Calf numbers exceeded 1,000 for the first time this year in Bandon, with 1,326 going through the west Cork venue.
This is a drop of about 75 compared with this time last year, but it’s running well ahead of the same sale in 2022 when there were 900 calves on offer.
Trade for Friesian bull calves took a little bit of a wobble for most of last week, but calm weather - with news of boats sailing - meant there was an air of normality in the trade for lighter Friesian bulls this week.
Exporters were active ringside and most shipping-type Friesian bull calves sold for between €20 and €70. Some lighter Angus-cross calves also came on the exporters' radar.
For the home market, there were Friesians making €80 to €120, but a number of lots exceeded this, with Friesian bull calves under six weeks of age making €170 on a number of occasions.
While there was concern over low-value calves due to ships being cancelled last week, only 13 lots in Bandon failed to make it into double figures, with most of those selling for €5.
Beef calves
Prices for Angus- and Hereford-crosses continue to have the widest variation, as weight and breed of dam are main factors.
A few choice lots broke the €300 mark, but, for the most part, the top end of the trade was making over €250.
Those making over €200 tended to be over 60kg and from Friesian cows.
Lighter calves from those dams made back to between €100 and €180. For calves with dairy crossbred backgrounds, some made over €100/head, while most sold from anywhere from €100 back to €10 depending on weight.
Continental calves were available in more numbers than last week and maintained their presence as sale toppers, with up to €535 paid out on a pair of Charolais-cross bull calves.
Auctioneer Denis O’Donoghue said: “Trade was a sight for those coloured calves that had plenty milk gone into them and had no crossbred breeding.
"There wasn’t as many making over €300 as a few weeks ago for the Angus and Herefords, but they were still comfortably making over €250.”
He also reported higher than usual online buying, with buyers active for all breeds of calves.
These three-week-old Friesian bull calves with CBVs ranging from -€5 to -€75 weighed 58kg and sold for €50.
These three-week-old Angus-cross bull calves weighed 58kg and sold for €280.
These one-month-old Belgian blue-cross bull calves with CBVs ranging from €109 to €161 weighed 64kg and sold for €230.
These three-week-old Simmental-cross bull calves weighed 62kg and sold for €275.
These one-month-old Hereford-cross bull calves with CBVs ranging from €68 to €154 weighed 67kg and sold for €260.
These one-month-old Charolais-cross bull calves weighed 83kg and sold for €415.
These one-month-old Friesian bull calves with CBVs ranging from €8 to -€18 weighed 84kg and sold for €170.
These five-week-old Friesian bull calves with CBVs ranging from €55 to -€53 weighed 52kg and sold for €50.
This three-week-old Hereford-cross bull calf weighed 52kg and sold for €65.
These five-week-old Angus-cross heifer calves with CBVs ranging from €60 to €74 weighed 51kg and sold for €155.
This one-month-old Hereford-cross heifer calf weighed 65kg and sold for €200.
This one-month-old Angus-cross heifer calf with a CBV of €102 weighed 73kg and sold for €265.
These one-month-old Hereford-cross bull calves weighed 73kg and sold for €265.
These one-month-old Friesian bull calves with CBVs ranging from -€26 to €32 weighed 77kg and sold for €170.
These one-month-old Angus-cross heifer calves with CBVs ranging from €146 to €184 weighed 43kg and sold for €35.
These one-month-old Hereford-cross bull calves weighed 65kg and sold for €255.
These one-month-old Hereford-cross heifer calves with CBVs ranging from €123 to €133 weighed 56kg and sold for €180.
These one-month-old Jersey-cross bull calves with CBVs ranging from -€41 to -€51 weighed 65kg and sold for €5.
These five-week-old Friesian bull calves with CBVs ranging from -€8 to -€20 weighed 59kg and sold for €20.
These five-week-old Friesian bull calves weighed 66kg and sold for €120.
This three-week-old Hereford-cross heifer calf with a CBV of €178 weighed 44kg and sold for €10.
These three-week-old Angus-cross calves with CBVs ranging from €165 to €189 weighed 44kg and sold for €15.
This two-week-old Friesian bull calf weighed 47kg and sold for €45.
These five-week-old Friesian bull calves with CBVs ranging from €114 to €147 weighed 50kg and sold for €120.
These three-week-old Friesian bulls with CBVs ranging from -€16 to -€75 weighed 62kg and sold for €30.
This one-month-old Belgian blue-cross heifer with a CBV of €183 weighed 68kg and sold for €320
This one-month-old Simmental-cross heifer calf with a CBV of €120 weighed 67kg and sold for €275.
This one-month-old Angus-cross bull calf weighed 56kg and sold for €110.
