Taaffe Auctions conducted its 139th Carnaross dairy sale on Wednesday (February 16) at Carnaross Mart, with 90 freshly calved heifers and cows on offer.
Spring is a busy time of year on farms, but based on the number of farmers ringside at Carnaross Mart there was great interest in buying milk stock.
This comes on the back of changes to the nitrates, with the introduction of banding – along with milk price dropping in many co-ops.
Of the 90 lots on offer, 14 achieved prices of over 2,800gns at the sale.
But it was very evident that buyers were shopping for quality, when bidding on lots.
Taaffe Auctions
Freshly calved heifers made up the majority of the sale and also saw the sale’s top price of 3,650gns.
Top price of the sale went to Lot 20, Cannontown Verona Gaseuse; freshly calved since January 15, she sold for 3,650gns.
Her dam is Cannontown Ponder Gaseuse, who in her third lactation produced 9,097kg of milk, and her sire is Pine-Tree Verona-Et.
The second-highest price from Wednesday’s sale went to Lot 29, Ballivor Chilton Glack, who sold for 3,500gns.
She was sired by Peak Chilton-et and her dam is Ballivor Gack Rxr, who in her fourth lactation produced 13,706kg of milk.
The third-highest price of the sale went to Lot 18, Cannontown Nadal Sunshine, who sold for 3,450gns.
Fourth-highest price at the sale went to Lot 31A, a heifer from the Ballivor herd of Paul Feeney, sired by Progenesis Stoxxindex.
She sold milking 35L and is a potential fourth generation 11,000L cow.
Next was another Ballivor heifer, Lot 27, Ballivor Chilton Holly, who sold for 3,120gns.
Her dam Ballivor E Holly (GP82) produced 7,612kg of milk in her second lactation and she was sired by Peak Chilton-Et.
Another Ballivor heifer from Paul Feeney, Lot 28: Ballivor Roman Batman, claimed the next highest price selling for 3,100gns.
She was sired by Sandy-Valley I Batman-Et and her dam is Ballivor Roman Punch, who in her sixth lactation produced 10,288kg of milk.
Next was yet another Ballivor heifer from Paul Feeney’s herd, Lot 4, Ballivor Wavelight Echo, who sold for 3,050gns.
Her dam is Ballivor Troytown Echo (VG86), who in her third lactation produced 11,087kg of milk.
Ballivor Wavelight Echo was sired by Wisselview Wavelength.
Some more sample prices from the freshly calved heifers can be seen in the pictures below.
Prices from 2,950gns to 2,850gns:
Prices from 2,800gns to 2,700gns:
Prices from 2,620gns to 2,300gns:
Cows
Moving to the some of the second-lactation cows on offer at Taaffe Auctions’ dairy sale on Wednesday, the top price here went to Lot 21, Cannontown Modesto Single.
Calved fresh in her second lactation since January 16, Cannontown Modesto Single sold for 3,200gns.
In her first lactation she produced 8,777kg of milk and she was sired by S-S-I Supersire Modesto-Et.
Another Cannontown second calver achieved the second-highest price here of 3,000gns.
This was Lot 24, Cannontown Moose Lucarne, who produced 6,923kg of milk in her first lactation and was sired by Progenesis Moose.
Next was Lot 60, Cannontown Samuri Lucarne; calved since January 5, she sold for 2,950gns.
In her first lactation she produced 8,239kg of milk and was sired by Ocd Spring Samuri-Et.
Third calver Lot 68, Dungrange Beautiful 2 Helena (GP82), sold by Ballydoogan Dairies made 1,840gns.
Calved since February 1, she produced 8,056kg of milk in her second lactation. She was sired by Curra Lightning.
