Our Farm Fayre platform is a new & dynamic online environment that allows farmers across Ireland to buy and sell cattle. There is a range of cows and bulls available for auction online, including the Charolais cattle, which are a highly popular breed in Ireland and have their own Irish Charolais Cattle Society based in the west and northwest of the country.
Along with the Charolais cattle, a variety of breeds can be bought through Farm Fayre, each with a different weight, age, temperament and beef quality. Today we are here to give you some more information on the Charolais cattle, and why the breed is so popular in Ireland.
Where do the Charolais Cattle originate from?
The Charolais cattle originate from France, more specifically the Charolles and Nièvre provinces. There is some evidence that the cattle were first found in Charolles in 800 A.D. and then moved to the Nièvre province in central France by Claude Mathieu in the 18th century.
The Charolais cattle is one of the oldest found in France and wasn’t transferred to other countries until the late 1940s, once the second world war had finished. The Charolais cattle were introduced to Ireland in the 1960s and became known for their incredible growth, large frame and broad build.
The Charolais cattle was also one of the first European breeds to be shipped to Australia, and farmers found that the cows and bulls could easily adapt to a range of weather conditions.
Why are the Charolais cattle so popular?
There are a range of reasons why the Charolais cattle make such a great breed, including:
- Rapid growth
- Broad body and muscle makes for great beef production
- Calving is easy
- Adaptable to changing weather conditions
- A calm and easily managed temperament
The Charolais breed adapt easily to a range of weather conditions because they gain a thick coat in colder months and shed this coat in the warmer months, so they are easily adaptable across the globe.
Their broad bodies and muscular development also makes for great quality beef and dairy produce. The breed is highly valued by farmers and beef producers, which makes them highly requested across the island and the rest of the world.
What do the Charolais breed look like?
The Charolais cattle can range from white in colour to a darker tan. The cows can grow to around 900 kilos, while the Charolais bulls can weigh up to 1,100 kilos. Their muscular and broad bodies are part of the appeal of the Charolais breed, with a herd quick to be bought when put on sale.
How can I buy or sell Charolais cattle on Farm Fayre?
We’ve made buying and selling cattle on our platform as easy as possible! As a buyer you will need to sign up with your delivery address for livestock, as well as your herd number, which may be supplied to the seller.
If you are looking to sell your Charolais cattle on Farm Fayre, you will need a Trustap profile so that funds can be deposited into your account once a bid has closed.
The bidding rooms will display the sale of animals for a minimum of 48 hours, in which time buyers can make bids on the cattle. However, to ensure our sellers get paid from a bid, we require a pre-bidding deposit of at least 10% of the value you would like to bid for. For example, if you are looking at Charolais cattle and have deposited €2,500 you can bid up to a value of €25,000.
The winner of a bid will need to transfer funds to Trustap within 48 hours of close of sale, where funds are held safe and will be transferred to the cattle seller.
Once this has been done, our Trusted Haulier Network will collect the cattle straight from the seller’s farmyard, weigh the livestock to ensure accuracy and deliver it straight to the buyer.
It really is as simple as that! We spoke to farmers across Ireland to ensure they could easily put livestock up for sale on our site, just like the “Old Market Square”, reimagined for ease in the present day. Sign up to Farm Fayre to buy or sell Charolais cattle in your local area today!
