29-day-old calf sells for €2,090 at Carrigallen Mart calf sale
A 29-day old Belgian-Bule-sired heifer calf secured an impressive sale price of €2,090 at GVM Carrigallen Mart, Co. Leitrim on Saturday, March 7.
Mart manager Helen Kells told Agriland that the suckler-bred calf was purchased by a farmer from Co. Tipperary.
She said that there were 350 calves in the sale with "a lot of calves making high prices on the day".
Commenting on some of the top prices recorded at the sale, she said that there were Hereford bull calves that sold for €750-€800.
She also said that Friesian bulls made up to €370.
Prices being paid for calves
Calf prices are currently attracting significant attention as the annual peak calf sale season is currently underway.
Beef prices have fallen by 20c/kg or €70/head on a 350kg carcass beef animal in the past two weeks.
Weekly average calf prices have eased up to March 1, but remain significantly ahead of this time last year.
In the week ending Sunday, March 1, the average price paid for Angus bull calves from 3-6 weeks-of-age was €504, according to the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation's (ICBF's) calf price database.
In the same week of last year, the average price for these calves stood at €301/head, marking a rise of €200/head in 12 months.
ICBF data on calf prices
In the week ending Sunday, March 1, the average price paid for Friesian bull calves was €245, ICBF calf price database.
Friesian bulls from 3-6 weeks-of-age averaged €272/head.
The table below details the ICBF calf price data for Angus-sired calves for the week ending Sunday, March 1:
| Sire Breed | Sex | Age range | Number of Calves | Average Age (days) | Average Price (€) | Number with Recorded Weight | Average Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angus | M | <21 days | 745 | 17 | €443 | 498 | 55kg |
| 21-42 days | 1,367 | 26 | €504 | 913 | 62kg | ||
| F | <21 days | 700 | 17 | €360 | 440 | 53kg | |
| 21-42 days | 1,432 | 27 | €403 | 918 | 58kg |
Belgian Blue bull calves under three weeks-of-age averaged €482/head and heifers averaged €430/head.
Charolais-sired bull calves of the same age averaged €556/head and the heifers averaged €467/head.
The table below details the ICBF calf price data for Hereford-sired calves for the week ending Sunday, March 1:
| Sire Breed | Sex | Age range | Number of calves | Average age (days) | Average price | Number with recorded weight | Average weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hereford | M | <21 days | 381 | 17 | €477 | 222 | 58kg |
| 21-42 days | 506 | 26 | €541 | 268 | 64kg | ||
| F | <21 days | 309 | 17 | €396 | 155 | 57kg | |
| 21-42 days | 508 | 26 | €431 | 249 | 61kg |
Limousin-sired bull calves under three weeks-of-age averaged €503/head and the heifers averaged €412/head.
