Rough seas have thrown the calf trade a little out of sync over the last week or 10 days and, just like the waves, there were plenty of crests and troughs in prices for calves in Bandon Mart this week.
A total of 1,698 calves went through the ring at the west Cork venue at this week’s sale. This is a rise of almost 400 compared with last week and is up 70 on the first sale of March last year.
Friesian bulls might get the headlines when it comes to the lower end of prices, but the range of prices are greatest among the beef breeds.
At Monday’s sale, as high as €370 was paid for Hereford-cross calves and €360 for Angus-crosses, yet at the lower end of prices, €5/head was paid for calves from both traditional beef breeds.
Weight for age and dam breed are the two main price drivers for buyers within those price ranges.
Absence
After an absence of a few weeks, those higher prices were available for the upper end of trade for those breeds with a good share of stronger calves making from there back to €230.
Calves from 50kg to 60kg of those breeds generally made from €130 to €200, while lighter calves and most of those with dairy crossbred genetics sold from there back to €5/head.
Continental calves were very scarce this week, but trade for them was similar to the other beef breeds. A top price of €385 was paid, while prices for them bottomed out at €15.
Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal after the sale, mart manager Sean Dennehy said: “There’s a good demand for that strong Friesian bull calf at the moment for the home market. We had a good share going over €100 today.
"There was a top price of €180 paid for five Friesian bulls around 80kg that sold for €180. Another lot of 10 that weighed 69kg and made €130 and that was late in the sale, so it’s not all doom and gloom for Friesian bull calves.
"Shipping calves were making from €5 to €40. It’s a bit disappointing for farmers selling them, but that’s just the market for that type of calf at the moment.”
This five-week-old Hereford-cross heifer weighed 67kg and sold for €140.
This one-month-old Hereford-cross bull calf with a CBV of €98 weighed 60kg and sold for €215.
This one-month-old Angus bull calf weighed 78kg and sold for €320.
These three-week-old Friesian bull calves with CBVs ranging from -€18 to €18 weighed 58kg and sold for €60.
This one-month-old Angus-cross heifer calf with a CBV of €81 weighed 60kg and sold for €150.
This three-week-old Aubrac-cross heifer calf weighed 73kg and sold for €250.
These one-month-old Friesian bull calves weighed 73kg and sold for €95.
These one-month-old Friesian bull calves with CBVs ranging from -€65 to €8 weighed 66kg and sold for €95.
This three-week-old Angus-cross heifer calf with a CBV of €73 weighed 71kg and sold for €280.
These three-week-old Hereford-cross heifer calves with CBVs of €133 and €188 weighed 53kg and sold for €90.
These three-week-old Friesian bull calves weighed 53kg and sold for €15.
These one-month-old Hereford-cross bull calves with CBVs ranging from €24 to €54 weighed 60kg and sold for €165.
These one-month-old Angus-cross bull calves weighed 71kg and sold for €210.
This five-week-old Friesian bull calf weighed 71kg and sold for €130.
These one-month-old Friesian bull calves weighed 73kg and sold for €95.
These three-week-old Angus-cross bull calves with CBVs of €89 and €87 weighed 84kg and sold for €360.
These three-week-old Belgian Blue-cross heifer calves with CBVs ranging from €117 to €132 weighed 76kg and sold for €310.
These five-week-old Friesian bull calves with CBVs ranging from -€8 to €36 weighed 58kg and sold for €40.
This one-month-old Friesian bull calf with a CBV of -€37 weighed 47kg and sold for €5.
These one-month-old Aubrac-cross bull calves with CBVs of €81 and €96 weighed 49kg and sold for €15.
These one-month-old Hereford heifer calves weighed 48kg and sold for €20.
This one-month-old Hereford-cross heifer calf with a CBV of €88 weighed 73kg and sold for €95.
This three-week-old Simmental-cross bull calf with a CBV of €109 weighed 56kg and sold for €130.
These one-month-old Angus-cross heifer calves with CBVs of €69 and €92 weighed 64kg and sold for €225.
