pedigree Simmental born in October 2021, sired by Manor Park Handsome and also in-calf to Whitecliffe Orwell finished bidding at a round figure of €3,000.

A nicely marked red and white Belgian Blue-cross heifer born in March 2020 with five stars to her name and in-calf to Ivor sold for €2,900.

‘Great sale’

Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, Anthony Mimnagh said: “We had a great sale. With it being our first sale, there was a great turnout on the night, with plenty of buyers around the ring as well as online.

“We had a nice selection of cattle on offer to suit everyone and thankfully the prices that were paid was a good representation of the quality of the heifer. We hope to have another batch of cattle ready for sale later in the year.”

Mart manager Helen Kells said: “Weanlings have been a really strong trade for the last six weeks and in turn there has been good appetite for in-calf heifers.”