Latest news with #Aubrac
Agriland
26-05-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Weanling bull prices reach €6.05/kg at Ballinrobe Mart
Ballinrobe Mart in Co. Mayo hosted its weekly general cattle sale on Wednesday, May 21, with bullock prices peaking at €5.55/kg, heifers at €5.67/kg, cows reaching €4.32/kg and weanling bulls making as high as €6.05/kg. Speaking to Agriland after the sale, mart manager Teresa Gibsey said: 'Bullocks fetched prices from €1,360-1,860/head or €4.05-5.55/kg.' Bullocks in the 400-500kg weight bracket averaged €4.34/kg or €1,770/head, while the 300-400kg bullocks averaged €4.56/kg or €1,545/head. The lightest of the bullocks weighing below 300kg averaged €5.21/kg or €1,485/head. Some of the top bullock prices from the sale included: 415kg Angus bullock sold for €1,860 or €4.48; 360kg Shorthorn bullock sold for €1,840 or €5.11/kg; 290kg Charolais bullock sold for €1,610 or €5.55. Heifers at the Ballinrobe Mart sale achieved prices from €940-3,070/head or €3.44-5.67/kg. The heavy heifers over 500kg averaged €4.07/kg or €2,775/head and 400-500kg heifers averaged €4.19/kg or €1,795/head. 300-400kg heifers averaged €4.35/kg or €1,506/head and heifers weighing below 300kg averaged €5.09/kg or €1,300/head. Some of the top heifer prices from the sale included: 750kg Charolais heifer sold for €3,070 or €4.09/kg; 605kg Angus heifer sold for €2,370 or €3.92/kg; 245kg Charolais heifer sold for €1,390 or €5.67/kg. Dry cows ranged from €1,510-3,570/head, with an average of €2,590/head or €3.90/kg. An 880kg Aubrac cow sold for €3,570 or €4.06/kg. Another 900kg Angus cow sold for €3,510 or €3.90/kg. Weanling bulls achieved prices from €900-1,790/head or €4.03-6.05/kg in the sale. Some of the top heifer prices from the sale included: 375kg Limousin bull sold for €1,790 or €4.77/kg; 310kg Angus bull sold for €1,640 or €5.29/kg; 200kg Charolais bull sold for €1,210 or €6.05/kg. Weanling bulls weighing from 200-350kg averaged €4.87/kg or €1,470/head. Sheep trade at Ballinrobe Mart Ballinrobe Mart hosted its weekly sheep sale on Thursday, May 22. Spring lamb prices ranged from €150-195/head with an average price of €180/head or €3.76/kg which was the same as the last week. Hoggets ranged from €94-208/head or €2.45-3.50/kg, averaging €3.20/kg. Cull ewe prices ranged from €50-274/head averaging €189/head, and the price per kg ranged from €1.11 to €2.82/kg with an average of €2.41/kg. Ewes with lambs at foot sold from €205-€320 for third-crop ewes with twins at foot. Average for ewes with lambs was €260/outfit.
Irish Examiner
09-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Precision breeding: Sexed semen and strict selection shape Dermot's AI plan
I started breeding on April 28. I am doing selective breeding. Cows were picked out using the female selector in Sire Advice on ICBF. Cows selected with high EBI, positive for health, above 0.15 for fat and above 0.1 for protein PD. These cows will get sexed semen. I have picked out 30 cows for sexed semen. Cows ideally had to be calved more than 42 days and had one heat prior, no issues at calving such as milk fever or retained cleanings. These cows also had to have gone in calf to one previous straw in the previous lactation. The cows receiving sexed semen were inseminated on natural heat. The bulls were picked on high EBI, positive for health, milk sub index greater than €90, milk solids over 30kg, and these bulls also need to have strong percentages for fat and protein, ideally above 0.2 for fat and 0.15 for protein. I have another group of cows picked for Friesian, but these cows will only get Gene Ireland bulls. The remainder of the cows are going to get beef straws. I am using Angus, Aubrac, Hereford, Limousin and Charolais. It is all AI with the cows. I don't use any stock bull. I am currently on week two of breeding. Heats are very strong with the herd. I tail-painted all the herd a month before breeding. Fifteen cows were identified as not bulling when I tail painted them. The vet handled these cows on the first day of breeding. Of the 15 cows, eight were fine and seven were put on a fixed-time AI program. These seven cows were inseminated with beef straws. These seven cows were not active, and I followed the vet's advice and gave them fixed-time AI. My breeding packs are 25 Friesian Gene Ireland sires, two Gene Ireland beef sires. I have 20 heifers and 30 cows getting sexed semen. The remainder and the repeats will be getting the Ballyvaden beef pack. The weekly fertility report in HerdPlus on ICBF is showing that I am on target with my submission rate of 30% for the week. I will run this weekly to monitor progress. Heifers I have 38 bulling heifers. They go to the contract-rearer. I pick out the best 20 heifers. These are synchronised and given sexed semen. The other 18 are in a separate group, and they are running with a stock bull. These 18 bulling heifers will be sold. These 18 heifers are kept so the contract rearer has enough stock for his farm. The heifers have been out to grass for five weeks before breeding. Compared to this time last year, the heifers were only out at grass for a week before breeding started. In three weeks' time, I will watch for repeats with the heifers, and I will AI with the bull.
Agriland
07-05-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Aubrac bulls reach €5,000 at society sale in Tullamore
The Aubrac Irish Cattle Breed Society hosted its annual spring sale on Saturday, May 3, at GVM Tullamore Mart, Co. Offaly with a total of 44 animals offered for sale. The sale kicked off with the bulls entering the ring first, and the society reported a great demand for Aubrac genetics with a 100% clearance of the bulls and an average price of €3,655. Taking the top price of the sale was Turloughmore T Bone selling for €5,000. Bred by Kevin O'Brien from Co. Galway, the bull is a full-brother to the well-known artificial Insemination (AI) bull Turloughmore Magnificent. O'Brien also secured the joint second-highest price of the sale for Lot 8, Turloughmore Teddy Bear ET. Rated 5-stars in the replacement, terminal and dairy beef index, this bull was sired by Madison and sold for €4,300. The second bull to enter the ring also sold for €4,300 for Co. Galway-based breeder James Donnellan. Sired by Bison, Cloonmore Theo also had plenty of stars and took the joint second-highest bull price of the sale. Selling at €4,000 was Ballyconneely Utah, also coming from Co. Galway but this time from the herd of John Terence Sweeney. With a full sheet of stars, this bull was sired by Whitestown Leyland Et. In the In-calf section, the jewel of the crown was Ashbrook Tessa, bred by Michael Hanlon from Co. Longford. With a replacement value of €230 and dairy-beef at €172, this classy heifer sold for €3,850. Hanlon also had Ashbrook Tori sired by AI bull Dauphin in the sale, and this heifer sold for €3,550. The average sale price for the in-calf females was €2,560. In the maiden heifer section, the demand was described as 'excellent', with some super-quality maiden heifers on offer in the sale, according to the society. The joint top sale price of €2,550 in this section went firstly to Aubrac breeders Francis and James Butler from Co. Westmeath for De Buitlier Teagan, sired by the French bull Feilix and with a replacement value of €205. Brian and Rachel Donagher from Co. Laois also secured €2,550 for Donabrach Teddy – sired by Westfield Pluto. The average price for the maiden heifers in the sale settled at €2,175. A statement from the cattle breed society said: 'Overall, it was a great sale with top-quality stock on offer.' The overall clearance rate was 82%. The society thanked all those who supported and helped the event and wished the buyers the best of luck with their purchases. Glenford Aubrac Herd dispersal sale Also taking place on the day was the dispersal of the Glenford Aubrac Herd owned by Kelly Stephenson and PJ Mc Grath. The herd was being dispersed as the farm is changing enterprise to dairy farming. The dispersal included 20 lots and the top price of the dispersal went to Glenford Prima Donna selling for €4,700. The 2020-born cow was sired by Eros and her dam was the Reserve Champion at Tullamore Show in 2016. She sold scanned in calf to Harmonieux (S2205 carrying a heifer calf) . Glenford Uriel, an eight-month-old heifer, sold for €4,550. Glenford Uriel sold for €4,550 Sired by Otto657efb, this heifer's dam, Glenford Snowball, also sold in the dispersal for €3,200. Both Uriel and Prima Donna were purchased by Westmeath-based Aubrac breeder Robert Burns.
Agriland
29-04-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Aubrac society sale and dispersal set for Tullamore this Saturday
Over 70 pedigree-registered Aubrac cattle are set to be offered for sale at GVM Tullamore Mart, Co. Offaly, this Saturday, May 3. The Irish Aubrac Cattle Society's pedigree sale will feature pedigree breeding bulls, weanling heifers, maiden heifers, and in-calf heifers, with over 50 lots catalogued for the sale. All animals on offer in the sale will be penned by 10:00a.m., with the sale set to kick off at midday. Online bidding will also be available through LSL Auctions. Speaking to Agriland ahead of the sale, the chairperson of the Irish Aubrac Cattle Society, James Donnellan, said: 'Whether you are looking for a bull or a heifer to meet the requirements of the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) or you're a dairy farmer looking for a bull to 'mop up' for the breeding season, you will do no better than Aubrac – the top breed for the Dairy Beef Index (DBI).' All cattle are pre-sale inspected and the society chairperson emphasised that online bidding is available for those who cannot travel on the day. He also reminded farmers to register with GVM Tullamore Mart before the sale. Dispersal Also taking place in conjunction with the society sale is the dispersal of the Glenford Pedigree Aubrac Herd owned by PJ and Kelly McGrath. The herd, which is being dispersed due to a change in farming enterprise, bred its first Aubracs in 2011 using French imports. The Glenford Pedigree Aubrac Herd has achieved notable success at agricultural shows since its foundation and only last year, won the overall supreme Aubrac champion title at the 2024 Tullamore Show and FBD National Livestock Show. Progressive Genetics and Munster Bovine have sponsored a €100 voucher for the buyer of the top-priced animal in the Glenford Herd dispersal. The upcoming society sale follows the success of last October's premier show and sale, where a new joint society sale record price of €5,000 was set by two stock bulls. According to the cattle breed society, the Aubrac breed is known for its hardiness, docility, ease of calving, high meat-to-bone ratio, efficient feed conversion, high-carcass quality, and versatility. The breed hails from the rugged mountains of Southern France, where survival in harsh conditions has shaped them into 'one of the most resilient and versatile breeds around'. Originally used for milk and draft, the breed has retained its milking ability and placid temperament, adding to its natural beefing ability, hardiness, and low production costs, making it a complete suckler cow. The Irish Aubrac Cattle Society was formed in 1998 and now has over 200 members.
