Donegal Friesian Breeders Club Show & Sale

Report by Donal Carey
€1,815 average at Donegal Friesian Breeders Club Show & Sale of calved heifers.

50 calved heifers bred by Donegal Friesian breeders were sold at a very positive club show and sale held at Raphoe Livestock Mart on Wednesday, March 4th. Average price paid on the day was €1,815 – a strong endorsement for both the quality of the stock turned out and also strong buyer sentiment on the day. The overall clearance rate was 88%.

Top price of €2,920 was paid for the Champion with the Reserve Champion selling for €2,800 and the Honourable Mention selling for €2,200. In total 13 heifers achieved a sale price of €2,000 or higher.

Charles McCandless, Culdaff, Inishowen, bred both the Champion and Reserve Champion. Lot 31, Culcara Justin Frieda, was judged Champion earlier in the day, and very brisk bidding saw the hammer drop at €2,920, top price of the day. She is a potential 5th generation VG/EX bred from a high production cow family with her 5th lactation dam recording a lifetime yield of 60,500kgs milk, 4,600kgs milk solids to date. Lot 14, Culcara Justin Janice, was judged Reserve Champion and her quality resulted in her attracting the second highest price of the day. Calved since January 25th, she is currently milking 38 litres/day. Her 3rd lactation dam has recorded over 9,000kgs milk and 770kgs milk solids this lactation. Both the Champion and Reserve are sired by the same bull – Culcara Justin, a Doorman son of Culcara Goldwyn Juliana EX95 6E who recently attained IHFA Diamond Award status of production and conformation. She is still milking in the herd, currently in her 8th lactation.

Trevor and Norman Lockhart, Ballyelly herd, Ramelton, had a very successful day selling six heifers who achieved a price of €2,000 or higher. Ballyelly Punch Tina (lot 35) won Honourable Mention and she later sold for €2,200. Calved since early January she is currently milking 35 litres/day. The father and son duo also achieved the 3rd highest price for Ballyelly Ladd P Aspen Red, the only Red & White heifer in the sale. She sold for €2,480.

An overview of other prices
Culcara Justin Fame (lot 32), bred by Charles McCandless, sold for €2,120. Freshly calved, she is currently milking 24 litres/day. From the Fame family, she is also sired by Culcara Justin, same sire as both Champion and Reserve Champion heifers.

Ballyelly Future Eileen (lot 20), bred by Trevor and Norman Lockhart, sold for €2,100. Calved since early January, her dam recorded over 9,000kgs milk and over 800kgs milk solids as a heifer.

Toberish Adele 2809 (lot 29), bred by Terence and Robert Burns, Greencastle, sold for €2,000. Calved since the end of January, her dam recorded 7,596kgs milk, 4.74% fat, 3.59% protein, 633kgs milk solids in her first lactation.

Toberish Marie 2618 (lot 43), also bred by Terence and Robert Burns, sold for €1,900. Calved less than a month, her dam recorded a 2nd lactation yield of 8,376kgs milk, 3.79% fat, 3.46% protein, 607kgs milk solids.

Monien Punch Frances (lot 5), bred by Alan Macbeth, Ballindrait, sold for €1,900. Calved since late January, her dam Monien Junkyard Frances VG85, recorded a 6th lactation yield of 8,733kgs milk, 3.76% fat, 3.48% protein, 633kgs milk solids. She is also a high fertility cow with good longevity, currently in her 7th lactation, and having calved twice within the year in two previous years.