Dairy cattle prices at Irish and English marts: top heifers reach up to £3,900

With winter-calving herds in the middle of the calving season, dairy sales are well underway at livestock marts in Ireland and Britain. Agriland reviewed recent results from two sales: Kingdom Co-op Mart in Tralee, Co. Kerry (Ireland), and Borderway Mart in Carlisle (England).

Tralee: top price €2,500

More than 80 head of stock went through Kingdom Co-op Mart. According to the source, there remains a strong appetite in the ring for quality cows ready for milking.

The top price, €2,500, was paid twice. The first was for a pedigree heifer born in September 2024 that had calved less than a week earlier and weighed 625kg. The second was for a recently calved cow born in March 2020, now in her second lactation and weighing 650kg. Her average somatic cell count in milk is recorded at 82,000 cells/ml.

The next best price was €2,380 for a heifer born in January 2023 (545kg). A Jersey cross sold for €2,100. The sale consisted largely of in-calf heifers and averaged just over €1,511 per head.

Carlisle: up to £3,900

Over 200 head were offered at the monthly dairy sale at Borderway Mart in Carlisle. The top price of £3,900 was paid for Bankview Victor Audery, a second-lactation heifer. A freshly calved heifer born in 2024 made £3,800, and another heifer of the same age made £3,700.

Overall, 60% of the stock sold made £3,000 per head or more. 117 heifers in milk averaged £3,061, and 30 cows in milk averaged £2,705. Six Ayrshire cows in milk averaged £2,216, four British Friesians averaged £2,462, and a Jersey cross made £1,950.