Pedigree bulls attracted strong demand at Holstein NI’s May show and sale at Kilrea.

 

Prices peaked at 2,500gns and 8 lots were traded to average £1,981 each.

 

Claiming the day’s top price was the pre-sale champion Prehen Saffron PLI £444 from Robbie and Stuart Smith’s herd in Londonderry. Born in January 2016, he is by De Su Penley, and is bred from Prehen Mogul Saskia VG85 who gave 8,445kgs at 4.61% butterfat and 3.07% protein in her second lactation. This one sold to McCloskey Farms.

 

Next best at 2,200gns was Hollybrook Tribune PLI £492, a December 2015 born River Bridge Co-op Troy son bred by Dean McAllister from Ballymoney.  Backed by ten generations of VG and EX dams, he is out of the home-bred Hollybrook Iota Froukje 2 VG85, who gave 10,696kgs at 4.23% butterfat and 3.43% protein in her second lactation. Buyers were Messrs P and M Connolly from Armoy.

 

Judge David Perry awarded the reserve championship to Majestic Micah Acrobat, a fifteen-month-old entry bred by Ian and Kenny Watson, Macosquin. Sired by Sully Micah, his dam is Majestic Dover Annette EX who is fresh into her fourth lactation and producing 55kgs daily. He attracted a bid of 2,050gns from W Millar, Coleraine.

 

The pre-sale show was sponsored by Grassland Agro.