Donegal Friesian Breeders Club Annual March Sale 2022
45 calved heifers sold for average price of €2,182
by Donal Carey
Quality calved heifers were in demand at the Donegal Friesian Breeders Club Annual March Show and Sale. The sale catalogue comprised fifty-four lots consigned by some of Donegal’s leading dairy herds.
22 heifers sold for prices in excess of €2,200. The top yielding heifers were milking to 35 litres per day. An overall clearance rate of circa 85% is testament to strong buyer demand for quality stock. The sale took place on Wednesday March 2nd at Raphoe Livestock Mart.
8 heifers sold for prices in excess of €2,400. The top price of €2,900 was paid for Culcara Lotus Fame 2 1844 (Lot 13), bred by Charles McCandless, Culdaff. She was judged Champion of the pre-sale show. She is backed by eleven generations of VG/EX dams from the Fame family. Calved since the end of November she is projected to yield 8,300kgs milk, 570kgs milk solids in her first lactation. Her VG86 dam recorded 13,027kgs milk, 839kgs milk solids in her third lactation (305 d).
- 22 heifers sold for prices in excess of €2,200
- 8 heifers sold for prices in excess of €2,400
Culcara Canyon Joy 1 (Lot 25) sold for €2,580, commanded the second-highest price on the day. She is also bred by Charles McCandless, Culdaff. Calved since January 25th she is currently yielding 32 litres per day. She is a potential 10th generation VG/EX dam. Her dam has averaged over 11,000kgs milk, 767kgs milk solids in her four lactations to date.
Reserve Champion of the pre-sale show, Culcara Lotus Janice 2 (Lot 39) sold for €2,550, achieved the third highest price of the sale. She is bred from the same sire as the Champion heifer – Monamore Lotus who is a Carlino son bred from six generations of VG/EX dams.
Iskaheen Fransisco Freya (Lot 36) bred by R. & S. Mackey, Muff, sold for €2,440. Calved five weeks she is currently milking 32 litres per day.
A selection of other prices from the top-end of the sale include –
- Ballyelly Aladdin Ashleigh (Lot 47) bred by Norman & Trevor Lockhart, Ramelton. Fresh calved just over two weeks she is currently milking twenty-six litres per day.
- Ballyelley Outlaw Tracy Red (Lot 9) bred by Norman & Trevor Lockhart sold for €2,400. The sole Red & White heifer in the sale she is currently milking thirty-four litres per day.
- Monien Lancelot Frances (Lot 32) bred by Alan Macbeth, Ballindrait, also sold for €2,400. Recently calved, two weeks fresh. Her VG dam has averaged 9,212kgs milk, 668kgs milk solids in her three lactations to date with protein to 3.64%.
- Drumcairn 1stClass Fiona (Lot 30), bred by Richard Tinney, Drumcairn, Letterkenny, sold for €2,300. Fresh calved just over one week, aged twenty-three months she is currently yielding twenty-five litres per day. Her VG88 dam had a lifetime longevity of eight lactations.
Judge of the pre-sale show was local breeder Roy Patterson, Bindale herd, Castlefin.
