Average beef carcass weights fell slightly in 2023, according to latest figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
According to the figures, the average steer carcass weight in 2023 was 347kg, back 3kg from the average steer carcass weight of 350kg in 2022.
The average heifer carcass weight in 2023 was 307kg, back 3kg from the average heifer carcass weight of 310kg in 2022.
The average cow carcass weight in 2023 was 294kg, back 5kg from the average cow carcass weight of 299kg in 2022.
The average young bull carcass weight in 2023 was 368kg, back 1kg from the average young bull carcass weight of 369kg in 2022.
The average bull carcass weight in 2023 was 443kg, back 3kg from from the average bull carcass weight of 446kg in 2022.
The drop in average carcass weights was a major talking point in the beef sector in late 2023 and prolonged wet weather conditions was one of the attributing factors to the fall in carcass weights.
While wet weather may have been a factor, the rise of dairy genetics in the beef sector can also not be ignored as an attributing factor to falling carcass weights and the need for improved beef genetics in calves being produced from the dairy herd must also be highlighted.
Tools such as the dairy beef index (DBI) and its respective sub-indexes are available to assist dairy farmers in selecting sires that will produce calves with a higher beef genetic merit.
The commercial beef value (CBV) is available for all genotyped beef calves to give farmers who are buying calves an indication of the calves’ genetic beef potential.
With a growing number of beef cattle being produced from the dairy herd, ensuring these cattle can reach an acceptable finishing weight with a good carcass specification will be essential to ensuring the future sustainability of these systems.