Appetite for heavier calves has increased in recent weeks and this is resulting in more interest in these calves that are closer to weaning.
Their prices appeared to drive on a fraction more compared with younger calves which require a bit more work to get them to the grass stage.
That was the case in Bandon Mart for its weekly calf sale on Monday. Bidding was competitive, with some bids jumping in increments of €100 rather than €5 or €10 on occasion.
There were 900 calves on offer in the west Cork venue this week, which is about 200 head behind the same sale last year. It is also the first time since the middle of February where calf numbers fell below 1,000 head. Even throwing an eye back on that sale tells you just where the calf trade has gone this spring.
Throwback
It’s worth throwing an eye back on that report where, a bare three months ago, Angus- and Hereford-crosses weighing between 60kg and 70kg were mostly selling for between €200 and €300. An odd few made over €400, while those around 80kg to 100kg were capable of making between €400 and €600 on occasion.
A notable price from mid-February was a group of 49kg Angus-cross heifers that sold for €245. At this week’s sale, a 45kg Friesian bull sold for €425.
The scarcity in supply, combined with strong demand from the continent, has seen prices for Friesian bulls hit levels never before seen.
A quick snapshot from this week’s sale on dairy bull calves shows that a pair weighing 53kg made €270, 65kg made €340, while a Friesian bull weighing 78kg sold for €395.
For runners, a group of six February-born Friesians weighing 95kg made €525, another bunch of seven weighing 96kg made €565 and a January-born bull weighing 145kg made €670.
Calves sired by a traditional beef breed bull yet again backboned the trade, accounting for over two-thirds of all on offer.
Lighter Angus- and Hereford-crosses from 50kg to 60kg were generally making between €200 and €350, but there were a number of exceptions falling either side of that price bracket.
Most of those beef-crosses around 70kg tended to make north of €450, while for calves over 80kg, the going rate tended to be anywhere from €550 to €700, with a good share making over €700, particularity those heading for 100kg.
Heavy continental-crosses tended to be trading for around the €700 mark too, but were thinner on the ground this week.
