Calf registrations have reached 1,601,637 head for the year to date, based on the latest data from the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF).

The latest data from the week ending April 22, shows that 67,793 calves were registered on farms in the seven previous days. This is 19,627 head behind the same week in 2021.

Overall, calf registrations are behind those from 2021 – by 17,399.

Calf registrations

Looking at the calves born to beef dams, we can see that 28,487 were registered in the aforementioned week this year. This is 12,864 behind the same week in 2021.

Overall, some 342,954 calves have been registered to beef dams in 2022 so far this year.

This is 30,132 behind the same period in 2021 when 373,086 calves had been registered to beef dams by this point.

However, regarding calves registered to dairy dams, total registrations for the year are 12,733 ahead of 2021.

So far this year, some 1,258,683 head have been registered, compared to 1,245,950 for the same period in 2021.

There were 39,306 head registered to dairy dams in the week ending April 22, which is a reduction of 6,763 compared to the same week in 2021.

Calf registrations up to and including the week ending April 22, 2022:

  • Dairy calf births: 1,258,683 (+12,733);
  • Beef calf births: 342,954 (+30,132);
  • Total births: 1,601,637 (+17,399).

Breeding season

The breeding season has arrived on farms once again, with the beginning of calving 2023 starting on many farms.

As the breeding season kicks-off, setting targets is important, for example aiming for a 90% three-week submission rate for cows and a 60% conception rate to first service.

Achieving these targets will give farmers a more compact-calving pattern and thus, more profitable cows.

These targets are not easily achieved, so for some, continued progression towards them should be the goal.