Calf registrations and artificial insemination data figures are showing a significant drop for the first few weeks of 2024.
Although we are still only two weeks into the new year, there has been a significant decrease in the number of calf births based on data from the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF).
Data from the ICBF also shows a drop in the number of animals served to artificial insemination and recorded using the handheld devices.
Calf registrations
The total number of calf registrations based on ICBF data shows that they are down 40% on 2023.
Up until January 12, a total of 6,389 calves have been registered on Irish farms. This is down on the same period in 2023, when 9,612 had been registered.
Total dairy births for 2024 to date are 2,937, which is down 39% from the same time in 2023, when 4,379 calves had been registered.
The beef births stands at 3,452 for the year to date, which is down 41% on 2023 when 5,233 calves had been registered.
Although it is still a couple of weeks away from the start of the calving season for many, they are still quite significant drops so early in the year.
Artificial insemination
Data on the handheld serves, which is available from ICBF shows that there is a 15% drop in the number of serves in 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.
It is important to note that only some artificial insemination technicians carry handheld, so farmers doing their own artificial insemination or technicians not using handhelds are not included in this data.
The data shows a total of 6,369 serves have taken place up until January 12, 2024 – while in the same period for 2023, some 7,410 serves had taken place.
This potentially shows a worrying trend, from a dairy perspective for winter milk or autumn-calving herds – with breeding taking place on this farms at this time of the year.
Winter milk farms and cow number are decreasing year on year and the event at Johnstown Castle this year highlighted that many winter milk farmers frustrations at the current system of payment.
But, it can not be assumed that all the decrease is down to winter milk herd, be it is likely that a good majority of it is.
If you look at the data from 2021, it shows that on January 14, some 9,079 serves had taken place and for 2022 it was 9,039.
Although there are significant benefits to calving during the spring, autumn-calving for dairy and the beef sector have important roles to play.
For the dairy sector it is to ensure that enough liquid milk is produced during the period when spring-calving cows are dry.