A top price of €1,005 in Bandon Marts calf sale this week caught the eye and given the current trends in calf prices and supply slipping off, a four-figure sum looked like it was going to be paid out at some point.
The fact that threshold was passed by a Friesian may come as a surprise, but less so when it was paid out on a pedigree heifer calf from the Firmount herd.
A special sale of pedigree Friesian heifer calves from James Murphy, Donoughmore hit a good vein of form and they sold from that high back to €740.
There were 1,670 calves on offer this week, about 100 head over the same time last year and seven out of every 10 calves were sired by traditional beef breed bulls.
Half were Angus-cross alone and there has been no cooling off in price. If anything, it felt like it edged up another notch.
Angus- and Hereford-cross calves from Friesian dams and weighing 60kg or above it generally sold for between €300 and €500. The closer they got to weaning weight, the likelihood of them making over €500 increased and pushed on towards €600.
Angus-cross bulls
On a few occasions they were making over €600 with up to €650 paid out.
That was for a group of 90kg Angus-cross bulls and there was a nice share of other lots not too far behind them. Lighter calves from the same crosses, from 60kg back to 50kg, tended to sell for between €190 to €300.
Some traditional beef breed cross calves from herds with Jersey genetics hit into these prices too.
Continental-crosses generally sold along similar lines as Angus- and Hereford-crosses but at the upper end they had a bit more going for them and powered up to and over €700 and even €800 on occasion - with €845 paid out on several 108kg, two-month-old Belgian Blue-cross bulls.
Friesian numbers have noticeably tailed off and as a result, their prices have held firm. Prices for the majority of them ranged from €90 to €250 for most of the calves under 60kg while heavier calves broke the €300 mark and like beef crosses. The closer to weaning weight they were, the higher the price went with up to €430 paid for 97kg Friesian bulls.
In pictures
This February-born Friesian heifer calf with an EBI of €284 sold for €950.
This February-born Friesian heifer calf with an EBI of €296 sold for €900.
This January-born Friesian heifer calf with an EBI of €287 sold for €770.
This February-born Friesian heifer calf with an EBI of €277 sold for €780.
This January-born Friesian heifer calf with an EBI of €278 sold for €845.
This January-born Friesian heifer calf with an EBI of €280 sold for €850.
These one-month-old Friesian bulls weighed 57kg and sold for €240.
These one-month-old Friesian bull calves weighed 72kg and sold for €360.
This five-week-old Angus-cross bull with a CBV of €121 weighed 75kg and sold for €550.
This nine-week-old Angus-cross bull weighed 108kg and sold for €650.
This two-month-old Charolais-cross heifer with a CBV of €108 weighed 93kg and sold for €570.
This two-month-old Charolais-cross bull weighed 117kg and sold for €825.
This two-month-old Belgian Blue-cross heifer with a CBV of €176 weighed 105kg and sold for €685.
These ten-week-old Friesian bulls weighed 88kg and sold for €380.
These five-week-old Hereford-cross heifer calves weighed 76kg and sold for €455.
This five-week-old Hereford-cross bull weighed 82k and sold for €545.
This five-week-old Angus-cross heifer calf weighed 71kg and sold for €390.
These one-month-old Hereford-cross heifers weighed 57kg and sold for €290.
This one-month-old Shorthorn-cross heifer calf weighed 55kg and sold for €370.
These five-week-old Hereford-cross heifers with CBVs ranging from €42 to €107 weighed 64kg and sold for €370.
These one-month-old Hereford-cross bulls with CBVs ranging from €59 to €96 weighed 53kg and sold for €270.
These five-week-old Angus-cross heifer calves weighed 45kg and sold for €190.
These one-month-old Limousin-cross bulls weighed 74kg and sold for €575.
These one-month-old Friesian bulls weighed 51kg and sold for €190.
These one-month-old Simmental-cross bull calves weighed 66kg and sold for €470.
This five-week-old Simmental-cross heifer calf weighed 73kg and sold for €485.
This five-week-old Limousin-cross heifer calf weighed 56kg and sold for €310.
These three-week-old Angus-cross heifers weighed 68kg and sold for €435.
These three-week-old Angus-cross bulls weighed 69kg and sold for €560.
These five-week-old Angus-cross bull calves with CBVs of €93 and €98 weighed 76kg and sold for €600.
These five-week-old Angus-cross heifers with CBVs ranging from €87 to €99 weighed 66kg and sold for €485.
These five-week-old Belgian Blue-cross heifer calves with CBVs of €165 and €171 weighed 70kg and sold for €540.
These one-month-old Hereford-cross bulls with CBVs of €26 and €62 weighed 58kg and sold for €445.
