After a few weeks of ascending, it appears the hand brake has been pulled on calf prices.

Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) calf price data from marts for the past week has shown prices for the main breeds on offer ease somewhat compared to the week before.

For the most part, the differences are marginal and an increase in supply may have played its part in keeping trade relatively balanced.

Calves sired by traditional beef breed bulls came close to accounting for four out of every five calves on offer making up 77% of all calves.

Angus-crosses made up just under half of the calves sold in marts over the last week and their prices eased slightly across all categories.

Both Angus- heifers aged between 10 and 20 days and bulls aged from three to six weeks were back €7/head to €234/head and €366/head respectively. Younger Angus-cross bull calves barely changed; they were back €1/head to €305/head while older Angus-cross heifer saw their prices reduce by €4/head for an average of €288.

Hereford-crosses

Hereford-crosses fared slightly better with prices for younger calvers moving in a positive direction with bulls up €16/head to €345/head and heifers up €3/head to €2672/head.

Older Hereford-cross heifers were back €1/head to €300 while the price of older bull calves saw the biggest decline for the breed this week with their average price back €11/head to €380.

Friesian bulls kept hold of third spot in terms of volume and those aged between three and six weeks of age sold for an average of €219/head.

A reduction of €14/head compared to last week but still well ahead of where they usually are at this point of the year. Younger Friesian bulls were back €5/head to €193.

Belgian Blue-crosses have followed a similar pattern to traditional beef breeds but older calves remained over the €400 mark.

Bulls were trading for an average of €460/head back €2/head on last week while heifers the same age averaged €403, back €1/head on last week.