Farmers in attendance at a recent CalfCare event hosted by Animal Health Ireland (AHI) in Co. Cavan heard that some of the "crazy" prices currently being paid for calves are "not sustainable for the calf-to-beef operator".

The event took place on the farm of Seamus Dolan in Killynaff, Co. Cavan, on Tuesday, January 20.

Agriland was in attendance at the event and asked Teagasc DairyBeef 500 adviser, Fergal Maguire for a comment on calf prices ahead of the spring 2026 calving season kicking off.

Maguire explained that he is currently working with 60 dairy-beef demonstration farms located throughout the country.

He said that there is "good profits" currently being made on these but noted that calf prices were at approximately €200-€300/head last spring.

Maguire put the economics of calf-to-beef systems in simple terms, saying that if calf prices go to €400-€500/calf, "it's costing maybe €1,300-€1,400 to rear a calf and add on the [purchase] price of the calf".

"The 300kg carcass [dairy-beef] animal is coming into €2,100 today," he said.

"Everyone is going to have to make up their own mind on it," he told farmers at the event.

According to Maguire, "there's crazy prices being given for calves" in the current market, and and noted cases he had seen where €600-€800 was paid for calves.

"That's not sustainable for the calf-to-beef operator either," he continued.

Dairy and calf to beef farmer dependency

"The dairy farmer needs the beef farmer as much as the beef farmer needs the dairy farmer."

Maguire reminded farmers of cases two or three years ago where farmers "couldn't give away calves" and "there was big issues over where would the calves be moved on to".

The Teagasc adviser said: "Now is the time for the dairy farmer to work with the beef farmer, produce a good calf and build up some relationship, because you don't know what's around the corner either."