The Coolnagree herd of Seamus O’Leary, Adamstown, Co. Wexford and the Beechlands herd of Walter Crean, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford combined for a production sale of 60 fresh calved heifers.

The sale took place at Waterford Ross Marts Ltd in New Ross, on Friday, February 21 and marked the third edition of the joint production sale.

The sale overview is as follows:

Top price was €3,750;
Average price was €2,941;
Seven heifers commanded prices of over €3,500;
26 heifers commanded prices over €3,000;
Full clearance of six heifer calves on offer, averaging €867.

The offering on the day included numerous red and whites, and a large crowd was in attendance with bidding activity was very brisk from beginning to end.

Beechlands Bart Stella (Lot 46) sold for €3,750 was the top priced heifer and had calved less than a month earlier, at exactly two years of age. Her sire is Broekhuizen Bart (FR6100) and she is bred from the Stella family.

Her Dam Beechlands Cancun Stella EX 3E recorded 10,400 kgs of milk and 848 kgs of milk solids, with 4.50% fat and 3.65% protein in her fourth lactation with a somatic cell count (SCC) of 54,000 cells/ml.

In six lactations, Beechlands Bart Stella has averaged 9,725 kgs of milk and 789 kgs of milk solids, with 4.50% fat and 3.61% protein per lactation with a lifetime average SCC/lactation of 51,000 cells/ml.

Coolnagree Youri Begonia Red 2 (Lot 45) sold for €3,725, which was the next top price and is a red and white heifer bred from the Begonia cow family with tremendous longevity in the herd.

Her EX93 7E grand dam and EX91 5E grand dam had a lifetime longevity averaging 11.5 lactations between them.

Born in December 2022, she is sired by Youri (FR5722) and her sire stack includes Jet Red x Wisconsin Red x Zenith x Prelude x Starbuck.

Beechlands Renegade Roxy (Lot 38), sold for €3,700, and Beechlands Challenger Betsy (Lot 48), sold for €3,650, were also top-end prices.

Beechlands King Doc Lupin (Lot 16) and Beechlands Renegade Birch (Lot 56) both sold for €3,550 respectively.

A total combined sale price of €4,400 for mother and daughter sold individually was achieved on two occasions.

Coolnagree 2089 Banker Red (Lot 15) calved less than a month ago and was sired by Rager Red EX sold for €3,500.

Her heifer calf Coolnagree Patriot Banker Red (Lot 15A) sired by the British Friesian AI bull Bradash Patriot Red (FR8199) sold for €900.

Coolnagree 2059 Banker RC (Lot 11) sired by Hanrahan Olympus (FR5239) and backed by six generations of VG/EX Dams sold for €3,400.

Her red and white heifer calf Coolnagree FR4594 Banker 2488 (Lot 11A) sired by Rager Red EX sold for €1,000.