Calf numbers exceeded 1,000 for the first time this year in Bandon, with 1,326 going through the west Cork venue.
This is a drop of about 75 compared with this time last year, but it’s running well ahead of the same sale in 2022 when there were 900 calves on offer.
Trade for Friesian bull calves took a little bit of a wobble for most of last week, but calm weather - with news of boats sailing - meant there was an air of normality in the trade for lighter Friesian bulls this week.
Exporters were active ringside and most shipping-type Friesian bull calves sold for between €20 and €70. Some lighter Angus-cross calves also came on the exporters' radar.
For the home market, there were Friesians making €80 to €120, but a number of lots exceeded this, with Friesian bull calves under six weeks of age making €170 on a number of occasions.
While there was concern over low-value calves due to ships being cancelled last week, only 13 lots in Bandon failed to make it into double figures, with most of those selling for €5.
Beef calves
Prices for Angus- and Hereford-crosses continue to have the widest variation, as weight and breed of dam are main factors.
A few choice lots broke the €300 mark, but, for the most part, the top end of the trade was making over €250.
Those making over €200 tended to be over 60kg and from Friesian cows.
Lighter calves from those dams made back to between €100 and €180. For calves with dairy crossbred backgrounds, some made over €100/head, while most sold from anywhere from €100 back to €10 depending on weight.
Continental calves were available in more numbers than last week and maintained their presence as sale toppers, with up to €535 paid out on a pair of Charolais-cross bull calves.
Auctioneer Denis O’Donoghue said: “Trade was a sight for those coloured calves that had plenty milk gone into them and had no crossbred breeding.
"There wasn’t as many making over €300 as a few weeks ago for the Angus and Herefords, but they were still comfortably making over €250.”
He also reported higher than usual online buying, with buyers active for all breeds of calves.
These three-week-old Friesian bull calves with CBVs ranging from -€5 to -€75 weighed 58kg and sold for €50.
These three-week-old Angus-cross bull calves weighed 58kg and sold for €280.
These one-month-old Belgian blue-cross bull calves with CBVs ranging from €109 to €161 weighed 64kg and sold for €230.
These three-week-old Simmental-cross bull calves weighed 62kg and sold for €275.
These one-month-old Hereford-cross bull calves with CBVs ranging from €68 to €154 weighed 67kg and sold for €260.
These one-month-old Charolais-cross bull calves weighed 83kg and sold for €415.
These one-month-old Friesian bull calves with CBVs ranging from €8 to -€18 weighed 84kg and sold for €170.
These five-week-old Friesian bull calves with CBVs ranging from €55 to -€53 weighed 52kg and sold for €50.
This three-week-old Hereford-cross bull calf weighed 52kg and sold for €65.
These five-week-old Angus-cross heifer calves with CBVs ranging from €60 to €74 weighed 51kg and sold for €155.
This one-month-old Hereford-cross heifer calf weighed 65kg and sold for €200.
This one-month-old Angus-cross heifer calf with a CBV of €102 weighed 73kg and sold for €265.
These one-month-old Hereford-cross bull calves weighed 73kg and sold for €265.
These one-month-old Friesian bull calves with CBVs ranging from -€26 to €32 weighed 77kg and sold for €170.
These one-month-old Angus-cross heifer calves with CBVs ranging from €146 to €184 weighed 43kg and sold for €35.
These one-month-old Hereford-cross bull calves weighed 65kg and sold for €255.
These one-month-old Hereford-cross heifer calves with CBVs ranging from €123 to €133 weighed 56kg and sold for €180.
These one-month-old Jersey-cross bull calves with CBVs ranging from -€41 to -€51 weighed 65kg and sold for €5.
These five-week-old Friesian bull calves with CBVs ranging from -€8 to -€20 weighed 59kg and sold for €20.
These five-week-old Friesian bull calves weighed 66kg and sold for €120.
This three-week-old Hereford-cross heifer calf with a CBV of €178 weighed 44kg and sold for €10.
These three-week-old Angus-cross calves with CBVs ranging from €165 to €189 weighed 44kg and sold for €15.
This two-week-old Friesian bull calf weighed 47kg and sold for €45.
These five-week-old Friesian bull calves with CBVs ranging from €114 to €147 weighed 50kg and sold for €120.
These three-week-old Friesian bulls with CBVs ranging from -€16 to -€75 weighed 62kg and sold for €30.
This one-month-old Belgian blue-cross heifer with a CBV of €183 weighed 68kg and sold for €320
This one-month-old Simmental-cross heifer calf with a CBV of €120 weighed 67kg and sold for €275.
This one-month-old Angus-cross bull calf weighed 56kg and sold for €110.
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