A top price of €1,005 in Bandon Marts calf sale this week caught the eye and given the current trends in calf prices and supply slipping off, a four-figure sum looked like it was going to be paid out at some point.
The fact that threshold was passed by a Friesian may come as a surprise, but less so when it was paid out on a pedigree heifer calf from the Firmount herd.
A special sale of pedigree Friesian heifer calves from James Murphy, Donoughmore hit a good vein of form and they sold from that high back to €740.
There were 1,670 calves on offer this week, about 100 head over the same time last year and seven out of every 10 calves were sired by traditional beef breed bulls.
Half were Angus-cross alone and there has been no cooling off in price. If anything, it felt like it edged up another notch.
Angus- and Hereford-cross calves from Friesian dams and weighing 60kg or above it generally sold for between €300 and €500. The closer they got to weaning weight, the likelihood of them making over €500 increased and pushed on towards €600.
Angus-cross bulls
On a few occasions they were making over €600 with up to €650 paid out.
That was for a group of 90kg Angus-cross bulls and there was a nice share of other lots not too far behind them. Lighter calves from the same crosses, from 60kg back to 50kg, tended to sell for between €190 to €300.
Some traditional beef breed cross calves from herds with Jersey genetics hit into these prices too.
Continental-crosses generally sold along similar lines as Angus- and Hereford-crosses but at the upper end they had a bit more going for them and powered up to and over €700 and even €800 on occasion - with €845 paid out on several 108kg, two-month-old Belgian Blue-cross bulls.
Friesian numbers have noticeably tailed off and as a result, their prices have held firm. Prices for the majority of them ranged from €90 to €250 for most of the calves under 60kg while heavier calves broke the €300 mark and like beef crosses. The closer to weaning weight they were, the higher the price went with up to €430 paid for 97kg Friesian bulls.
In pictures
This February-born Friesian heifer calf with an EBI of €284 sold for €950.
This February-born Friesian heifer calf with an EBI of €296 sold for €900.
This January-born Friesian heifer calf with an EBI of €287 sold for €770.
This February-born Friesian heifer calf with an EBI of €277 sold for €780.
This January-born Friesian heifer calf with an EBI of €278 sold for €845.
This January-born Friesian heifer calf with an EBI of €280 sold for €850.
These one-month-old Friesian bulls weighed 57kg and sold for €240.
These one-month-old Friesian bull calves weighed 72kg and sold for €360.
This five-week-old Angus-cross bull with a CBV of €121 weighed 75kg and sold for €550.
This nine-week-old Angus-cross bull weighed 108kg and sold for €650.
This two-month-old Charolais-cross heifer with a CBV of €108 weighed 93kg and sold for €570.
This two-month-old Charolais-cross bull weighed 117kg and sold for €825.
This two-month-old Belgian Blue-cross heifer with a CBV of €176 weighed 105kg and sold for €685.
These ten-week-old Friesian bulls weighed 88kg and sold for €380.
These five-week-old Hereford-cross heifer calves weighed 76kg and sold for €455.
This five-week-old Hereford-cross bull weighed 82k and sold for €545.
This five-week-old Angus-cross heifer calf weighed 71kg and sold for €390.
These one-month-old Hereford-cross heifers weighed 57kg and sold for €290.
This one-month-old Shorthorn-cross heifer calf weighed 55kg and sold for €370.
These five-week-old Hereford-cross heifers with CBVs ranging from €42 to €107 weighed 64kg and sold for €370.
These one-month-old Hereford-cross bulls with CBVs ranging from €59 to €96 weighed 53kg and sold for €270.
These five-week-old Angus-cross heifer calves weighed 45kg and sold for €190.
These one-month-old Limousin-cross bulls weighed 74kg and sold for €575.
These one-month-old Friesian bulls weighed 51kg and sold for €190.
These one-month-old Simmental-cross bull calves weighed 66kg and sold for €470.
This five-week-old Simmental-cross heifer calf weighed 73kg and sold for €485.
This five-week-old Limousin-cross heifer calf weighed 56kg and sold for €310.
These three-week-old Angus-cross heifers weighed 68kg and sold for €435.
These three-week-old Angus-cross bulls weighed 69kg and sold for €560.
These five-week-old Angus-cross bull calves with CBVs of €93 and €98 weighed 76kg and sold for €600.
These five-week-old Angus-cross heifers with CBVs ranging from €87 to €99 weighed 66kg and sold for €485.
These five-week-old Belgian Blue-cross heifer calves with CBVs of €165 and €171 weighed 70kg and sold for €540.
These one-month-old Hereford-cross bulls with CBVs of €26 and €62 weighed 58kg and sold for €445.
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: