With calf numbers running at 60% of last week’s levels and no let-up in demand, especially from shippers, a squeeze in calf supply saw prices get a late-season hop across the board.

According to the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) calf price database, prices for all the main breeds of calves on offer are up compared with the week previous.

The week gone marked the first time in 2026 where nine out of every 10 calves on offer were sired by either an Angus, Hereford or Friesian bull.

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Angus-crosses made up 57% of all calves sold in marts over the past week, with Hereford-crosses making up 26% .

Although prices moved downward for both traditional beef breeds in early March, they have been recovering since mid-April.

Prices for Hereford-cross bulls went up by €28/head for an average of €496.

Of the main five categories of calf on offer, they have been the only one to stay ahead of last year’s high prices for the duration of this spring.

The gap between this and last spring’s prices closed to €5/head last week, but the fall in supply and resulting surge in prices help them stay ahead.

They were changing hands for €481/head last year, while €218 was the average price of a Hereford-cross bull two years ago. There was a €22/head rise for Angus-cross bulls, as they averaged €465/head.

In comparison, demand for heifer calves from Angus and Hereford sires hasn’t been as strong.

Both have been below last year’s prices for a number of weeks now and while they recovered, they are still back.

Angus-cross heifers averaged €341/head, up €11, while Hereford-cross heifers got a lift of €19 for an average of €368.

Friesians only accounted for 7% of all calves at last week’s sales, but demand for Friesian bulls remains strong, which resulted in them making a year-high average of €324/head, a lift of €33 above last weeks.

With the exception of one week, their prices have been ahead of last year. This week are likely to see the highest average paid for Friesian bull calves on record. A year ago, they traded for €293/head and for the last week of May 2024, a three- to six-week-old Friesian bull was at €87/head.