There were almost 200 suckler calves on offer today, with most of the calves coming from the dairy herd – mostly a mix of Hereford, Angus, and Holstein Friesian calves.

It’s early days for calves from the dairy herd to be selling in Kerry and another week or two will see volumes of calves offered for sale increase considerably.

Trade was lively, with the auctioneer having no bother getting bids and closing the sale. While I observed the sale, Holstein Friesian bull calves sold from €115 each to €150 for stronger calves.

Whitehead bull calves two to three weeks old sold on average for around €320, with lighter whitehead calves selling down to €240 each.

Whitehead heifers sold at slightly lower prices, with a range between €150 and €250 per head, depending on quality.

In terms of top prices, a super whitehead bull calf about five to six weeks old made €465 and a young Belgian Blue bull calf made €360.

Sample prices