For the second year in a row, the calf trade is unrecognisable compared with the previous year.

As data from the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) calf price database shows, this isn’t just based on anecdotal evidence.

A year ago, the opening prices of the 2025 calf trade at marts across the country appeared to be a world away from the previous year.

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This spring, they are on a different planet in comparison with last February.

Friesian bulls accounted for 44% of calves traded over the last week and for the second spring in a row, their prices have doubled.

Last week, the average price for younger Friesian bull calves aged between 10 days and 20 days was €244/head.

In 2024, they averaged €51/head and €120/head a year ago.

Older Friesian bulls between 21 and 42 days of age experienced similar increases. Over the last seven days, they averaged €288/head compared with €157/head in 2025 and €72/head the year before that.

Angus-crosses made up 30% of calves traded last week and the price for an Angus-cross bull calf aged from three to six weeks of age was €487/head.

A year ago, they made €303/head, up €57/head on 2024 prices. Heifer calves of the same age averaged €424/head.

Hereford-crosses traditionally have had an edge on prices over Angus-crosses and this is the case yet again. Bull calves aged between 21 and 42 days sold for an average of €524/head, while similar-aged Hereford-cross heifers sold for €463/head.

Irish calf prices are running ahead of the EU average for both dairy- and beef-sired calves. EU-wide data showed that Irish dairy-sired calves were €13/head over the EU average of €254.