Week-old Holstein heifer calves fetched up to $610 a head at Camperdown this week, sending market observers to search their memory for any previous example of prices at these rarefied levels.

The top prices came when local calf rearers locked in a bidding war with others from Warnambool and as far afield as Gippsland, all competing for numbers to go into their rearing programs.

The result according to Clayton Horspole from Chas Stewart Nash was a “massive lift in prices and the dearest market for week old heifer calves I have ever seen”.

But he said this was no great surprise given the demand for dairy heifers, with farmers looking to expand their herds to take advantage of high milk prices.

Export buyers were also offering $1200-$1300 for unjoined heifers as young as six months, and up to $2150 for 18-month-old in-calf registered Holstein heifers.

The strong demand from both of these markets for any calves they raise this has boosted prospects for professional calf rearers who have been operating freely through the spring calving peak.

The price spike at Camperdown this week was not too far ahead of the weekly Warragul bobby calf market which has consistently reported prices of $400 a head for week-old Friesian heifer calves since spring calving began in early July..

Andrew Mumsford from Elders Warragul said these heifers had “ been selling extremely well for some time” and this week’s top price of $410 each was in a very solid market that included more than 75 black and white heifers.

Reports reaching Stock & Land this week tell of standing orders from calf rearers prepared to pay up to $500 for any week-old Friesian heifers, and Mr Mumsford said that strength of this demand was also having an impact on dairy farmer breeding options.

He said a number of farmers had switched from their normal practice of mating heifers to Jersey bulls and using beef breed mop-up bulls, opting instead to use black and white bulls knowing that they could find a ready market for any additional heifer calves.

Reports from Gippsland also suggest that, with beef prices in a lull, long-time beef producers had switched from their own beef breeding operations to growing out Friesian heifer weaners destined either for export or to go into local milk herds.

Dairy farmers across the State are now into their third successive season where factories are paying near record prices for their milk and competing strongly to do so.

For full commentary see Stock & Land, September 18.