Thomas Lyons 
On April 25th, Taaffe Auctions held the Richvale herd dispersal sale for Richard and Valerie Claxton. The herd had an average production of 8,152kg of milk at 4.18% fat and 3.63% protein, which equates to 631kg of milk solids. Michael Taaffe from Taaffe Auctions revealed that cows sold to a top price of 4,600gns with six cows crossing the 4,000gns mark. The Mona cow family was the dominant herd, accounting for 35 out of the 85 lots sold. Multiple members of this cow family accounted for the day’s top prices.
The highest price of the sale went to Lot 25: Richvale Taurus Mona 9, with an economic breeding index (EBI) of €261. In her second lactation, she produced 8,219kg of milk at 4.76% fat and 3.94% protein and was purchased by a farmer from Co. Waterford. The second-highest price cow was Lot 12: Richvale Supreme Mona. She was the highest EBI cow in the herd, with an EBI of €302. Fresh in her second lactation, she produced 5,645kg of milk at 4.76% fat and 3.91% protein in her first lactation and was sold to a Co. Cork herd. The 53 cows on offer at the sale achieved an average sale price of 3,073gns.
Moving to the heifer calves, prices reached 1,450gns. This price was achieved by Lot 11A: Richvale Lion King Mona 1268 with an EBI of €301. Her dam is Richvale Ronaldo Mona 899 (VG), who also bred Richvale Grajo (FR7026), a National Cattle Breeding Centre (NCBC) sire. The same cow was also the dam of the joint top-selling bulling heifer Lot 62: Richvale Profit Mona 1197, with an EBI of €287, which sold for 2,000gns. The other bulling heifer to make 2,000gns was Lot 72: Richvale Profit Mona 1185, with an EBI of €292 and is a daughter of the top-selling cow Lot 25. The 16 bulling heifers averaged 1,553gns, while the 17 heifer calves averaged 768gns.
On April 22nd, Taaffe Auctions conducted the annual sale of the Kilgarriffe herd for Richard and Mervyn Helen, Clonakilty. There was brisk trade at the sale, according to Taaffe. A group of fresh calved heifers was topped at 6,200gns by Lot 7, Kilgarriffe Hiawatha 25 (VG86-2YR), a daughter of Larcrest B Complete. She completes 15 generations of VG/EX cows from a renowned USA cow family. She was purchased by a Co. Cork breeder. The second-highest selling heifer was Lot 12, Kilgarriffe Pietje 81, who sold for 5,000gns and is a potential fourth generation of EX cows from a renowned Dutch cow family. She was purchased by a Co. Armagh farmer. The milking heifers on offer at the sale averaged 2,768gns.
Moving to the bulling heifers, they sold to 3,900gns for another member of the Hiawatha family. Lot 38, sired by Farnear Delta Lambda, created very spirited bidding, according to Taaffe. The group of bulling heifers on offer averaged 1,400gns, while the autumn-born heifer calves sold to 1,550gns and averaged 976gns. Bull trade was strong, with four bulls selling, averaging 3,200gns, and a top price of 4,500gns for Lot 79, a S-S-I PR Renegade son bred again from Kilgarriffe’s Hiawatha family. He was purchased by a Co. Monaghan herd.