Rough seas have thrown the calf trade a little out of sync over the last week or 10 days and, just like the waves, there were plenty of crests and troughs in prices for calves in Bandon Mart this week.
A total of 1,698 calves went through the ring at the west Cork venue at this week’s sale. This is a rise of almost 400 compared with last week and is up 70 on the first sale of March last year.
Friesian bulls might get the headlines when it comes to the lower end of prices, but the range of prices are greatest among the beef breeds.
At Monday’s sale, as high as €370 was paid for Hereford-cross calves and €360 for Angus-crosses, yet at the lower end of prices, €5/head was paid for calves from both traditional beef breeds.
Weight for age and dam breed are the two main price drivers for buyers within those price ranges.
Absence
After an absence of a few weeks, those higher prices were available for the upper end of trade for those breeds with a good share of stronger calves making from there back to €230.
Calves from 50kg to 60kg of those breeds generally made from €130 to €200, while lighter calves and most of those with dairy crossbred genetics sold from there back to €5/head.
Continental calves were very scarce this week, but trade for them was similar to the other beef breeds. A top price of €385 was paid, while prices for them bottomed out at €15.
Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal after the sale, mart manager Sean Dennehy said: “There’s a good demand for that strong Friesian bull calf at the moment for the home market. We had a good share going over €100 today.
"There was a top price of €180 paid for five Friesian bulls around 80kg that sold for €180. Another lot of 10 that weighed 69kg and made €130 and that was late in the sale, so it’s not all doom and gloom for Friesian bull calves.
"Shipping calves were making from €5 to €40. It’s a bit disappointing for farmers selling them, but that’s just the market for that type of calf at the moment.”
This five-week-old Hereford-cross heifer weighed 67kg and sold for €140.
This one-month-old Hereford-cross bull calf with a CBV of €98 weighed 60kg and sold for €215.
This one-month-old Angus bull calf weighed 78kg and sold for €320.
These three-week-old Friesian bull calves with CBVs ranging from -€18 to €18 weighed 58kg and sold for €60.
This one-month-old Angus-cross heifer calf with a CBV of €81 weighed 60kg and sold for €150.
This three-week-old Aubrac-cross heifer calf weighed 73kg and sold for €250.
These one-month-old Friesian bull calves weighed 73kg and sold for €95.
These one-month-old Friesian bull calves with CBVs ranging from -€65 to €8 weighed 66kg and sold for €95.
This three-week-old Angus-cross heifer calf with a CBV of €73 weighed 71kg and sold for €280.
These three-week-old Hereford-cross heifer calves with CBVs of €133 and €188 weighed 53kg and sold for €90.
These three-week-old Friesian bull calves weighed 53kg and sold for €15.
These one-month-old Hereford-cross bull calves with CBVs ranging from €24 to €54 weighed 60kg and sold for €165.
These one-month-old Angus-cross bull calves weighed 71kg and sold for €210.
This five-week-old Friesian bull calf weighed 71kg and sold for €130.
These one-month-old Friesian bull calves weighed 73kg and sold for €95.
These three-week-old Angus-cross bull calves with CBVs of €89 and €87 weighed 84kg and sold for €360.
These three-week-old Belgian Blue-cross heifer calves with CBVs ranging from €117 to €132 weighed 76kg and sold for €310.
These five-week-old Friesian bull calves with CBVs ranging from -€8 to €36 weighed 58kg and sold for €40.
This one-month-old Friesian bull calf with a CBV of -€37 weighed 47kg and sold for €5.
These one-month-old Aubrac-cross bull calves with CBVs of €81 and €96 weighed 49kg and sold for €15.
These one-month-old Hereford heifer calves weighed 48kg and sold for €20.
This one-month-old Hereford-cross heifer calf with a CBV of €88 weighed 73kg and sold for €95.
This three-week-old Simmental-cross bull calf with a CBV of €109 weighed 56kg and sold for €130.
These one-month-old Angus-cross heifer calves with CBVs of €69 and €92 weighed 64kg and sold for €225.
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: