A heifer calf from the Greenlawn herd that was sired by Siemers Rengd Parfect-ET is among the animals on offer at an on-farm sale next Saturday (February 25).
This will be the first heifer sired by this bull to be sold in Ireland.
The Curtin family run the Greenlawn herd, which is based in Brosna, Co. Kerry. The family operates what can only be described as a unique system.
A yearly sale is held by the Curtins where all the cows heading into their second lactation are sold, along with select first-lactation heifers, bulling heifers and heifer calves.
This year’s sale is set to contain 50 freshly calved heifers and young cows, 12 bulling heifers and eight heifer calves.
The Greenlawn herd won a somatic cell count (SCC) award last year and were runners up in the intermediate section of the Kerry Friesian Breeders herds competition 2022.
Greenlawn
This year’s sale will see buyers being able to attend the on-farm sale, with the last number of sales being solely online due to Covid-19 restrictions.
The 2023 sale will be held on-farm on February 25, with Michael Taaffe from Taaffe Auctions set to conduct the sale.
This will also be the first Greenlawn sale since the passing of Gerard Curtin last May.
Speaking to Agriland ahead of the sale, Darragh Curtin said: “The past ten months have not been easy since the passing of our dad and so we have decided to dedicate the sale in honour of our dad.
“Dad absolutely loved his cows and these are a testament to dad’s stockmanship and his dedication to farming all his life.”
This year the sale will feature the two-year-old 13VGs, now in their second lactation, along with the reserve champion heifer in the Kerry herds competition, selling fresh in her second lactation.
The sale will also contain what is believed to be the first Parfect-sired heifer calf to sell at auction in Ireland, as mentioned.
Her dam was sired by Woodmarsh Pepper Lexus and is also on offer at this year’s sale and is a potential tenth generation VG/EX from a great high component cow family tracing to the Farnnear Holsteins in the US.
She is also a red carrier (RC), so there is the potential to breed red calves.
Taaffe Auctions
Speaking to Agriland ahead of the sale, Michael Taaffe said: “The freshly calved heifers and cows are potentially the finest group we have ever put stickers on.”
He added that all the milking stock are freshly calved since Christmas and will be ready to go to work for their new owners.
All animals on offer at the sale are export tested, artificial insemination (AI)-bred and fully pedigree registered.
Transport to Carnaross Mart has been arranged for buyers from Northern Ireland.
