2024 was a first for Birr Mart as the Central Auctions, Co Offaly, sales venue commenced calf sales for the first time.
Speaking after its calf sale on Thursday last, mart manager Michael Harty said they were happy with how things proceeded so far.
“With a growing number of dairy farmers in the region, a decision was made to commence calf sales this spring and we got started in the middle of February and went from there.
“We were reasonably happy with how it has gone. There were plenty farmer customers and a shipper or two present.
“Numbers weren’t huge, we had around 100 or 150 calves every week, but we’ve a start made and we’d be hoping to build on that going forward.”
Getting a new sale up and running meant deciding on a time and day to run it and Michael felt that it was best to work around their dairy farmer customers.
“The sale starts at midday and calves would be dropped in from 11am, so while the time frame is short, we felt it suits dairy farmers who can get home for their evening work after the sale.
“Calving has got very compact. You don’t get late calves anymore, certainly not in the same numbers, so they’ll probably fall back over the next while.
“Prices are as good as anywhere this spring. So that’s been a good base to build on.”
It wasn’t just the prices that were the same as other calf marts - customers’ preferences didn’t differ much either.
“We noticed that buyers are that bit choosier. They want a stronger calf and are willing to pay for it, but the small calf is hard to sell. People don’t want to take a risk on them.”
Top price
Top price at last Thursday’s sale was €360, which was paid for a 75kg Belgian Blue-cross bull calf.
Angus-cross calves could be found sprinkled around the price range. Heavier Angus-cross calves weighing 60kg to 70kg sold for between €60 and €140, while at the lower end of trade, lighter heifer calves could be bought for €20/head.
At times, some of those from dairy crossbred dams struggled to make it into double figures, as demand just wasn’t there for them.
Herefords fared marginally better at the lower end of prices. A share of heavier calves between 60kg and 75kg with even a small bit of Jersey in the background sold for between €30 and €70.
Those from Friesian dams fared a bit better, exceeding €100 and €145.
Topping the prices for Hereford-crosses was a five-week-old bull calf weighing 70kg that sold for €280.
Friesian bull calves were in very limited supply and those that were on offer generally sold for between €60 and €82.
This six-week-old Belgian Blue-cross heifer calf weighed 65kg and sold for €270.
These six-week-old Hereford-cross heifer calves weighed 60kg and sold for €14.
This six-week-old Hereford-cross bull calf weighed 65kg and sold for €36.
These five-week-old Hereford-cross bull calves weighed 60kg and sold for €30.
These six-week-old Hereford-cross heifer calves weighed 58kg and sold for €76.
This one-month-old Hereford-cross bull calf weighed 70kg and sold for €280.
This one-month-old Limousin-cross bull calf weighed 70kg and sold for €255.
This one-month-old Belgian Blue-cross bull calf weighed 75kg and sold for €360.
This five-week-old Friesian bull calf weighed 70kg and sold for €86.
This six-week-old Belgian Blue-cross bull calf weighed 65kg and sold for €270.
This five-week-old Belgian Blue-cross heifer calf weighed 70kg and sold for €315.
This five-week-old Hereford-cross bull calf weighed 60kg and sold for €34.
This one-month-old Angus-cross heifer calf weighed 50kg and sold for €22.
This seven-week-old Hereford-cross bull calf weighed 65kg and sold for €62.
This three-week-old Angus-cross heifer calf weighed 45kg and sold for €22.
This three-week-old Hereford-cross bull calf weighed 60kg and sold for €135.
This five-week-old Hereford-cross bull calf weighed 55kg and sold for €145.
2024 was a first for Birr Mart as the Central Auctions, Co Offaly, sales venue commenced calf sales for the first time.
Speaking after its calf sale on Thursday last, mart manager Michael Harty said they were happy with how things proceeded so far.
“With a growing number of dairy farmers in the region, a decision was made to commence calf sales this spring and we got started in the middle of February and went from there.
“We were reasonably happy with how it has gone. There were plenty farmer customers and a shipper or two present.
“Numbers weren’t huge, we had around 100 or 150 calves every week, but we’ve a start made and we’d be hoping to build on that going forward.”
Getting a new sale up and running meant deciding on a time and day to run it and Michael felt that it was best to work around their dairy farmer customers.
“The sale starts at midday and calves would be dropped in from 11am, so while the time frame is short, we felt it suits dairy farmers who can get home for their evening work after the sale.
“Calving has got very compact. You don’t get late calves anymore, certainly not in the same numbers, so they’ll probably fall back over the next while.
“Prices are as good as anywhere this spring. So that’s been a good base to build on.”
It wasn’t just the prices that were the same as other calf marts - customers’ preferences didn’t differ much either.
“We noticed that buyers are that bit choosier. They want a stronger calf and are willing to pay for it, but the small calf is hard to sell. People don’t want to take a risk on them.”
Top price
Top price at last Thursday’s sale was €360, which was paid for a 75kg Belgian Blue-cross bull calf.
Angus-cross calves could be found sprinkled around the price range. Heavier Angus-cross calves weighing 60kg to 70kg sold for between €60 and €140, while at the lower end of trade, lighter heifer calves could be bought for €20/head.
At times, some of those from dairy crossbred dams struggled to make it into double figures, as demand just wasn’t there for them.
Herefords fared marginally better at the lower end of prices. A share of heavier calves between 60kg and 75kg with even a small bit of Jersey in the background sold for between €30 and €70.
Those from Friesian dams fared a bit better, exceeding €100 and €145.
Topping the prices for Hereford-crosses was a five-week-old bull calf weighing 70kg that sold for €280.
Friesian bull calves were in very limited supply and those that were on offer generally sold for between €60 and €82.
This six-week-old Belgian Blue-cross heifer calf weighed 65kg and sold for €270.
These six-week-old Hereford-cross heifer calves weighed 60kg and sold for €14.
This six-week-old Hereford-cross bull calf weighed 65kg and sold for €36.
These five-week-old Hereford-cross bull calves weighed 60kg and sold for €30.
These six-week-old Hereford-cross heifer calves weighed 58kg and sold for €76.
This one-month-old Hereford-cross bull calf weighed 70kg and sold for €280.
This one-month-old Limousin-cross bull calf weighed 70kg and sold for €255.
This one-month-old Belgian Blue-cross bull calf weighed 75kg and sold for €360.
This five-week-old Friesian bull calf weighed 70kg and sold for €86.
This six-week-old Belgian Blue-cross bull calf weighed 65kg and sold for €270.
This five-week-old Belgian Blue-cross heifer calf weighed 70kg and sold for €315.
This five-week-old Hereford-cross bull calf weighed 60kg and sold for €34.
This one-month-old Angus-cross heifer calf weighed 50kg and sold for €22.
This seven-week-old Hereford-cross bull calf weighed 65kg and sold for €62.
This three-week-old Angus-cross heifer calf weighed 45kg and sold for €22.
This three-week-old Hereford-cross bull calf weighed 60kg and sold for €135.
This five-week-old Hereford-cross bull calf weighed 55kg and sold for €145.
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