For the first time since February, there were less than 2,000 calves on offer in Bandon Mart. Trade was brisk with a slight softening in price compared with recent weeks for the 1,506 calves on offer at Monday’s sale.
With peak calf supply in the rear-view mirror, prices continue to ease.
For much of the last six weeks, a range of €200 to €450 would have purchased most calves that weighed between 50kg and 60kg in Bandon - that’s regardless of breed too.
It appears that weight range is pushing out and a good proportion of calves that weighed between 50kg and 65kg and even up to 70kg sold in a price range from €200 to €500.
Traditional beef breed-crosses stood a better chance of making over €500 if they weighed close to 75kg, but there was no guarantee either.
Angus-crosses continue to have the upper hand on the numbers, with 51% of the calves on offer at the west Cork venue this week sired by an Angus bull. Hereford-crosses accounted for 20%.
Heavier calves were thinner on the ground, but provided ample opportunity to grab headlines, with a bunch of 103kg Charolais-cross heifers opening at and selling for €1,000.
A heavier bull weighing 135kg from the same farm made the top price of €1,010, while the choice lots of continental-cross calves made back to €700 for those weighing over 75kg.
There was close to 200 calves that were sired by continental beef breed bulls on offer and for those under 70kg, they tended to sell for the same money as other breeds.
Friesians
Friesian numbers continue to slip, but price is holding relatively stable.
Heavier calves for the home market were making from €340 to €515, with those prices largely paid on calves weighing over 65kg.
Calves under this threshold crept into these prices on occasion, while most lighter Friesians traded for between €180 and €300.
For lighter calves under 50kg, trade remained tough and the further the calf was from 50kg, the lower the price tended to be, with some selling from €15 to €90. Some beef-cross calves were selling in that range too.
These five-week-old Charolais-cross bulls weighed 103kg and sold for €940.
This seven-week-old Angus-cross bull with a CBV of €129 weighed 58kg and sold for €380.
These six-week-old Hereford-cross bulls with CBVs of €117 and €124 weighed 66kg and sold for €440.
This five-week-old Belgian Blue-cross heifer with a CBV of €225 weighed 90kg and sold for €720.
These six-week-old Belgian Blue-cross heifers with CBVS ranging from €272 to €317 weighed 58kg and sold for €500.
This five-week-old Angus-cross bull with a CBV of €120 weighed 67kg and sold for €450.
These eight-week-old Friesian bulls with CBVs ranging from -€73 to 441, weighed 63kg and sold for €290.
These seven-week-old Friesian bulls with CBVs ranging from -€55 to €2 weighed 65kg and sold for €345.
These six-week-old Friesian bulls weighed 72kg and sold for €370.
These five-week-old Angus-cross bulls weighed 74kg and sold for €470.
This six-week-old Hereford-cross bull with a CBV of €122 weighed 69kg and sold for €470.
This six-week-old Belgian Blue-cross bull weighed 86kg and sold for €700.
These six-week-old Angus-cross heifers weighed 71kg and sold for €580.
This six-week-old Hereford-cross bull with a CBV of €113 weighed 67kg and sold for €470.
These one-month-old Hereford-cross bulls weighed 59kg and sold for €270.
These one-month-old Hereford-cross bulls weighed 64kg and sold for €440.
These five-week-old Hereford-cross heifers weighed 58kg and sold for €170.
These six-week-old Friesian-cross bulls with CBVs of -476 and -€13 weighed 50kg and sold for €170.
These three-week-old Hereford-cross bulls weighed 55kg and sold for €345.
These five-week-old Charolais-cross heifers weighed 103kg and sold for €1,000.
These five-week-old Friesian-cross bulls with CBVs of -€117 and -457 weighed 41kg and sold for €30.
These five-week-old Angus-cross bulls weighed 60kg and sold for €405.
These five-week-old Angus-cross heifers weighed 55kg and sold for €240.
These five-week-old Hereford-cross heifers weighed 56kg and sold for €270.
These nine-week-old Angus-cross bulls with CBVS ranging from €88 to €187 weighed 68kg and sold for €440.
