Lisduff Sale Lisduff Ellen 319 (lot 15) - Top priced fresh calved heifer selling for €3,117. Her heifer calf sired by Westcoast Yamaska sold for €1,127
The Lisduff herd of John O’Sullivan & sons held a very successful 38th annual draft sale on Saturday October 9th. The high quality Lisduff catalogue offered over 150 lots in total including 40 fresh calved heifers plus their heifer calves, and 85 spring calving heifers. Of note, sexed semen was used across all heifers such that the spring calvers, with due dates starting from mid-January, are anticipated to be carrying heifer calves. On the day, 37 fresh calved heifers sold for an average of €2,317 with a 97% clearance. 32 baby heifer calves sold for an average of €849. As an overview of the spring calvers, the average was close to €2,200. The Lisduff herd, owned by the O’Sullivan family, is located near Whitechurch in north county Cork. A pioneer of Holstein Friesian breeding over many decades, John O’Sullivan farms with sons John Jr and Victor, working alongside farm manager David McGrath. Earlier this year the Lisduff herd was short listed as a national finalist and was a category winner in the Quality Milk Awards Competition run by the National 66
Cow families with generations of performance command strong prices
Dairy Council and Kerrygold. Cow families are the backbone of the Lisduff herd. Established families, such as Leslie, Beatrix, Dairybreiz, Ellen, Dolores and Duchess, are synonymous with Lisduff while the Mary family is also very prominent. Consistency and efficiency in milk production performance and conformation standards achieved, generation after generation, provides surplus breeding stock being offered for sale annually. Buoyant demand in the market for high performing bloodlines was evident with brisk bidding up to the very end at the herd’s 38th annual sale. Lisduff Leslie 412 (Lot 50) achieved the top price selling for €3,331. A spring-calving heifer, she is bred from nine generations of VG/EX dams. Her dam, Lisduff Leslie 134 EX93 3E, is in her seventh lactation recording 10,397kgs milk, 861 kgs milk solids, 4.53% fat, 3.75% protein in her sixth lactation (369 days). Grand dam, Lisduff Leslie 74 ET EX91 3E, achieved a lifetime yield of 57,755kgs milk, 4,334kgs milk solids, 3.96% fat, 3.54% protein. She is bred from the same