For the first time since February, there were less than 2,000 calves on offer in Bandon Mart. Trade was brisk with a slight softening in price compared with recent weeks for the 1,506 calves on offer at Monday’s sale.
With peak calf supply in the rear-view mirror, prices continue to ease.
For much of the last six weeks, a range of €200 to €450 would have purchased most calves that weighed between 50kg and 60kg in Bandon - that’s regardless of breed too.
It appears that weight range is pushing out and a good proportion of calves that weighed between 50kg and 65kg and even up to 70kg sold in a price range from €200 to €500.
Traditional beef breed-crosses stood a better chance of making over €500 if they weighed close to 75kg, but there was no guarantee either.
Angus-crosses continue to have the upper hand on the numbers, with 51% of the calves on offer at the west Cork venue this week sired by an Angus bull. Hereford-crosses accounted for 20%.
Heavier calves were thinner on the ground, but provided ample opportunity to grab headlines, with a bunch of 103kg Charolais-cross heifers opening at and selling for €1,000.
A heavier bull weighing 135kg from the same farm made the top price of €1,010, while the choice lots of continental-cross calves made back to €700 for those weighing over 75kg.
There was close to 200 calves that were sired by continental beef breed bulls on offer and for those under 70kg, they tended to sell for the same money as other breeds.
Friesians
Friesian numbers continue to slip, but price is holding relatively stable.
Heavier calves for the home market were making from €340 to €515, with those prices largely paid on calves weighing over 65kg.
Calves under this threshold crept into these prices on occasion, while most lighter Friesians traded for between €180 and €300.
For lighter calves under 50kg, trade remained tough and the further the calf was from 50kg, the lower the price tended to be, with some selling from €15 to €90. Some beef-cross calves were selling in that range too.
These five-week-old Charolais-cross bulls weighed 103kg and sold for €940.
This seven-week-old Angus-cross bull with a CBV of €129 weighed 58kg and sold for €380.
These six-week-old Hereford-cross bulls with CBVs of €117 and €124 weighed 66kg and sold for €440.
This five-week-old Belgian Blue-cross heifer with a CBV of €225 weighed 90kg and sold for €720.
These six-week-old Belgian Blue-cross heifers with CBVS ranging from €272 to €317 weighed 58kg and sold for €500.
This five-week-old Angus-cross bull with a CBV of €120 weighed 67kg and sold for €450.
These eight-week-old Friesian bulls with CBVs ranging from -€73 to 441, weighed 63kg and sold for €290.
These seven-week-old Friesian bulls with CBVs ranging from -€55 to €2 weighed 65kg and sold for €345.
These six-week-old Friesian bulls weighed 72kg and sold for €370.
These five-week-old Angus-cross bulls weighed 74kg and sold for €470.
This six-week-old Hereford-cross bull with a CBV of €122 weighed 69kg and sold for €470.
This six-week-old Belgian Blue-cross bull weighed 86kg and sold for €700.
These six-week-old Angus-cross heifers weighed 71kg and sold for €580.
This six-week-old Hereford-cross bull with a CBV of €113 weighed 67kg and sold for €470.
These one-month-old Hereford-cross bulls weighed 59kg and sold for €270.
These one-month-old Hereford-cross bulls weighed 64kg and sold for €440.
These five-week-old Hereford-cross heifers weighed 58kg and sold for €170.
These six-week-old Friesian-cross bulls with CBVs of -476 and -€13 weighed 50kg and sold for €170.
These three-week-old Hereford-cross bulls weighed 55kg and sold for €345.
These five-week-old Charolais-cross heifers weighed 103kg and sold for €1,000.
These five-week-old Friesian-cross bulls with CBVs of -€117 and -457 weighed 41kg and sold for €30.
These five-week-old Angus-cross bulls weighed 60kg and sold for €405.
These five-week-old Angus-cross heifers weighed 55kg and sold for €240.
These five-week-old Hereford-cross heifers weighed 56kg and sold for €270.
These nine-week-old Angus-cross bulls with CBVS ranging from €88 to €187 weighed 68kg and sold for €440.
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